Gardening: Asiatic Lillies

Having just taken delivery of a boot-load of arum lilies from a friend and created a cool, cream and green garden, I've broadened my scope and started an affair with Asiatic lilies. I saw them on special in the local hardware store and bought half a dozen to plant in my grass garden, which was crying out for a splash or two of colour.

It's the perfect marriage because they grow about a metre tall, so they have enough height to poke their heads up above the lomandra.

And because they're skinny things with not much foliage, I'll barely notice when they die off in the winter.

They're hardy perennials with only a few requirements, the main one being a constantly moist, well-drained soil. Full sun to light shade is good, and they like company because the cover of other foliage keeps the bulb cool and moist.