This bewitching lily, Lilium nepalense, sweetly scented and with a strong
maroon flush inside its recurved trumpets, has a reputation for being
difficult to grow. I didn't even attempt it until a few years ago, but when
my new raised bed was finished, it was one of the species I was determined
to crack. Excitingly, as I write, the flower buds are swelling for the third
successive year.
The secret seems to be a well-drained but moist acid soil (in my case, equal
parts soil-based ericaceous compost, shredded pine bark and lime-free grit),
part shade and a generous root run, for this lily sends out wandering
underground shoots. The bulbs are tiny, and you can't believe they can
produce flowers of the size they do. I was advised to protect them from
excess winter cold and wet under a mound of chipped bark, but last year I
forgot and they are still fine. Z5.