LILIES OF THE VALLEY PLANT BULBS IN THE FALL AND REAP THE REWARDS OF COLORFUL SUMMER FLOWERS.

Byline: Pam Waterman Correspondent

Lilies would love to be the biggest stars of your garden.

Their bright, bold flowers attract attention anywhere they're planted. You can create spectacular effects by combining lilies with other perennials and shrubs. Just choose a prominent sunny spot and resist the temptation to cut the stems and bring them in the house. When lilies bloom, no other plants, not even roses, can compete with their dazzling colors, stately appearance and intoxicating fragrance.

The best way to enjoy the drama of lilies in the summer is to buy bulbs in the fall and watch the flowers grow. Mail order catalogs offer wide selections. Although it doesn't have photographs, the Van Engelen Inc. catalog lists an outstanding selection of bulbs at reasonable prices. Dutch Gardens prints a catalog with irresistible color photographs of lilies at slightly higher prices. Local nurseries stock packaged bulbs but can't begin to offer the same variety as catalog companies.

Before you get started with lilies, understand that many plants with ``lily'' in their names belong to a different plant family. The Aztec lily, Blood lily, Daylily, Foxtail lily, Lily-of-the-valley and Zephyr lily are not true lilies.

The popular Blue lily of the Nile is actually Agapanthus. And Calla lilies are perennials that grow from rhizomes - no relation to true lilies.

True lilies are members of the genus Lilium and have a bulb made up of fleshy scales with no protective outer coating. The bulbs are never dormant so they should be planted as soon as they are purchased.

The one downside to lilies in our climate is that they rarely bloom beyond one or two years. Is it worth the trouble to grow bulbs that don't naturalize in our climate? In the case of lilies, the answer is a definite ``yes.'' The bulbs are not expensive and they bloom in the summer when we need the color. Many lilies would be worth growing just for their fragrance.

Asiatic lily hybrids are the earliest to bloom. In the mild temperatures of Southern California, these lilies often flower by the end of May. Most lilies in this group have upward facing flowers in an amazing range of colors and grow from about 1 to 4 feet in height. ``America'' has deeply colored crimson petals, lightly dotted with black. ``Enchantment'' is a bright orange red, a very reliable performer in Southern California.

Next to bloom is the group of lilies known as Turk's cap. Growing 3 to 4 feet high, they have 3-inch flowers with curved petals, and as many as 20 blooms on each stem.

Lilium longiflorum is the botanical name for the popular Easter lily. Growers trick it into flowering at Easter so millions of plants can be sold, but its natural blooming time is summer. The long white trumpetlike blooms face outward and have a pleasant fragrance. Easter lilies reach about 3 feet and are considered easy to grow. Several cultivars are available including a cross with a pink Asiatic, called ``Casa Rosa.''

Next to flower are Tiger lilies with large, freckled, pendulous blooms in warm colors like orange and yellow. This lily may multiply in our gardens if planted in the proper place.

The dramatic lilies known as Oriental hybrids are the last to bloom. They're well worth the wait. The flowers are intensely fragrant, with huge, recurving petals that can be up to 10 inches across. Oriental hybrids need staking, as their lanky stems can't support their weight of the large flowers.

``Casa Blanca'' is a well-known Oriental hybrid with pure white flowers and delicate flocking on the petals. Catalog growers rave about this hybrid because it is beautiful and dependable, and has everything gardeners want in a lily: fragrance, rich bloom and large flowers. Plant it with white hydrangea to brighten up a semi-shaded area.

Fran Shellgren, a Pasadena gardener, has enjoyed blooms on her ``Casa Blanca'' lilies for eight years. ``They're not as grand as in the early years,'' Shellgren said. ``But they're still beautiful.''

Mary Brosius, former curator of the Rose Garden at Descanso Gardens in La Canada Flintridge, gets repeat bloom on the Asiatic and Oriental lilies in her Pasadena garden. She started planting the Orientals deeper after she repotted them and discovered the bulbs had pulled themselves to the bottom of the container. Every three years she refreshes the soil, adding compost to the mix.

``I used to baby my lilies in the shade,'' Mary said. ``Now I plant them in sunny areas, away from reflected heat. They do much better.''

HOW TO BUY THEM

Catalogs offer the widest variety of lily bulbs. Prices for lilies range from about $1 a bulb in orders of five from the Dutch Gardens catalog to $6 a bulb for named varieties from White Flower Farm. Lily bulbs are also available at local nurseries in the fall.

Mail order sources for lilies:

Dutch Gardens, 144 Intervale Road, Burlington, VT 05401, [phone]; www.dutchgardens.com

Van Engelen Inc., 23 Tulip Drive, Bantam, CT 06750-5323, [phone]; www.vanengelen.com

White Flower Farm, Litchfield, CT 06759-0050, [phone]; www.whiteflowerfarm.com

HOW TO PLANT THEM

To add lilies to your garden next year, decide now where you want to plant the bulbs. Lilies can grow in a shrub border where they show off their dramatic flowers against green leaves. They are perfect accent plants for an entrance, a patio or a picture window. They also can be planted among other flowering perennials; just don't let them tower over shorter plants like soldiers.

-- Plant at least three in a group. They will hold each other up when the stalks emerge and make a more dramatic statement as they bloom. Three bulbs fit nicely in a 10-inch plastic pot.

-- Rule No. 1 for success with lilies is good drainage. Given that most of us garden in clay soils, we have to figure out how to give lilies good drainage. Growing the bulbs in pots is one solution. Another is to plant the bulbs on a slight slope. A raised flower bed also offers good drainage.

-- If you've never tried lilies before, experiment with a three-pack from a local nursery. When you see how much return you get for a small investment, you might decide to order from the bulb catalogs that let you choose from dozens of appetizing colors.

CAPTION(S):

6 photos, 2 boxes

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) Pink Oriental hybrid

(2 -- 3 -- color) Pink Oriental hybrid

(4 -- color) Red Asiatic hybrid Enchantment

(5 -- color) Orange Asiatic hybrid

(6 -- color) Oriental hybrid Imperial Gold

Box:

(1) HOW TO BUY THEM (see text)

(2) HOW TO PLANT THEM (see text)