Deep Cobalt Lily Bulbs

Lilium Oriental Hybrid — Deep Cobalt. Cobalt is a hard colour to get right in a flower. Too much and it looks dyed; too little and it goes grey. This one sits right on the line.

Each petal is ink-cobalt, deepest at the edges and lifting to a white throat, then scattered with fine gold freckles that catch the light like dust. The stamens are gold too, and the filaments are green, which sounds wrong and looks completely right. Six to seven inches across, four to six per stem, and unusually long-lasting in water.

If you only buy one blue lily, buy this one. If you buy two, buy this one twice.

What you get

• Ink-cobalt petals with gold freckles and gold stamens.
• Long vase life — 10 days is normal, not exceptional.
• 4–6 blooms per stem, each 6–7 in across.
• Top-size 14/16 cm bulbs — first-season flowers, no forcing needed.
• Hardy to zone 4 and happy in a large pot.

How to grow it

• Plant: 6 in / 15 cm deep, 8–10 in apart, in full sun and well-drained soil. Pointy end up. Mark the spot — lilies are late to emerge in spring.
• Water: soak after planting, then whenever the top inch of soil dries. Never let water sit in the hole.
• Light: 6+ hours of direct sun; light afternoon shade keeps the flowers from fading.
• Cold: fully hardy in USDA zones 4–9. Mulch the first winter; no lifting needed.
• After flowering: cut only the flower stems. Let the foliage yellow on its own — that is next year’s bulb being built.

Shipped dormant and cleaned, 14/16 cm top-size bulbs. Dispatch in 5–7 working days, 8–25 working days in transit. Colour depth varies with soil, light and season — the first flower from a fresh bulb is usually the most intense.