) Growing the Casablanca For all its beauty and elegance, all your favorite flower needs is a warm condition and a fair amount of soil moisture. (Of course, the soil must drain well.) They are herbaceous plants, meaning they can be grown from bulbs. However, they can not go completely into a dormant stage. This will help hold on to nutrients and prevents fast drying. It is also safe to apply winter mulch. Wait until the ground begins to freeze before spreading it. Plant food Leave the mulch in spring until the danger of hard frost is over. Fertilize the soil with a phosphorus formula like the 5-10-10. Follow the instructions to the letter in fertilizer application. Miscellaneous hybrids (division 8) These varieties combine the beauty of the oriental flowers with the ruggedness of trumpets and aurelians. They are suited to hot summer areas but are also resistant to winter cold. Species (division 9) Typically, species lilies are wild lilies. These are the wild types that breeders use to create some of the more beautiful hybrids of today. After confirming that what you have is a true lily, you may proceed with the kinds or types to find out which is the most suitable one for you. The most common not to mention most popular types are the Asiatic and Oriental lilies. If you need the type that is easiest to grow and doesn t need too much maintenance since they can grow with any type of soil that drains well, opt of for Asiatic lilies. In China, dried lily flower buds which are called golden needles or jin zhen in China are used in Chinese cuisine. They are soaked and cooked with mushrooms. In China, baihe gan or the L. brownie bulbs are considered to be a health and luxury food. They are used to make soups thicker and are used in stir fried food. Also, the bulbs of these hardy lilies are very easy to plant and cultivate. Planting a wide variety of them will enhance your perennials and shrubs. Or, maybe you can start a new landscape garden. Bloom time extension One exciting way to extend the bloom time of your flowers is to plant a group of Asiatic lilies with a group of Oriental lilies.