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Expert: Long Island Gardener - 4/21/2008


Question
I had an established bed containing oriental lilies. It contained stalks about 3 feet tall, and my boyfriend accidentally removed them all. Is there any hope for survival?

Answer
Let me see here.  Stalks were growing actively.  They were removed, but the Lilies were not disturbed.

This is quite sad, I am afraid.

Miracles can and do happen, you understand.

However, given the circumstances, I would be very careful about letting this young man near more expensive things like my car.  Quite a bit of effort it seems went into removing the newly sprouted Oriental Lily tips.  There are accidents.  And there are... ACCIDENTS.

For this particular Lily accident, alas, there is no known cure.  Next time ask him to direct his accident on a less costly plant with a shorter lifespan.

Very sorry I cannot be more helpful.  Please write again.  And we'll all pray for a miracle -- stranger things have happened.  Thank you for your question, dear,

L.I.G.

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Long Island Gardener

Expertise

Growing Tulips? Dahlias? Daffodils? Gladiolus? It doesn't get easier than bulbs and tubers. Once in a while, something goes wrong: The dreaded Narcissus Bulb Fly, which resembles a honeybee. Mosaic virus, which can ignite a field of tulips in a single season. Nematodes, lurking underground. Here on the North Shore of Long Island, the garden is full of surprises. If you live in the Northeast/Atlantic Coast, I can help you pick the right bulb for every season, indoors and out, and help you fertilize, bloom and harvest for home or work. How: I have degrees in related fields, but my best understanding is all learned from trial and error. For most of my 53 years I have been gardening somewhere. No matter what the problem, I've learned the best answers are always Organic -- Earth friendly, less expensive, healthier for people and pets, easier and cleaner than toxic liquids and powders that big chemical companies sell so smoothly.

Experience

Besides degrees in related fields, and a few favorite horticultural societies, I work as a docent at our local botanical gardens -- but it's the years of work in the garden that's the real test.

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