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The Lily, Madonna Lily, Lily of Japan, Oriental Lily, from the Lilium species, and their uses in floral art. 

Scientific Name:Lilium

Common Names: Madonna Lily, from the Eastern Mediterranean , Lilium Longiflorum,Oriental Lily, Lily of Japan,a native of Japan, ,Lilium Hansonii, from Korea and Siberia, Lilium Henryi, from China

"Lemon Lilies" and "Tawny Lilies" (Hemerocallis) and "Calla Lilies" (Zantedeschia).  "Magic Lily" (Lycoris) or "Torch Lily" (Kniphofia)...none are true lilies.

Members of the genus Lilium have special  characteristics that differentiate them from other "Lily" plants. The bulb is usually the most distinguishing characteristic. It is composed of fleshy scales without a protective outer coating.They should never be allowed to dry out during planting. The parent bulb must be sound and free of disease. Plump outer scales are pulled off gently and put in shallow trays of light soil with sand. Insert them upright with their tips just above the surface and will be become little bulbils by the spring. By autumn they will be ready to be planted out. 
A true lily is never dormant  Lily flowers, though completely varied in size, shape and color, always have six tepals and six anthers. Stems, leaves and roots have distinguishing features too.
Liliums prefer acid soils and are great underplanted with azaleas and  rhododendruns.You can make your soil  more acid with aluminium sulphate.

To condition lilies soak the stalks in a bucket overnight .If the flowers are not yet open, put the bucket in a warm spot. The yellow stamens stain clothes so if you are putting your lillies on something precious, cut the tips off the stamens first.It is a shame as they are beautiful so it is a last resort measure. 
Try not to handle the flowers too much as they bruise and discolour very easily.

Try this arrangement as a table setting ! Designed by Margaret W of New Zealand , it combines white lilies and carnations, with glossy green foliage, in a low container. and is ideal for the middle of a table. Keep it low so people can see over it. Pop some tiny surprises amongst the flowers such as wrapped after dinner mints.

Lyn Amos used lilies with black and white skeletonised leaves for this stunning design seen at the Auckland Designer of the Year 2001.
To see other designs using lilies in the free lessons, click here
Lucia Chang from Auckland, New Zealand used lilies in this fabulous design from the Auckland Designer of the Year 2001 exhibition.

Lucie used lilies, stocks, lichen branches and astromerias in her main design with a grid of bamboo, and hanging  test tubes holding a single astromeria. The container had honesty seeds, wheat, silver thread, enclosed on the netting.
Her container was made using the techniques at a workshop available here


The Gardener's Guide to Growing Lilies
In the whole lily spectrum,  The authors first  explain the plant's ecology and life cycle and then give advice on planting and grouping for effect. There's information on cultivation and propagation, along with techniques for breeding. But the bulk of the book is a list of species and hybrid species; each listing gives detailed data on the plant's foliage, flowers, flowering times, size, and soil requirements. There are 70 color photographs and 40 black-and-white line drawings in this comprehensive guide to the genus Lilium. Click here to review and buy through Amazon.com. They ship worldwide

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The Flower Arranger's A-Z
                        Daphne Vagg 
This is an alphabetically arranged guide to all aspects of flower arranging covering themes,historical periods, colours, national arrangements, materials and symbols. For competitive flower arrangers, the book includes rules and schedules, together with tips for organizing shows. Other
 sections refer to weddings, anniversaries, hospital flowers and Christmas decor. Daphne Vagg is well respected by Floral Art circles and her book is regularly  recommended by Floral Artists everywhere.This book is available online only through Amazon.com in the UK, but is a worthy addition to your collection. Click here for ordering details.