Information you need to care for calla lillies

There may not be a more elegant looking flower than the calla lily. The versatility of being able to grow in beds or in containers make it popular for home gardeners too. Here's the key facts about this fabulous flower.

Shaped like softly rolled cornucopias, the flowers make a stunning accent when grown in either beds or containers. The large, deep green, arrow-shaped leaves are a graceful backdrop for a flower border. You can also accent a turning point in the garden by tucking a clump of calla lilies into the bend of a path. The traditional calla lily grows one to 1.2 metres (nearly four feet) tall, with big, creamy white flowers and large leaves that are often speckled with white. Modern hybrids are a more manageable size, with some reaching only 20 to 60 centimetres (eight to 25 inches) in height, and blooming in soft yellow, peach, deep pink or rose. Tuck a few into a shady border for a tropical look, use them in a pot or, best of all, plant them in a damp place near a pond or stream, using them as a water-garden accent.

Calla lilies are perennial and can grow outdoors year-round in Zone 9. But they are frost sensitive, so in colder climates wait until the weather is warm to plant them in the garden. Here are some key tips to getting the most out of your calla lily.

• Choose a site with fertile soil in partial shade or sun and set the rhizomes about 10 centimetres (four inches) deep to 30 centimetres (one foot) apart.
• You can plant dormant tubers indoors a month before your last spring frost date, planting one per 15 centimetre (six inch) pot. Put the pots on a sunny windowsill and keep the soil evenly moist until new growth appears and it's warm enough to plant them outside.
• Calla lilies love moisture, so surround them with moisture-retentive organic mulch and water as needed to keep the soil from drying out.
• Fertilize them once a month with a water soluble, all-purpose balanced plant food.
• Watch out for spider mites. Leaves will look pale and exhibit faint webbing if they are around. Knock them off the plants with a strong spray of cold water.

When cold weather approaches, withhold water so that the soil dries out and dig out the tubers before the first frost, trimming away the leaves. Allow the tubers to air-dry for a few days and then store them in a paper bag filled with dry peat moss at about 10°C to 13°C (50°F to 55°F). Before planting in spring, divide clumps by breaking them apart into individual tubers.

The long necks and spiral shaped flowers make calla lillies great as cut flowers or mixed in with a flower garden. They are simple to maintain and can last for years.