Lily
Lily
Calla lilies are favorite bulbous plants with striking flowers, the lilies, which usually appear in summer or spring in warmer regions. Native to southern Africa, the calla has large green lance-shaped leaves and abundant flowering with striking trumpet-like flowers and unique colors. The best-known variety of calla is the one with white flowers, it blooms in the spring, on the Feast of the Annunciation, and is therefore often referred to as the lily of the Virgin Mary. It should not be confused, however, with the parthenocrine which has the same name and is a type of lily. There are many more beautiful calla varieties with striking colors such as yellow, pink, purple, red and even purple flowers. The calla needs a cool climate and can thrive both in semi-shady warm places in southern Greece and in sunnier northern areas with a cooler climate. If we plant the calla in a pot on a balcony, we prefer places with a west or east orientation. Calla lilies love moisture, but when planting they need well-drained soil to drain away water. For planting the calla in a pot, we choose a general-purpose potting soil that contains perlite for moisture retention and good ventilation. Calla rhizomes are planted in the spring, making sure that the eyes face upwards during planting. We plant the rhizomes at a depth of about 10 centimeters and at distances of 30-40 centimeters between them.
Calla lilies need relative humidity and regular watering to have satisfactory growth and flowering. We avoid excessive watering when planting the rhizomes, because a problem may arise and the bulb may not sprout. We water the callas once a week in the spring season and twice a week in the summer season when high temperatures prevail. Calla lilies have moderate nutrient needs and we add liquid flowering fertilizer once a month from mid-spring to late summer to encourage their growth and give us more.