Peruvian Lily 'Summer Red'

This gorgeous variety offers great value. The compact, strong growth is lovely and upright, topped with brilliant red blooms from December to May.

Flowers galore, who could ask for anything more? Peruvian Lilies bring months of colour to the garden – beginning in summer they can flower to frost. You can pick them to fill your vases and there will still be enough to brighten your beds – it is best to pull them when doing this from the base of the stem. Each bloom is 5-7cm across.

Peruvian Lilies are quite hardy and vigorous with a long bloom period, they are a magnet for beneficial insects such as butterflies and bees and will soon have your garden a flutter. Compact and upright with strong stems they are a great choice for gardens or containers.

Water in well, plants take at least four weeks for their roots to penetrate the surrounding soil and need to be regularly watered over that time, then we recommend keeping moist during active growth. As they establish they become dry tolerant - they have a fleshy root system that keeps a reserve of moisture. Well drained, humus rich soil conditions are best. Ideally, mulch in spring to protect the root system and help retain moisture.

When growing Peruvian Lilies it is important to ensure they are fertilised well. They grow quickly and flower profusely, so need to be well fed. We recommend a slow release fertiliser in winter and spring. In pots it is most ideal to add a liquid fertiliser every couple of weeks over their flowering period.

Our tip - when you pick the stems it is best to twist then pluck them from the base to encourage more growth. We also advise this method when pruning spent flowers and foliage.