Foxtail Lily

The eremurus robustus, or Foxtail lily, is a stunning plant. I have tried many times to grow a group of foxtails in my garden, but it has been a challenge. A wonderful gardener I know has grown these fabulous plants in the main bed of her driveway. It’s so impressive to see fifty or so Foxtails growing en masse in a circular plant bed. I’m surprised more people didn’t crash their cars while driving by such a spectacular sight.  

This particular lily has been growing in my garden for three years now. I originally planted three groups, but this is the only one that survived. I cleaned out some unsuccessful plants from underneath them, which I think helped this one thrive. They seem to like the soil a little dryer, which is great for where they grow. I will purchase more lilies this year to see if I can establish a larger group.

In addition to playing with plants, it is fun to play with art in the garden. Using glass in the garden can be difficult if not correctly placed. However, using a plant with contrasting foliage or duplicating another form from the garden are two ways to help your art stand out. In this case, the swirling shapes of these glass sculptures echo the structure of the foxtail lily. You can move these beautiful glass pieces around the garden, but I think this is the place for them. Even the darker orange at the bottom looks like the lily as the blooms start to fade out.