A “White House” That Delights
The OT Hybrid Lilies are done blooming, in fact I’ve snipped off the tips so that they won’t waste energy making seeds. Happily, the Oriental Lily ‘Casa Blanca’ has taken up where the OT Hybrid left off.
‘Casa Blanca’ means “white house”, of course. Unlike the White House in the nation’s capitol, though, ‘Casa Blanca’ delights your senses and does not push you to the edge of despair – quite the opposite.
Instead, that heavenly fragrance and those softly gleaming white flowers combine to transport you to a better place, at least in your own mind.
We have two little clumps of ‘Casa Blanca’, each of about five bulbs. Last fall I planted some bulbs in the Sidewalk Border, in an area I had carved out of the diminishing turf. They are planted among the ‘Raspberry Wine’ Bee Balm (Monarda didyma). I think they look good together.
Unfortunately, these Lilies are mostly hidden from people passing by on the sidewalk. Next year I hope they will be tall enough to be clearly seen. Regardless, that wonderful scent is definitely noticed.
The second clump of ‘Casa Blanca’ is in the Back Garden Raised Bed. They have done reasonably well, despite the fact that this bed is in part shade. Of the five bulbs I planted two years ago, three are robust bloomers, one is undersized with just a single bloom, and the last has gone to the great Garden Center in the sky.
If you look closely in the photo above, you will see a stalk in the center with no flowers on top. Sadly, that had been the stem with the most blooms I think there are some birds that like to perch on top of the Oriental Lilies. As a result, you have to be careful how you stake them, or they are likely to snap off near the top.
I brought the broken stem with the flowers into the house, and Judy put them in a vase on the back porch. This is a really crappy picture I took with my phone. On the plus side, our back porch now smells deliciously sweet.
To my mind, fragrant Lilies are superior to the scentless Asiatics, though the Asiatics are certainly colorful. I haven’t grown many fragrant Lilies, so that makes it harder to sat that one or the other is my favorite. But I will anyway: ‘Casa Blanca’ is my favorite fragrant Lily. How about you – do you have a favorite?
gardeninacity 
I’m with you – Casa Blanca is my favorite as well. I need to plant a few on the west side of my house so the breeze will carry the scent all through my home.
As always, I enjoy your blog & appreciate the effort you and Judy put into it.
Thank you! Some Casa Blanca lilies near an open window is an excellent idea.
On a wet & gloomy winter’s day here in Canberra … Your Casa Blanca Lilies look absolutely dazzling … In winter it is easy to forget how bright & gorgeous lilies are especially the white ones.
I also love the Casa Blanca. I don’t have any, though I plan to get some. I do have the pink Star Gazer lily, three plants that have already bloomed beautifully this year, but they’re gone for the season.
‘Star Gazer’ is another beauty.
Lovely lilies . Never knew about this type, but they look stunning.
I have been admiring this lily in the catalogs lately, but sadly it wouldn’t be hardy here in zone 4a.
A shame!
I love fragrant lilies, but unfortunately red lily beetles love them even more. And it’s nice to hear that there is a serene and lovely white house out there somewhere.
No red lily beetles here as of yet, knock on wood!
A relief to have good white house news. The petals looks so pure and crisp–very attractive.
I sure like Casa Blanca Lily. Those big white flowers scream look at me in the garden. She is a diva. I like even better the Stargazer Lily series. I just like a little more color to go with that lovely fragrance. Your vase of Casa looks great there with the picture of a white flower above it.
Don’t have any of the ‘Stargazers’. I hear good things about them.
I’ve had Casa Blanca in my back garden for over a decade. They are blooming right now, like yours. Sheer delight!
Exactly! I hope mine are as long-lived as yours.
The red lily beetles are indeed a scourge in Maine. Sigh. Glad you don’t have any to decimate your lovely Casa Blanca.
Knock on wood.
May they never come your way.
What a lovely flower! I only have Connecticut Yankee which is done blooming. I do love walking past some of my fragrant daylilies and can’t wait for my Fragrant Hostas to open.
I didn’t know Hostas could be fragrant – interesting.
I love when flowers engage all of the senses – those are just beautiful! I don’t have any scented lilies in the garden (yet!) but I do have an amazing rose that makes me stop and literally “smell the roses” every time I walk by 🙂
I love fragrant roses, too.
You are very good at Lilies!
Definitely better White house news than I read every day! Casa Blanca is a gorgeous lily, one of my favourites is Lily Regale.
Lily Regale is on my list to try.
You’ll love it.
I’ve never grown Casa Blanca, but I love just about all fragrant lilies. I don’t know if I can pick a favorite. I certainly like your White House better than the current one in D.C. Thanks for the reminder that I really should cut the tops off my lilies so they don’t make seedpods. I wonder if doing that for the last few years is one reason mine have increased so prolifically.
I don’t know – I hope my lilies also naturalize, but that hasn’t happened with lilies in our garden yet.
I planted some of these this year and none of them came up, sadly. It’s probably my fault…they were cheap bulbs from a box store (and yes, probably planted too late)! I also had a huge lily snap at the top…although I’m guessing it was the sheer weight of the blooms. Not sure how to remedy that in the future!
I’m just trying to stake the lilies in several places along the stalk, including up near the top.
What a beautiful, beautiful lily! Fragrance means so much to me. I also grow lilies, but not Casa Blanca; however, that may change. (Everyone keeps talking about the red lily beetles. I hope they don’t come here or to your garden for that matter.)
Agree re the beetles!
Casa Blanca is gorgeous and runs neck and neck with ‘Conca d’ Or’ as my favorite. Your Casa Blanca look especially lovely with the raspberry monarda. If I recall, you once mentioned that the fragrance of these lilies made you want to roll around your garden but that you refrained lest the neighbors think you insane (well more insane than usual.)
You have a very good memory!
I love the color mix, it really is striking. I thank you for letting me/us into the backyard to visit all your hard work. It’s really terrific. Do you have garden tours at private homes? Yours I would certainly visit and place on the list for tours!
A couple of times my garden has been part of a tour organized by the Wild Ones (the native plant advocates). I’ve thought of seeing if I could get included in the Evanston Garden Walk.
Too cool!
That red and white combo is stunning. I have Black Beauty which is fragrant.
‘Black Beauty’ sounds interesting.
I love fragrant lilies and had a yard full until the lily beetles came. I hope you don’t have the same experience.
I do as well!
Those are very beautiful lilies, Jason. It is hard to pick a favorite,but we have a patch of fragrant tree lilies here. The colors range along the pink scale from white to maroon. Not so much a problem with birds breaking tops here, and at least the deer seem to leave them alone.
Thanks! I could have been wrong about the birds.
I like this combination: white Lilies with red Monarda
I do need also more Lilies in my garden!
This is one of my favorites, Jason! I agree the scent is wonderful–it seems to fill the whole flowerbed with its fragrance. I never stopped to think about what ‘Casa Blanca’ actually means–now I’m going to put that image out of my mind:)
Maybe we should come up with another name, like ‘2018 Election’.
Oh, how gorgeous, I can smell them from here. Love the vase next to that funky chicken.xxx
Casa Blanca ios pretty hard to beat!
Agreed!