After flowering

Snap off the spent flower heads but leave the stems and leaves to die back naturally — they feed the bulb for next year. Cutting back green leaves is the surest way to a poor display the following season.

Container lilies appreciate being lifted every 2–3 years and replanted in fresh compost. They will produce small offset bulbs which can be grown on into new plants — see the propagation lesson.

In November, when stems have browned, cut them off at soil level and top-dress the pot with 2 cm of fresh compost.