First off, when you say you cleaned them...in what way. Lily bulbs generally don't need cleaning, just shake off loose dirt. Though lily bulbs need a cold period (vernalization) sticking the pots out in a cold garage may be a bit to much of a shock. I would probably have just stored them in the crisper tray of my refrigerator (without any fruit) for two or three weeks and then potted them and put them in the garage or better yet just put them in the crisper tray until it was time to plant outside. Do you have a cool root cellar you can store them in for a couple of weeks. You want to store them where the temp won't drop below freezing. If not a root cellar you can try the garage but put the pots in cardboard boxes with lots of newspaper around them.

I rinsed them in water mixed with a little soap, to make sure there weren't any pests. Then gently rinsed them.

I have a basement, no root cellar. The smaller bulbs are in plastic bags with shredded moist paper, those can go in the fridge.

It may be possible to keep them in your garage if the temps in it don't fall too far below freezing for an extended time period. There are a lot of ifs... if the temp. doesn't plunge quickly, if your garage is well insulated. I'm sure you'll be safe putting them in the garage fairly soon. It's not that they don't experience freezing temps in the ground, but it's generally gradual where in a pot there's less soil to protect them and it freezes more quickly. You might just have to move them inside overnight if really cold weather threatens. Or the boxes and newspaper or bubble-wrap for extra insulation. Better to keep them cooler than warmer right now. Good luck with them. Just curious, did you order these from someplace? If so they should have shipped them at a later date.

These were given to me.

Many thanks for the advice.

Tanya

Tanya,

They should be fine in the garden year round ... lilies aren't like som other bulbs that need to be lifted in the fall t survive.

Pam