Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Lily-La-Palooza


One of the negative side effects of joining the garden blogging community two years ago has been a serious case of plant envy.  Many new plants have found their way into my garden after seeing them on someone else's blog.  But no plant has captured my heart and imagination as much as the various types of lilies, especially the daylilies, Hemerocallis.  Several new plants have been purchased in the past year, and a new flowerbed was even completed this spring just to showcase some of the newer acquisitions and to make room for future purchases. While I'm eager to show off the different lilies that have bloomed here since mid-May, today's post as is much for me as anyone else: following Tina's lead, I want a record of all the names and locations of my lilies for future reference.


In the beginning, there were the Stella d'Oros, and like the inhabitants of that very first Garden, they have been fruitful and multiplied . . . and multiplied.  They surround a large boulder at the end of our driveway here, they border the roadside garden, and they border one side of the front garden.  Looking at them this year, you would never know I dug them all up last spring, dividing them and passing along as many to friends and family as I replanted.  Though they are the ubiquitous daylily and my tastes have since become more sophisticated, I'm not going to cast them out of Eden.  Any plant this hardy and faithful deserves to stay.


In the midst of this homogeneous group, though, a few rebels exist.  This paler yellow lily, variety unknown, apparently got mixed into some of the purchased Stellas and is planted near the boulder pictured above.


Another rogue lily appeared two years ago in the roadside planting.  The strange thing is that I don't think I divided this plant last year, yet when I passed along some divisions of Stella to my daughter-in-law, several of these appeared in her garden as well.  I've seen this variety pictured on several other blogs; does anyone know its name?


After the Stellas, the next to bloom was this Asiatic, "Brindisi."  I've shown it before, but in an attempt to record all lilies here, it must be included.  This was the first Asiatic lily I've ever purchased, and after seeing its lovely blooms that lasted for several weeks, it may be the first of many to come.


Several new daylilies were purchased last year on a trip to 5 Acre Daylily Farm with Beckie and are planted in the new lily bed.  'Moonlit Masquerade' almost didn't make the budget cut, but I'm glad she did.


Most purchases were made purely based on appearance, but what former English teacher could resist her very own 'Canterbury Tales'? Other literary allusions were a little too pricey, but I hope to add more in the future . . . maybe my own literary lily garden:)


And no explanation is needed, I think, for the purchase of  'Prairie Blue Eyes.'


'Little Grapette'  was also added after seeing it featured on several blogs.  Its diminutive size prompted me to plant it at the front of the lily bed (southern end).


Despite wanting to add different colors, I found myself still drawn to several shades of orange last year.  'Tangerine Orange Ruffle' was my first pick; the color is more like orange sherbet than the pale color seen here.  The blooms of all lilies are at their fullest in full sun, yet that makes it difficult to capture their true color.


One of the fun things about visiting the daylily farm last year was seeing the hybrids they had grown.  Only a few of these pass muster for future propagation, and the rest are sold as unnamed, one of a kind hybrids.  Beckie and I each purchased one with plans for dividing and sharing them.  This is the one she chose and shared with me, which she named appropriately enough, 'Dragonfly Corner.'



My selection has more pink than orange, and I thought the name 'Prairie Sunrise' fit it well.  Both of these are growing at the back north end of the lily bed along with 'Tangerine.'  These three, in particular, make it clear why a record is needed.  While they all still had their tags close by so that I could distinguish which was which, I can't depend solely on the tags.  Some creature (ahem, Sophie, are you listening?) likes to play hide and seek with my tags occasionally, making identification of unknown plants a real game.


Near 'Prairie Blue Eyes' on the other end of the lily bed is this mystery yellow lily.  And when I say 'mystery,' I mean it is really a mystery--I have no memory of buying it, seeing it grow here previously, or even planting it.  It's really a lovely lily, much more lemony in color than Stella with larger blooms; I wouldn't mind having a few more mysteries like this one appear:)


While I like to support the local daylily growers, not every lily here has been purchased.  My aunt gave me several divisions a few years ago.  She didn't tell me the name of this one, so I've renamed it 'Nettie's Ruby' in her honor.


Five of 'Nettie's Ruby' were planted in the center of the lily bed, but one lone plant was left in its former neglected and weedy spot . . . it really deserves better surroundings.


Another passalong from my aunt, these have been named 'Nettie's Coral' and are growing in the roadside garden.  I love this particular lily and had planned to move them to the new lily bed, but they look so good where they are, usually blooming right before the coneflowers (first photo) that I think they will stay where they are.


Another lily that didn't get moved is 'Lavender Dew.'  While several of the new lilies found a temporary home in the shade garden last summer and then were moved this spring, 'Lavender' was surrounded by hostas that I didn't want to disturb, so I left her alone.  In trying to track down her name, I found the original tag with not only the name but also the price--$5.99 at Meijer, though I think I bought it for even less than that on sale two years ago.  I have to say, right now she's looking as good as any of the other lilies with fancier pedigrees here.


Finally, the last bloom to open--on July 4--is this Asiatic lily. It's a wonder this one has survived at all . . .I bought three bulbs a year ago last spring, forgot about them, then planted them late in the butterfly garden.   They didn't appear at all last summer.  Then to my surprise, all three of them appeared this spring.  A few weeks later I noticed the stalk of one had broken and was bent to the ground.  I was about to scold Mr. P for mowing too close to the garden when Sophie appeared at my side, bounding into the garden . . . and breaking a second lily. Mystery solved.   The only bulb whose name I remember buying was a 'Stargazer,' but I don't think this is it.  Maybe it should be called 'Survivor.' 



 Compared to some, I don't have a lot of lilies, but as you can see from this partial shot of the new lily bed, there is plenty of room for more. I'm looking forward to an even bigger Lily-la-palooza festival next year.

32 comments:

  1. That sure is a beautiful collection of lilies.
    Thank you for sharing them with us today,
    I centrainly enjoyed them!
    ~Brooke
    http://creativecountrymom.blogspot.com/
    http://www.facebook.com/pages/WebGarden/261885457648?ref=ts

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  2. Good for you Rose, in making this entry to record what you've got growing! They are all lovely and Dragonfly Corner is quite special. I love the names you have chosen and am happy to see a non Stella among yours. We also have one that is a fine performer, similar but not quite the same as yours of I would offer the name that came in a comment, Sammy Russell. I believe your late lily is an oriental, if it is fragrant it is for sure, the asiatics have no scent and bloom earlier. Also the freckles usually mean oriental. Cast out of Eden? Never! :-)
    Frances

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  3. Gorgeous! I have to laugh Rose~I love the daylilies that lean toward the orange family, too! One I am going to recommend is "Primal Scream"~Dee/Red Dirt Ramblins showcased it. Isn't the name wonderful! Your Stargazer is my favorite of the orientals and so fragrant! gail

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  4. Hi Rose....what a wonderful selection of lillies, so many colours. Hard to choose favourites when there is so much choice.

    I have a small collection of lillies.....the dreaded lily beetle put pay to many of them last year but the harsh winter must have seen them off. This year they have been wonderful and their perfume fills every part of the garden.

    Nella has also damaged one of my beds.....she went in after a rabbit.....by the time the event was over, my red campion was a shadow of it's former self. The rabbit did not survive the ordeal.

    Lovely photograph of Sophie and oc course, your lovely garden lillies.......

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  5. Looks to me like you have lots of lilies Rose. I enjoyed seeing all of them. I like the pale orange ones.

    That's a good idea to keep track of all their names cause I sure couldn't name any of mine.

    Happy Tuesday! We're getting some rain this a.m. which I am so grateful for.

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  6. Your lilies are so pretty! I like the Lavender Dew especially. I think I am having some of that envy right about now.

    My daylilies are slow to get going but I hope they bloom this year.

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  7. Good morning, Rose. I love your lily-la-palooza. July is really the month for daylilies and orientals too. They really dominate the garden. I love the fact they are so carefree.
    Marnie

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  8. Hi Rose, LOL, yes I know just what you mean about envying plants you see on blogs, sometimes especially those you can't grow in your own zone!! Fortunately, I am more or less immune to the allure of daylilies; I have a bunch of the ditch kind I got from colleague, but I'm not tempted to buy more. :) Love them in others' gardens, but a client had so many that I had to remove hundreds of old blooms/stalks EVERY WEEK from (though I wouldn't do that in my own garden) that I can never bear to have them, lol.

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  9. Wow, you have a lot of daylilies! I love Little Grapette, and that plain yellow one, which I seem to have as well. I have some of those red rogue lilies as well but most or all of my daylilies are NOID. I bought a lot of cheap, unlabeled daylilies a long time ago; they are big and healthy but the colors are really not what I would have chosen if I'd had more $$ at the time!

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  10. This is a wonderful start to your lily collection! If you ever find out the name of that red-yellow throated one, please let me know because I have some here that came with the house!

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  11. Your lilies are BEAUTIFUL!
    I used to grow them and then they were infested with the Lily Beetle from Mainland Europe and I gave up in the end. I wonder if you get these too?
    Maggie X

    Nuts in May

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  12. I haven't bought a new daylily in years but those ruffled edged ones make me start itchin to get some. The tall graceful asiatic lilies are certainly beautiful too. I would like more of them. It is good ot have a way to remember where you plant them and the names. I think my garden is too far gone to worry about it. Ha..

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  13. Daylilies are like wine-they just get better with age and I'm thinking that while this year the display is stunning, next year will be even more spectacular. I simply love these guys! Your 'Netties Coral' look so pretty with the coneflowers blooming nearby. What a lovely display!

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  14. Ooohhhhhhh ... aaaahhhhh ... better than fireworks any day!

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  15. Wow you've taken that plant envy to a whole new level Rose. ;) You have some wonderful Hemerocallis cultivars, so many beautiful colors.

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  16. I agree with perennialgardener; talk about envy. If I had to choose two it would be Brandisi and Nettie's Coral! My garden has no lilies anymore - partially due to underground varmints. So beautiful Rose!

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  17. Okay, I want a start of each! Your Dragonfly Corner is ahead of mine-I had almost forgotten how pretty it is. We did seem to get several oranges last year, but they were so pretty! I really like the Prairie Sunrise and Nettie's Coral.
    In with the Stella's you gave me was the lemon color as well, but not the darker one. Makes you wonder if the graden fairies have been at work in the lilies. :)

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  18. I have garden envy over the one you call "Nettie's Coral". Outstanding! I hope one day to add to my small collection. I have mostly Kwanzo (triple orange) which I received from my father-in-law, since it is so prolific, and spreads quite widely.

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  19. Wow! What a wonderful collection of beauties Rose. I really didn't realise how many different types there are. So many pretty colours that have made it almost impossible to pick a favourite. If pushed though I think I would pick 'Little Grapette' and 'Tangerine Orange Ruffle'

    I love the idea of a 'literary lily' garden, that would be very creative and could tell many a tale :) Going along with that theme I see the word verification for this post is 'bookin'!

    A lovely post Rose and it is always a pleasure to see the delightful Sophie :)

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  20. Brooke, Glad you enjoyed them. Now I'll have a record for next year so I don't have to hunt for all my tags to remember names!

    Frances, Ah, you can see I have much to learn about lilies! Yes, you are right, the last one is an Oriental. I was looking at the website for a few daylily farms last night and discovered there's even another species I didn't know about. Thanks for the correction!

    Gail, I saw 'Primal Scream' on a daylily website--it is a stunner! I could really get carried away adding more lilies here:)

    Cheryl, I haven't had any problem with pests in the lilies, luckily. Sophie usually isn't destructive in the garden, but if she saw a rabbit there, she'd be all over my flowers, too.

    Susie, Believe me, I'd never remember all the names if I didn't write them down. Wish you'd send us a little of that rain!

    Rosey, Almost all these lilies are the result of blogging:) Hope yours do well this year.

    Marnie, Yes, low-maintenance is a major criterion for any plant in my garden. Lilies are so elegant but not fussy at all.

    Monica, That's the way I feel about roses. I love them and envy all those beautiful blooms on others' posts, but I don't want the hassle that goes with them. And Japanese beetles don't bother lilies:)

    Diane, Only a few of these lilies were over $10; they're the ones I "had" to have for their name or color. But my cheapies and freebies are looking just as good.

    Rose, I've seen that same lily not only on your blog but somewhere else. I'm still trying to figure out how it got mixed in with the Stellas. Do you suppose it's a parent of Stella??

    Maggie May, I've never had a lily beetle or any other pest bother them. That would be so frustrating; I can understand why you gave up on them.

    Lisa, I like the ruffled edged ones, too, and the Asiatics...and the spiders... I'm hopeless:) Blogging is a great way to keep track of names of plants; my written notes seem to keep getting lost:)

    Tina, I hope you're right. I know the 'Nettie's Coral' are looking so much fuller this year than in the past, so I hope the others will eventually follow suit.

    Cindy, Yes, and the blooms last longer than 30 minutes:)

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  21. Racquel, You don't know how many plants I've added to my garden to appease my plant envy. You're responsible for a few of them:)

    Amy, If any varmints touch my lilies, I will scream!

    Beckie, We'll definitely have to divide and share!

    Garden Lily, My aunt's coral is one of my favorites, too, and it has really taken off here.

    Songbird, There are thousands of lily cultivars; I don't know how hybridizers keep track of all their names. I'm looking for a Shakespeare lily:)

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  22. What a fabulous collection, rose!

    We currently have a large patch of lily leaves with flowers that seem to be dying in bud. They'll have to go if they don't pull themselves together.

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  23. I love the idea of the literary lily garden! I'm just getting started with adding daylilies (haha). Most of the ones I've planted so far were no-name discounts at the big box store. I think I need to add a little class to the place and plant something like Canterbury Tales:)

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  24. What wonderful lilies you have Rose! It would be hard for me to choose a favorite.

    I wonder if your paler, more lemony-yellow daylily cavorting with the Stellas might be Happy Returns? They're a little bigger than Stellas, but I've seen them confused and mislabeled in nurseries before they start blooming. If it's a rebloomer, there's a good chance it's Happy Returns. Or, maybe it's a cross between Stella and one of your other gorgeous daylilies?

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  25. What a fun title, Prairie Rose! You kind of went from zero to sixty with your daylilies, didn't you! I love my 'Prairie Blue Eyes', too.

    Now that you've left the Hemerocallis/Daylilies and branched out into Lilium/true lilies with the Asiatic & Oriental don't forget about the trumpet-shaped Aurelian hybrids-love them so much but they don't do well in Austin.

    Garden Girl's nomination of 'Happy Returns' for your small yellow daylily sounds good - especially if it reblooms...hope it does!

    Annie at the Transplantable Rose

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  26. What gorgeous lilies! I only have 3 lilies in my gardens: Stella d'Oro, Happy Returns and Asiatic. I'd love some of the pink and red varieties that you have. (adding to my very long wish list now) Just found your blog today - love it!

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  27. What an amazing array of lilies you have! I especially like that little freckled faced beauty you showcased last.

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  28. Even if you say, you don't have enough and that is the result of your envy for some bloggers, now here is someone who is envious of yours. But those bulbs will not thrive in our climate, so i am just contenting myself in looking at yours, and thank you for that. hehehe

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  29. Dear Rose,
    After seeing all your beautiful lilies I went out to look at mine. I have a lily bed that needs me to tend! You are inspiring me.
    Thank you,
    Sherry

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  30. Hi Rose,
    I love the way you and Beckie named your nameless or unidentified lilies. I should think of some names for mine. I like the idea of posting photos of them to remember what you have where. Since they don't all bloom at the same time, I'm tempted to do a post and type in the date I took each photo. I really should do that, because it would help me remember which ones I'm thinking of dividing or moving, and where I want to put them.

    You have a nice collection, and isn't it nice to have room to add to it?

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