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The Last Lilies

| Flower Roberts

Most of the Asiatics have long finished their show.

The daylilies are slowing down.

Crimson Shadows daylily

The Stargazers are turning brown.

But it is not over yet!

The blackberry lilies are going strong.

I started out with a spotted orange type.

Then added a spotted magenta

and a yellow non-spotted candy lily.

These are all Belamcandas.

Other names are blackberry lilies, or leopard flowers.

The name leopard refers to the spots on the petals.

The name blackberry refers to the seed pods which open to expose clusters of black seeds that resemble blackberries.

One of the fascinating things about these is they cross pollinate to produce hybrids.

My two favorites this years are this water-marked form

and this red-orange mix.

I love surprises!  I never know what will show up until the flowers open.

I appreciate any flower that keeps going in this heat.

While the FLOWER wilts, the blackberry lilies bloom.

FLOW

Here She Is

| Flower Roberts

How can I withhold food from a nursing mother?

She was so hungry she came back to snack on the bank at 5:30 in the evening.

This mama is ravenous.  Maybe she has twins?

I could see her milk bag as she climbed the bank.

At least she stopped and posed for me before running into the woods.

I guess I’ll just clean house and read the rest of the summer.

FLOWERLESS

 

Hang On!

| Flower Roberts

I try not to share sadness. There is too much in this world all ready.

This is a sad date for my family.

A past tragedy has cluttered my thoughts all day.

Then I saw this.

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If you are sad.  Hang on!

If you are sick.  Hang on!

Reaching out with faith.

Held up by a splinter and a tiny tendril.

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My vines are teaching me life lessons again.

Bless them.

FLOWER

 

Lovin’ some Lucifer

| Flower Roberts

This crazy bloomer is another “top three” for me.

Montbretia is a perennial bulb.  The genus is Crocosmia. 

There are also yellow and orange forms, but Lucifer is the superstar.

It is deer resistant and rodent resistant.

It likes full to partial sun.  No special water or fertilizer treatment is required.

Support is needed as the hundreds of blooms develop on each stem.

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The structure of the whole plant forms a lovely three to four foot fan.

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Each stem has alternate arms which hold an array.

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It’s easy to miss the beauty of each bright red flower, because of the number of blooms.

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Even the buds are works of art.

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Easy care plant, deer resistant and beautiful.

Win:Win:WIN!

FLOWER

 

 

Easy Hot Chocolate

| Flower Roberts

I wish all my flowers were as easy to please as my Hot Chocolate Callas.

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No matter where I plant them, they thrive.  They do best in sun and moist soil.

No trimming, no staking, no spraying…

I do have favorite flowers.  This is one of my top three.  Stay tuned for another top three.

This one is officially Zantedeschia ‘Hot Chocolate’ PP15294.

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I left most of them out for the second winter. They all came back.

It’s description says cold hardy to 10 degrees F, so I do bring in a few over the winter.

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I wish they were all this easy!

FLOWER

Cheater, Cheater, Color Reader

| Flower Roberts

It happened again this morning.  A new daylily bloomed with an unusual color.

Its name is South Seas, but that color…

South Seas daylily

Time to pull out the cheat sheets.

I used to use my colored pencil collection, but this got rather cumbersome…

carrying around a box of pencils…holding each up to the flower…

Now, I whip out my color charts from the internet.

Hot Chocolate calla

I happen to know that by the time it gets through my printer and the photos and the internet,

there is bound to be some change in tint, tone and hue.

I know someone is going to tell me there is a APP for that.  There is an APP for everything.

I can only use “lipstick” so many times (twice) before it gets redundant.

So now you know. The FLOWER is a cheater.  (Blushing scarlet.)

I’d like to think of myself as a color-reader over-achiever.

FLOW

P.S.  South Seas looks candy with hints of blush and a honey throat. (i.e It’s red and yellow. )

The Mushroom of Immortality

| Flower Roberts

I found them clinging to the side of an old maple tree.

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The color glowed in the morning sun.

Eating it could give spiritual potency and even immortality.

Such a lovely shine and color.

Shaped like a delicate pastry in a bakery.

Arranged nicely along the trunk like a serving tower.

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One little Ling Chih was caught between trees.

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Should I just eat some here under the tree?

Would there be enough for me to share with my family?

Should I carry some back to give to my elderly parents?

I really should share my good fortune with others…but how much and with who?

Did I remove the Ganoderma lucidum from the tree?

Did I eat the Ling Chih?

We shall see.

FLOWER

 

Where is Mama?

| Flower Roberts

A tiny fawn was discovered in one of my ditches at around 2:00 PM in the hot sun.

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I had been in the general area for hours weeding and re-potting plants.

The bunnies had been only feet away since morning.

Mr. Flower discovered it while mowing. (It finally stopped raining.)

What an uncomfortable position!  It seemed not to be able to walk.

As we and the neighbors quietly gathered around to discuss what to do,

it struggled to its feet/hooves.

I thought it would just stop under the Cardoon to hide.

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No.  It stumbled through my garden.

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Then got stuck in a fence which was quickly moved.

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Then it wobbled up the hill and into the woods.

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Where is mama?

FAWNER

A Few Sunny Minutes

| Flower Roberts

During the few sunny minutes yesterday,

I took pictures and planted some dahlias that I had started in pots.

Everything is wet here in North Carolina.

At least we do live high on a hill, so no flooding worries for our house.

The gardens….are like pudding.

So while we are inside again today. Here are some sunny pictures from yesterday.

My memorial day photo is first.  A red Asiatic lily with a blue dragon fly.

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I also include my favorite little Asiatic from my daughter’s  lily garden below.

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It’s the tiny two in the middle. Named ‘Tiny Bee.’

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Tiny Bee Asiatic lily

More slime mold showed up in the bunny yard.

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I see why the slime mold, Fuligo septic, is nicknamed “dog vomit.”  If I had a dog, I’d be taking him to the vet after finding this.  Mold and mushrooms are everywhere!

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Another new daylily is blooming, ‘Nutmeg Spice.’

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Nutmeg Spice daylily

I have been cleaning my workshop during these many days of rain.

Do not expect a photo. I am ashamed of its neglect and nastiness.

Try to stay dry people.

FLOWER