New Lily - Old Lily

I got new lily! One to replace one I lost (which I think I may have since found) and several just because :)

Lily 'Tiny Icon', 'Tiny Sensation', 'Tiny Orange Sensation', 'Tiny Padhye', 'Lolipop', 'Madrid', 'Purple Eye', 'Tiny Bell'.

The Weekend

Lily


On Friday evening, Sean and Destini went to do their Christmas shopping and I watched Lily and Nicholas for them. It was the first time I have looked after a baby in I don't know how many years but she was wonderful. She didn't cry once. I was under strict instructions to keep her awake and that was no problem. Since Nicholas was staying with us Saturday overnight so Sean and Destini could go to the Bigway Christmas Party, he stayed Friday night as well. Then, on Saturday, John, Reena and the boys came out to visit. They brought Nicholas a sled and John took them out in the yard to try it out. Nicholas and Alexander had a great time...

Nicholas and Alexander


...and made plans for a sleepover. They stayed through dinner...

Tyler



...which Tyler really enjoyed. It was really great to have them all around the house. It was a fantastic weekend which we will repeat very soon!

Baby Shower

Lily's baby shower was today at her house. I finally got to see both of her eyes open at the same time. There are two of them and right now, they are both blue. She got way too much stuff, the food was great and a good time was had by all. As usual, in those situations, I got home much later than planned so no gardening today. It was worth giving up for our baby girl though. She already seemed to be enjoying her new playpad.

Lily

Our first grandbaby girl, Lily. Mom and baby are both home and doing great. She is beautiful and surrounded by boys! Of course, Sean is already wrapped around her really long finger. After three visits, she finally showed me her eyes today. She is a sleepy one with lots and lots of jet black hair.

Quick Note....

The Phlox is 'David' and is blooming now. The lily from Linda are all planted and mapped. Orange are in the nursery. Prairie Coneflower seeds are harvested and half are delivered, just have to mail to Linda. Watered today because I stopped believing the forecast since this is the fourth day of forecasted thundershowers and not a drop of rain. Decided the sprinkler would be more reliable in the heat we have been having in the afternoons. Everything is wilting out there and the river is overflowing so we can probably swing a little guilt free irrigation.

Opus One

My 'Opus One' had three blooms this year and they are just finishing up, as are the 'Stargazer' which are the last of the blooming lily in my garden. Both are oriental lily which are not really hardy here. They grow and once established they will bloom well but they never get as tall as oriental lily are famous for. In fact, the only time I have seen an oriental lily blooming over my head was in Linda's garden in Nova Scotia. Oriental stay short in my garden. Funny thing is... I prefer them short. Not sure if it is a 'what I am used to' thing or not but I find lily blooming over my head is a little intimidating. Not sure why because I am certain they are not going to attack! Maybe it has to do with my aversion to spiders dropping down from above and how lily are great spider hiders. Regardless, I do love the orientals as long as there are not too many planted together. If they are all together, I find their smell cloying and cannot remain standing near them in the garden without feeling slightly sick. They also take some time to be established in Zone 3. This particular lily was brought from Linda's garden in 2009. Last year it had one bud that dried up and fell off without blooming. This year, it has three blooms and they all opened wide.

Lily Catalogue Complete

The Lily Catalogue is complete and posted to flickr. It includes Asiatic and Oriental. Daylily are not included. There were 21 Lily varieties blooming here this year. The catalogue is missing Asiatic 'Suncrest' and Oriental 'Opus One', both of which I think came up as stalks but did not bloom. I will add them next year as well as all of the Lily I brought from Linda's garden.

Oriental Lily Confusion

The bud I thought was 'Opus One' is definitely 'Acapulco'. If I look closer, I think the three stalks bunched up at the bud are 'Acapulco'. The taller stalk in the back and little short one right at the slide leg, I think, are 'Opus One'. There is a big difference in the leaf with 'Opus One' having a pointier and lighter leaf. This means the 'Opus One' is not going to bloom this year but since the 'Acapulco' did not bloom last year, I am not going to assume it is lost yet. Another surprise to save for next year. I think the two of them blooming together will look wonderful. I guess I might find out next year if they bloom together in my zone. 

Lily Update and 'Fangio' Patch

Oh what fun to read such optimism from only yesterday. Of course, I didn't get everything planted and if I had thought about what I was typing for more than 2 seconds yesterday, I would have known that wasn't going to be true. I did get a lot planted today but I got more weeding than planting done overall. There were places in the garden that really needed it and I try hard to make sure the weeds don't take over the drive so it was time. Can't fight nature's schedule so I went with it. More lily confusion just for fun. The lily I thought was 'Vermeer' in the Bird Sanctuary is starting to open and for the life of me, looks like it will be white. 'Vermeer' kind of looks like my unknown pink except it doesn't seem to have enough white in it for that. Anyway, figuring it out better than I am now is a winter activity unless I stumble over new information. I am sure I will be able to pin down a couple of the unknowns if I go through my catalogue order packing slips and old maps. Another day, though. Time for Calgon to take me away... well, it's not actually Calgon but Grapefruit and Pomegranate seemed like a mouthful :)

'Olina' Opens

'Olina' opened today which means the unknown purple-red is not it. I didn't think so. I am just going to try and get a photo I am happy with of the unknown and give it a name for now. Didn't get much done in the garden today. Had to go to the city for groceries and the vet for Tuk's food. Sean got water so that was one thing off my list. My plan is to turn in early tonight and get an earlier start tomorrow. No errands so I can be in the garden until I lose the light and should be able to finish the planting that is left. Oh happy day !

Wet Blooms

I planted one stalk of this lily last year and one stalk came back. It is a single stalk but it is full of blooms. It's awesome and I can't wait until it divides and starts a patch. I found pink sedum in the boardwalk garden and nursery today. Last year I had spread it around a bit in an attempt to tone down the yellow sedum carpet and I wasn't sure if any made it. The yellow can be smothering. My new Veronica Red Fox looks very sad but the green blooms are supple rather than dry and I really think he is going to make it. It has been raining all day here. Thunderstorms for most of it with the odd sunny moment thrown in. Long enough for me to get some photos and visit the lily patches, where the Elodie are still blooming, a couple of times. Two more starting to open but I am not yet sure what they are.