Lilies and More
The Asiatic lilies are slowly starting to bloom but still beating most of the daylilies which are only starting to set their buds.
This is a noteworthy one. I don't ever remember buying a mottled lily but several of these were included with the order. At first I didn't care for the look but I think it was only because I expected solid colors. I rather like it now because it looks so unusual.
One of the dusky colored hybrid Delphiniums we bought last year. The photo looks a bit strange because the stem was actually horizontal (blew over in a wind) and I rotated the picture.
We liked the Million Bells, Calibrachoa so much last year, we bought a bunch this year too. I ordered some of the Terra Cotta varieties from Park Seed but they arrived in poor condition with the plants small and weak. Several immediately died despite adequate watering. Luckily both Lowes and HD had very healthy ones in 3" pots for a very good price. These are growing nicely and will soon be well established and covered with flowers until the cooler weather arrives in autumn.
The Viburnum 'Quick Fire' is already starting to bloom.
The Canterbury Bells Campanula medium, grew like mad this year. Last year we had only about 6-8 flowers on a single stalk. I don't know what caused it to grow so vigorously this year.
I didn't include a photo showing the elongated stems of the Spider Web Hens and Chicks so here it is. I wonder what happens when the flowers are done? I hope it's not the end of the plant?
Footnote:
And I end this blog on a sad note. The Supreme Court decided in favor of Exxon and reduced the $5 billion punitive damage award by the lower courts to a mere $500 million. Which means the people who lost their livelihood will get another $15,000 each for a total of $30,000. $30,000 for your whole life??? Is this justice? Not to mention that the sound has still not recovered completely from the spill. All this when Exxon is raking in hundreds of BILLIONS dollars. $5 billion would be a pittance. They probably spent more money on attorney fees during the twenty year legal fight. I am truly disappointed and disgusted. See the NY Times article for a more detailed account.
This is a noteworthy one. I don't ever remember buying a mottled lily but several of these were included with the order. At first I didn't care for the look but I think it was only because I expected solid colors. I rather like it now because it looks so unusual.
One of the dusky colored hybrid Delphiniums we bought last year. The photo looks a bit strange because the stem was actually horizontal (blew over in a wind) and I rotated the picture.
We liked the Million Bells, Calibrachoa so much last year, we bought a bunch this year too. I ordered some of the Terra Cotta varieties from Park Seed but they arrived in poor condition with the plants small and weak. Several immediately died despite adequate watering. Luckily both Lowes and HD had very healthy ones in 3" pots for a very good price. These are growing nicely and will soon be well established and covered with flowers until the cooler weather arrives in autumn.
The Viburnum 'Quick Fire' is already starting to bloom.
The Canterbury Bells Campanula medium, grew like mad this year. Last year we had only about 6-8 flowers on a single stalk. I don't know what caused it to grow so vigorously this year.
I didn't include a photo showing the elongated stems of the Spider Web Hens and Chicks so here it is. I wonder what happens when the flowers are done? I hope it's not the end of the plant?
Footnote:
And I end this blog on a sad note. The Supreme Court decided in favor of Exxon and reduced the $5 billion punitive damage award by the lower courts to a mere $500 million. Which means the people who lost their livelihood will get another $15,000 each for a total of $30,000. $30,000 for your whole life??? Is this justice? Not to mention that the sound has still not recovered completely from the spill. All this when Exxon is raking in hundreds of BILLIONS dollars. $5 billion would be a pittance. They probably spent more money on attorney fees during the twenty year legal fight. I am truly disappointed and disgusted. See the NY Times article for a more detailed account.
posted by Ki at
3:29 AM
6 Comments:
Your lily's are beautiful!
I heard about the Supreme Court Decision, truly sad, it seems to me they have been making a lot of bad decisions lately.
Campanulas are growing unusually large and plentiful here in the UK as well this year. Odd that they would behave the same on two different continents. Cosmic rays? ;-)
Calibrachoa was new to me this season, and my plant in terracota colour is brilliant in my kitchen windowsill. "Million Bells", nice name.
I heard about the Supreme Court ruling as well and am just as disappointed as you. More than the people who suffered their livelyhoods, the animals who perished because of the spill. It almost sounds like someone's been bought.
It's way past time to find alternative fuels and let these people choke on their oil.
Hi Karen,
Thank you. Well the neocons pushed hard to get a conservative court and now we reap the unenlightened decisions. I was taken aback that Justice Souter who usually takes quite a liberal stance on most issues wrote the decision for the majority siting the 1:1 punitive:compensatory median of awards.
With today's ruling against DC's gun ban, I agree with you that the court is making a lot of bad rulings.
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Hi Joco,
We never had much luck in growing campanulas but a couple of these plants just hung on coming back for three years now. The blooms for the first two years were paltry but as you say maybe cosmic rays have zapped them this year.
We bought a couple of million bells last year and a plant in a 3" pot became a giant at least 2 1/2 feet in diameter with oodles of flowers. I hope they work out well for you indoors.
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Hi Julie,
It's not as if Exxon didn't have the money to pay the award. I think they have the old dinosaur's mentality of just winning. How much good will would they have won if they willingly paid all the fines and awards which they could easily afford? They would have been seen as the shining light of enlightened corporate business.
Well I rarely used Exxon before the oil spill and haven't since so that's my form of protest.
Your lilies are great. Do you have any lily leaf beetle where you live? I am having a bit of a problem with them. They are nasty little creatures and deserve to die!
Hi Layanee,
Thank heavens we don't have the lily leaf beetle. Our lilies remain impervious to pests. :)
I found this information on the University of Rhode Island website:
http://www.uri.edu/ce/factsheets/sheets/lilyleafbeetle.html
"The recent arrival of the lily leaf beetle in Boston has complicated lily culture and gardeners throughout the area should be on the lookout for this insect. The lily leaf beetle, native to Europe, was discovered near Montreal, Canada in 1945. Its damage was limited to the Montreal area for decades, but recently it has spread to the south and west. The beetle was first officially sighted in Cambridge, Massachusetts in the summer of 1992. Many gardeners in the area believe it came in with bulbs shipped from Europe. The beetles are strong fliers and excellent hiders. They have spread as much as 150 miles from Boston, in many cases with the assistance of gardeners. At present the infested area in the USA reaches into all of the New England states, including southern Connecticut and northern Vermont. Not all areas are yet infested and gardeners who are transplanting bulbs and other garden plants should be careful not to move these beetles to an uninfested area."
I hope it doesn't spread too quickly to our area but gee whiz, we sure don't need another pest! Thanks for the heads up.
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