Lily of the Day

Inherited (NOID)

This beauty took my breath away this morning.  I was on my way to work, but had just enough time to snap this photo.  This daylily is inherited and I don't know its name, but it's here to stay.  I love the luscious colors on this one, and think the edging on the petals is quite snazzy.  Hope you enjoy!

:-)

Weeding! Argh!

Maintenance/Weeding ARGH!

This MONSTER tub of weeds (brimming over) was one of five that I, the only gardener living here, pulled this morning.  It's times like this that the diva gardener in me starts to come out.  I know, I know maintenance comes with the territory, but WEEDING is not my favorite aspect of gardening.  I prefer to design beds, create beds, rearrange beds and marvel over beautiful plant/flower combinations and beautiful blooms.  I love to fertilize ... I'm like the mad scientist when it comes to fertilizer.  However, being a perfectionist at heart, I can't stand weeds in the garden, so a weeding I will go. 

At some point during this "Argh!" ordeal, I went inside (took the dirty boots off) and was only going to be inside for a minute.  I was told I was too dirty to be inside!  He was right.  Your should have seen my yellow shirt!  Maybe I'll just sit out here, drink Kool Aid and play in the dirt. LOL

Sometimes Life is a Bowl of Cherries!

After pulling weeds for approximately three hours, purging the garden of non performers and rearranging a few residents for another hour, I staggered inside.  Now that I've had a chance to compose myself, I can barely move.  As I ate this bowl of cherries, I thought about my "Argh!" weeding attitude, and how lucky I am to have a garden to weed because along with the weeding comes:

Coneflower

this ...

Canna

and this ...

Daylily (Inherited)

and this!

Disclaimer:  I may (probably will) still have the "Argh!" attitude while weeding, but I vow to quickly get over it, and focus on the beauty of the garden and the many, many joys that go along with it.  Weeds be gone!

:-)

'Stargazer' to the rescue!

Just in time ...

Stargazer Lily

As most of you are just beginning your daylily bloom season, mine is coming to an end.  There are still a few late bloomers putting on a small show.  I can't believe this!  I think the last daylily to bloom is going to be one of the first two that started off the show.  Stay tuned for a daylily end of show post coming up soon ... sigh.  Look who's come to the rescue to save me from lily withdrawal!  Last year, I purchased a bag of 'Stargazer' bulbs (one of my impulse buys).  The bag was supposed to contain a mixture of pink and yellow 'Stargazers.'  This is the first one to bloom and I just love it.  Hm mm, I may start paying more attention to stargazers and other oriental lilies.  These beauties would fill the gap from the end of daylily season to fall.  Now, there's an idea!  I know what you're thinking ... "here she goes with another flower addiction."  I'll pRaCtiCe rEsTraint ... you'll see. ;-)  Just curious, do any of you have any oriental lily recommendations?  I'd love to hear about your favorites.

I'm off to look for spots to plant oriental lilies ...

Hope you're having a great weekend! 

:-)

Wordless Wednesday - Orchid Status

White Orchid - Still Alive & Well

Cream Orchid - Still Alive & Well

Cream Orchid

:-)

Pearilous!

This pear tree has been on a "pearilous" slippery slope for the past couple of years.  It has been on strike until lately.  Just look at it now;  weighed down with pears galore!  It redeemed itself just in the nic of time for I'd already decided on its replacement.  Once again, patience and threats have paid off.  Do you have anything on strike in your garden?

I just noticed the hose posing in the background again!  I am starting to think it slithers around when I'm not looking. LOL

Pear Tree - Permanent Resident

Enchanting Photo

Just thought I'd share this with you.  I was on my way up the back steps earlier right before dusk when I turned around for some reason, and looked over the fence to my mother and father-in-law's former home.  There stood this birdhouse in the perfect setting beckoning me to take a photo.  I took a shot from the deck, but that didn't seem like it was quite close enough.  I don't know;  something just wasn't right.  I walked next door to get a closer shot.  By now, dusk was in its final stage;  I put the camera on a special low-light setting, and this is what I got.  My father-in-law built this lovely birdhouse.  When I snapped the photo, I thought about painting the scene with watercolors in the future.  To my surprise, the photo turned out like a watercolor.  I'm not sure how I did it.  It may have been the low-light setting, or my hands may have been a little shaky.  Personally, I think something special was going on out there tonight.  Has anyone had a similar experience in the world of photography?

Enchanting Birdhouse

The Atlanta Daylily Show 2012 - Blooms, Blooms, Blooms!

Before I get started with my trip back to yesterday, I have to mention the best part of my trip.  I got to meet one of my blogging friends in person who was in Atlanta judging the show!  Yes, I met Nikki, daylilian extraordinaire, who has a fabulous, charming daylily blog named A Girl and Her Garden.  It was such a joy to meet her.  Isn't blogging wonderful? :-)

Let's revisit my FUN day at The Atlanta Daylily Show.  As I walk up to the exhibition tables laden with approximately 360 entries, I'm getting that wonderful "kid in a candy store" feeling.

Wow!

Carnival in Mexico

 On the wish list ...

Spin & Twirl

Spider Miracle

One the wish list ...

Just part of one of the exhibition tables!

Best of Show Table

 They drink only bottled water at this table, I guess. ;-)

Temptation

 I didn't buy ... only looked ... really! :-)

Spiders, Spiders, Spiders

 I do love the spiders!

Seedlings

Lemon Lime Spider

Aerial View - Atlanta Daylily Show 2012

Another Aeriel View

What a field of daylilies!

Grand Old Flag

 Definitely on the wish list!  

The photo doesn't even do it justice;  

'Grand Old Flag' is even more beautiful than the photo!

 One last view of "The Candy Store."

:-)

Atlanta Daylily Show

Wow!  I just left my first daylily show.  What a show it was!  Here's a photo.  More photos and special notes to come.  You won't believe who I met!

Guilty!

This is one of my very real time posts.  I awoke this morning with the guilty feeling that I'd forgotten to fill the bird feeder last night with the coveted sunflower chips.  I knew the scene that awaited.  I entered the great room at the moment shortly after dark-thirty and there they sat.  On the arching, wrought iron hooks from which the feeders hang, sat my very plump doves.  They were facing the house, staring in through the glass doors.  Doves shouldn't even be able to get on the sunflower chip feeder.  It's a little too small for them.  However, these have adapted, and have developed aerial skills which are not normal for a dove.  They should be down on the ground picking up spilled seed, but apparently that is "beneath" them now.  I'm afraid my son is right;  I've spoiled the birds around here.  As I sat on the sofa trying to enjoy my coffee, I would glance out at the bird feeders from time to time, and each time they were staring or glaring by now into the house.  What have I created?  I couldn't get to the sunflower chips without waking others up at five or ten after "dark-thirty," so I just tried not to look.  I still felt guilty.  Well, time has passed and I've been able to get my hands on the sunflower chips, so off I go like the faithful servant I've become to stock the buffet.  My grandfather would be proud.  I can still see him in my memories out in blizzard type weather in Illinois filling the bird feeders.

P.S.  I was too guilty to take a photo ... it wouldn't have been right.  I didn't want to provoke a scene from Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds."

Look Here Mary & Lady Neva

The late show is performing in the daylily beds now.  There will probably be another months worth of blooms in the late show.  Here's one of my long time favorites, 'Look Here Mary.'

Look Here Mary

This year has been a great one for 'Look Here Mary.'  I've had to stake this one in the past, but she seems to be fully established now and requires no stake.  'Look Here Mary' even went through a recent severe thunderstorm, which blew down trees, turned over lawn furniture and created overnight chaos without blinking an eye.

Look Here Mary

Reminds me of big yellow bows ...

Lady Neva

'Lady Neva' is another that I wouldn't be without;  she's very tall and willowy.  'Lady Neva' seems to float over the garden with the slightest breeze giving the illusion of butterflies fluttering in the breeze.

:-)

The Country Club - This is Where the Wild Things Are!

I just visited the exclusive Country Club my husband belongs to otherwise known as The Hunting Club. Let's go visit where the wild things are.  Here we go ...

Clay Based Dirt Road

To avoid getting stranded out here, and having to survive on dandelion roots and greens while finding one's way out of the 1,400 acre "woods," I recommend traveling in a SUV, pick-up truck, jeep, tank, etc.  There is cell phone coverage in "most places" out here ... Hm-mm,  cell phone coverage in most places;  once again, the thought of dandelion roots and greens crosses my mind even though we're in a SUV, and I have a Kashi bar in my purse (yes, my purse is really with me ... and my cell phone).  I forgot my snake boots though (snake-proof boots, that is - not glamorous python boots)!  I am now wondering "What have I done?" ... "Do I really belong here?"  I lose all composure when surprised by a deadly snake ... 

Country Church

I spotted this lovely church right off of the dirt road.  

What a hidden treasure!

Deeper into the woods we go.

Time to start dropping bread crumbs...

Hunting Club Headquarters - Cabin

Here we are at headquarters.  The club is pretty much abandoned for the summer. Mr. DS hunts out here during deer and turkey season.  Personally, I don't like hunting but he tells me the deer population has to be controlled.  The turkeys and deer out here are very crafty, and are very hard to find.  I'm on team deer and team turkey. ;-)

Headquarters Front Porch

I feel like I'm infiltrating a secret society.  I keep looking for the "No Girls Allowed" sign ...  Actually, one of the wives of one of the other Country Club members hunts here and is very good at it.

Window Full of Character

Hunting Cabin

I'm in!
Everything is so nice and neat!

Hunting Cabin

Hunting Cabin

Is this a scene from The Walking Dead?

Some of the members just leave their own campers out here all year, so they're just set to go during hunting season.  It's like a little village right around the headquarters.  I made the mistake of watching The Walking Dead once or twice.  This seemed like a scene from that show, and I began to think about zombies.  At least I had my pistol nearby (in my Sequoia and I wasn't far from it).  INSANITY!  Why would I even watch something like that?  I swore off horror movies years ago.  Anyway, back more pleasant thoughts ...

One of the many ponds out here.  

I spotted a few wild things out here but they 

don't stand around long enough for a photo.  

No posing out here!

Corn Plant

Corn Field

The fields are also planted with cotton, sorghum, wheat and soybeans.

Spanish Moss

The trees have eyes!

I've seen The Hills Have Eyes.  Now the trees?
 This is scary!

 Or, is this one of those trees from The Wizard of Oz?

O.K., this one wasn't really out there ... lol.

Wild Thing ?

Blank Canvas

Back to the future ...

:-)