The Early Show

Won't you take a little stroll through Daylily Soup with me?  Let's take a look at the early show.

Spacecoast Ojo Rojo Daylily (Kinnebrew)

'Spacecoast Ojo Rojo' seems to be stealing the show around here ...

Spinnaker Daylily (Stamile)

Although simple, this is one of my favorites.  Spinnaker's a prolific bloomer, and turns a beautiful melon color as the day goes by.  The petals also continue to curl throughout the day.

Spinnaker Daylily - Spider (Stamile)

Taken early in the morning before the melon color started to appear.  The petals were just beginning to curl.

Key to Treasure Daylily (Carpenter)

Inherited Lemon Spider (Don't know the name yet.)

Cameroon Night

Diamond Dusted Borders Daylily

I posted this a few days ago before it was fully opened.  Here's 'Diamond Dusted Borders' in all her glory.

Orange Crush Daylily

This is the one that started it all.  Martha gave me 'Orange Crush' years ago, and my love affair with daylilies began.  I've moved 'Orange Crush' all over the garden without  it missing a beat.  So, if you're one who likes to "rearrange" a lot, this is the one for you.

Orange Crush Daylily

 We, in Alabama, are suddenly soaring into scorching summer-like temperatures 

(92 degrees for the high tomorrow).  

What happened to our spring weather?  

It must be headed up north and across the pond.  

I'm off to move the sprinklers.

Just curious, which one is your favorite?  

I won't tell the others.

:-)

Windswept

Sunday was a blustery, beautiful, spring day;  it was a windswept day.  Let's go back in time for a little trip through Sunday.  

Here we go ...

On our way to the daylily farm ... I'm just going to look.
Really!

Along the way ...

Along the way ...

Are we almost there?

Almost there ...

Marjorie, Daylilian Extraordinaire

Here's our friend, Marjorie, daylilian extraordinaire.  Over the past nine years, I've learned an immense amount from this wise lady.  Marjorie's holding one of my purchases (o.k.,  I'm just getting one daylily).  There was quite a scene out at the farm with 26 mile-per-hour wind gusts.  Daylilies were swirling around over the beds like kites out of control.  Flowers were crashing into each other, petals were breaking, etc.  Now that I think about it, I'm not sure if they reminded me of kites or the roller derby.  Mother Nature also had great fun with Marjorie's hat;  tossing it across the garden every few minutes.  We all had a great time.

Terriyaki Shrimp Lunch Box - Kyoto

On to Kyoto for lunch ...

Texas Big Bend (Carpenter)

Not fully opened when I left in the morning,
'Texas Big Bend' was waiting in the garden when I got home.
The bloom is approximately eight inches in diameter.

Firefly Frenzy (Joiner)  O.K., I only got two daylilies.

'Droopy' and 'Tattered'

It was a long, windswept day.

:-)

Daylilies are Bloomin' - It's Showtime!

The daylilies are blooming!  This is always so exciting!  When I'm rushing out to the garden to see what's bloomed overnight, I feel like a child on Christmas morning once again.  My husband says I'm high on pollen!

This one was inherited and I'm not sure of the name yet.  If you recognize it, would you please let me know?

Diamond Dusted Border

I've waited two long years to see 'Diamond Dusted Border' bloom and it was well worth the wait.  I really should give it a chance to open before snapping it's photo so early in the morning though. 

Diamond Dusted Border

'Diamond Dusted Border' is true to it's name when fully opened.  This beauty's ruffled edges sparkle as if sprinkled with diamond dust (or is it pixie dust?). :-)  I will try to capture the elusive "dust" in a photo later today with better lighting.

Inherited

I'm off to the garden.  Hope you're having a great weekend! :-)

"The greatest gift of the garden is the restoration of the five senses."

-Hanna Rion

Rip City has Arrived!

Rip City Iris

The beautiful 'Rip City' has arrived.  

This photo was taken early this morning.  

I refrained from going out to the garden
with a flashlight before sunrise
this time. :-)

Rip City Iris - Raindrops

I ran home at lunch to snap a few photos with the tripod 

in the rain.

My husband was so kind to hold the umbrella.
Gardening madness has begun.

Rip City Iris - Raindrop Aerial View

One more 'Rip City' with raindrops.
 Thanks for stopping by. :-)

This Bud's for You!

Rip City Iris

The irises are fashionably late.

Rip City Iris

 I'm glad they decided

About Town Iris

 to join the party.

About Town

 Could this be yet another magic bottle?

Yes, that's a drunken poppy in the background.  

What am I going to do with the poppies?

Inherited

I'm not sure what this inherited daylily looks like.  

I bet I'll know tomorrow.

:-)

The Cabbage in the Grass

Cabbage Patch

Granted, I'm not much of a vegetable gardener, but aren't we supposed to till before we plant?

Head of Cabbage

Apparently, we don't have to till the soil for certain vegetables.  Just look at this nice head of cabbage!  Some of you vegetable gardeners may already know of this type of gardening but I am personally amazed!  If you've ever seen or planted a cabbage patch in the grass, I'd love to hear about it.  Anyway, last week, I was on my way to the post office when I spotted this cabbage patch growing in the grass behind a produce market.  I think this must be the market owner's personal garden.  For some reason, I always thought we had to till and weed, etc. (all the unglamorous stuff).  Anyway, I just had to go back to take a look today.  By now, my husband was curious about this patch he'd been hearing about so off we went.  Once at the cabbage patch, we got out to take a closer look, and discovered these cabbages are planted in buried five-gallon buckets (I guess the bottoms are totally cut out but I'm not sure).  Maybe the gardener will share his cabbage patch wisdom the next time I stop by the market. :-)

"The Garden Cafe" is open for business!

"The Garden Cafe" is open for business, and it looks like everyone's having a squawking good time!  "Filet of Sunflower Seed" is the spring special, and "Flower Power Nectar" is the signature drink available at the bar.  The locals are gathering and the tourists have begun to arrive (they fly in from as far away as The West Indies and Canada).  Here's a list of my top five garden locals/tourists.  This is hard because I love them all.  Here we go; I’ll give it a try:

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

I never could choose a favorite feathered friend until I met the Rose-breasted Grosbeak (don't tell the other birds).  It was my immediate favorite from then on because of it's beautiful plumage and it's lovely song (the song of a Robin sung by an opera singer).  This tourist flies in from as far north as northeastern British Columbia.

Cardinal

One of the locals, the Cardinal, is on the favorites list because of the male's striking red plumage complete with a super-hero black mask (I just love accessories).  Did you know this species was named after the red robes worn by Roman Catholic cardinals?  I didn’t know that until I was preparing for this post.  Isn't blogging great?

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

The Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are some of my little tourists who fly in from as far as The West Indies.  Rumor has it that the same ones come back to one’s feeder each spring.  I often wonder where mine traveled while they were gone.  I imagine them flying over The Gulf of Mexico.  These feisty little "dears" are very territorial, so there’s a lot of warring that goes on over feeder rights.  Actual dive bombing takes place followed by the little warriors chasing each other around the garden chirping threats all the while.  There have been plenty of little feathers "ruffled" around here.  However, hummingbirds have a sweet side too.  They’ll eat from your hand if you train them.  I often hear my hummingbirds hovering right behind me when I'm changing their feeder.

Carolina Chickadee

The Carolina Chickadee is one of the little locals.  I don't even have to write anything about why I like them.  The photo says it all.  

I want to train my chickadees to do this someday.  I'll have to work on establishing more of a rapport with them than me just filling the feeder.  It's time to socialize the little locals.

Eastern Bluebird

Here's another tourist.  Although flamboyant in appearance, the Eastern Bluebird is very shy.  It breeds from southeastern Canada to The Gulf of Mexico.  That leads me to believe they should be locals, but they never stay after the nesting is finished so I consider them tourists. Hmm-mm, could it be that there's just too much chaos in the bird world around here for them?

I'd love to hear about your feathered friends.  What are some of your favorite birds?

Hope you're having a great weekend! :-)

Well, well, well, look what the cat drug in!

"The Cat" has been busy lately.  Somehow, it got on the Internet and ordered two roses from "The Antique Rose Emporium."  "The Cat" ordered a "Don Juan" climber, which it envisions floating across the top of a fence that badly needs a rose.  "Don Juan" is supposed to have a delightful scent and do well in extreme heat.

Antique Rose Emporium

"The Cat" also got a "Buff Beauty" rose, which is can be either a climber or a shrub rose.  It has been considering making this a pillar rose.  "Buff Beauty" is also supposed to have a heavenly scent according to Holley at "Roses and Other Gardening Joys,"  and she should know with all of her experience with roses.  "Buff Beauty" is also shade tolerant.

The roses came in nice sized pots rather than bare root.. 

 "The Cat" also drug in:

White Orchid

This lovely, white orchid (now, how did the cat know I wanted a white orchid?) ...

Ivory Orchid

And this ivory orchid (smart cat) ...

Reminds me of vanilla.

I'll be sure to post photos of "Don Juan" and "Buff Beauty" as they mature.  Hopefully, I can get them established in time for a show this summer. :-)

"Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo"

Isn't it amazing how objects can magically transform from something on the verge of being thrown away to something special?  The bottle below along with a twin had been sitting in our kitchen waiting for a purpose for the last year.  They are just too pretty to be thrown away, so I would periodically imagine possible uses I might have for them, such as vases for very tall-stemmed lilies.  I do have a few Stargazers that would fit the bill, since I would NEVER cut one of the daylilies except under extenuating circumstances.  Anyway, I just happened to be reading a delightful post titled "A Tribute to Big Momma's Garden" on the blog of my new gardening friend, Lee May, and before I knew it ...

"Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo"

I had this gorgeous new gazing bottle.

Cobalt Blue Gazing Bottle Ball

There will soon be a lot of color in the bed my lovely gazing bottle graces.  For now, the gazing bottle adds the pop of color that's needed.  I'll be sure to post another photo when the bed is in full bloom, and the herbs have filled out.  There is a lot packed into this tiny bed (I left everything room to grow though).  Apparently, I can fit plants into a garden with the same efficiency that I can load a dishwasher.  My husband says I hold the world record for being able to fit the most dishes, etc. in a dishwasher!  It's probably true since the dishwasher gives me more time to garden. :-)  Back to the subject I have wandered from, as I found out on Lee's blog, according to lore, bottles in the garden trap bad spirits at night, and dispel them when daylight arrives.  A bad spirit trap is always a useful tool to have around.  :-)

The Poppy Project

I had to do something with the iris bed, since the irises are on strike this year, so I decided to plant Iceland Poppies (they're not the illegal ones :-) as a companion plant.  I've been meaning to do this anyway, since an iris bed can be unsightly at times after blooms (should there be any) are gone.  I did go ahead and plant the poppies, but they were all lying down on the ground like little drunken sailors, so I'll post a photo later when they decide to stand up.

Beverly Sills Iris Bud

I went over to "Martha's Garden" yesterday to compare irises.  I snapped this photo of one of the few iris buds (Beverly Sills) over there.  I guess my suspicion about our crazy weather putting a stop the blooms here this year is correct, since there were only two or three with buds over in "Martha's Garden" (out of about 100 irises).

Double Red Knock-Out Rose

The Knock Out rose is such a workhorse in my garden.  It can go through horrible heat waves and drought once established without missing a beat!

French Marigolds

A little something for the tomatoes ... I manage to fit flowers in whenever possible.  These are supposed to be beneficial for the tomatoes too. 

French Marigold

Clematis

Stella d'Oro Daylily & Garden Gator Stepping Stones

Oh, you have to love the always faithful and first bloomer, Stella d'Oro!  Even though it's not an unusual designer daylily, it's a fine little daylily that can always be counted on to brighten early spring days.  

Between the garden gator and my new gazing bottle, this should be a well protected garden. :-)  I went out and got a third blue bottle earlier this week, so I have two more beautiful blue gazing bottles that will appear in the garden soon.  Who knows where they'll pop up?  

Well, I'm off to Miracle Grow the garden, and then on to shopping and preparing for Easter.  Hope you all have a great weekend! :-)