Chit Chat

Yesterday, while out and about with Mr. DS, I spotted this treasure ...

a mesmerizing vase ... it beckoned me from across the department store.  I wandered helplessly toward the gleaming lovely as if it were a mirage in the desert.  "Wouldn't this be the perfect vessel for a lily?" I thought. Once I reached this sparkling treasure, I marveled over it for a while.  Then, I glanced at the price tag, which caused me to quickly "snap out of it" (approximately $650.00).  Price tags are no fun!  It's a treasure all right.  Oh well, the dream was fun while it lasted.

After this, we were off to

look at electronics.  I resisted the urge to set each Nook Tablet, i Pad and Kindle Fire I saw to Daylily Soup and leave them that way!  I don't know what came over me having such thoughts!  Good marketing scheme though ... don't you think?  I can just see the headlines:  "Daylily Soup Bandit" strikes again. ;-)

Don't you just love Starbucks?

Time for a little caffeine.

A front row seat (in the air conditioning) for a delightful, mini Fourth of July parade full of enthusiastic, patriotic children.  Lots of them were on stilts ... amazing! 

Then, I had to pick up a few "paints" for a blank canvas I just happen to have again.  Yes, most of the tall bearded irises had to go due to non performance.  They don't like the warm winters down here.  I did keep my prized 'Rip City' who never disappoints though. Here are the "paints":

'Red Rocks' Beard Tongue

'Garden Spice' Carnation

'Prairie Splendor' Coneflower

'Peacock Cherry Red' Phlox

Missing tag on this one ... think it's button flower.

'Prairie Sun' Black-Eyed Susan

Blank Canvas

I'll keep you posted on the "painting." I'm on vacation today and have already been working on this.  It required early morning gardening to beat the heat.  I require part shade and don't perform well in full sun or high temperatures (been hanging around with the shade loving plants too long). lol

'Halloween Magic'

And, finally, I'll leave you with a bloom 

from one of my encore performers in the daylily garden. 

There has turned out to be quite an encore this year.

Happy Gardening! :-)

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! 

:-)

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

Almost Wordless Wednesday - 'Indian Summer Skies'

Indian Summer Skies

Spacecoast Technical Knockout & Slender Lady

Blooms of the day to share with my virtual friends.  I hope you enjoy these. :-)

Spacecoast Technical Knockout

Slender Lady

Potpourri

These are a few blooms I managed to snap on my way in and out this past week (it was a hectic week).  I always manage to make a detour through the garden, and right around the main daylily bed on my way out the door to work no matter how hectic things get.  It only takes a minute. :-)

Sebastian the Crab

Mount Herman Giant

It's taken three years for this one to settle in.  It produced an outstanding bloom just in time because 'Mount Herman Giant' was going to give up it's place of honor (the front row) this year, since I've been so disappointed.  The day after I spoke of this dayliliy's demise while standing over it, this beautiful, large, perfectly formed bloom appeared.  I guess it gets to stay now.  Sometimes threats do the trick ... lol.

Don Juan Climbing Rose

Don Juan is not going to disappoint.  

This red, red rose was added to the garden in April, and just look at this stunning bloom already!  

I'm amazed!

Webster's Pink Wonder

This daylily is really a star in the garden, but the "star" quality seems to be rather elusive in photos. 

I'll keep trying.

Apple Tart

Mushrooms

Who says mushrooms have to grow in the dark?  These are growing in a pot with my bougainvillea tree.  They are on a sun drenched deck with little water - sun loving, drought tolerant mushrooms.

Herb Garden

 This section of the herb garden is filling out nicely.  The herb garden now includes: cilantro, sweet basil, oregano, chives, rosemary, lemon thyme, German thyme, marjoram, pineapple sage, society garlic (is this really edible?).  Oh, there's my blue "gazing bottle" tucked in between the black and blue salvia, the pineapple sage and the coreopsis.   So far, it's doing an excellent job of adding a cobalt blue pop of color as well as capturing any bad spirits that might be hanging around.

Thanks for stopping by and happy gardening! :-)

Daylily Delirium

Yes, I'm in the midst of Daylily delirium; 

it will pass in another month or so (it always does).

The daylilies are certainly taking center stage in the garden right now.  

Here are few blooms from the past week:

Spacecoast Mulberry Motif (and a friend)

I love the gilded, ruffled edges. 

Let There Be Peace

Webster's Pink Wonder

This one amazes with a 13 inch bloom!

I waited two, long years to see this one bloom.

Patience is a virtue (that I have to try hard to have sometimes). 

:-)

Coaches Laughing Eye

Edna Lankert Memorial

Thin Man

A full length shot of 'Thin Man' 

for my friends who liked the last pic of "him."

Spider Web

I've noticed that some daylilies need to settle in for two or three years before they perform to their potential, while others miraculously bloom quite well the first year they're planted.  The first two years I had 'Spider Web,' I seriously considered giving it away to a friend because this daylily was just so lackluster in performance.  I thought it might need a "change of scenery."  However, this year, 'Spider Web' redeemed itself and more with 11 inch blooms and increased scape height.  It truly shines in the garden now.  

I've been told many times before that I treat my garden like a painting.  Although my daylily collection has a rainbow of colors, I anchor my "patch" (as my husband calls it) with the darkest reds, purples and eggplant daylilies, and light it up with the buttery yellows, the lemon yellows and the whites.  Gardening is just another form of painting to me.  The unplanted areas are just canvases-in-waiting.  What are some tricks or tips you use when creating your "living paintings"?  I'd love to hear about them.

Thanks for stopping by. :-)

Daylily Daze

When words escape, flowers speak.
- Bruce W. Currie

Bicolor Beautiful

Let There Be Peace

Avis Jean

Inherited from Martha - trying to identify

Mark Alan Carpenter

Octopus Hugs

Thin Man

Just curious, which one strikes your fancy?  

Thanks for stopping by.

:-)

Daylilies of the Day

Coed Shannon Cook

Coed Shannon Cook

Bali Watercolor

My First Gift

Octopus Hugs

Unknown - if I chose a name for this one, it would be
'Y'all Come Back Now'

The hose just has to appear in the photos if given the slightest opportunity. 

 It wasn't there before I took the photo, and now there it is posing in the background.

 This is starting to remind me of the superman cameos in Seinfeld.

Unknown - I'd name this one 'Lemon Meringue'

Thanks for stopping by.  

Hope you're having a great week!

:-)