I have always been a fan of lilies, but over the past several years, I have added more varieties to my yard. My favorite is the Easter Lily. Its delicate, yet hardy trumpet bloom, and its intense, sweet fragrance make you understand why it is a favorite at Easter. They symbolize hope, purity, and new beginnings. A prevalent theme for the season.
Easter Lily, Symbol of Hope
We have them each year at church at Easter, where members purchase them in honor of a loved one. But many don’t want to take them home, so I plant the extras around the church and bring a couple home. This particular plant has 2 stalks and currently has 12 blooms.
Close up view
This next lily was also from the church at Easter, but it was an error because it is not an Easter Lily. It is an LA Hybrid. I had to look it up. When the blooms opened, they were orange. I thought it was beautiful, so I brought it home to my yard. This year, it produced two stems, each with about 6 flowers. It is becoming a favorite.
The LA Hybrid is a cross between an Asiatic and Longiflorum Lily. It doesn’t have much fragrance, but its colors are amazing.
An early spring favorite is the Asiatic Lily. And I didn’t plant it; the birds did, three years ago. And that one single plant has more than doubled in size and beauty. They are a small, non-fragrant bloom, but the soft yellow color gives a gentleness to that side of the yard.
Below is another gift from the birds, and, given its size and lack of fragrance, I believe it is also an Asiatic Lily, but I could be wrong. Regardless, it’s pretty.
Another fun lily is my Ruffled Lily. It was a gift and different from any of my other lilies. Its bloom is slightly larger, with a faint fragrance, and its petals are ruffled. Compared to the others, its colors are muted.
Last but not least is my Oriental Lily. Due to the crazy weather we have had this spring and early summer, they are not awake yet. Their color is orange with thin red stripes.
I hope you are enjoying your spring as I am enjoying mine. Remember to share the beauty of kindness in all that you do. You may be that one spark of hope someone needs.
Surprisingly, I still have sunflowers. Over the last two weeks, we have had some rough storms with high winds and heavy rain. Because these are accidental plantings and not deep-seed plantings, they don’t have a good soil base. Therefore, wind is not their friend. We have more rain coming in tonight. These flowers are currently propped up with snow markers (those tall sticks that mark curb locations so the snowplows won’t hit them). But these sticks are helping them be steady, sort of.
You cannot really tell, but this sunflower has fallen forward, and is supported by the flower pot on the white base.
This grouping, in the center of the yard, is falling into the flower in the above picture. It is currently being supported with snow sticks and a bird feeder pole. It has the second-most blooms per stalk, at 32.
The sidewalk flower, called that because it blocks my sidewalk, has the most flowers at 65; most are still green, but all this rain is only helping them to create more blooms.
The reason I allow them to grow wherever they are is that they attract Goldfinches, a favorite bird of mine. These birds will start eating these flowers before the seeds fully develop, but they do love the fully developed seed pods as well.
Mom Goldfinch
Dad Goldfinch
They come to my yard each year, knowing I usually have sunflowers. The house finches with their bright red heads love the feeder, and don’t mess much with the flowers.
The surprising things about sunflowers are their determination. They remind me of mankind that can get knocked down but stands up again, determined to survive, reaching for the heavens and their creator.
Even though this stalk is broken, it can still feed and is creating a bloom bent on the other end, where it is reaching toward the sky, determined to survive.
Sometimes life is hard, and it is our determination that keeps us going. That being said, it is the kindness of others that helps sustain that determination. Always be kind, as you never know what light you may shine for others.
Good morning, all who read, for I am back online. My heart was not in it as I was healing from dual knee replacement surgeries over a 9-month period. Whoever made the statement that growing old is not for sissies made a very true statement. Getting older and losing your ability to move as you did 20 years earlier is just as much a mental battle as a physical one. But we are healing.
I have to get “mostly” agile because my daughter and I are going to Rome in December. Hopefully, I should be in good shape by then.
In the meantime…there are flowers. When I had my first surgery in June of last year, it ended my yard work for the summer. So, I tried to make sure everything was done so I could enjoy my flowers through my windows. I did not take into account the storms we would have. But those storms made for interesting sights this year… sunflowers. I had one big 10-foot flower that got knocked down last year, and he scattered his love everywhere.
There are over a dozen inside the fence and 5 outside the fence. The tallest so far is over 6 feet but still growing. I am letting them grow as it’s less grass to cut, bonus! The first bud is beginning to open.
I will share further photos as they continue to grow and bloom. In the meantime, enjoy your summer and always be kind.
I saw these white beauties sway in the breeze around the garden at the park but their was no sign identifying them. Tiny bell shaped blooms hung on a thin willowy stalk about 4 feet high. They were quite striking.
I pulled out my macro lens – still trying to perfect that skill – and inside the bell was what looked to be a bug but after seeing the picture on my computer, I think they are the stamens that are not fully open. I was intrigued by the tiny bristles and the (I presume) pollen dust on the outer petals. And the tiny stripe of purple on the center of the two lower petals also caught my eye when enlarged.
Flowers make me smile at the wide array of the beauty of creation – some things we may not have even seen before. Share your smiles and you will share you kindness. Sometime when people see you smile and you are by yourself, they wonder what you are thinking about. Smile often and be kind often.
Cee’sFlower of the Day usually focus on one flower. On my walk through the park yesterday I came upon The Rose Garden. They were all so beautiful so while the rose is a single flower, I could not single out just one, so today you get several.
There were several others but they will have to go on another post. Breathe in the beautiful fragrances of a rose and share that delicate kindness with others.
I am copying Cee’sFlower of the Day with Petunias as well. What I find so fascinating about petunias, beside their many colors, is the vein work within the flower itself.
This red one seems to have white on one side of the center and black on the other. maybe its the pollen dust looking white.
The white one has yellow in the center but the vein work carries a yellow green through the center rib of each petal.
And last but not least, the rich royal purple. The black center and deep purple veins make it look velvety soft.
As we smile at the beauty of flowers, remember the beauty of kindness and let that beauty shine from you.
I am becoming more aware that I need to take my camera everywhere as you never know what you will miss if you don’t. Today, it was the drive thru at Wendy’s. Creamy yellow tinged with pink peonies. I have never seen this color and they were beautiful.
I know I was in the wrong direction with the sun but I was in the line that was backed up with lunch rush. So what do you do. Take what you can but you can still see its beauty.
As surprises can often pop into our lives, lets enjoy them and share them with others. To help with that several of us are painting Kindness Rocks to scatter about bring smiles to who ever finds them. its part of the Covid Relief Kindness for Iowa. But you can create these and take them anywhere for anyone to find. Here are a couple of mine. Spread kindness wherever you can. You would be surprised of the smiles you would make.
Today for Cee’s Flower of the Day challenge, I am sharing my miniature Foxglove. I had a standard height one in the back two years ago but the extreme winter last year killed it. So we are trying again. They are so interesting to me.
Hope you have a wonderful day. Remember to be kind. It can be a bright spot on someone’s day.
For the Love of 