Today is the Day!

It is officially Orange Day Lily Day at my house! When I first purchased my house in 1978, it was basically a grey aluminum sided rectangle that greatly resembled a semi trailer or metal box. It did come with landscaping, both bushes and trees, planted so close to the foundation that it was practically under it and everything was growing sideways trying to reach sunlight or rain. We were 19 and could not identify anything, which lead to the most beautiful flowering trees and lilacs replanted behind our garage where our neighbor Peggy can enjoy them.

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These lilies used to grow wild out in ditches and such in the rural areas of our county. One day my mom and I threw some shovels in the back of my blue chevette, buckled the babies in car seats and went on a mission. We could not bring ourselves to pilfer from a farm ditch or private property, but when we came along a clump by some railroad tracks, well, the mission began. We took turns waiting in the car while we managed to dig up two large bundles.

Originally I split the clump along the side of our picket fence in the play yard. After a memorable day when my husband and I had a discussion about landscaping under these windows over breakfast, only to come home at lunch and find he had ripped out all the bushes while I was a work. I had no money to replace them so I transplanted the lilies under these windows. This worked great until they flowered and fell across the sidewalk behind this space and no one could reach the front door.  I had a row of Rose O'Sharon on the other side of the sidewalk, so we moved them in front of those bushes. As you can see, they love to spread! And that is one of the reasons I love them!

You can also see why the grass is not mowed and how wet it is by the invasion of the mushrooms in my front yard.

My favorite view of the orange blossoms is from my rocking chair on my front porch. No one can see me behind all this loveliness and I can watch the world go by behind them. Excuse the drying storage containers. I dumped out another storage closet and I am getting ready to dig through the saving with my shovel.

I hope everyone is enjoying these summer days, whether sitting in your garden or hiding indoors during a rain storm!

Anticipation

Do you see those tall green stalks? Those are my orange day lilies ready to pop! I am in joyful anticipation mode waiting for this to happen! We are having hot, humid days with bursts of thunderstorms so it should happen any day now It is my favorite time to sit on my porch. The lilies form a wall between me and the world, almost reaching the bottom of the hanging baskets! I would like to express my appreciation for my pink spirea for flowering just in time to provide some contrast.

The plan for my front yard garden to grow the biggest plants possible so that you can't see the weeds. (please do not mind the unmowed lawn, the thunderstorms have disrupted our mowing schedule. Our clay soil does not drain very well.)  This sea of green will be brightened by a row of the orange lilies leading to the door. I think you might be able to see my purple clematis flowering on the trellis by the window.

And a pop of pink by the front door. Excuse the messiness. There was an incident last night with grampa and a two-year-old grandson with plant watering that turned into mudpies.  I have 2 or 3 flats of various annuals planted on the opposite side of the lilies in the front yard, on the house side. Too many shadows to get a picture this morning. And - there is a secret, too. If you go down to the end of the porch, and peek over the railing - you find a fairy garden! Again, pardon the shadows.