Virginia Bluebells

After my long absence, I am excited to start the blogging season with my blooming Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica). I am so pleased with their performance this spring. They started out as five little rhizomes bought online three years ago. Here they are now with masses of pink to blue flowers. Happy spring everyone.

2012 Photos of the Pearl Lilies

Pearl Jessica

Pearl Jessica

Pearl Loraine, registered with just 1 R.

Pearl Loraine and Pearl Jessica

Pearl Sophie and Pearl Stacie

Pearl Jennifer

Pearl Justien... There are a few photos on the web and my Pearl Justien look like the above pic. The source of my bulb is Faraway Flowers.

Seeds, Seedling and Pods

I was down at the basement doing some watering and cleaning and thought of sharing what is happening down there.

I received a few seed packets of Charlie Kroell lilies last fall. I tried sowing a packet and the below pic is the result. I don't remember how many seeds were in the packet, but there were seven that came up.

These are the Griesbach Asiatic lily seeds I received from the good doctor. I sowed the 1b plum x 1b plum seeds. I hope to sow the others soon.

Asiatic lily 1b plum x 1b plum seedlings.

My Hippeastrum cross, Bogota x Rapido.

And another cross of mine made last year, Hippeastrum San Remo x Rapido.

Hippeastrum Wedding Dance x Graffiti, cross made by a friend from Hawaii.

The big fat pod is of Hippeastrum Exotic Star x Bogota.

The pods at 12 and 6 o' clock are of Exotic Star x Papilio.

Hopefully these will all take, H. Chico x H. papilio.

H. striatum x H. papilio, ripening.

Last fall, I collected lots of open pollinated trumpet African Queen lily seeds. If anybody is interested to experiment and grow lilies from seeds, email me and I will send you a packet. These seeds are mixed of four strains of AQ growing in my garden.

Hippeastrum striatum

Small-flowered species. Lovely color, form and shape. First time to bloom for me. I got it as a tiny seedling almost three years ago.

Hippeastrum Floris Hekker

Floris Hekker has medium size flowers. The green strappy leaves grew at the same time with the scapes. Although short in stature, it compensated its shortcoming with its vibrant red flowers. In the second photo, FH was photographed with Chico and supposed to be Red Lion.

Hippeastrum Aphrodite

A double hippi with pink picotee and highlights. Its flower is big measuring nine inches across. Bred by Miyake Nursery in Japan.

Aphrodite is known to have long pedicels. These pedicels measured six inches long.

The Reason

Last September, we had a tree cut down in the front yard. The tree was half dead. The hostas planted under it will be moved to another bed.

We also had those three leggy evergreens cut down (You only see the trunks.) They only have their crowns (tops) left after I keep cutting their branches off. I need the area to have sun exposure so I can grow some lilies and irises in there.

This is the front garden, one of the original flower beds of the house. We have another mature tree in this area. Lots of lilies are planted here and these lilies are the ones I am digging and come spring I hope I can move the hostas here. The digging continues and today, I dug the Bill Cramer lilies.

In Need of Heavy Rain

I purchased a garden fork to use in digging my lily bulbs. I learned my lesson that using a spade damages the bulbs.

Oriental/Trumpet Lily 'Anastasia'

The brand new fork.

I used it for the first time to dig Anastasia bulbs. The ground is bone dry and I am praying for some heavy rain as I still have lots of lily bulbs to dig. I made a new garden bed for my lilies for the reason that I need to separate them from the hostas. It will take a while before I can complete the move.

Anastasia bulbs, they are as pretty as the flower.

Lilium 'regale' bulbs.

Species lily 'regale', the most fragrant lily that I grow.

Various bulbs dug from the garden.

Fall

I have been busy cleaning up my flower beds, putting down mulch and digging up bulbs. There are still a few peformers that brings color to the fall landscape.

Amarcrinum

Dahlia

Rhodophiala bifida

Tom 'Purple Cherokee', waiting for them to ripen so I can pull it out.

'Purple Cherokee' harvest.