Today was in the 90's and humid--a Midwest heat wave--good weather for corn or a tomato plant but not for me. How did I ever survive my youth? Today was also my birthday, so I stayed mostly indoors and took the day off. I did a bloom check this morning in my yard while the temperature was still in the 70's.
The surprise was that my oriental lilies have finally opened up. In the plant world we distinguish Asian, Oriental, Trumpet and Longiflorum (Easter) types of lilies--maybe not PC--but that is how they are named. They are being constantly hybridized (LA, LO and OT, or Orienpet), especially by the Dutch scientists in Holland, who are working hard to develop lilies that feature the best from all in the Lilium genus. Thus, they are working on LAOT's. It can be very confusing. How about an AOL? In the end, we must buy what we love. But don't get the oriental type (including that popular Star Gazer) if you can't stand the intense fragrance, which will nearly knock you over.
Tonight I put out the trash--from the outdoor can to the street. It had been "cooking" in the high temps and the smell of decomposition was spreading through the yard. A vole found dead in the yard was in the mix and who knows what else! But the lily nearby was adding a scent of its own, and as I watered a few things after dark and after my birthday dinner event, I was caught between the two powerful odors. Below is a closeup of my lily that is oh-so-fragrant and doesn't look like what I remember planting--perhaps it hybridized in my yard! Maybe an LO lily is now LOL at me!
 |
| My fragrant oriental lily--is it Muscadet? |
Also still blooming, an "Easter lily." I have heard of Christmas in July, but how about Easter in July? If you save your Easter lily and plant it outside after the last frost, the next summer--if you are lucky--it will bloom in July.
 |
| Lilium longiflorum |
Of course, the daylilies (hemerocallis), which are not at all in the same genus as lilium, are still blooming--this yellow one just beginning its show right beside the oriental lily:
and "Peacock Maiden's" two plants produced 5 blooms for the day which was the most ever, just for me, on my birthday!
No comments:
Post a Comment