Just A Lily Brightening the Way.

   I have been lax on taking care of the plants this whole summer.  It seems as if one thing or another has gotten in the way and anything not on that "priority" list fell to the wayside.  I feel bad about it but, at the same time, feel there was no need in pushing myself beyond feasible limits.  I am getting old.  Today, however, as I meandered back behind the old greenhouse to the grape arbor, I was greeted in the most pleasant way.  The lycoris lilies were in full bloom...at least as much of "full" bloom as was possible in view of the recent chomping by the Eastern Lubber Grasshoppers.  Those things are relentless!  The lilies proved stronger and were simply gorgeous.  The golden color is a perfect touch for the hint of fall that we are enjoying. 

  These particular lilies were from a few bulbs that I received some 30 years ago from a dear friend.  Ms. Twin (yes, there were two and they were both "Ms. Twin") had dug up some of her bulbs just to share with me.  This sweet elderly lady knew I loved flowers of any kind and knew that she had the perfect gift...one from the heart.  I was elated and immediately planted the bulbs.  They have bloomed every year since and always remind me of the dear friend.  Sadly, she passed only two years after gifting the bulbs to me.  

  The lilies are in the same family as the Red Nerine lilies that are so abundant across the Deep South.  They have a dozen or so names including Lycoris Lily, Nerine Lily, Spider Lily, Jersey Lily, Guernsey Lily and even Naked Lady Lily (due to the lack of leaves...not clothes.)   The spotting of the lilies gave me a much needed lift this morning and I was able to continue the day with a bit more ambition that before.  I figure if the lilies could fight against the drought and grasshoppers then I should be able to fight against the tiredness that wracks the body.  Never doubt that somewhere hidden among the trials is an answer that can make everything right again.

Taking Time for Autumn

   Being down here on the Bayou by myself most of the time, I sort of lose track of time.  There is no need for it.  This sounds strange for someone who collects and repairs antique clocks.  "There is no need for keeping track of time."  But...here I am.  I pretty much live by the "feel" of things.  Most days are centered around the weather not time.  I plant when the weather is right.  I work when the weather is right.  I fish when the weather is right.  There are days when I cannot tell you the time, the day of of the week or even what day of the month it is.  There is no "rat-race" when the rats are doing their thing and I am doing mine.  I go for months without ever leaving the place. 

  That said, I do pretty much keep track of seasons!  Those are hard not to recognize when they flip.  Today, it occurred to me that autumn must be near.  As I was working the Small Gardens for my fall planting, a sure sign of the seasonal change was evident.  Next to the gate of the vegetable garden, two stalks of blooms wafted gently on the breeze.  One was the chives that now dot the hillside in wild abandon and the other was a nerine lily.  Usually, hundreds of these blooms (both) can be spotted around the place but with the severe drought that has befallen us, these are the only two to be found.  Both of these are spindly due to that lack of rain.  It saddens me but, at the same time, gives me hope.  If it is autumn, perhaps we shall began to see some rain coming our way. and the summer heat will be pushed away for a few months.  I am ready for that change and thankful that the plants are doing their best to remind me that it is "time" for the seaonal change.

Red Hat Ladies?

  The arrival of the "Red Hat Ladies" is an assurance that Fall is here.  Not to be confused with the lovely ladies of the organization of the same name, the "ladies" to which I refer are flowers.  The Coast is covered with the bobbing heads of the flowers which have a tendency to pop up unexpectedly in the oddest of places.  One never knows where there will be a splash of red (and sometimes pink or yellow.) Ditches, fields, well-manicured lawns, woods and, lo and behold, even flower gardens can be blessed with the sudden beauty of the lilies.  

  These lovely flowers can go by the name of Guernsey Lilies, Nerine Lilies or the common names of  "Red Hat Ladies" and "Naked Ladies". The latter is due to the fact that when the flowers bloom, they have no leaves thus being quite bare.  Since the cluster of blooms have been said to resemble a lady's hat, it was assumed that was all she wore! The name "Naked Lady" stuck and now when some stranger to the area overhears locals referring to the blooms, they might be in for quite the shock.  Just imagine overhearing the following conversation!  

"Hey, the Naked Ladies are here so I guess Fall has come." 

"Do you mean the Red Hat Ladies?"

 "Yep, did you see Old George's field?  There must have been a thousand of them out there in all their glory!" 

 "Nah, I'll have to drive over and take a look.  That must be some sight!" 

 "It sure is.  They are all out there waving those hats around like crazy!" 

  Needless to say, Old George's field might become the gathering place for a lot of fellows hoping to catch a glimpse!  Won't they be in for a surprise when all they find are happy flowers gently blowing in the breeze.

  It always makes me happy to find the "Red Hat Ladies" bobbing their hats in the soft Bay breezes.  Fall is here and Old Man Winter is just around the corner!



 

The varmints are at it again!

I was excited to see the stalks of the Nerine Lilies popping up all over the yard! This was a sure sign that my yard would soon be a thing of beauty with their red and yellow "hats". These are the same lilies that many folks here on the Coast call "Naked Ladies" since they have just a stalk and a large blossom resembling a hat..there are no leaves or "clothes" on the stalk. These lovely flowers have a tendency to pop up where you least expect them which also gives them their much more respectable name of Resurrection Lilies. I was happy to see them out in the lawn and even smack dab in the middle of the pathways..it did not matter as I knew that later they would die down and not be causing problems.

Then this afternoon after an all day chore of housecleaning, I went for my daily hike around the place. What is this? Just where are my lily stalks? Sure enough, the budding lilies had disappeared. They had gone away as quickly as they had come..now, nowhere to be seen. My lilies were AWOL! Somehow, somewhere the lilies had gone..disappeared..vanished! I started searching..I am quite sure that lilies just do not up and walk away..they had to be somewhere! Perhaps I just was not thinking when I noticed them the other day..perhaps they were somewhere else and not where I thought they should be..perhaps something stole my lilies! And that presumption was right....

There on the top of one lily..perched high as if in defiance..was the culprit..the "Thief of the Lily"! Sitting at the very tip of a lily stalk sat an Eastern Lubber Grasshopper! He was munching away on my lily! After a bit, my eyes started focusing on the many grasshoppers that were all eating my lilies! All but one were eaten to the ground..this made me sad. I love these lilies as they bring back many fond memories of my childhood..back long before we had these grasshoppers in this area. I miss those days..I miss seeing the bright red or yellow "hats". Grrrr....grasshoppers! I sure wish I could miss them!

Hand-me-downs

The other day I received an email from my cousin that started me thinking about all of the plants in my yard that were "hand-me-downs". Plants the were given as seeds, cuttings or just simply "given". Some of my plants actually have been handed down for generations from family to family or from neighbor to neighbor. The Night Blooming Cereus that I wrote about in the post titled "Night Gardens" is one of those plants. It has been in our family for several generations now and I am quite sure it will be for many more.

In this e-mail, my cousin was remarking about Resurrection Lilies. These are quite remarkable lilies that just seem to pop up where you least expect them after a summer rain. They are always a welcome sight in any yard! This brought about a round of e-mails in our family describing different lilies that have the same endearing quality of surprising yard owners with a bit of beauty. My sister and I fondly remembered the "Naked Lady" lilies that would bloom outside the bathroom window in our childhood home. Oh what gorgeous hats these ladies had and what giggly fun she and I had announcing their arrival in our yard. In our day..ahem..it was almost taboo to say such words! We had a great uncle that would never call them such but would rather refer to them as "Burlesque Ladies". Maybe that was supposed to be more gentlemanly. The actual name of these lilies is Guernsey Lilies or Nerine Lilies although some folks even call them Spider Lilies. I suppose as with anything, a name is just a name.

Then there are the Gloriosa Lilies that Dad had growing in another garden. These tall gangly plants have the most showy blossoms that open first as yellow then, as they age over the days, turn to a wonderful cherry red. They can reach almost eight feet tall and have tons of beautiful blooms. Gloriosas do need something to climb on and will grasp anything within reach to use as support. They put on a stunning display all summer and have no problem sharing a garden space with other plants. I also have some of his Purple Phlox. My dear sister was kind enough to share hers with me after Katrina swiped mine. These were always some of his favorites.

I have a plant from my grandfather that I call the "Pink Unknown" simply because I have never found a decisive name for it. (If anyone wants to inform me of the true name, I would gladly pass it along.) Several people have told me that it is a Shrimp Plant, this I know is not accurate as I have grown those, too. I have been told it is a Pineapple Flower which does not seem correct simply because it bears no resemblance to a pineapple as far as I can see. Then the name Pine Cone Plant popped up..well..maybe but I sort of like the "Pink Unknown" until I find the proper name.

All in all , most of the plants in my yard are shared plants. My dad used to tell me to share my plants and that would make mine grow better..and obviously it does! Not to mention, if by chance I lose the original plant I can always replenish my stock simply by visiting a neighbor, friend or family member that was on the receiving end of a gifted plant. So give a plant or two..watch yours flourish..gain a gardening friend in the process. Sounds like a win-win situation to me!