The "Lily" that is not a Lily!

  My morning started with the usual walk around the gardens.  I get this from Pop.  From an early age, I can remember getting up at the crack of dawn just to wander about the fields with him.  We "looked" at things. He told me how to plant seeds. He explained how seeds sprout and would dig deep in the soil to uncover a squash or bean seed that had a sprout worming its way from its hard outer shell.  He taught me to recognize weeds and told me to keep a clean garden.  I cherished our times together and learned an awful lot from this man.  So now, I continue the tradition but do it alone.  When Mark can, he joins me in our hikes but, more oft than not, I am digging in the dirt by myself.  I do not mind.  I think a lot while getting dirty.

  Today, I smiled as I rounded the edge of the vegetable patch and made my way to the garden gate.  Several daylilies were blooming.  While I like daylilies (and flowers in general), these are special.  My sweet daughter-in-law, Joanna, gave them to me years ago.  I planted hundreds of rhizomes that she sent down from Starkville, Mississippi.  There were all sorts of beautiful blooms that grew from those knotty roots!  I was tickled then and still grin each time another bloom opens.  The daylilies are special simply because she thought of me.

  Odd fact about daylilies....they are not true lilies.  Lilies belong to the Illium family while daylilies belong to the Hemerorcallis family.

  Odd fact...there are over 60,000 varieties of daylilies!

  Odd fact...daylilies are so called because their blooms open only during the day and only for one day.

  Odd fact...there is one night-blooming variety called the H. Citrina that is a pale yellow.

  Odd fact...unlike a true lily, daylily roots and flowers are edible!  They are used mostly in Asian cuisine but have gained popularity in other countries.

  Odd fact...for culinary uses, the flowers can be purchased fresh or dried.

  Odd fact...daylily blooms are nutritious as they are a good source of vitamins and minerals.  The blooms can help detox the body.

  Odd fact...some folks believe that eating daylily blooms can cure insomnia.

  Odd fact...an old myth says that if a woman wants to give birth to a male child, she should wear daylilies on her waist.

  Odd fact...daylilies grow from rhizomes not bulbs.

  Odd fact...a tisane made with daylily blooms is said to be calming.  It is used as a stress reliever.

  Now you know just about everything that I do about daylilies.  These plants are easy to grow and require little to no care after planting.  With all of the above mentioned benefits, it seems like a good idea to plant plenty of them in the garden!  Not to mention, they are sure pretty to view first thing in the morning!  

I Am Not Alone!!!

The sun was shining beautifully this morning and regardless of the fact that I had fever, chills and body aches, I had to escape into the garden! I sneaked out early before breakfast and made all sorts of plans for the day's work! First on the agenda..burn the old leaves and rose trimmings that were piled in the middle of the rose garden. From there, I would clean around the front steps..it always seems to be a dropping-off point for so many items that happen to still be in the hand as I make my way back inside. I always have good intentions of putting them in their proper places but for some reason that never happens. Moving along on my list, I made a mental note to examine the gourds that never made it inside. A huge mound had accumulated because storage room was nil. These needed to be scrubbed, dried and stored for future projects. As I planned all of this, I thought of how ready I am for Spring if for no other reason than to start the gardens again. Then I noticed the little Jonquil buds starting to poke up through the mulch! Ahh, I was not alone in my thoughts of Springtime! This started me wondering just what all was starting to show in the flower gardens. As I perused the mulched beds, I found that the Daylilies were showing a good bit of green above the ground. I threw a bit of mulch over them as they will get frost burn with the temps even in the low thirties. The weather forecast calls for some ice in the next few nights so they needed a blanket to pull them through the chill. Further on, I came across the Wood Violets in full bloom! Oh, my! These goofy little plants have no sense! I love these little violets..my Springtime heralding flora friends! They and the Crocuses always bring a smile to my face! A welcoming bit of brightness after the grey of Winter! Of course, there is the winter garden with its cabbages, carrots and mustard greens! These are fine but just not as exciting as the bounty that comes from the Spring/Summer garden plots.

I am happy to say that I did accomplish everything that I set out to do today except for washing the gourds! My son has volunteered to do this job for me tomorrow and I am surely not going to deny him the honor! I feel so much better after a few doses of herbs but I truly believe getting out in the warm sunshine and fresh air helped tremendously! Now, I hear it is supposed to rain and be cold for the rest of the week..oh, my goodness! My little taste of Springtime was just that..little. But at least I was able to be out and about! Mentioning taste..my son decided to pick some mustard greens for supper tonight. I have never seen so many greens for just two people! The entire sink was filled! "They will cook down!" he said. True..but still. I washed and washed and finally had them all in the pot or at least , mounded in and above the six-quart pot! It is true that they did "cook down" but we will be eating leftover greens for a few days!