Saturday: On mornings like this, it's all about the light

Clouds left over from the night's thundershowers depart about 6:30 a.m.

 The sun rises above the trees and throws its light across the vegetable garden. (Whoo-hoo, look at that corn growing!)

 Tiger lily buds drip with moisture.

 Phlox catches the light.

 Buds swell on the 'Casa Blanca' lilies.

 The light plays off all the moisture in the air. And off those big puffs of Arctic blue willow (center).

 Sea holly (eryngium) almost looks like an alien plant in this light.

Bee balm 'Raspberry Wine' snuggles with some lily buds.

If you love lilies ...

This lily is from my garden, not from the Lily Ladies. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera with me on the shopping trip but you can find colors similar to this one at the backyard nursery we discovered by chance.

 

... and are in the Duluth area, take a spin over to the Lily Ladies at 4029 E. Superior St. My sisters-in-law and I were in town to do a little shopping over the weekend and happened by chance onto the Lily Ladies. The tiny backyard nursery specializes in lilies and we wandered about the potted plants and drank in the intoxicating fragrance. The mother-daughter team has a great selection of potted lilies, including a yellow-pink one that I may have to go back for. The lilies are 10 bucks a pot; they also offer some other perennials including a few hostas and heucheras.

The Lily Ladies is open Saturdays and Sundays through Aug. 29. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays. 

Everyday miracles: Lilies

After a day of rain the damp air is perfumed with the scent of 'Regale Album', a Chinese trumpet lily.

Lily porn

Fall is sneaking in the back door during this summery September -- it's time to review notes, evaluate performances and think about planting spring and summer blooming-bulbs. Lilies are at the top of the list.

1. These are Casa Blanca lilies, a garden classic. Beautiful clear white that only gets more lovely as the sun goes down. Graceful form. Nice fragrance. Tall, sturdy stems. Unfortunately, the deer also favor them. Last year, we didn't get any blooms because of the deer. This year, we doubled up on protection, caging them for much of the growing season and using the motion-detecting sprinkler to scare off would-be diners. The cage isn't the most attractive option, but you do tend to look past it because there are so many other things to see. These are the last of our lilies to bloom, making a grand statement in late August.

Big, bodacious blooms and buds.

Casas caged for their own good.

2. An asiatic lily called 'Grand Cru' makes its statement in mid- to late July. No fragrance to speak of, but its color more than makes up for that. It's a nice companion for baptisia (the straight blue species.)

The flowers aren't huge, but there are plenty of 'em.

3. Sometimes you just roll with the punches. We ordered some 'Rodela' lilies (an LA hybrid, a cross between L. longiflorium and asiatic lilies) several years back. When they flowered, they looked like this instead. So not the wine red of 'Rodela.' Pretty, but not where they were planted. Relocated to the front of the house, they mix well with my favorite 'Lauren's Grape' poppies and pink allium. We're still not sure what variety they are, but they have found a home here anyway.

The poppies are an annual; the allium is a perennial. Both complement the mystery pink lily. That's campanula 'Pantaloons' on the right -- shortly before flowering.

4. This is the 'Rodela' we were looking for. I love how the flowers are held upright like candelabra. It blooms in late July. Reputable plant purveyors want to make things right with their customers. When we alerted the folks at John Scheeper's about the lily mixup, they sent us the right ones.

Give 'Rodela' some space so you can better appreciate its form.

5. Many bulb merchants offer mixes where you can get more bulbs for less. It's a good way to go if you're looking to paint a scene with a broad brush rather than a specific color. These dark pink beauties are from such a mix that also included pale pink and white lilies.

These lilies are growing in a bed with catmint and monkshood.

6. Here's yet another example of why it's important to tag things and keep records. These pale yellow lilies were a surprise in early August. No one here remembers planting them, but I sure do like them. If I only knew what they were, I could order more.

These mystery lilies are especially winsome next to the variegated burnet. Deer nibbled the burnet in early summer, but it came back strong.

A day in the life of a lily

'Pink Perfection' leans into a stand of phlox (not yet blooming) and consorts happily with the joe-pye weed behind it. The lily doesn't require any special care, other than being staked so it doesn't completely flop over under the weight of its blooms.

Change in the garden can be swift and dramatic -- as in when the main trunk of a pagoda dogwood splits in a windstorm -- or slow and subtle -- as in when a lily blossoms.

The long, fat buds of 'Pink Perfection', a trumpet lily, have been teasing us for several days. Today, she finally opened up.

At 9:55 a.m. Monday.

At 12:39 p.m. Monday.

At 4:11 p.m. Monday.

At 6:04 p.m. Monday. By 10 p.m. the lily's fragrance was filling this corner of the garden and drifting through the open window.