I almost missed the blooming of the Resurrection Lilies.
Luckily, I walked over to this side of the house while they were nearly at their peak. While I thought these were early this year, they are blooming almost exactly, to the day, on the same day they bloomed last year. I’m glad I got to see these now and not when they were all done blooming, because no flower in a garden should bloom and not be noticed.
I have been subconsciously, and maybe consciously, avoiding this side of the house because with the drought and the “ten year itch” that some gardens get, it has turned from “decent enough looking” to “down right embarrassing”.
It is my garden of shame.
If you were to come over to see my garden, I would never take you back via this side garden. I don’t have a picture to prove it, but trust me, the other side of the house is much, much better looking.
My excuse? This is where I planted some passalong plants that someone gave me when I moved into my house, and I just needed a place to put the plants until I figured out what I was going to do. Then for several years, it didn’t look too bad, so I left it.
Now this HAS to be my fall project to clear this out and replant it as a proper garden. Hold me to that, insist on pictures later to prove that I did clean it up and replant!
In the meantime, though, don’t you think the Resurrection Lilies (Lycoris squamigera) and the coneflowers are a good color match for the gray of my air conditioning unit?
Remember, don’t let your flowers bloom alone! Go out and see them in your garden today, wherever they may be.
If we were not there to enjoy them, then who would be? The bees? The coneflower’s make a good combination to them.
The lillies are the prettiest I’ve seen. I love the pale pink color.
Since cactus flowers are so short-lived, I’ve missed some gorgeous ones by just hours. It’s always such a disappointment.
Do you realise how close we’re getting to fall? Enjoy your flowers while you can. Next thing you know we’ll be looking at red & gold & brown leaves
lucky us that you went to the ‘neglected’ side of your garden amd we could see those lovely lilies.
I think it is a part of basic human psychology to avoid certain things or situations because they produce an uncomfortable feeling, but, it is to be learned from your gardening experience that there might be something wonderful hidden in places we tend to consciously overlook.
Nice! I’ll have to tell my mother that she can call them resurrection lilies. I think she doesn’t like calling them naked ladies like the rest of us call them!
Nice combination! My surprise lilies were pasalong plants also, given to me by an neighbor when I first moved into this house. We all have our little “garden of shames” :). You mentioned some get the ten year itch, some of mine have the twenty year itch.
those lilies are gorgeous! Wow.
What is it with side gardens? They’re like the neglected stepchild. One of mine is strictly utilitarian and not on view anyway. The other should be a showpiece because you can see it coming around the bend in the road but instead it contains a few measly Japanese iris, which I forgot to look at this year, and I know there are daylilies in there that should be divided. Maybe next year. Oh, aren’t your lilies also known as Naked Ladies?
Yes I like the color combination. My bathroom is pink and grey (circa 1959).
Hi Carol – I call them Mystery Lilies and mine are just beginning to open. They surprised me too and I had to remove some spent Monarda foliage so they could be seen. They really go well with the Coneflowers in your pictures. They have to be one of the hardiest bulbs around and multiply nicely. I’ll be looking forward to watching your new Fall Project.
Very pretty pink lilies! How long do they bloom?
Very clever posting, Carol, but I won’t nag you to redo your side garden–things get down in their time and you can simply call this area “a work in progress.” Great coneflowers, too.
Your Lycoris is stunning. What a nice surprise to come upon. I thought Lycoris would be kinda naked without any leaves but planting it with the Echinacea and sasa grass? is a great combination.
Yes, the coneflowers and the lilies look fabulous next to the gorgeous neutral hue of the breathtakinng AC.
You need some bigger plants there.
Hi Carol,
Do you think you are the only gardener with something to hide? HA!
I’m not an “avid” gardener, but when I photo my little gardens, I try to eliminate the ugly stuff. I have a few projects to work on, too. One will be replacing the things I lost during our drought, and it wasn’t entirely the drought’s fault!
Your worst is much better than mine :o)
I had forgotten to call them Resurrection Lillies! I just take the easy way out and call them surprise lilies. We have some dark red ones that bloom in August. I don’t know the difference in them and the pink–they are all called surprise because they are apt to spring up anywhere in the yard. Wonder if birds have anything to do with that. I forget to put stakes where they are, and when I mean to do something with that location, I am afraid I will disturb the bulbs. Gotta get better about that this summer.
I’m glad that you’ve shared this part of your garden–and that you’re not overly self-critical about it. Today seems to be self-flaggalation day in the garden blog world. Good grief. It’s not like there’s nothing else for us to do than to make our gardens look like magazine spreads!
And I love the lilies. I’m thinking of some for next year. I just wish they bloomed longer.
–Robin (Bumblebee)
All… thanks for the all the comments and support… to answer some of the questions…
I guess if we can’t enjoy them, the bees and neighbors might… Yes, these are some of the first late summer flowers to bloom so fall is closer than we think… these ARE sometimes called Naked Ladies, and yes, 1959 was a GREAT year… these only bloom for a good week or so then they start fading… these flowers do look naked without other plants around to provide some foliage… I KNOW I’m not the only gardener with areas of the garden to hide…
And I love these lilies!
Thanks all for the comments and encouragement.
Carol at May Dreams Gardens
It’s the dog days of summer, right, and we all have areas of our gardens like that (don’t we??? I sure do!)…I also have planted around the air conditioner…the only thing with that, it ALWAYS insists on being in the pictures, too…hehehe.
The other day my neighbor’s daughter rang my doorbell and said, “My dad said I was to come over and show you his Naked Lady! I said, “Dad, are you sure you want me to do that??!” We had a good laugh, but it was a sweet thought. He is laid up with a broken hip of sorts and wanted me to see the bulbs I had given him were blooming (in a pot, obviously). I thought his were a bit ahead of mine and maybe they were…by a day…because the next day, mine were blooming away.
They’re a wonderful passalong plant. Mine came from the MWH where I volunteer and they faithfully bloom…unlike the ones I bought like…ummm, five years ago which FINALLY bloomed this year! Lesson: They’re better when passed along!
Very Interesting article , this article make somee interesting points.
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