...Dominique Browning
Paths of Desire, 2004
An Eastern Tiger Swallowtail visited my garden the other morning and seemed to be especially attracted to the orange daylilies, which have been blooming since about the first of June. The lilies came from my neighbor, who didn't have much use for them and told me to help myself to as many as I wanted.
Not everyone is fond of "ditch lilies." Tell them you planted some, and they will look at you as though you'd taken tractor tires, painted them white, and lined your driveway with them. I'll admit they're gaudy and not for every part of the garden. I have some that are blooming alongside a clump of pastel peach daylilies, and these orange ruffians stick out like Motley Crue at a debutante ball, but in the right place, they work. And if the butterflies like them, I like them!
10 comments:
I'm sure the pastel peach day lilies came from your very tasteful "mama." I would never have ditch lilies lin MY garden---where has your "raising" gone????
Do you mean my tasteful "mama" who wants me to paint the bare stalks of my plants in winter???
I'll bet there are very renown gardeners out there who think there are possibilities in painting the dead stalks of Lantana in the winter!! Try pale lavender or even Tar Heel blue!
PS Lilly Lavender would never have "old common orange" ditch lilies in her garden either.
I like ditch lilies. I plan to plant some on the side of my house where it is rather neglected and dry. I figure some of those along with some bee balm and obedience plant should make for a nice show, crowd out most of the weeds and requre little from me.
Wrenna,
Why in the world do you need a low-maintenance garden? Surely that BEAUTIFUL house of yours doesn't take up much time (:
Found you through Hanna at "This Garden Is Illegal" and I wanted to add my vote for "ditch lilies." I'e always called them tiger lilies, and they're among my favourites! They're so vibrant, and so happy to bloom wherever god plants them, even if that happens to be a ditch by the side of the road.
I still mourn the field full of them that got mowed under several years ago to straighten out a bridge and bad curve up the road.
I say "Yay" for ditch lilies and any other plant that will grow in my climate. These are some of the best performers in my rock garden!
Thanks Firecat and Giddy. I'm with both of you on the ditch lilies. I think the fact that they grow anywhere shows that God can't resist throwing in something beautiful whenever the chance arises. Mail is 3 to 1 in favor!
I have a huge yard, and i am looking to line the borders with tiger lilies . I love the greenery, it fill in so nicely. I do have a fancy garden, which takes time and effort- but the lilies don't need any time at all. I love them!
I planted some ditch lilies around my mailbox where the winter road salt usually kills everything else. Love em.
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