Lilies are the stars of the garden this week and next week too, if I'm lucky with the weather.
Lilium species lankongense is a newly-planted beauty, though I am not sure she works with that red daylily, H. 'Earlybird Cardinal'. I think the rabbits spared this lily group because they're planted at the top of the driveway wall and they rarely visit that spot. Given the color of the Alliums and Astrantias that are nearby, I think I will swap the red daylily for one of my purple ones like 'Little Grapette'.
I have a few daylilies planted in the very back garden — like H. 'Lady Inora' (below) — but most are by the street in the front. H. 'Lady Inora' is the sweet companion to all my orange lilies.
I planted L. henryii in memory of my late father-in-law whose name was Henry. I love these lilies at every stage of growth as their buds swell and spread out like a chandelier.
L. henryii is a knockout in full flower. Happily it is still blooming after our week away. I was afraid they would bloom and finish before we got back home, which would have been very disappointing.
I think I am going to have to try to dig this pair out and move them elsewhere as they are getting just enough shade to make them less sturdy than their neighbors.
The opposite side of the path has a yellow and red scheme typified by the red ends and yellow flowers of L. leichtlini.
More reddish tones are provided by 'Orange Rocket' Barberry and 'Little Grapette' daylily.
L. superbum has been shy about appearing. I think I planted them in too much shade and perhaps too much moisture, so it was exciting to finally have a few of them come up and bloom this year. Maybe the loss of a nearby tree finally gave them the sun they wanted.
L. lancifolium flore pleno is a double form of the tiger lily. This is my first year growing it and I am in love with it. These came up beautifully and are nice and sturdy so they definitely have found a home with me.