First Daylilies

It seems outrageous that I am finally seeing my first daylilies, since the rest of Canada has been posting about them for weeks now. Actually, I think I must have later-blooming varieties, since I've seen other daylilies in town blooming well over a month ago. From what I read, double-bloom daylilies are generally not favoured by many daylily enthusiasts because of their soggy-toilet-paper-like appearance when the blooms are finished. This yellow daylily was my first one ever, so I had to have something more interesting, which in my mind, was a double bloom.

Daylily "Double River Wye": I finally caught this daylily in nice morning sun thanks to an early morning small dog scuffle in the backyard, where the sisters where NOT getting along. While checking the dogs, I noted this excellent garden lighting!


LA Hybrid lilies "Courier", a towering plant with cream-colored flowers that look great in this 7:00 am light.


LA Hybrid daylily "Auckland", a white lily with a unique bloom shape:


A regular red annual poppy (Papaver rhoeas). The crinkled-paper appearance never ceases to amaze me. I moved the orange lily next to the reddish-orange poppies, and it looks much more at home.


Lavatera "Silver Cup", an impressive annual that covers itself in beautiful hibiscus-like blooms. This is the first year I've grown this annual from seed.


Mystery plant from the compost has buds on it yet all of them seem reluctant to open. What are they waiting for?


The large raised bed is in need of some deadheading. I was out there gardening last night when some children passing by commented favourably on my work. I think they thought I was the hired help (which we have none of).

Vibrant Colors, Hardy Blooms

After a few days of rain, the lilies are still looking great. These LA hybrid lilies have dutifully multiplied, making a more impressive show each year.
Center raised bed with lilies, and pink Malva moschata:


I don't remember buying this lily, but referring to the online store that I buy my lilies from, this must be "Royal Trinity" LA hybrid lily. I've been calling it my canteloupe lily.


This little mystery plant has come up for a few years, with sickly-looking foliage that resembled that of a lily. It has the shape of a trumpet lily and is pink like many of my lilies, but I've never bought a trumpet lily! Most of my lilies are LA hybrids, and maybe this one is some sort of seedling reversion to a parent lily?


LA Hybrid lilies "Yellow Tycoon". I absolutely love the LA hybrid lilies, which have sturdy cold-hardy plants with amazing large blooms. I highly recommend them. I just made another lily order from Lilies in the Valley, a Canadian mail-order company.


The Saskatoon berry crop is very good this year. I picked a litre from my 3 young plants and made a berry crisp. Now if only I could grow the vanilla icec ream!


My pink crossed with a purple poppy, a gift from the pollinating bees. The poppies have reached the end of their season now.


Evening photo of impatiens "Little Elf" mix, started from seed this year. They look fabulous in the half-barrel under the partial shade of the poplar tree.


Scabiosa caucasica "House's Hybrid", a white variety from the color mix. This perennial has taken 3 years to start blooming, which is a long wait. These flowers have long stems with a small loose bunch of foliage at the base, looking best in a mixed perennial flower bed rather than as a feature plant.

RLM Rocks My World

Resident-lawnmower-man has been doing a lot of heavy lifting recently. My alpine bed and some other rock-work next to the house are seeing some progress. My alpine bed is a new project to give me a little more garden space, remove some lawn, and create a place to feature small rock garden and alpine perennials.
Present state of the alpine bed:

Realizing that alpine plants are ridiculously small and slow-growing however, I will be adding a few low-growing conifers. I was thinking about dwarf balsam fir, the tiniest mugo pine I can get, and a birdsnest spruce. Hopefully they still have some of these at the garden centers in Prince Albert.
RLM is collecting some huge blasted rocks with machinery borrowed from a neighbour. These rocks will be added to the center of the alpine bed.

The lake across the street from our house. Just imagine some loon-calls and mosquito bites, and you can enjoy the experience right there at your computer.


Guess who has company for a few days? Kona's sister is in town for a visit. We're happy to see them together -- they hadn't seen each other in over a year! They can howl in harmony at ambulances tonight. Kona is on the left: