The Wrong Lilies

The Wrong Lilies

Saturday, April 30, 2011

Moments in time

Walking around my garden, I find new surprises and also defeats.  Isn't that the way of it?  The Early Girl tomato plant has two (2) tomatoes formed.  On the other hand, one of the new amaryllis johnsonii bulbs refuses to break dormancy.  And of course all of this pales alongside the horrendous news of storm damage across our beloved South.  The lives lost, the destruction of homes and towns and property are heartbreaking.  But also, for the survivors, I think of their cherished family photos, treasured dishes passed down, children's special toys.  Only things, I know, and nothing compared to lives lost and people injured.  But sensible or not, I know people mourn for small things.  Once I knew a family who lost their home in a fire.  One of the daughters came to a neighbor while I was there, and asked to borrow scissors.  Then she started to weep.  Everything, even their scissors, were destroyed.  The pain of survivors is very real and very long.  We must weep for them all.  Then we must comfort as best we can.

Friday, April 29, 2011

The beginning of beginning

Hello!

First of all, welcome to all you fellow flower and philosophy lovers.   I hope no fellow flower lovers are put off by the word 'philosophy', because no one is more philosophical than a gardener.  I hope no philosopher is put off by the word 'flower', because the beauty of flowers surely inspired the first philosopher.  So I hope to meet kindred spirits of both.

The title of this blog refers not only to two of my fascinations, it also applies to the first photo of this effort.  For there was the time when I had lovely yellow lilies growing and blooming among daisies, and then the yellow lilies were left behind in a move.  So naturally I wanted to re-create the loveliness of the original plantings and ordered more yellow lilies from one of my favorite bulb people.  Not knowing the name of the original yellow lilies, I ordered four different kinds of yellow lilies, thinking I'd for sure have at least one kind as before.   Of course, it didn't work that way.  There is one group of yellow lilies pretty much like my first ones, and they are wonderful.  Not exactly like the others, but lovely nevertheless.  One group just disappeared, probably got eaten by mice or some other underground critter.   A third group is middling, both in type of flower and certainly in growth; it may or may not continue.  But the ones in the photo, the not-yellow ones, but more like cream with a little umber, these are fabulous.  They bloom early and strong, they've multiplied like bunnies, and they remind me, when they're blooming, and other times as well, to love the beauty before me and let the past be past.  Of course, they still grow among daisies.