| Project by Damocles | posted 348 days ago | 491 views | 0 times favorited | 4 comments |  |
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This full-sun bed started with a few shrubs, which I ripped out in the first season. We planted a bunch of bright red tulips, purple and white hyacinths, and dwarf daffodils to start, and then the lilies. Lots and lots of lilies…several stella de oro daylilies that were inherited from my mom (my gardening mentor, and a master gardener in her own right). We added several asiatic species, a few stargazers, and some tigers. Wow, do these things multiply quickly! We’ve devided bulbs a few times, and now have quite the collection.
Over the seasons, the bed still has the bulb base, but we’ve also added a few other plants, such as some transplanted peonies, coral bells, and a wonderful hybrid raspberry lily (mislabeled “iris” in image 2).
Iimage 3 shows the whole size of the bulb bed at the start of the ‘07 season. I expanded the garden forward about three feet, and planted some nice annuals for all season color. Also, I’ve planted an “Arbor Day Special” sargent crab in the left corner of that newly expanded bed. It was literally a tiny stick (barely 1/2” thick trunk), and now is 2-3’ tall.
Complete current inventory of periennial species:
Tulip, red, yellow, and red/yellow hybrid
Hyacinth, purple and white
Peony, punch
Coral bells, pink
Super Asters, blue (wow, do these get leggy!)
Lily, asiatics
Lily, tiger
Lily, stargazer
Stella de oro daylilies
Phlox, red and white
Red hot poker
Raspberry lily (hybrid)
Dwarf daffodil
Chinese Lantern (practically a weed)
Also, there are several annuals that we plant for added color, such as super bells, and begonias.
-- Living on the square...Metro Detroit
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4 comments so far
MsDebbieP
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3776 posts in 496 days
hardiness zone 5b
posted 348 days ago
I’m impressed!!
In my flowerbeds are… ah…. flowers. Don’t ask me the names.
I wondered why you would pull out the shrubs and then your first descriptive word you used for the new additions was “bright” and then it made sense to me. Shrubs: dark; flowers: bright. :) Awesome.
-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)
GrandmaT
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3182 posts in 373 days
hardiness zone 5
posted 344 days ago
Your “bulb bed” looks GREAT!! Over the years I have had no luck with tulips nor daffodils; mainly due to the squirrels either eating the bulbs or turning them upside down. So I haven’t tried to plant them in y-e-a-r-s. I too LOVE the Stella D’ Oro Daylilies. I planted a bed of them down the front driveway this spring (divided and transplanted from our other home). I also planted a dwarf daylilly called “Little Business” ... same size as the Stella’s but blooms red. Have a dwarf purple colored bloomer as well (but don’t remember the name). Love the daylilies cuz they thrive so well in the heat and sun and require very little water.
Would love to see a picture of that Raspberry Lilly in bloom!!!
Again, beautiful bed …
-- "A perfect garden is just a garden to be in-perfection. Mornings to work on it and evenings to pause and look at it." Southeast Michigan, Zone 5a/5b
Damocles
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805 posts in 349 days
hardiness zone 5
posted 343 days ago
Thanks for the kind comments…and it was nice to meet you, GrandmaT!!
I’ve scoured all my garden pics, and I’m sorry to report that I have no images of the raspberry lilies in bloom. Which is a shame, because they are so cool. Imagine the shape of an asiatic bloom, but only about two inches across, and blooming for only a day. They are orange with a tinge of pink and yellow, very interesting. Then they twist up and start work on the seed pods. Speaking of which, I’ve got about a million of them (seeds), so come springtime you can have some!
-- Living on the square...Metro Detroit
GrandmaT
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3182 posts in 373 days
hardiness zone 5
posted 343 days ago
Man you are right … that Lilly sounds really gorgeous. Guess I’ll just have to wait till summer to see it in bloom. And, I would love a few of those seeds! Thank you!! Of course you are most welcome to have pieces of anything I have in the yard. I should make a list of what I actually planted last year.
Sharing is one of my most favorite things to do with gardening. It brings me such joy to look at a plant and remember the person that gave it to me.
And, yes it was a pleasure meeting you as well. Russ said he sure did enjoy talking with you. Good luck with the Lathe (I think that is how you spell it …) !!
-- "A perfect garden is just a garden to be in-perfection. Mornings to work on it and evenings to pause and look at it." Southeast Michigan, Zone 5a/5b