Gardening – Mid-Life Blogger

Oriental Lilies

Oriental Lilies are blooming now and they’re amazing! I’m making a mental note to order more of them. A single flower can perfume an entire room, making it one of my favorites to bring inside, although their pollen can make a bit of a mess.

Stargazer Lily bouquet by Mid-Life Blogger — Stargazer Lily bouquet with Queen Anne’s Lace and gladioli

The blooms are huge, about 6-7″ across, and their colors are intense and vibrant. They need full sun to thrive, and grow to be about 3′ tall. Their show starts when others have waned, in mid-summer. I love to order plants from catalogs, mainly because I truly enjoy looking at the beautiful photos, comparing descriptions, and sometimes getting ideas for companions. Doing that by the fire in the evenings is how I survive the bleak winter months. Breck’s is a company that I order from quite often and their products are good quality. If you don’t already have some of these lilies, you’re missing out!

"Dizzy" Oriental Lily by Mid-Life Blogger — “Dizzy”

Breck’s has their Stargazer Lilies on sale Here. And here’s a collection that just happens to be on sale: Oriental Lily Collection

While researching to positively identify these lilies, I happened on the website for The Lily Garden which has a vast array of varieties.

Mystery yellow lily by Mid-Life Blogger — Mystery Yellow Lily

I wasn’t able to identify this yellow lily, and I don’t remember ordering it. It could have been a free gift, a mix-up, or my memory could be faulty. If you know what it is let me know. Do you have oriental lilies in your garden? What are your favorites? If you enjoy gardening, too, please consider subscribing to my blog.

My Garden Style

I would describe my decorating style, both inside and out, as “Flea Market Chic.” I love things with character, patina, and a story. I admire the cleverness of repurposed items, and especially enjoy having things with extra meaning because they were made by a friend or loved one. I didn’t plan it, but my front yard has a kitchen theme. There’s an old colander planted with succulents, an old teapot made into a bird house, old silverware made into wind chimes, and an oversized coffee cup and saucer made into a bird feeder that was a gift from my sister. I guess those things just “speak” to me.

This barn-style bird house is special because it’s made from debris that was picked up after the Joplin tornado. I bought it from the couple that made it when I happened upon their garage sale. I wish I knew their names so I could give them credit for it. It’s a treasure.

Barn-style Birdhouse Made from Joplin Tornado Rubble

I have more things I could share, but I think I’ll save them for a future post. If you like Flea-Market Style, too, then you might want to follow my “Repurposing” or “Gardening” Boards on Pinterest. Please subscribe to my blog for future posts.

What’s Blooming Today

Piper 1 — Our kitten, Piper, admiring the Charlene Strawn water lily

Piper and Fred — Piper the kitten and Fred the goldfish

I’ve had this daylily a long time. I bought it at a farmer’s market and never knew it’s name.

I don’t remember what this daylily is called but it’s a pretty light yellow and is fragrant

My Mini Garden Pond

Several years ago at an auction I admired an old windmill water pump and Scott won it for me, but it sat in the workshop for a year or more before I figured out what I wanted to do with it. One day I was sitting on my front porch, looking at a patch of ground directly in front of it and trying to figure out what it “needed.” Suddenly, I had the idea for a water feature that would incorporate that rusty old pump and, as a birthday gift for me, Scott built it. I absolutely love it! The placement has turned out to be perfect because it can be enjoyed from the porch, and if the front door is open I can sometimes hear the water trickling. I’ve had fun planting around the outside of it, as well as a water lily in it. I stacked some rocks at one end for some structure, and because I love rocks, and then added a little bear statuary that came with our house that looks perfectly at home in it. It looks like he’s fishing for the lonely goldfish in it that I named Fred. I intend to get him some friends.

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Spiritual Corridor Daylily

This is the Spiritual Corridor daylily. I bought it a few years ago from Breck’s. I buy plants through catalogs quite a bit. Especially in the winter when it’s so bleak outside, I enjoy looking through my plant catalogs and finding new flowers I want to try, combinations that I think would be nice. Here it is again, just so you can see more of it. I really liked the frilly edges and chartreuse throat. I planted it in an area that has other pinks, lavenders, and white. The area is still maturing so I’m still waiting to see how the plants work together. Beautiful, isn’t it? Do you have favorite daylilies that you recommend? What would you plant next to it?

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Coal Miner Daylily

I bought this Coal Miner Daylily from Roots & Rhizomes a few years ago. It started blooming today. I like it’s chartreuse throat and deep purple color.

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Ruby Spider Daylily

I love these big, beautiful “Ruby Spider” daylilies. They’re huge! About 7″ in diameter. Their colors are vibrant, and the red looks like velvet. Do you have a favorite Daylily? I’d love to see a picture!

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