I recently told a couple readers that I really should write about the ease of growing daylilies, in case someone hasn't grown them before. First of all the orange ones, the so-called 'common' daylilies are the only perennials that were on this land when we bought it. There are still two areas where they grow that we haven't touched in all these 29 years. The soil has never been 'improved.' They just grow and grow. Most of our other orange daylily gardens have come from transplanting those originals. Many of the other colors were bought from a local nursery or
White Flower Farm; and some were gifts from a co-worker of Tom's who was thinning out her own plants. We've never had a bit of trouble with any of them. We don't fertilize. We plant them thickly and we don't thin them nearly often enough. And yet they grow and thrive and give more pleasure than any flower I know. This week some of the orange ones are beginning to go by, but all the other colors are going strong with new ones opening every day.
The sweet peas have opened this week. I've already picked two bouquets.
The Zephyr squash looks like something out of the tropics.
And the first squashes appeared this week.
The pole beans may be taller than their supports but should be okay.
Years ago we bought four blueberry bushes. Two immediately died; the other two have straggled along all this time, and finally we have berries.
On the farm front, Tom put up some extra fencing this week to try and keep the goats from going through. They don't seem to care if there is electric fence or not. Goats do exactly what they want to do and go exactly where they want to go. They've already eaten down two small patches of orange daylilies. Since the double fencing, they haven't gotten out. Fingers crossed. You may read more about these little terrors
here.
This week's egg count: 54
Yes, thank the good Lord, daylilies are easy. I love mine and actually am sad when they are all done. Happy summer. I wish I could smell a sweet pea.~~Dee
ReplyDeleteNan...what a lovely garden. It must be lots of work, but a labor of love.
ReplyDeleteMy transplanted sweet peas are blooming. One of favorites. I can remember visiting my grandmother when I was a child and she always had a small vase of this flower on the table. They bring back many memories.
ReplyDeleteDay Lillies are beautiful.
Looks like a great week on the Farm! Keep up the great work!
ReplyDeleteI already feel that sadness, Dee, because the orange ones are going by. And there really is nothing like that sweet pea fragrance, is there?
ReplyDeleteDiane, it is not 'lots of work' - and in fact is barely any work. I just pull out an occasional weed, but mostly they are so close together the weeds don't have a chance.
Ernestine, I'm so glad. Aren't they just wonderful. Do you have any daylilies?
Sherri, thank you, as always, for coming by.
Splendid lilies! Fabulous colour!
ReplyDeleteI have several colours blooming here at the moment as well and just love them!
Your goats sound terribly cute...we had some goats as children, and they sure had a mind of their own! Fun though!
Joanne
Joanne, aren't they just the best flowers?! As for the goats, 'fun' - well... maybe sometimes when I'm not annoyed with them! :<) We had African pygmy goats before these two, and they were really great, without the 'bad' traits. We bought these two, sight unseen from someone who said they were pygmy goats. As soon as she brought them to our place, we knew they weren't but we of course took them anyway.
ReplyDeleteDaylilies were my first love of the garden. I still have them and will always have some in the garden. Yours looks so pretty. Those darned little goats better be careful. Threaten them with the barbq maybe that will make them stay in their pen. ;)
ReplyDeleteWhat wonderful pictures! I always turn to your blog with a special sense of excitement and reverence. Your pictures give me a real sense of "being there".
ReplyDeleteYou know I don't garden at all any more, but if I did, I'd love to hang out at your place. Well...I guess that's what you're making it possible for me to do with your beautiful posts. Just gorgeous pictures of a lovely lovely spot.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing.
Also, it is the shy, retiring flowers like sweet peas that I miss most of all from my gardening. Seems like I never see them any more -- even when we spend summers in Oregon, as we usually do (but not this year) we always get there after they've stopped blooming. (They must bloom earlier there than at your house.)
ReplyDeleteI love my daylilies...about the only thing I've had success in planting!! Those squashes are going to be great! I love watching the garden come to life!! I want a pygmy goat so bad...they're cuter than all get out!!
ReplyDeleteYour daylilies are beautiful! One of the best things about budget cuts in our state is that the mowing of daylilies on the side of the rural roads seems to have been suspended. Am thoroughly enjoying the repreve!
ReplyDeleteI love that banner! I am planting a Daylily Bank so my husband doesn't have to mow that awkward slope and I am having such a good time picking out lots of different beautiful daylilies.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! When I finally have a place big enough, I will certainly give daylilies a go.
ReplyDeleteI have some orange day lilies in the corner of our yard, but plan to add more thanks to your inspiring pictures. Might even have to plant some sweet peas, too.
ReplyDeleteI forgot to mention how much I love blueberries! Delicious mixed in yogurt or oatmeal! Lucky you!
ReplyDeleteJust looks absolutely wonderful. You take care of such a lot of space so well.
ReplyDeleteLisa, yeah, I reminded them of what happened to the goat in the movie Jurassic Park. :<)
ReplyDeleteSlr, what a wonderful thing to say. Thank you!
Thank you, Sallie! Sweet peas are such a treat. It is a very good year for them - there are lots of blossoms and they just keep coming.
Staci, that's why I love daylilies - no work, no fuss, no bugs, and so much beauty.
Jodi, I would think they'd like the daylilies to prevent erosion of the bankings, and to simply provide beauty on the roads. It isn't like they grow so tall you can't see past them, like trees. I'll never understand the bureaucratic way of thinking. :<)
Commonweeder, what a great, great idea! They will be so beautiful.
Andi, you'll love them.
Les, they are such a perfect flower - no work to speak of and just beautiful. And if you get sweet pea seeds, look for the old-fashioned fragrant varieties. They are out of this world wonderful! The neighbor down the road who grows blueberries just called us the other day to say they are ready. We've already frozen some.
Linda, thank you. Actually the daylilies take care of the space and themselves so well I don't have to do much!
You have such a wonderful eye for composition, Nan -- I especially love the photo with the laundry and bit of the barn in it. :) A very happy birthday to your daughter -- you are lucky, indeed, to have her so close by.
ReplyDeleteNancy, thank you, but honestly it is all luck with me and photographs! :<) And thanks about Margaret, too. We had a nice hour walking around their new house last evening. It's time for me to do a 'making of a home' part 3!
ReplyDelete