My Canna

My Canna Lily is finally flowering!

This plant was given to me by a friend back in the fall, at the end of the season.  It was a potted plant and one I chose to bring indoors and care for over the winter.  I planted it outdoors once it was safe from frost and although it's not grown incredibly tall, it certainly has filled out quite a bit and is sending up new growth.  It very much prefers being outdoors and in the ground.

More flower bud are showing, so hoping to see many more in bloom soon.

Peace Out

Here is a Peace Lily that my neighbors sent bac in Feb of  2018 when my dad passed -

Here it is today - 

Yes, I realize it looks terrible and nothing like it originally did.  I'm working to fix that and believe it or not, the recent pic looks SO much better than it did a month ago, so there's that.

In the first pic, the plant is actually planted in a plastic pot that is sitting within the clay pot.  In the second pic, I've transplanted directly into the clay pot using fresh new Miracle Grow soil.  New shots are sprouting and starting to pop up.  It's definitely on the mend and I'm hoping that another month outside will give it the oomph it needs before I bring it back inside.

The other challenge I had is that Oliver, my cat, loved to chew on the leaves and did quite a number on the plant.  I'll need to find a sunny location indoors and out of the reach of dumb-dumb the cat...

This is a special plant, that holds a special meaning to me and I will do whatever I can to nurse it back to health, so I can continue to enjoy it for years to come.

Orange They Awesome!

Our Lillie's are loaded with buds and just now starting to burst open!

The orange is so deep when they first open, stunning!

So far this season I've only seen and caught four Scarlet Lily Beetles.  That's not to say there isn't more out there but I monitor flowers and I'm not seeing any additional beetles or their larva, so I'm pleased.

Beat IT Beetle!

First beetle kill of the young 2018 season!

A lily leaf beetle, aka scarlet lily beetle or red lily beetle.

Spotted and caught this dude on one of our soon to bloom lilies.  They're bad news, well their larva are bad news, and will do a number feeding on the leaves.

These dudes have zero to offer when it comes to camouflage.  They rely on their bright red color and horrible taste to forewarn any would be predators to not bother with them.  However, that doesn't work with me, nope!  I prefer to catch this dudes by hand and pinch their little tiny heads clean off with my fingernails.  Best way to be sure the dudes are dead.

No need for harmful and dangerous chemicals, when the nails of a thumb and forefinger with wonders!

Orange You Jealous?!

Our asiatic lilies just opened!

The sea of orange is "O" so impressive! 

Frye Lillie's A Blooming!

Our lilies are bursting open with BIG beautiful and colorful flowers! 

All Started From Seed

Our Cana Lillies are doing great!  Of course watering by hand each night certainly has helped.

Typically, Cana Lilly are propagated by separating the bulb, however, these plants were actually started from seed.  Once the season has come to an end I'll dig the bulbs ups and store in the basement until next Spring then replant.

Our Zantedeschia Aethiopica

Stunning!

Our Calla Lily is sporting a beautiful flower!

I'd like to think it's the plants way of saying thank you for over wintering in the basement.  Seem to take a while for the plant to appear after the long Winter, but once outside it didn't take long for the plant to take off.

A Fall Beauty...

 

Here's an unusual sight for September, an Easter Lily in full, stunning bloom!

 

This was our Easter 2013 Easter Lily that I planted once the weather allowed and although it was bought in full bloom, it's blooming again.

 

I can only guess that it approves of it's location and happy with the compost we spoiled it with.

Our Lilies

One of our striking, deep orange lily plants about to break out -



Here's a top view of the same plant that has breaked out (good English yes) with many, many more breakout blooms to go -



Asiatic, Easter & Oriental Lily Fun Facts:

• Many plants that have “lily” as part of their common name (such as daylily or peace lily) are not “true” lilies. True lilies belong to the genus Lilium. Lilies are bulbs made of fleshy, overlapping scales with no protective covering. Daylilies have long, slender fibrous roots with tubers attached to the roots which store food for the plant.
  
• Asiatic and Oriental lilies grow best in full sunlight. They'll grow taller, more spindly, and floppier in reduced light.
  
• Deadhead flowers as they fade, by breaking them off carefully. That way, none of the plant's energy is “wasted” on seed production. Do not remove stems or foliage, though. They'll continue to put energy into the bulb as long as they remain green. Remove old foliage in late fall or early spring by cutting down the dead stalks.
  
• The bright-red lily leaf beetle, Lilioceris lilii is a bad dude to all Lilium plants, as they only eat true lilies. In fact, if they’re not controlled, they’ll defoliate and kill them, see picture below -

Bright-red lily leaf beetle - adult. I check our lilies every day looking for these beetles, which are very easy to spot due to their bright red color. If and when I find any, which I did in the early spring as the plants were coming up, I simply pinch their head off! Painless, for me anyway, and not too messy.

If you don't put the time in to check for these pests when adults they'll multiply and you'll end up with the following. Now in this stage they are messy and not as easy to destroy, plus you'll get poo poo on your hands, YUK!



Slug-like larva carrying its frass (entymologist-speak for poop) on its back, an unpleasant habit developed to protect itself from predators.



Slug-like larva without the frass. Mmm, mmm good if you're a chicken - they gobble them up :-)

Note: My dad failed to check the lilies in his yard, which suffered immensely as a result and now look very much like a Charlie Brown Christmas tree...

Lilium - Asiatic Lily

This is what I'm talking about!

Take a gander at these awesome Asiatic Lilies of ours!

U Can't Touch This...

My efforts last year of ridding our lilies of the Lily Leaf Beetles were successful. I've not found or seen a single beetle on any of our lily plants! These pests can do a number on these plants in short order.