Thursday, June 12, 2008

The Russians Are Here!

Eagerly awaited, there simply had to be a Daylily in bloom this morning (rain last night - not much of it, but very, very welcome); the only unknown was . . . . which one? The Chinese Princess is not far behind, but the Russian Rhapsody was the first to show its colors in my 2008 garden - and what colors they are! Combined with the Lavender Provence and the Salvia Mystic Blue Spires, the Russians are presenting a delightful display in one corner of my garden today. In general, the heat and drought have not done the Daylilies any favors; most look stressed, with fading foliage, but there's more rain in the forecast and I am keeping my fingers crossed for more gorgeous blooms soon. Some of the Daylilies in my garden came to me from a "plant rescue" last December, so I don't know yet what sort of flowers they will produce, but the plants look good. The same cannot be said of a Chicago Knockout, which I bought last April at the Botanical Garden in Athens. The most expensive Daylily in my garden, it has to date not even sent up a flower stalk. I am not, however, giving up on it, and give it a few words of encouragement every morning!

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