I’ve been away from the blogosphere for a while. The main reason is that Jesse is here on leave, and somehow spending time with him seemed a lot more important than blogging. Also, my 81 year old mother needed transportation to a convention up in St. Louis, and since it wasn’t going to cost anything extra for her to have a companion in her hotel room, I decided to take the opportunity to go up there.
I was motivated partly by her need for transport, but I recently read a review of a nursery called The Cottage Garden up in Godfrey, Illinois on Gardening Gone Wild, and I REALLY wanted to go there. So I did, and it was definitely worth the trip. It was all the reviewer said, and more. The proprietor was very friendly and we had a wonderful conversation. I wished I had taken a lot more money along, but I was able to limit myself to what my budget would allow and came away with some lovely additions for the Mini Prairie.
The next day I went over to the Missouri Botanical Garden, mostly because I knew the day lilies would be blooming and I wanted to have a look at some of the cultivars available. I have some holes in my garden that need filling, and I can’t think of a better way to fill them than some new day lilies. While I was wandering around taking pictures, I couldn’t help but remember a conversation I had with someone about a year ago. She was talking about how she really wanted to have some flowers in her border around her deck, but that she wasn’t very committed to taking care of them. “They’d need to be really hardy and able to thrive on neglect.” I mentioned that perhaps she would enjoy having some day lilies, as they are pretty durable. “Oh,” she replied airily. “I don’t like day lilies much. I mean, they’re all just orange.”
I had no response to this comment, as my breath was about knocked out of me by it. So, in honor of that conversation, here, in no particular order, are a selection of the beauties I saw on my walk through the MBG day lily collection.
Raven Woodsong
Thin Man
Cat Claws
Lavender Blue Baby
Gothic Butterfly
ChristinaCook
Paper Butterfly
I could go on and on, but you get the idea. Just orange my foot.
The other thing that was a pleasant surprise was that the Dale Chihuly installation of glass art turned out to be a permanent installation at some areas. I read an article about the display of Chihuly’s art, and I really wanted to see it. But I also knew that the exhibition was over and so I was pleasantly surprised when I entered the gardens and found the gates in the rose garden adorned thus:
Of course, I had to try to get a close-up of the individual components of the gates.
Then, over at the Victorian Water Lily Reflecting Pond, there was another installation.
I love the way the glass seems to glow in the sun. Finally, over in the Climatron (which you can see in the background of the first picture in this group of three), there was a wonderful installation in one of the ponds there. It looked like some kind of wild tropical plants.
And so I’m off, licking my wounds just a trifle. I entered the Gardening Gone Wild photo contest for June and just went and discovered the results. I have no problem with the decision of the judge, Debra Lee Baldwin. The winning entry was spectacular and beautiful. What hurt my feelings was that Ms. Baldwin did not content herself with lauding the winner. She went on to talk about several other entries as well; also not a problem. Their photos were beautiful and their roses fabulous. But by the time she was done with her commentary, she had mentioned 24 of the 31 entries and provided links to them in her judging entry. So I am left with the rather bitter and sad questions: “What was so unremarkable about my photo and my blog that it didn’t even get a link? Is my blog so boring and my gardens so ugly that I don’t even get mentioned in the catch-all paragraph? Is my photography that crappy?” I’m sure there are six other people who are asking themselves the same sort of questions. It would not have been so hurtful if she hadn’t mentioned and linked to 75% of the entries. The ones left out in the cold — how are we supposed to feel?
Some good looking day lilies.
I just took the time to go back through older posts to find your pics that you submitted. The first one with the tiny spider is wonderful, and the beautiful un named rose is a beautiful picture. Both of those are as good as any that were mentioned and linked to, IMO. Try to not take it personal, altho I cna see how that would be difficult. Remember our gardens are for our enjoyment, and no one elses. I enjoy all of your posts and pictures and think you have a lovely garden.
And those daylilies, gasp! Those are beautiful!!
I was able to contact the gal judging the contest and she wrote me back, apologized very nicely, and let me know that she realized that she didn’t really do exactly the right thing in her judgement post and that she has learned from my comment to her. So I feel a lot better.
Want Raven Woodsong and Gothic Butterfly.
There is a chap south of here in VA who is known for his daylily farm, and a client rhapsodized about it to me recently. I will try to dig up links.
Jim would say you are an enabler. Please give me links!
Gorgeous daylilies! And I love that gate.
As usual, your extremely non-boring blog is a feast for the eyes.
Beautiful post! What a great trip you had. I’m writing down the name ‘Lavender Blue Baby.’ I must have that. I hope it’s less than $50.
I hope so too. That is one of the ones that really spoke to me. That’s the trouble with going to botanical gardens. They always give me ideas.
The rock garden area of the new stroll garden was inspired by the Minnesota Botanical Garden near Minneapolis. That was a seed that took two years to germinate, but it did and grew into something rather spectacular, if I say so myself.
Goddess intoxications!
hey, and when you get those links don’t forget your friend who likes to road trip!!! how did you get so many that i dont have???? oh well, too late… hey, also on the people ignorant of the natural world check out on the lakesunleader.com website (camdenton paper) about the guy who is upset about the urban deer in camdenton eating his flowers because there is NO law in camdenton forbidding the feeding of wildlife!!! also enjoy the comments that follow. Small town people with tunnel vision, etc.!!!!!!
I don’t have those day lilies! Those pictures were all taken at the MBG day lily beds, sort of as a way to make myself drool and remind myself of which ones I liked the best.
I went and read the article and was terribly amused to note that the city council talked about the problem with the “conversation” department. Looks like your terminology is catching on!
Did you catch my slide show of Dale Chihuly’s show at MBG? My brother was nice enough to have his 50th birthday party while it was going on.
Love those day lilies. Good thing I don’t have a garden, or I’d find something else to spend my money on.
I did. Actually, it was because of your slide show that I knew what I was seeing when I got there! Plus, I was surprised that the installation was still there, although every part of the installation was not there any more. I think Monsanto gave MBG enough money to purchase some of the pieces.
That is one of the difficulties of having a garden, the urge to amass larger quantities of the varieties that are being developed of whatever sort of flower trips your trigger. Day lilies are a particularly seductive group, they come in so many forms and colors now.
the glass in the pond looks amazing, as does the gate.
I’m glad the judge of the contest realised she had made an error and apologised. I LOVE the photos on your blog and still hope one day to see your garden in real life
Thanks nursemyra. I hope you come see it in real life someday too.
Wow! Those are some really interesting places that you visited. The glass is unbelievable. So pretty. All the flowers are just great. I love those daylillies. Only Orange? Glad you were able to enlighten her and show us those you visited. I did get to see your pictures in the contest. They were really good. Have a great fourth of July.
Sometimes it is good to get out of the house and see what is down the road, just for g. p.
I visited and photographed a lot more of those lilies, but I was trying to keep the blog entry to a reasonable size.
I would also have sworn day lilies only came in orange. Thanks for the correction! We had some in our yard in NY and I never liked them much. I need some frilly lavender ones instead, obviously.
Thought of you while on vacation in the Olympic Peninsula, seeing people out on the sound in their kayaks watching the fireworks on the 4th. Seemed like something you would do! Also lots of beautiful wooden canoes and kayaks at the Wooden Boat Museum on Lake Union in Seattle.
I miss the Olympic peninsula. Jim and I lived in Bremerton for a couple of years when he was stationed there. Great place, I picked lots of berries. Did not canoe or kayak as that was not in my repertoire yet. But I would definitely watch fireworks from the sound now! As far as wooden canoes and kayaks go, they are so beautiful — and so fragile. I like my little kevlar boat! It is strong and light and handy — only weights 35 pounds so I can portage it by myself if necessary. If I hit a rock accidentally I don’t cringe for the hull either.