Stargazing

I love so many flowers and I'm often asked by friends if I have a favorite.   If I had to pick only one then it would have to be the Stargazer lily.   The first pot of lilies was a gift from my husband who found them at the grocery store.  

After they stopped blooming I read the plant tag and was surprised to see that they could be planted in the yard.  They looked like they would be tropicals but I found a spot in the back border and planted them.  I was amazed when they came back and bloomed the following year.   I was hooked!

Thirty plus years later I am still planting them and enjoying the stunning display they provide every year around the fourth of July.    I cluster them around the patio so we can enjoy them up close.  The patio smells wonderful for several weeks and the view from our breakfast table is our favorite.

This year I underplanted with pink Sunpatiens and purple pentas and I love the combination! 
If you have never planted Stargazers you really should give them a try.  They are easy and just need some 
sunlight to bloom.  
   

Signature Flower

Do you have a favorite flower that just makes 

your heart sing?

My 'Stargazer' lilies are in full bloom and I have shared before that they have to be my all time favorite and "signature" flower. My love of this flower goes back 30 years when my husband bought me a pot of stargazers from the grocery store because he thought they were so beautiful.  

After they finished blooming I read the plant tag and discovered they could be planted in the garden so I plunked  that first pot of Stargazers in the ground and forgot about them.  To my amazement they came back the following year!  I was forever hooked and each year I've added more to my garden and have shared this wonderful flower with friends.  

I guess I was amazed because of their tropical and exotic  appearance.  Something I would expect to grow in Florida, Hawaii or the Philippines where I grew up,  so I couldn't believe they could survive the winters here in Oklahoma.  Since they are bulbs they do very well here and 
usually bloom around the 4th of July.  
This year they are blooming early due to the 

mild winter we had and I'm okay with that! 

Last year I decided to purchase large pots and planted about 40 bulbs in pots and near my patio so we could enjoy not only the beauty but the scent.   I do have lilies out in the garden too but find I can really enjoy them having so many 
right off the patio.
They have a very strong fragrance which some people find overpowering.  I happen to love how they perfume a room or the patio.  

I have found after 4-5 years they need to be replaced but what joy they give me for a small investment!

I encourage everyone to plant them because you can grow them in a small space on a patio even if you don't have a yard or 
garden area. 

I love cutting them and making bouquets to bring in the house and share with friends.   

 Mother's Day bouquet from my son.

If you're not growing them you really should try adding them to your garden.  Bulbs are available in spring and fall.  

I'm linking with Thoughts of Home on Thursday
and
Bernideen's Tea in the Garden 

Garden Walk

The weather has been crazy this spring in Oklahoma.  We had a late frost and lots of cold weather that was preceded by a brutal winter.  I've been busy working in my garden and I'm almost through cleaning out my flower beds and replacing things I've lost.  

I love waking up early, grabbing a cup of coffee and walking in the garden to enjoy the sights and sounds.    

Red geraniums, salvia and white alyssum are great companions in a french wire basket.

Oakleaf hydrangeas are just wonderful for our climate, although slow to get established...so worth the wait! 

  

First little lavender sprigs from my mini-lavender garden.

Roses on the arbor 

  Million bells outside my kitchen window looking

 into the woods behind our house.

Last week I saw the first Monarch arrive so I replaced the butterfly bushes I lost this  winter so they would have plenty of flowers to visit as they migrate through.  

This butterfly is on our privet that is blooming and smells so good!

I love morning garden walks!

I'm off to the nursery...in search of white hydrangeas

 for a very shady spot.  

What's blooming in your neck of the woods?

I'm joining 

Tootsie's Fertilizer Friday

  

The Best Birthday Presents

My son who is a filmmaker and editor made this video of my garden for my birthday!    He now works on a television show in Oklahoma called Found Causes and we are so proud of him.   I remember when he and his brothers were small and would make me birthday presents.  Those gifts were and still are the most meaningful.

Hope you enjoy my flower garden!

Thanks Patrick!

For more videos:  http://www.patrickkirk.com

Garden Party from Patrick Kirk on Vimeo.

I am linking with:

 Susan's Outdoor Wednesdays

Tootsie's Fertilizer Friday

and 

Tablescaper's  Seasonal Sunday