The Lilies in My Field

Stella de Oro daylilies.

As May elides into June, the lilies in my garden come into their own with the border of Stella de Oro daylilies in the "Little Indians" bed leading the way. This long border bed was started seven years ago by removing some two feet of skimpy sod in front of a row of ten small Arbor Vitae. I planted a row of boxwoods in front of the Arbor Vitae to maintain the backdrop of evergreens, and gradually began to establish other perennials in front to add color. Over the years as the arbor vitae sprang upwards, the border was widened. I planted the iris my mother grew in her garden, catmint, Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica 'Little Henry'), bluestar (Amsonia hubrichtii), asters (Symphyotrichum laevis), butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa), and 'Autumn Joy' sedums. A butterfly bush (Buddleia hybrid), garden phlox, and ten tiny cuttings of  Stella de Oro daylilies I got at a bargain price went in next.

Little Indians bed seen from the other end.

As my collection of plants has grown, the bed has been reworked to what you see here. Last fall, the front part of the bed was becoming so crowded, that I dug up and moved the row of Stella de Oro daylilies out another couple of feet and divided some of the largest ones to obtain a few more plants. Other plants were added: an Itoh peony, 'Bartzella,' lavender grown from seeds of my lavender plants in the front yard, as well as other varieties bought at a local lavender farm--Lavender Hill--and swamp sunflowers from another bed.

The Little Indians bed from the deck

Asian lilies in the long island bed below the deck

Asian lilies.

The Asian lilies in the long island bed below the deck put on a great display each year, despite the voles eating some of the bulbs every winter. This spring I bought another pack of the same bulbs in assorted colors to put in at the other end of the bed. They don't look like much right now, but eventually I hope they'll catch up with the more established patch.

The long island bed

Orange lilies

I'd hoped to expand the bed below my 'Autumn Blaze' maple by buying more of the same variety of yellow daylilies last fall, but but couldn't find any--as with many plants, some varieties don't seem to last very long in commercial trade, so I subdivided a couple of the larger plants. Unfortunately, the divisions are too small to offer much bloom this summer, but I hope they'll become large enough to fill out by next year.

Yellow daylilies.

Yellow daylilies under maple tree.

Remembering how bare this side of the house was when we moved in, I love how the trees and shrubs have now grown large enough to cast some shade. The other daylilies in this bed and the one next to it will bloom later, and should extend the daylily season well into fall.