Our style of gardening includes little planning. The urgency to get the new plants into the ground has us searching for an open spot rather than reading a carefully drawn site map. On rare occasions inspiration strikes and a carefully planned grouping comes into sharp focus. These lemon lilies will be part of an organized planting. They are the earliest daylily to flower and many years sees them taken by frost. The west facing stone wall must have stored considerable heat in advance of the recent freeze because these buds remained undamaged. Our new planting will be near the south facing basement wall. Warmed by house heat and reflected sunlight, these beautiful flowers may bloom more frequently.
Oriental lilies are reported to benefit from companions plants that shade their base. Groups of lemon lilies keep their leaves for the entire summer and will shade a central cluster of oriental lilies. Early yellow flowers will be replaced by tall oriental lily flowers.
Gaps in the lemon lilies could provide excellent spots for Cardinal flower. They too appreciate some shade from the high sun. Clusters of brilliant red flowers swaying above lemon lily foliage will be a traffic stopper.
Meadow sage bursts into deep purple flower at the same time that the clear yellow of the lemon lilies peak. This photo is back lit by the setting sun and it does not do the clear purple color justice. We really need a better picture.
We are working to tame the sloped ground directly in front of our house. Rows of sizable rocks are being placed to create nearly level planting areas. One such spot is ready for plants now. When the time is right to move our plants, they will be placed in this new ground in a carefully planned arrangement. This will be a first for us.
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