Uncage My Lilies!

Since the lilies have opened and there has been no sign of the marauding flock of bud-shredding Baltimore Orioles, we decided to take off the bird netting. Ed took the opportunity to weed this bed and enjoy the fabulous fragrance of these flowers at the same time. What a pleasant way to spend some time in the garden.




Uncaged and weeded, the lilies are ready for their photo op. You will have to imagine their fragrance. Exceptional lily displays have been sparse here this year, a consequence of late frosts. These lilies were protected under heavy 30 gallon plastic garbage cans on the chilly May and June nights. Sited on the North side of a stone wall, early growth was limited and these lilies fit under the cans. Other taller lilies had their flower buds destroyed by contact with the top of the cold cans. Their foliage was protected so the bulbs were nourished this year. Perhaps next year will favor more lily flowers.

Summer seems to be here now with heat and humidity and oodles of rain. In between the thunderstorms we harvest green beans, onions , broccoli , beets and squash. We have had four tomatoes. Three of them were cherry tomatoes, but they were delicious. The first okra flower appeared yesterday. We had strawberries at lunch. An August garden give you an abundance of everything except time.

Circumstantial Evidence?

We will start with exhibit A, A nice photo of Liatris. It’s a beautiful, well mannered plant that butterflies love. It’s the dizzy lily buds that also show in the picture that concern us now. These lilies were eaten by the deer last year , and we have been watching them closely. They were looking good!

Yesterday morning Ed called me to the window to watch a large group of beautiful yellow birds. We enjoyed watching them frolicking in the garden. A quick check with the binoculars and my bird books determined that they were a group of female and immature Baltimore Orioles. Apparently the males are elsewhere. We had to go out yesterday, so I didn’t give the birds another thought. Last evening when we returned home , the birds were still here. I watched them from the window. They stayed right in the garden until the marsh hawk flew over at which point they made for the trees. It was later when I went out to the garden that I discovered the damage.

Here you see exhibit B. Some of the dizzy lily buds were in shreds. The lilies were damaged . The birds were here. They had opportunity . They had motive(nectar) . It looks bad. I didn’t want to believe it. The birds were so beautiful. We put the lilies in protective custody for their own safety.

Finally you see exhibit C. This morning the birds were back. I myself witnessed the carnage on the trumpet vine from the kitchen window. The culprits were caught red-handed so to speak. I’ve heard of a murder of crows, but I never heard of marauding gangs of Baltimore Orioles.
I tried to make a citizen’s arrest, but I can’t even get close enough to snap a decent picture. We’ll just have to harass them and hope they skip town. After all they are a flight risk!