Saturday, April 27, 2013

little white lilies all a-bloom


I have this really neat population of  rain lilies blooming all over the yard. I know that is not the official name for the pretty little white blooms, and looked it up last year, to know what they really are. But all my life, I have called, and heard them referred to as 'rain lily', since they always bloom in the spring, around Easter, usually some time in April, and magically, mysteriously appear after a good drenching rain.

I decided to try to sell some bulbs last year, and went out to sit in the grass, digging them up after they popped up in the lawn, with thin green foliage, no wider than a piece of yarn or pencil lead. If you don't get them up when they are blooming, it's nearly impossible to know where to dig, so I spent hours out there as the blooms were fading to dig up at least a hundred bulbs. And assumed, thought, guessed, I had pretty much gotten them all out of the lawn. Part of the area where they were so prolifically growing was going to be turned into a straw-covered bed, where there would be azaleas and other things transplanted, after the grass was sprayed and died off. I didn't want to kill the bulbs, so I tried to dig them all up.



But failed miserably - and delightfully as well. I can't help but smile when I see them all straining on the ends of their tiny, frail stems, blooming as hard as they can, putting on a show. I was so pleased to discover my complete lack of success with the digging project, I went out and took photos to document what an astoundingly poor job I had done. There must be well over a hundred happy faces out there - all over the yard, in the grass - where they just amazingly, surprisingly popped up and started looking happy.



It's really named Atamasco Lily. I am going to go out when they are done being brightly beauty-full, and dig some more. It appears disturbing them, rather than being annoying, has been amazingly productive and helpful for producing a marvelous crop: so if you want some bulbs - let me know?

3 comments:

  1. One of the top search results for pictures of lilies indicates that this one is endangered. You're doing the whole world an excellent service. Go, mom!

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  2. Sorry, you didn't write that. I did. Computers. *sigh*

    ReplyDelete