I saved back some pine boughs from my tree; tossed them behind my hideous shed. I use them for covering a little oval "accent" garden in the front yard that is planted with various kinds of daffodils. It is more to keep weeds from growing all fall, winter and spring. Typically I leave them there and let the daffys grow on through them.

I'll be reducing my growing area this fall when the lilies die back. This means I will have to do some culling. Decisions, decisions. This will be along the cyclone fence where the neighbor has not mowed in two years now and the weeds have spread through the fence into my garden. There is no way I can keep up with it .

I have taken more photos land will post when I get them edited.

Sounds like a little Round-up 'over-spray' in is order...

Normally I do spray along the fence line but the rainy season lasted all through June this year and by then the grass and weeds were well up and already set their seeds.

My main concern is spread of virus via the aphids that love the weeds. I'm going to start doing a chemical spray regimen and no longer care what anyone thinks. And it won't be neem, I need something to take these guys OUT. I have to spray my Japanese irises for thrips anyway; boy did doing that make a BIG difference.

Nice to have a convert here.I used Neem once and nothing happened. I take care to dilute insectecides exactly. I was concerned about bees until I saw a dozen bees on 4 poppies.Now I know I havnt harmed them.

I've used systemic bug killers for years, but I am careful with it. The next-door neighbor has bee hives with thriving colonies so I know they're doing ok.

BTW ~ does your city have ordinances about grass and weeds over a certain height? ;)

I have equal luck with Neem and chemicals here. If the chemical gave me more of a punch, I might consider it again. The diluted Neem sprays are not as good as the mixing your own with soap and adding the water. Much more economical too. I have been worried about it burning plants with the horrible heat though and using it less. It seems the bugs aren't as bad with the heat as they usually are around here.

Moby, I don't think there are any rules about backyards here. Open fields are controlled and if the owner doesn't cut by a certain date the city will and then bill for it. There is a field like that just a block from me, where an investor started to put in 8 homes but then the recession hit and it has been abandoned. The cul de sac is in and all of the utilities, but essentially still a field. Fortunately it seems to get cut in a timely manner.

The more I look at the mess out there in my backyard the more inclined I am to just throw everything out, cover it all with a tarp and wait for a better day (or year or decade, who knows). I really think it is getting beyond saving.

Anyway here are a few more pictures tonight.

Chocolate Canary:


Another of White Flares with Carte Blanche behind, lower left. Planted just this spring so not too beefy yet:


Ice Caves; not much in the way of green iside but reverse is green without other color contamination:


Nice Asiatic seedling from Cascade, GH-A-14, pastel with bulbils. I did some crosses with it last year and have seedlings going:


I'm really pleased with Terni (LO); it took a couple of years to really get going. Large, sturdy blooms and the best white I have seen outside of some orientals.


Another of my established Carte Blanche. I like this one but not very fertile.


A couple more of Silver Scheherazade:


Madame Butterfly (OT); I don't think this is on the market anymore. It has grown very well for me.


Here is a better photo pf Pink Champagne showing the many bulbils:


Blood Tiger, always competing with Devil's Tears phygelius:


No pink edge on Pink Flares strain this year (Judith Freeman):


Pink Jazz:


Miss Libby (OT):


Bonbini was a no show last year but is back in fine form now:


New this year and last for tonight, Holland Beauty. I consider this one as one of the better lilies of this color type. Nicely ruffled and bowl shaped:

At my old house the town would clean up and bill the owner,usually someone who was in arrears for taxes anyway.

Especially liked Chocolate Canary and Holland Beauty.

Apparently Chocolate Canary and Lazy Lady are one and the same. I purchased both and could not tell the difference. The markings and form are unique enough that I think it is highly unlikely that there are two different lilies this similar.

Isn't this interesting....

I never thought I would like a double lily, but this one is really growing on me.

Lilium lancifolium 'Flore Pleno'

That is one wild tiger.

wow!

It looks like curly polka dot ribbons...

Pard, we have somewhat the same subdivision up the hill behind us ,.22 years ago the landslip hit Rosetta, and a lot of houses 'fell down',.,they have only just started making progress in the last 3 yrs because no one is buying,.,.,.They [Italians] only just do enough maintnance to get by[Its about 15 acres]. I have a lot of the Cascade seed lilies to bloom , this year, and if last years few was an indication, im going to have some good ones,.,....Did you do any seed crosses of' 'blood tiger', if so let me know, and i'll gladly purchase some,.man alive, it looks evil!!! Rick- dont do it!!!-''like a Flore Pleno''-they are the 'rats' of the lily world-very short lived

The subdivision problem sounds awful. We have codes and anyone making changes or building has to get permits and comply with codes.The construction is inspected at each stage or the builder cant complete the project.

Thanks for the tip on Flore pleno.Thats one I will avoid.

Hotline. 4 of 5 survived to bloom after rabbit attack.

Red rim darkens and bleeds as bloom ages.

Not quite as intense as in images.

It is still pretty showy. Do you like it, Evan?

Very much! Of the 9 varieties TOTAL that I currently have, the only one I wasn't impressed with was Orange Electric. All but 1 were planted last fall or this spring.

I don't care for the looks of Orange Electric either. Electric Yellow is much nicer with the color more even with a lighter edge towards the tips.

Could you propose your photos for the data base; you already a a photo of the bulbs in there. I would like all of them, the whole plants and then the others show the progression of color so people would know what to expect if they are thinking of buying it.