Especially when you want to pollenate an early flowering type with a late flowering type, Ursala. Then, when you need it, just take it out of the freezer, let it come to room temperature for an hour or so and use what you need. Then refreeze what you don't use.

Prominent hybridizers have told me that fresh pollen is good for about 30 days at room temperature. After that viability diminishes rapidly---so they say.

Thank you, Lorn.

I don't think I will have many Liliums this year to try cross-pollinating, since most of my OL had mosaic virus and many of the others were eaten by the rodents (incuding the bulbs).

Another question: is it possible to fertilize my L. candidum flowers with pollen from Asiatic hybrids?

The only thing I have to add about saving pollen is that I use parchment paper (the kind used for baking) instead of regular paper, filter paper or wax paper. The surface is smoother at the microscopic level, and pollen doesn't stick as easily.

I tied some of my lilies together too. Leaning ones tied to stronger ones. Seemed to work great!

Last year I tried out color coding (more or less by division) my pollen packets. This photo shows the "color index" to the inner bags containing the pollens. I figure I can find the pollen I'm looking for quicker this way. Less time out of the freezer.

I keep a separate record of the collected pollens that I review before looking for the pollen in the freezer.

Wow, Connie you are super organized.

Notice how the red has deepened on this two day old flower at lower right compared to the two that just popped open. Normally, or formally, I always thought that as a flower got older it faded lighter. But I guess not, unless of course we could call darkening a type of fading also. Maybe. By the way, this Stargazer growing all alone in a vacant corner of my Div. VI seedling bed was no accident. Somebody had to have planted it there because it's a mature plant with offsets. And wiser still, to put it way off in a vacant corner instead of a row. I spotted an unknown Orientals presence there in late June and rather than pull it, I let grow. It did pretty well all by itself----never sprayed, never fertilized. The Good Samaritan has not revealed himself/herself yet.

Your mailman again Lorn?

Nope. He moved to Florida. We think it was the neighbor across the street. He's the only one we know that could pull off such a well hidden professional job. It's obvious this bulb had been well taken care of previously by the nice bud count of 7 or 8 and the number of young offsets.

By the way, I've recently heard, a couple times now, that Starfighter, a hybrid from Stargazer will be pulled from production by the Dutch. So if you want one, better get it now.

I take it your neighbor has lilies as well! That's awesome. My neighbors only have dandelions,and a pear tree that they don't take care of so the top is on the ground. Oh and more weeds

Dave, I was going to ask the same thing! You have some funny neighbours, Lorn.

They're younger people in their 30's and both are extreme gardeners. Their place is a show place of a mix permanent foundation plantings of various shrubs, sumac, tall grasses and hostas, etc, etc. The appearance of it all is ever changing. Each season is highlighted. As an example, in the Spring, hundreds of potted bulbs of tulips, daffodils, are brought in on flat bed trailers and sunk in the ground and then that's replaced by another trailer of more Summer varieties. This process of plant changing continues throughout the summer and concludes in late Fall with a beautiful array of chrysanthemums colored sumac and colorful tall grasses. The only green grass there is, are the grass walkways that wonder around, occasionally accented by a small park bench and fountains. So while our gardening style is totally different, we do have one thing in common. We get dirty from head to toe and often wear the same stinky garden clothes for several days on end. A point our wife's have made is that it's a source of irritation and we ought clean up a little. That was 5 years ago.

Extreme Gardening! My mind is going places now!

I have the same set of dirty gardening clothes that lasts me all week.... Lucky for me my partner has a terrible sense of smell!

Some how I think there might be a funny column that could be written about gardeners clothing. Of course I am worn right out with the double move, rehab and way more work then I can manage in a timely manner by myself and I also tossed out the washer and dryer at one of the properties. I think I have finally plumbed the depths of the useful life span of clothing to be used as assorted work clothes. My poor gardens beckon me with some spectacular (and brave!) blooms awaiting some tender loving care while I mutter to myself the the list of things I have to accomplish before I can transplant them to their new home. Still scouting the new property for the best spot to locate the large order of Martagon lilies on order from Faraway Flowers and hearing the tick-tock of passing time.

Baby bunny can't take the heat---plopped out in the shade and too pooped to get up and run. Botrytis heaven every morning around here by Lake Michigan during this time of year. Warm nightime temps, high humidity and calm air. The dog days of summer.

Wow Lorn - no breeze at all? How long does that last?

Della, the warm, humid and calm nighttime pattern continues along Lake Michigan until late October. Halloween seems to be a good benchmark date for transition as it can be either very beautiful or very rainy and blustery. The exceptions to this pattern is when a frontal boundary line of storms approaches from the west. In that case, the updraft of those thunderstorms creates a vacuum below which draws air in off the lake creating a strong easterly (lake breeze). But this has a devastating affect on those storms as it undercuts their supporting updraft and they fall flat producing little or no rain or wind from the frontal passage. The end result is everything stays pretty calm, either way. My screen grab below shows how the draft off the lake demolished a line of storms as they crossed Wis. last night before they could reach the lakeshore. Edit added: The picture shows how much rain fell before they began to lose support and during their lose of support to a point where they no longer existed. End Edit. I only received .03 inches from it here; not even enough to be called a dew.

If anyone is interested.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/322203...


I have this set. There is a newer set available, but as I understand it, the only difference is that a few more new colors have been added. I never got much good out of it, really. I think it has it's place when you first register a lily to bench mark the original colors but beyond that-???. But anyway, a good set for less than half price if your interested.

So consistent - thanks for elaborating. I can see why botrytis is such a predictable foe! Must be good to know what to plan for each year. Our seasons are so variable from year to year we never know what to expect.

Edit: ooohhh... RHS colour fans - those are on my one day wish list!