I have planted Dizzy but it didn't make it thru the past winter I suppose. It is a Beauty! Funny how the same plant catchs your eye the second time around.

Rob, how tall does Garden Party get for you? Mine were very short this first year. Thanks to everyone for sharing all their photos this season. I may have one more open.

stilldew said:Rob, how tall does Garden Party get for you? Mine were very short this first year. Thanks to everyone for sharing all their photos this season. I may have one more open.

mine are in their first year, and are about 60 cms . full bloom atm along with dizzy.

tbh i hope next year they are earlier, ill try to get them going earlier because september here is mostly autumnal, cool and wet currently, not the weather for sitting out and enjoying their fragrance.

My Lilium speciosum album are blooming now. I guess they really do bloom in Sept.!

Last bloom of the year. Planted very late in the season and all the buds except the top one fell off. Suppose to be Pretty Woman. Not sure it is. We had 5 minutes of hard rain this morning and the pollen stained the inside so wasn't able to get very good photo.

'Pretty Woman' does fade to white/cream in hot weather so color is a bit variable , but I think you are correct in being a bit suspicious as the stigma should be purple. Whatever it is, it looks like a nice lily and I'm particularly fond of white lilies

In any case, the last flowers of the season are always something special and something to remember for those dark days ahead.
'Black Beauty' has a few buds left, but soon it will be game over here too.

I just ordered some Iceclear lilies. They are white, and supposed to bloom pretty late, can't wait!

I thought this was an interesting inflorescence structure, especially since it is so unlike the species type, Lilium lancifolium:

http://www.srgc.net/forum/inde...

This is how the garden looks right now in November :


Just kidding of course as everything is dead and brown, but I found this on the computer and all those wonderful southern hemisphere lilies makes me long for summer, I'd thought that I'd share.
Daylilies, Miscanthus grasses, Silk Road and Scheherazade in a crowded combination.
Does anyone else have forgotten images from this year?

Funny you should bring that up, William, because I was just going through my photos, looking for good images for Christmas cards.

Lilium philadelphicum


Trillium nivale (2.5 inches tall!)


Tinos


one of my hybrids

William, I was just about to ask for a one way ticket to Sweden! Who wouldn't want to live in a climate that allows Liliums to bloom in late Autumn?

Rick, no doubt the L. philadelphicum is gorgeous, but your hybrid is my favourite for a Christmas card!

Very nice Lilies, Rick. I really like the narrow petals on your own hybrid and of course the touch of yellowish green on them sets the rich red color of nicely.

However I'm rather found of wild flowers and especially spring flowering ones. While we obviously don't have wild Trillium in Sweden I can relate to the looks of your T. nivale and of course to the nice leafy setting. Quite an interesting one as well, not just for the low height, but also because of the unusual soil requirements (for a Trillium). My own attempts with Trillium (okay, so I only tried a few plants once ) has been less than stellar as they slowly declined and are all dead now, but this one may like my soil conditions a bit better ( alkaline sand), so I will make a note of it. Thanks for posting!

Nice images, William and Rick.

Don't forget we need good Lily pics for the Photo Contest.

William,
Regarding Trillium nivale, it does tend to grow on limestone outcrops, but I don't think that means it likes alkaline soils. But it may be more indifferent, compared to other trillium species. Here in Minnesota, I find T. nivale growing mostly on limestone outcrops, but that doesn't mean the soil is alkaline. Other plants that grow with them that would not grow in alkaline soil are Hepatica americana, Trillium cernuum, Caulophyllum thalictroides and Asplenium rhizophyllum. I believe T. nivale seems to prefer limestone outcrops because of the moisture holding capacity of the rock, and the physical environment it provides: the trillium seems to grow best in areas where the snow melts very early, yet it is still very cold, with good shade in the summer, but lots of sun before the deciduous trees leaf out.

If you like spring wildflowers, you might like to take a look at this:
https://www.nargs.org/forum/ha...

I like the trillium image best for a Christmas card- it just looks wintery to me- beautiful!

I've got my Christmas card selection down to three. I might make a few cups for the Seniors that come our annual Christmas dinner here.

Young 'Manhattan' amongst L regale foliage


Crimson Pixie ( Ed McRae's finest achievement) in my opinion.




Kiss Me Kate by I don't know who But it multiplies so fast, it's almost invasive.

@gemini_sage you should come down here for Christmas. We 'inherited' traditions and decorations from the northern hemisphere and, even as a child, I was negatively impressed by an overdressed old man with an obviously fake beard and sweating like a horse. It was hard to understand why we had no snow but 32°C (or more) and still decorated with glittering snowflakes, etc. ...... Now, being 65 years old, I dislike the 'consumer spirit' that reigns above anything. So if you ask me, what comes first to my mind as a Christmas image is .... neurotic people with lots of packages being very little Christian towards other people and that image certainly does not deserve a Christmas card It's good to live far from all that, stay at home and think about the real sense of Christmas. Not that I think I am any better than other people, just my option.

Lorn, all 3 Liliums are gorgeous, but my favourite would be Crimson Pixie.

Leftwood said:William,
Regarding Trillium nivale, it does tend to grow on limestone outcrops, but I don't think that means it likes alkaline soils. But it may be more indifferent, compared to other trillium species. Here in Minnesota, I find T. nivale growing mostly on limestone outcrops, but that doesn't mean the soil is alkaline. Other plants that grow with them that would not grow in alkaline soil are Hepatica americana, Trillium cernuum, Caulophyllum thalictroides and Asplenium rhizophyllum. I believe T. nivale seems to prefer limestone outcrops because of the moisture holding capacity of the rock, and the physical environment it provides: the trillium seems to grow best in areas where the snow melts very early, yet it is still very cold, with good shade in the summer, but lots of sun before the deciduous trees leaf out.

If you like spring wildflowers, you might like to take a look at this:
https://www.nargs.org/forum/ha...

Oh yes, I love spring wildflowers. Nice photos at the link as well

Rick, what you say about the soil for T. Nivale is rather interesting as I read a few sources that I thought was reasonably creditable indicating it would grow on neutral or alkaline soils: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/rsg... , http://www.kew.org/science-con... . Is it then possible that this is just a (perhaps widespread) misconception based on false - but understandable - assumptions made without actually testing the soil?

Ursula, I would so love to spend Christmas or all winter in your part of the world! I've often said I need to live in the southern hemisphere during our winter. I feel much the same about the holidays, and quit doing the gift exchange thing several years ago. I avoid retail establishments (aside from the grocery store) till January. It is hard to feel the holiday spirit and love for my fellow human when plunged into a sea of them behaving badly over a hyped up toy! LOL