Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Delightful Daylilies

I looked out the back door this morning to see my first daylily had bloomed. I have no idea what variety it is. I inherited the daylilies when my husband and I bought our house nine years ago this summer. When we first moved in, there was just a small patch of daylilies. They have been happily multiplying ever since. Nine years later, they own the back of my border.

I distinctly remember disliking daylilies as a child. I thought of them as "old people" flowers. Lavender and marigolds fell into this category as well. Why? Well I'm not sure exactly. But I suspect an especially hideous mid-1970s wallpaper in my parents' first home. It made quite the impression on me. Of course, my parents would have been only in their late thirties (just like me right now) when they picked that wallpaper. But, let's face it, that's ancient to a five year old. Hence, "old people" flowers. Setting aside the subconcious workings of my mind, my opinion of the daylily has changed.

The daylily, quite simply, never disappoints. It's among the first plants to poke through the ground in spring, it multiplies quickly, and provides an abundance of stunning blooms over a long stretch of summer.

But my favourite feature of the daylily is its spent blooms. For weeks on end they give me an excuse to disappear into the garden every night for a few minutes of deadheading. It's a beautiful way to end the day.

2 comments:

Connie said...

Well written....I so agree. It it so peaceful to spend the evening 'tidying up' the garden!

O.I.M said...

I was out there tonight with the daylilies as a breeze blew over the yard. Just perfect. If only "tidying up" around the rest of the house was so much fun.
Irena