Friday, July 24, 2015

“This is a fierce bad rabbit; look at his savage whiskers, and his claws and his turned-up tail.” ― Beatrix Potter




I saw Zebrina blooming in a friend's garden and added it to my wish list.  Felt so lucky when I found one at a box store recently.  Brought this one home and planted it by the door in an area being reworked.   Imagine my fury when two days later it had been eaten to the ground.




So now rabbits are on my list of garden terrorists. 


  

My sister says place cat fur around the plant and the bunnies won't bother it.  I did that immediately and the plant is making a recovery.  So now the question is, did the cat fur repel the rabbit or maybe the bunny just hasn't taken that same path since his first visit to the plant.  Luckily, mallows are tough, fast growing plants so it seems this one might return to bloom IF the bunny is indeed frightened by cat fur.

July is the month of the daylily.  
Almost the perfect plant.  The foliage is pretty, like a  graceful, green fountain even before the blooms appear.  In my garden daylilies have no pests, no disease, and are very forgiving of both dry and rainy conditions and a wide variety of soil types.  Established plants have a long bloom period even though each bloom only lasts for one day.  And they are edible.  Imagine having guests for lunch and bringing a bowl topped with daylily blooms to the table.  Nice touch.

I'm very partial to the double varieties with ruffles, textured petals, and picotee edging.   Siloam Double Classic is my favorite.  Look at that yummy, peachy color and all those ruffles.  SDC is one of the first to bloom in my garden in early June and is still pumping out blooms almost to the end of July.  The blooms on SDC are down low in the foliage and not waiving up above the plant.  This is a plus in my mind.








Moses Fire below is another favorite.  Photos don't do the color justice.  These are large, double flowers in a hot, hot orange color that draws the eye across the garden straight to this plant.   Lots of ruffles and a yellow picotee edging.










Night Embers has a smaller bloom that must be viewed up close to be truly appreciated.  NE is so dark it almost looks black from a distance.  I love the ruffles, of course, and the yellow wire rim around the petals.  







Not sure of the name of daylily below but it is a very prolific bloomer.  Love the creamy color shading into yellow and then blending with the pale mauve.  The dark edging looks like spun gold wire.  




Spiritual Corridor below is like an orchid.  Big ruffled blooms in muted shades of purple. This one is very photogenic and I have dozens of photos in various lighting. I just purchased and planted two more of this one.




Most people are contemptuous of this common Kwanza but I love it.  Layers upon layers of ruffled petals in the blazing colors of sunshine.  What a shame it is sterile and cannot contribute to breeding programs.





Don't laugh:)  
I ordered the fashionable bug jacket below from Amazon and wear it everyday to plant, weed and water.  My friend from the Rambling Woods blog suggested it.   It works with some additions but the arm seam is already giving way.  Just a little uncomfortable but not nearly as uncomfortable as mosquito bites, west nile fever, or spray on Deet.  If anyone decides to order one, get at least one size larger because the netting should not lay against the skin.  Hat not included, mittens removable.    I hope no one drops by while I'm outside wearing it.  




7 comments:

BeadedTail said...

Sorry the bunnies ate your beautiful plant! Hopefully it comes back! The lilies are so pretty! Our's have come and gone. Still no rain here and more high temps next week. There's a slight chance of rain tomorrow so maybe we'll be lucky and get something. Our grass is dead but the gardens are thriving because of our watering. Good idea to get something to keep the mosquitoes away!

oldcrow61 said...

Your lilies are gorgeous. Great idea, the bug jacket.

Indie said...

Oh no, I hope your mallow recovers! It is so pretty! I haven't seen any bunnies in the garden this year, though we have a groundhog who does his own damage. I'm rather surprised at the lack of rabbits, but we do have some very good sized snakes in the area. Your daylilies are gorgeous. I love that Moses Fire one! And Kwanza! I only just started growing daylilies in my new garden in Massachusetts, and am quickly becoming addicted!

Rambling Woods said...

Oh yes, the jacket. I hate it, but I need it in the yard if there is no wind. It works. I love all the flowers. I like them with the coneflowers too. I do have rabbits and deer and the day lily are usually eaten by the deer, but not this year. I have never heard of the cat fur trick for bunnies. I have enough fur here to build a cat.... Lol.... Michelle

Lowcarb team member said...

Your lilies are stunning and the colours just amazing. Nature provides us with a great colour palette.

I think wearing that jacket is a good idea, protect yourself from any nasty bugs.

Hope your week is going well.

All the best Jan

tina said...

I still enjoy Night Embers in my gardens that you sent me many years ago. I always think of you when it blooms. I forgot how much you liked daylilies. The bug jacket looks almost like my bee jacket! Hey, if it works good for you. I was mowing yesterday and a horsefly landed on me and promptly stung me. It really felt like a bee sting. I was not happy at all. Hope the bunnies stay away. Here we have issues with the stupid deer.

Rose said...

I'm laughing at the image of you in your new gardening outfit:) But then, I've been itching all over the last few weeks from all the mosquito bites, so maybe the laugh is on me. I have noticed with the drier weather this past week that the mosquitoes don't seem so bad. It's certainly been a bad year for rabbits--everyone I know, myself included, has been complaining about the damage they've done this year. Lovely daylilies! I have yet to find a daylily I don't like.
By the way, Marnie, a few of us are planning to meet in Rockford on August 14 to tour the Klehm Arboretum and the Anderson Japanese garden. Beth of PlantPostings has a Facebook page about it, but I didn't know if you were on Facebook. Send me an email (link on my profile page) if you're interested and want to know the details.