i plant happiness
  • home
  • blog
  • gallery
  • about

blogGAGE

heck yeah!

3/26/2023

0 Comments

 
A skewed look at the tiny bits of daily life that surround us.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

ring the bells of heaven

3/19/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
Ring the Bells of Heaven came to me as a division from my friend Mary's plant. I had admired it in her garden. It is a prolific grower that quickly established itself in my daylily bed. In fact, it grew 10 inches taller than its 24-inch registration height and had to be moved to a larger flower bed! Hybridized in 2006 (Carpenter, J.) RTBH is an award winner with 5.75" blooms. It is a dormant, tetraploid that loves the good life in Wisconsin.
0 Comments

peak week

3/12/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
Now that winter is almost over, I have been reminiscing about the beautiful  daylilies that bloomed last summer. Peak bloom in our area in western Wisconsin  occurred around July 20, 2022. Here are a few photos.

Daylilies pictured include Blueberry Breakfast,  J.T. Davis, Final Destination, House of Misrepresentatives, Dean Corey, Sabine Baur, Time Stopper, Ruby Spider, and Stranger Than Fiction.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

air horn - deer chaser

3/5/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
No matter what we do to try to protect our daylilies, dozens of deer invade our beautiful flowers. Ange has come up with a new technique to scare away the deer and amuse himself at the same time. He rigged up an air horn to scare the deer out of our yard that insist on milling around. He uses a bicycle pump to fill up the air horn, which is good for about 10 very loud blasts. The only negative is when the deer are in our yard at 7:00am! The deer are now so sensitized that all he has to do is open the door or window and the deer instantly vanish.
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

luna

2/26/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
After losing his beloved rescue cat, Sophie, of 12 years, my son Shawn made the decision to rescue another homeless cat. He found Luna on petfinder.com. Luna is a beautiful dilute tortie estimated to be around 5 years old.  She was found living with her 4 small kittens in a 4-inch gap between a comedy club and another business in downtown Milwaukee. Because she had to do so much fending for her kittens from stray cats, raccoons and opossums, other cats seem to put her on edge. Luna is slowly but surely becoming acclimated in her new home and becoming more affectionate as each day passes. She is one lucky girl!

PS . Two of her 4 kittens have been adopted and the other two will surely find homes soon.
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

new series

2/19/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
New Series is one of my keeper daylilies. I have grown this beautiful plant for over 30 years. The 7-8 inch flowers are spectacular during peak bloom. This award winner was hybridized in 1982 (Carpenter, K.). It is a semi evergreen diploid that grows well in Wisconsin's climate. New Series is a perfect border plant as it only grows 25 inches tall. It is mid season bloomer in the landscape. Two thumbs up!!!
Picture
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

love is in the air

2/12/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
A reminder that love can be found in the most unexpected places. Happy Valentines Day!

Photo taken by Patty in Tucson Arizona
0 Comments

echinacea double delight

2/5/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
'Double Delight' blooms throughout October.
Picture
Double Delight is one of my favorite perennial companion plants for my daylilies. As long as you cut the spent flowers, it will continue blooming until frost.  It has a compact habit with multiple blooms on each sturdy stem.  They are incredibly drought tolerant and easy to grow.

DETAILS
  • Botanical Name Echinacea Conefections™ 'Pink Double Delight' PP18803
  • Hardiness Zone 4-9
  • Light Requirements Full Sun
  • Flower Form Large, 3" flowers with a fully double center surrounded by a single layer of petals.
  • Foliage Type Mid green leaves, lance-like rough and slightly toothed
  • Height/Habit 18 - 24 inches
  • Spread 24 inches
  • Soil Requirements Average garden soil, well drained
  • Will Tolerate Acidic Soil, Clay Soil, Dry Soil, Loamy Soil, Sandy Soil
0 Comments

my friend charlie

1/29/2023

1 Comment

 
Picture
I bought My Friend Charlie about 8 years ago and I love it more and more as each year passes. It makes a stunning large clump. Charlie is a Paul Owen daylily (2012). This dormant tetraploid daylily is very hardy in Wisconsin. It grows 34 inches tall with beautiful 7+ inch blooms. It is a mid-season bloomer that lasts well over a month!
Picture
Picture
1 Comment

tiny creatures

1/22/2023

2 Comments

 
Picture
While deadheading my daylilies during the summer I come across a variety of insects that are an integral part of my garden. I thought I would share a few of them.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
2 Comments

nature's blue witches brew

1/15/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
Nature's Blue Witches Brew (Story, 2010) is one of my favorite bicolor daylilies. This daylily came from my friend Sally. I love the unique smokey lavender-cream color. It is very hardy in Wisconsin and grows 38-40 inches in my garden. The flowers are four inches and they bloom from July 12 through August 7. This one is a keeper!
Picture
0 Comments

arizona dreaming

1/8/2023

1 Comment

 
Picture
Our friend Patty took these photos in Tucson, Arizona. Since all we have is snow in Wisconsin, I thought I would share these sunny warm pictures.

Fun fact – in the U.S. Saguaro cactus only grows in southern Arizona.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
1 Comment

keep it simple

1/1/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
 Sometimes things strike me as funny/annoying and I just thought I'd share:
  • While Shopping:
    "Would you like a bag?" (When you have seven or eight items sitting on the checkout counter)
    "What's your zip code?" (I just want to pay for my stuff; marketing is not my job)
    "Can we round up the dollar on your purchase?"
    "Did you find everything you needed?" (Just understand that if your answer is anything other than "Yes," you'll end up waiting in line for an eternity longer.)
    And how about the people who never seem to get their grocery carts put away in the cart corral? What's up with that?
  • People who take up two parking spaces.
  • Why would anyone name a daylily "Golightly?" Ditto for the daylilies named "Root Canal," "Splinter in the Eye," "Buddy's Booger," and "Toad Strangler."
  • "Delicious" apples - Are these really considered apples?
  • Campbell's soup labels - How long do you have to stand in front of the soup shelf to find the actual soup you want?
  • Pharmaceutical commercials on TV - You gotta love the side effects of the drugs that include diarrhea, difficulty breathing, stroke, heart attack, and  death. I want that... yes please! (sarcasm)
  • People on Facebook who make vague statements like "I am having the worst day of my life," seeking attention.

Happy 2023  to you - keep it simple!
0 Comments

merry christmas from Amsterdam

12/25/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
My son Shawn was in The Netherlands last week. Here are the Christmas decorations at one of the oldest cafés in Amsterdam.
0 Comments

dizzy

12/18/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
If you want to make a bold statement in the garden, here is the Oriental lily for you. With 8 inch flowers and an amazing fragrance, Dizzy grows up to 40 inches tall. Oriental lilies can be a little temperamental in zone 4 so I keep mine  planted by my house for extra protection in the winter and make sure it's mulched well. Other than that, Dizzy requires very little  care. I get many comments about how beautiful it is.
0 Comments

telescoping hedge shears

12/11/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
Pictured are two of my favorite trimming shears. They really come in handy for fall daylily cleanup. If you have back issues like me, these shears are just what you need. The handles adjust to different lengths to limit the amount of bending over while trimming. These shears have been a lifesaver. My garden has never looked better!

FYI the shears retail for about $50 each. A perfect Christmas gift!
0 Comments

rock solid

12/4/2022

1 Comment

 
Picture
Rock Solid is very aptly named. It is weatherproof, reliable, and consistent. I received my plant as a division from my friend Mary.  It's a prolific garden plant. 

Hybridized in 2002 by Patrick Stamile, this dormant tetraploid grows 27 inches tall in my garden.  Rock Solid is an early midseason bloomer that flowered from July 2 through August 4 (bud count 31–35). Blooms are almost 5 inches in size. The genetics of this daylily are so desirable that there are 181 child plants listed in the daylily database. Rock Solid is truly a sure thing!

American Daylily Society Awards
Award of Merit: 2011
Honorable Mention: 2008
1 Comment

unbridled spirit

11/27/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
Unbridled Spirit is one of my garden favorites. The beautiful pastel pink blends with my other flower colors and the ornate edges with teeth and hooks add visual interest.

Hybridized in Kentucky by John Rice (2007), this dormant tetraploid is very hardy in Wisconsin. Unbridled Spirit is registered as growing 33 inches tall, but in my garden it grows 40 inches plus. The blooms are 5.5 inches and are consistent and weatherproof. This daylily is a late season bloomer starting in late July and going into August. It is worthy to note that one of its parents is the famous Forestlake Ragamuffin.

American Daylily Society Award: Honorable Mention 2011
0 Comments

edinburgh, scotland

11/20/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
First photo: A view of the city from the top of Edinburgh Castle

Here is a blog I found in my files that I never posted-this is a departure from my flower topics for a change!


When I visited Edinburgh, the city was beyond crazy busy! The Edinburgh Fringe Festival was in full swing. Every August, for three weeks, the city of Edinburgh welcomes artists from around the world. From big names to unknowns looking to build their careers, the festival includes theater, comedy, dance, circus, cabaret, children's shows, musicals, opera, music, spoken word, exhibitions, and events. The performers are scattered throughout the entire city. This made for some interesting people-watching.

The historic Edinburgh Castle was also a very memorable experience. A castle has been on this location since the 12th Century, built on volcanic rock. (A photo of the castle on the rock shown below.) It is the UK's second most-visited paid tourist attraction. I was fortunate to attend the Edinburgh Military Tattoo performance on the castle esplanade in beautiful weather (people at the previous night's performance sat in pouring rain). There were 8,000+ spectators in attendance from dozens of countries on the evening I was there. The performance was amazing! I had never seen anything quite like this before. The sound of over a hundred bagpipes playing together will always stay with me.
Picture
Picture
Picture
A typical Edinburgh street. Note the soot-covered buildings. Most of Edinburgh's classic Gothic and Georgian buildings remain coated in a black residue from the industrial revolution. An attempt was made to clean the buildings, but cleaning them did additional damage to the brickwork, so the effort was abandoned.
​

Picture
Jedburgh Abbey, the ruins of an Augustinian abbey which was founded in the 12th century, located on the Scottish borders, about 10 miles north of England.

Picture
A 1920 anchor from the Russian cruiser Varyag at Lendalfoot, Ayrshire, Scotland 

0 Comments

orienpet lily 'shocking'

11/13/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
Shocking is one of my late season Orienpet hybrid lilies. It is truly a show stopper with its large 6 to 12 inch blooms and heavenly fragrance. Shocking is a cross between an oriental lily and a trumpet lily. It is hardy in zones four through seven, grows 4 and 1/2 feet tall and typically blooms from mid to late July into August. Orienpets like full sun to part shade and they adapt to most soils very well. If you want some big impact in your garden, this stunner is for you!
Picture
Picture
Picture
0 Comments
<<Previous

    if it's about

    my backyard and garden, I LOVE to talk about it!

    archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014

    categories

    All
    Critters
    Daylily Profiles
    Events
    Fall
    Flowers
    Garden Tools
    Garden Vogue
    Just 'Wow'
    Organization
    Places To Visit
    Products I Like
    Projects
    Shade Plants
    Spring
    Succulents
    Thoughts To Ponder
    Trees
    Unrelated To Anything
    Whimsy
    Winter

    RSS Feed

Copyright 2022 iplanthappiness      
iplanthappiness@yahoo.com
  • home
  • blog
  • gallery
  • about