Yesterday, as I plugged my laptop into the outlet by our dining room window, I was startled to see this little stinker foraging for food up close and personal. As you can see, the deer aren't shy around here! But the good news is that although she has been eating foliage around the tomato cage, she hasn't bothered the new daylily planting inside the tomato cage. And that makes me happy, despite the fact that my flower beds look like 'tomato cage-land' during the winter. Ya just do what cha gotta do!

'Miscanthus sinesis Morning Light' is one of my favorite ornamental grasses. Used as a specimen plant, its appearance is very striking. The slender blades of grass are pale green with very thin, white margins that give the plant a silvery sheen when viewed from a distance. It has an attractive vase-like shape and never, ever flops over. Morning Light is considered to be one of the best Miscanthus cultivars. So far this has been a very carefree, low maintenance plant. It grows between 4-6 ft. tall, and from 2-4 ft. wide, so give it some room!

This grass grows best in full sun. I know this, because I originally had it in part-shade. It languished there, so I moved it into full sun, and it immediately took off and grew like crazy! Although the plant tag says this is a Zone 5 plant, I took a chance on it at because it was a half-price closeout at the end of the season. (I live in Zone 4b.) I have had it for about 6 years now and it overwinters well.  The gamble paid off!

When Morning Light produces flowers, they are beautiful reddish-bronze plumes that appear in late fall. As the seeds mature, they become cream colored and fluffy; they look great with the wheat-colored winter foliage. This accent grass can be enjoyed all winter long as it sways in the cold winter winds. Come spring, be sure to cut it back, close to the ground before the new growth emerges.

The top left photo was taken in July, the top right was taken in December and the close-up photo of the plumes was taken in October.

I'm going through a new phase with my daylily purchases. The bigger and taller, the better! Here is one of my John Rice daylilies "Lotus Position." This award-winning bicolor grows approximately 40" tall in my yard and has large 6.5" blooms. It's a real head-turner when in full bloom. Love those edges too! This photo was taken early in the morning and the burgundy color is quite vibrant. It tends to fade a bit with the afternoon sun, but the afternoon look is equally pleasing, just more pastel-ish.

I bought this daylily in August of 2013 at the Wisconsin Daylily Society Sale. It was a last minute impulse buy that I definitely don't regret. Seems like I just can't leave the sale without at least one diversion from 'the list.'  Lotus Position, registered in 2007, was hybridized in Kentucky. It's an early mid-season bloomer that started on July 1st and ended on August 5th this year. It has multiplied well in the few years I have had it and seems to be quite happy in Wisconsin.