Sunday, January 3, 2010

picture Contest- Week 6- January 3, 2010

Happy New Year and welcome to 2010. Amidst the subzero temperature here in Iowa, in this picture contest, we look forward and backward at the same time. I look at these pictures, remember the flowers and imagine warmer times to come.
Actually I put my hands in some potting soil this weekend. I planted some rooted impatiens, which I had picked before the first frost, so long ago. As a resolution for the week, or the month or the year, I have decided to touch dirt every day. I will either plant something, repot something, or just fuss about some plant in dirt, every day. That is one way to get past the snow and ice, and the weather forecast calling for more of the same. It really helps if the sun is out, which it is in these bitterly cold days.

We are now up to week 6. December is over. In a month pitchers and catchers will report to spring training. The days are really longer now. So what happened in last week's contest.

In last week’s "Whimsy week" there was a very close contest. (I actually do try to balance the photographs.)
The Winner was the “Magic Box” poppy, which just edged out the Poppy in the helmet and the balloon seedpod.
The actual votes were
Magic Box poppy 16
Balloon seedpod 15
Poppy in helmet 14
Daffodil Rip Van Winkle 8


This week we return to some serious pictures, all giving real meaning to their colors and their species.

First up is the Blue Siberian Iris. The picture was taken on May 31. The blue is made even better with the little bits of white and yellow.

Second is this dramatic daylily called Blush of Innocence. The picture was taken on June 30. Sometimes I find the daylilies and the lilium compete for my favor since they bloom at the same time. This past year I really thought the daylilies kept up with the lilium, two of which are the next two pictures.


This great yellow picture is an Asiatic lily, probably named Gironde. This particular plant has been around for 5 years and reliably blooms in the parkway, along College Street. Sometimes you put the right flower in the right spot and then it comes back year after year. This picture was taken on June 25. The Asiatic lilies bloom first, filling up June, before the riot that is July. Actually given the fact that 3 of the pictures this week were taken the last week of June, that week already has much color.


The final picture this week is an Orientpet called Silk Road, also now a mature plant of maybe 7 years. An Orientpet is a cross between an Oriental lily and a trumpet lily. This picture was taken on June 30. The plant reaches almost 5 feet in height, and reliably comes back. It also does well in only half-day sun. I say that but our backyard, where it is found, has a big Sycamore tree in the middle. That tree is about the last tree to leaf out, leaving almost full sun in the backyard until mid May.

Vote away. How do you come out on the divide between lilium and daylilies?


For your bonus viewing I have included a bunch of different pink daylilies from this last year. Sometimes it is interesting to see the difference between similar flowers.








Stay warm.
Philip

2 comments:

Catherine Woods said...

I absolutely adore lilies, with a preference for the colorful liliums and the orientpets over the dayliles. But I love iris even more, especially blue ones!

You're absolutely right about the increase in daylight. Hurrah!

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