“If you have two loaves of bread, sell one and buy a lily” - Chinese Proverb
Gardens are so polite. Each species of flower takes its turn to shine, coming and going passively without stepping on each others toes. The peonies are gone for another year and now its time for the lilies to take center stage. I have so many different types and each one is breathtakingly beautiful, from the common tiger lily to the huge show stealer, the incredible Star Gazer. You haven't lived until you've looked into the heart of a lily, deep into the nucleus with all its delicate pistils and stamens and colours painted by Mother Nature. There is something ethereal about the lily's perfection. Seriously, if you've only admired this flower from the lawn chair look deep into its core and you will be amazed at the beauty before you.
I have three separate gardens and everywhere I look there are lilies in all ranges of colours and size. Even the rain can't take away from their grandeur and although I did notice the presence of a little red bug that has seriously tried to devour a few of the Asiatic lilies. The leaves have more holes than greenery and the flowers themselves are looking pretty ragged. The strain of being eaten alive has dwarfed the flower heads so they are smaller than previous years. Hopefully this isn't a sign of things to come, I want my precious lilies to thrive and pleasure my eyes for decades.
I loved lilies so much I wanted to immortalize them in a hooked rug. I hooked this piece several years back, designed it for a class with Jane Halliwell. My friends were all taking pictorial instruction and there I was with exaggerated flowers but I kept my ears open to all the tips they were given. Jane was an excellent teacher, lively and fun and left an impression on us all.
I used dip dyed wool for the leaves and flower pods and the flowers were six value swatches using the Blue Willow formula. The background is Antique Black from back in the day when the colour was more of a vibrant dark green. Today it seems to be more of a muddied greyish green, dull and lifeless which is rather disappointing. These days, I've resorted to over dyeing the Antique Black with Brilliant Green dye to give it the punch it used to have. It was a good choice for my background as it made the flowers pop.
The above rug is hooked in #8 cut as I wanted it to be painless and over quickly. Flower shading is lovely but not my cup of tea so it was a git-er-done, have the T-shirt and move on experience. I opted for blue lilies, artistic license as this rug was meant to go in front of the French doors in my blue and white themed dining room. Man likes to manipulate nature so at some point they'll mess with genetics to create a blue one, and I'll be first in line a the gardening store.
Unfortunately, I messed up on the whipping. Not using cording meant the edge rippled like ribbon candy so I was a bit put off and less enamored with the rug so it hung around the shop where dogs called it bed and the sunlight faded the colours. I'm sitting here trying to remember where it might be as I just realized I haven't seen it for some time.
The orange version below was hooked by Gorman Wilmot and she opted to add a fifth flower head in the center by taking out the large pods.....quite striking.
I have three separate gardens and everywhere I look there are lilies in all ranges of colours and size. Even the rain can't take away from their grandeur and although I did notice the presence of a little red bug that has seriously tried to devour a few of the Asiatic lilies. The leaves have more holes than greenery and the flowers themselves are looking pretty ragged. The strain of being eaten alive has dwarfed the flower heads so they are smaller than previous years. Hopefully this isn't a sign of things to come, I want my precious lilies to thrive and pleasure my eyes for decades.
I loved lilies so much I wanted to immortalize them in a hooked rug. I hooked this piece several years back, designed it for a class with Jane Halliwell. My friends were all taking pictorial instruction and there I was with exaggerated flowers but I kept my ears open to all the tips they were given. Jane was an excellent teacher, lively and fun and left an impression on us all.
I used dip dyed wool for the leaves and flower pods and the flowers were six value swatches using the Blue Willow formula. The background is Antique Black from back in the day when the colour was more of a vibrant dark green. Today it seems to be more of a muddied greyish green, dull and lifeless which is rather disappointing. These days, I've resorted to over dyeing the Antique Black with Brilliant Green dye to give it the punch it used to have. It was a good choice for my background as it made the flowers pop.
The above rug is hooked in #8 cut as I wanted it to be painless and over quickly. Flower shading is lovely but not my cup of tea so it was a git-er-done, have the T-shirt and move on experience. I opted for blue lilies, artistic license as this rug was meant to go in front of the French doors in my blue and white themed dining room. Man likes to manipulate nature so at some point they'll mess with genetics to create a blue one, and I'll be first in line a the gardening store.
Unfortunately, I messed up on the whipping. Not using cording meant the edge rippled like ribbon candy so I was a bit put off and less enamored with the rug so it hung around the shop where dogs called it bed and the sunlight faded the colours. I'm sitting here trying to remember where it might be as I just realized I haven't seen it for some time.
The orange version below was hooked by Gorman Wilmot and she opted to add a fifth flower head in the center by taking out the large pods.....quite striking.
Hooked by Gorman Wilmot
Back to my gardens.....I have/had three variegated hostas that are the size of hippos. They line the front of the back garden and grow larger every year. Under the cloak of darkness, the deer sauntered down off the back hill and mowed off the one on the left so all that remains are spindly stocks....looks like a bad haircut with Tasmania devil clippers. How sad for my view!
My Hydrangea bush is loving this weather. She's showing off more this year because of the moist soil. She's dripping with huge blue globes, except for the top as the deer had those flowers for dessert after the hosta main course. Darn those forest rats, not so fondly dubbed by my hubby, but I have to admit they have fabulous taste!
And thanks to all this rain, my concord grapevines are dripping with more fruit than the last several years combined. By fall there will be a sea of bluish, sweet tasting grapes tat I snack on when I take the pups out for their business. There is something very rewarding about eating off the land. Previous years that have yielded a bumper crop we made wine but I'm far too busy this year. Instead, I can see a big stash of grape jelly in my future. I can't eat it all myself, but I like to make it and share! I have so much colour and beauty in my life...I feel truly blessed....
My Hydrangea bush is loving this weather. She's showing off more this year because of the moist soil. She's dripping with huge blue globes, except for the top as the deer had those flowers for dessert after the hosta main course. Darn those forest rats, not so fondly dubbed by my hubby, but I have to admit they have fabulous taste!
And thanks to all this rain, my concord grapevines are dripping with more fruit than the last several years combined. By fall there will be a sea of bluish, sweet tasting grapes tat I snack on when I take the pups out for their business. There is something very rewarding about eating off the land. Previous years that have yielded a bumper crop we made wine but I'm far too busy this year. Instead, I can see a big stash of grape jelly in my future. I can't eat it all myself, but I like to make it and share! I have so much colour and beauty in my life...I feel truly blessed....
These are a few of the lilies from my gardens. Everywhere I look there is beauty.
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