Time to Celebrate the Whites.

During my time working in retail horticulture I was fortunate to work with and meet many very experienced plantsmen and plantswomen who introduced me to many different plant species not least the range of Liliums that are readily available for all situations in the garden. I recently posted images of the Pinks and Reds so in celebration of our Wedding Anniversary (37 years) today I thought it very appropriate to give some space to the Whites.

Lilium Casa Blanca grows in a shady spot but the blooms shine out in every direction like light bulbs.

Unfortunately we suffer dreadfully from the voracious attentions of the red Lily Beetle (Lilioceris lilii) as the larvae can easily decimate the foliage and sometimes even crucify the stems, seed capsules and flowers from May through to the end of September. From March onwards I can often be found searching for the adults and ensuring they meet a very quick death between my fingers but regardless of my efforts every year many still slip through the net and I therefore accept that some of the Lilies will ultimately suffer...such is the life of the gardener and his garden!

Ok not totally white but Lilium Calgary, a short stemmed upward facing variety, performs well in a pot.

Finally, the paper thin, saucer sized blooms of Hibiscus 'Red Heart' have begun to open in the last few days and soon the whole bush will be a mass of white, red centred blooms, opening and closing each day, with fresh faces appearing as the older ones fade and fall to the ground. 

The original shrub, now over 25 years old, many years ago produced masses of seedlings and I religiously potted on 50 or so in the hope of finding something different. The majority that eventually flowered reverted, as expected, to a pale bluish-mauve and one of these three seedlings (bottom image) is now blooming at the other end of the garden and reaching over seven feet into the sky. Many, of course, were given away to friends and work colleagues but nobody has reported back or admitted that their seedling produced a different colour! 

We spent a quiet relaxing day at home after my early am 'health check' (blood tests, heart rate etc. which indicated that I'm still alive and kicking subject to learning the full results in about a week!), a bit of pottering about in the garden and we had some rain this afternoon....at long last. Best of all was an enjoyable evening meal at 'The Star'.     FAB.