Nothing should surprise me, given what we've experienced this year. But at least this was a good surprise: eight "naked ladies," the nickname for Lycoris squamigera, have appeared in my garden this past week! In past August I've seen only one or two. The lily has a habit of appearing suddenly, with a burst of pink flowers atop a smooth, leafless (hence the "naked") stalk.
One of the heavy downpours knocked the stalk of one of them over temporarily, prompting Dearest Partner to quip, "I tripped over a naked lady on my way in!"
Elsewhere in the perennial garden, everything's doing wonderfully. My fragrant pink phlox is thriving, and one plant is sending up white flowers this year for a change. The hostas are packed in so tightly that I'm really going to have to divide them this autumn.
In the cutting garden, the pumpkin vines are trying to take over but I'm not seeing any actual pumpkins yet. The snapdragons are about finished (high time!), but the zinnias, salvia and ageratum are still thriving. My one tomato plant is giving me a few delicious red fruits a day (which I've been known to eat on the spot).
The gladioli are my only disappointment -- they're mangy looking and not blooming completely. Perhaps I should have watered them more regularly during the hot periods.
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