The Formosa Lilies nod and sway over a garden already full of tall flowers. When a family walked yesterday, their young son said to me, “You’ve got big flowers!” Yes I do! The tallest ones are over eight feet tall. The fragrance is fresh and sweet, but not overpowering. In the fall, their seed pods rise up like tan candelabras. This year, the first flower opened on July 22. These lilies are not native to North Carolina. I’ll thin them out as the native plants continue to flourish, but will keep a few for their spectacular presence.
Mailbox Garden
Lacey and lovely mushrooms appeared for a few hours by the mailbox, then collapsed like a wet Wicked Witch of the West. The largest one was about five inches across.
Entrance Garden
The native Major Wheeler Honeysuckle attracts hummingbirds, but they were too quick for me to get a photo. The vine is lovely on its own, growing through a Chinese Abelia.
Pond
We’ve had record-setting rain in July, with over four inches of rain in eight days. No wonder the Rain Lilies and Frogs are out! Between them, a Lotus transforms from flower to seed pod.
Rain Garden
