They toil not, neither do they spin
Thursday July 07th 2011, 10:49 pm
Filed under: Family,My Garden

I periodically (well, yes) get a catalog from a Dutch bulb wholesaler, thanks to a Christmas box a few years ago with eight giant-size amaryllis bulbs in it. (Thank you, Dad!)

I thumbed through the new arrival today and a few minutes later regretfully put it in the recycling bin. Pretty, pretty pictures, but nope, nope, nope. Even beside the whole issue of me and sun exposure: you can’t grow tulips here, really. It doesn’t get cold enough for them to bloom but the first season unless you’re willing to dig them up and store them in the fridge, and they’re poisonous for people if someone majorly goofs.

The squirrels, on the other hand, will thank you for hosting their party the moment you put them in the ground. Daffodils are safe from the little marauders, and my glads seem to be too, but tulip bulbs? Totally dessert.

The lilies in those pages, though–those really grabbed me. I’ve always loved Stargazers, though I think I only ever bought one bulb once years ago and it did not thrive while I was chasing after small children. Was I going to buy $50 worth of Stargazers to meet the company’s minimum? Absolutely not. Thanks for the peek, out you go.

I skipped out on Purlescence time tonight, too tired to drive, but Richard needed to make a Costco run. As long as he was at the wheel, sure, be glad to come keep you company, hon.

And so we were headed towards the produce when there they were. The lilies. After Eight,  a smaller, even more perfect version of the Stargazer variety, the flowers just as big–five stalks, 10″ pot, $14.99.

The smell was heavenly. There were two whole wooden pallets on the floor covered with blooms reaching high towards us.

We both stopped so suddenly at the sight that someone to the left turned and rammed his cart into Richard in the near-empty store. Oh sorry sir.

I was going, Wow, those are gorgeous, when Richard, to my surprise, ignoring the cart guy, pronounced, “You want one that’s not open yet. How about this one?”

Wait, what?

“Sometimes I buy you flowers,” he added in happy anticipation, waiting for it to sink in.

I looked at him. Yes of course he meant it. Cool! (He had no idea I’d been wishing or even anything at all about that catalog arriving or about how I like Stargazers, none, nada. Never been a topic.) We looked through them all till I came back to the one he’d picked out at the very beginning as indeed the best one. Like trying on shoes, isn’t it.

I had instinctively gone for the ones already in bloom because of my pink azaleas: one of which, I found out the year after I planted them, happened to actually be white. Mislabeled. Oops. Yup, it’s still there at the end of the row of them out there, its branches interwoven by now with the pink till there’s no telling where each begins: they made themselves belong to each other. They stay.

So if there’s one white lily stalk in there with the other four it will just be too funny. But behold the lilies that will be in our field of vision. I can’t wait.


6 Comments so far
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Yay!!! See, I’d be good with THAT kind of flower too. Unfortunately, I love tulips and resent the critters (hem!) that stole mine.

Comment by Channon 07.08.11 @ 7:04 am

you are SO right about the tulips and the squirrels which is why I have iris and daffodils in my yard, but no tulips even though it gets plenty cold here

can’t wait to see pictures of your lilies! (and I hope the squirrels don’t think lilies are the main course)

Comment by Bev 07.08.11 @ 8:04 am

And the squirrels would be singing, ‘Tip toe through the tulips…’

Isn’t it wonderful to have a mate who knows what you’re thinking even, maybe, before you think it?

Comment by Don Meyer 07.08.11 @ 8:53 am

What a lovely impulse gift. (Psst, I think you should accompany him on those Costco runs more often.)

Comment by LynnM 07.08.11 @ 12:29 pm

You should clone him. Half a bajillion single sisters would be infinitely more happy with a Richard.2 or a NewGuy.2. Just sayin’.

Comment by Lynn 07.08.11 @ 4:46 pm

Oh! Lilies! I love them! I have a garden full of Asiatics and Orientals, and by far my favorite are the Orientals. My first Stargazer just bloomed yesterday, and it smells heavenly. The Asiatics aren’t aromatic, but they are so beautiful. The next to come out will be the Casablancas – same size as Stargazers, same smell, but white. I wait all year for my lilies!

Comment by Pegi 07.10.11 @ 9:14 am



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