Saturday, June 9, 2012

LEANING INTO THE LIGHT


This hasn't been the best of years for common Orange Day-lilies. Clumps of the ubiquitous, flame-colored blooms are staples of the late-spring, early-summer landscape hereabouts—growing beside urban streets, suburban roadways, and the edges of most rural byways, in ditches and lanes, waste corners, alleys…whole thickets of them, everywhere. For a few weeks when they're at their peak, it's almost impossible to travel a quarter-mile without seeing a few clumps. 

But while they're out and abundant—and have been for a couple of weeks—this spring they're not so prolific, so lavish, so profligate; they're there, but they're not teeming

At least to my eye. Patches are sparse; a desk-sized assemblage might have a dozen blooms at any one time instead of the usual fifty. Moreover, I think the flowers themselves look a bit on the faded, slightly withered side—not quite so lush.

Maybe it's the dry spring. We didn't receive nearly the rain we usually get in April and May—and June is so far following suit. Or perhaps the earliness of the season—the lack of any real winter, or the fact that this is the warmest spring on record. We've had several 90-plus degree days in May, and many that exceeded 80, and it's not yet officially summer!

The lily in the photo is growing at the top of my driveway, opposite the main clump and part of a scattering of plants I found when clearing a portion of the jungle of honeysuckle from the steep, deeply-shaded bank. Though I've been watering regularly, the flower still looks a little parched, a little faded, and a little curled along the edges…as if this has been a rather trying spring. But at the same time, there seems apparent something of the weary victor in the way the lily leans into the light, as if enduring the struggle makes the blue skies and sunshine all the sweeter.

Well, I know how that feels…
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8 comments:

The Weaver of Grass said...

I agree Grizz - day lilies have been struggling here in my garden too - I think they love the sun and we have seen precious little of it lately. Hope the world goes well with you these days.

Grizz………… said...

Weaver…

Well, we've had plenty of sunshine—and heat—this spring, but it has been very dry. I think that's the problem here—the lack of rain and ground moisture.

Thank you for asking…and yes, everything is going fine with me. I spent most of yesterday afield, and have been working around the cottage this morning. None of which I could have managed for even five minutes a few weeks ago. So the change has been profound. I am grateful beyond words.

Rowan said...

It's hard to imagine day lilies as wild flowers! Here they are bought from the garden centre at considerable cost. At least now I know where all our rain is coming from, we're obviously getting your share as well as our own!

Debbie said...

I agree with you about the lilies. I have several varieties around my gardens and the blooms have been short lived and weak. I don't see the height in them that we had last year. The asiatics look good but the regulars are mundane. It has been a strange year after all, and it's getting hot over her in Illinois as well. We need rain too.
Deb

Grizz………… said...

Rowan…

Ours are not natives, but brought over by early European settlers to brighten their dooryard…whereupon they promptly escaped and have been ranging far and wide ever since—much to the delight of those of us who love their fiery summer splashes. Almost everyone has a few growing, either planted or as wild volunteers. They're still bought and sold at landscape centers, but it also isn't much of a problem to go out and dig a bushel from a back alley, waste field, or roadside ditch. Along any short drive of a few miles, you see, literally, thousands in yards and growing wild.

Grizz………… said...

Debbie…

That's pretty much the same story here—the orange daylilies are out, in fair numbers, but they just don't look as good and aren't so prolific. They looked faded and parched to me, and I hadn't noted it but I believe you're right that they just aren't up as high as normal. And other varieties have come and go ne faster than usual.

We're supposed to have a day of rain tomorrow, but it's about 90˚F right now and has been hot for days, and dry even longer. This is indeed a strange year.

AfromTO said...

looking back on some of your older posts-this has to be one of the most beautiful pictures you have ever taken.it just makes you stop and admire it.

Grizz………… said...

AfromTO…

Thank you. I liked it, too. A simple subject, nice, texture revealing light, graphically good and clean…and of course the beauty of the lily with its strong color. Sometimes it all works out…