Day Lilies

I think day lilies are beautiful; however, they are not usually a choice flower of mine because they do not bloom all summer and into the fall. I like to have my color last for a long time.

This year I had some day lilies to finally give a good bloom for me. If I remember correctly, I acquired these from a "beautiful" lady at my church by the name of Paralee Gregg. Therefore, these unusual beauties are special.

I have seen orange lilies and reddish color (bronze lilies) on many occasions. But these lemon yellows take front and center stage! These give me a greater respect for this flower. I think I will keep these around for a long, long time.

Enjoy the beauty of the day lily.

Auntie Phiss

Rocks, Rocks, and More Rocks

Rocks are a great way to add character to your flower beds. When choosing a rock to display, you need to keep a couple of things in mind. Shape, color, size, and character should be considered. The key is to place the rock so that it can be seen. Don't hide the rock. Give it room, give it air.

Shape

The more odd the shape, the better. Look for ways to place the rock so that it compliments the plant. Try to work the rock around the plant or offset the plant.

Rocks that twist and turn, holes, or sharp points are as eye-catching as a beautiful plant.

It is great to see a plant rise through a hole in a rock.

Color

Rocks come in all colors! Red, purple, pink, blue, green, you name it. They are out there.

Rocks of color can be found along the highways. I was able to get green and purple rocks in New Mexico. It's exciting to spot a rock, pull over, dodge traffic and hold up your treasure for all to see! You should see the back of our car. Rocks are more exciting to find than walking a crowded mall. I guarantee it! (Sounds like Men's Warehouse)

Quartz and pink granite are down in the hill country of Texas. I get my brother to bring me back rocks from his hunting trips. He has brought me real treasures. Colored rocks among green foliage are fabulous for those shaded areas.

Size

Rocks of all sizes can be used. Large rocks are hard to cart around; therefore, pick your spot wisely the first time! Tall rocks look great lined up with the pole of a fence or in the middle of a window. Dan brought me this mammoth rock from the hill country. I don't know how he did it; but he did. It's a real beauty.

Large round rocks are great under the foliage of a bush.
Be sure and cut back the lower limbs so that the rock can be seen.

Character

Look for rocks that talk to you. You may have to break down and buy character rocks. These can be hard to get.

A long white rock that looks like a loaf of bread.

A rock that has a depression created by water.

A rock that has a hidden treasure.

One of my favorites is the turtle rock.

The pattern looks like the shell of a turtle.

When picking out rocks, take your time...better yet, spend some time among the hills, along a freeway (make sure it is legal to take them), or down a dry river bed. It is amazing what you can find. Become a geologist!

Auntie Phiss

Beautiful Pentas

Pentas in clusters make for a stunning display!

Pentas or Egyptian Star is one of my favorite plants. Once established, they do very well in the flower bed or pot. They come in red, bubble gum pink, white, and lavender. The red and bubble gum pink are my favorites. They seem to glow.

The flower is a cluster of small star-shaped flowers. Once it blooms, the plant is rarely without blooms throughout the summer and fall season! As the season continues, the plant just gets larger and larger. It stays a pretty shape as it grows. It does not get tall and gangly like an overgrown teenager.Also it is a big butterfly attraction. Another plus for this plant is that it doesn't seem to get any diseases or have any insect enemies. If you like color and butterflies, get this plant!

Pentas snuggled among potatoe vine create a stunning picture in your flower beds.

Dare you to try it!

Auntie Phiss

KIDS AND KRITTERS -- PART 2

The Prizes Are Here!!!!

Mark and Leah get blow horns! Sorry, Danell

Once the game was over, Mark and Leah were ready for the prizes! They knew which bag was theirs and that is all it took! Mark immediately started into his bag. WAIT! Auntie Phiss wants a picture (as usual). Mark graciously got himself together and posed for the picture. (see previous post). We decided to go back to Grammys house for a cooler and cleaner enviornment to go through the prize bags.

Leah is more lady like and takes one thing out at a time.

Into the spacious front room we go, sit down on the floor, and Mark quickly dumps out his whole bag! Why wait? Get it all out there so I can see it! You can definitely she "boy-girl" difference in this pair. Male -- go get it, and Female -- slow and neat! Love it.

Mark conquers the blow toy and Leah looking cute.

The kids had a great time with the prizes -- Grinning from ear to ear asking mom to open the packages, trying them out, and posing for pictures. Enjoy the pictures for they tell it all.

Ready or Not...Here She Comes!

Auntie Phiss

KIDS AND KRITTERS!

STARTING THE GAME!

What a fabulous day today with Mark and Leah. I like to put different kinds of kritters in my flower beds. They add color and character to the backyard. I have collected them for many years. Mom, dad, and my family have helped me build my collection. So Bingo! Make a game for the kids...."Kids and Kritters". It turned out to be a great success.

The kids are ready to get started. Look at the prize bag! Wow!

I marched them to the table to the goodies blowing my paper horn. You know I must have looked like a crazy woman in the backyard. I say "Deal With It!" I am having too much fun. Mark is willing to play along...Leah wasn't so sure about it all. So, Mommy had to be at her side. That's OK. Mommy can have fun too (plus help a little). Each kid was given a list of kritters to find in the yard. (Mom and I instructed which flower bed)

Off they go!

I followed around with a silly blow-horn for success and a marker to check off the box. Do you know how loud those things can be? I bet the neighbors wondered what was going on in that backyard. It's a wonder the dogs didn't start howling down the street.

FINDING THE KRITTERS IS SO MUCH FUN!!!!

The grins and hollers showered throughout the game. Leah got braver and more excited as the game proceeded. Hopping from one flower bed to the next, posing, and smiling for Auntie Phiss.

As each one found their next kritter, they would quickly let me know and I would coming running (yeah), blow the horn in excitement, and mark off the box. Mark made sure I marked off his box!

"I found it."

"I think I found it. "

Here it is!

We had to let the kids know what some of the kritters looked like. Once they knew, they would begin to search. Leah would come running across the lawn letting me know she had found her kritter!

He ain't heavy, he's my froggie!

Did you say a lizard?

Yep!

Mark doesn't have a tiger by the tail; but, he sure did get that lizard...way to go Mark!

Mark and his lizard.

Leah was proud when she found her mosquito. She come running across the yard to let me know "I found the makito."



The Makito and Leah

Leah was such a cutie pie. She and mommy did such a good job in finding her critters. Danell would let her pass them up and tell her to go back and look again. Then she would find it and pose for her Auntie Phiss. What a sweet little girl...just like her mommy!

Mommy gently guiding Leah to her next find!

In the picture to the right, Leah finally found the flat turtle. As usual, I wanted a picture. She let me know she would stand on the rock for her pose. Watch out world -- here comes...

"Leah, Queen of the Rock!"

At last, they have found all of the the critters on their list. Now it is prize time! The game is over and we can get out of this hot sun. I don't think the kids cared at all. They were having too much fun; plus, there was that big prize waiting for them.

Winner takes all...even if there are two!

Mark, Leah, Danell .....thanks for such a wonderful day! It was great fun!

Auntie Phiss

PS. Tomorrow's post will be about the prizes.

Gulf Fritillary

When I see the term fritillary I think of fritters. There is absolutely no connection! There is no determining how my crazy mind and words work at times! I want to talk about a beautiful butterfly called the Gulf Fritillary. Many people mistake it for a Monarch. They are both brilliant orange and black; but upon closer inspection, you can see the difference.

In my backyard you can see these flying beauties all over dancing in the air. A tremendous air show throughout the day. The reason why is because of our passion vine. This vine is the "baby host" for the Gulf Fritillary. The Gulf Fritillary is immune to the poisons of the vine. The eggs are laid on the leaves and the hatched caterpillars feast on the vine. The caterpillars do not kill the vine; only strip the leaves. The eggs are yellow, ribbed, and oblong. The caterpillars are fabulous! They are orange and black striped with black spikes. A long armoured vehicle! I really like to see the babies...so tiny and such amazing detail. The catipillar sacks can be found hanging just about anywhere....fence, wall, trellis, you name it. They look like curled dried leaves once completed. You can still see the spikes on the catipillar on the left as he/she begins its sack.

The butterflies are stunning in color and style. The outer side of the wings are orange with black pin strips from the outer edge inwards. They have three silver dots near the head outlined in black. The underside of the wings are even more impressive. Oval silver markings that are very eye catching. That is one definite way of telling the difference between a Monarch and a Gulf Fritillary. The Monarch looks like a stained glass window of yellowish-orange and black.

When deciding which butterflies to attract to your backyard, consider getting the passion vine. You will have a continuing display of the Gulf Fritillary in your yard. Plus, the bonus of the tremendous flower of the passion vine. Orange on purple...WOW!

The Passionate Flower

The Passion Flower is a vine with a healthy appetite! Regardless of this one problem, it is a plant that is a beauty to behold and a definite conversation starter. People who see this flower for the first time is amazed at its beauty and incredible formation. Their first reaction may be "That ain't real!"

The Passion Flower has a unique legend surrounding its formation. A priest by the name of Jacomo Bosio was given a drawing of the flower from the New World. The flower became a representation of the passion of Christ upon the Cross. The five petals and five sepals represented the 10 faithful disciples (excluding Judas and Peter). The 72 filaments were the number of thorns in Jesus' cross. (some may say the whips) The five stamens are the number of wounds Jesus received and the three pistil stigmas the nails. The bloom lasts for one day. At night it will fold back into a cone and die. This represented Christ in the tomb.The flower was also known as the Flower of the Five Wounds. If you wish to read the full story, here is the address www.passiflora-uk.co.uk/passion-flower-legend.shtml.

The plant requires a place in which to climb to see its full beauty. A trellis or fence is perfect. Be sure and not plant close to your other flowers since this plant is quite invasive. The plant also produces the passion fruit. The fruit has a dark, purple, leathery-like outer skin that is very bitter. Underneath this skin is the edible fruit. The fruit yeilds about 1 teaspoon of pulp. It is good in seafood sauces, desserts, and beverages.

Many of God's creatures can be found on or near this plant. Bees, walking sticks, wasps, and butterflies can be found. It attracts ants that feed on the nectar produced by the leaves of the plant. This plant does contain poisions that longwing caterpillars are able to ingest. My next blog will be about the stunning gulf fritillary that uses the Passion Vine as its "baby" host.

Spot the walking stick on the flower?

Mexican Rose

The Mexican Rose is a beautiful perennial plant; however, it takes a special place for it to be at its best. It likes filtered morning sun. It can also tolerate filtered sun in the afternoon. I find that direct sunlight causes it to droop and become skanty-looking. Ugh deluxe!

My best plants grow under taller bushes and my wisteria. If you have such a place that needs something to grow...the Mexican Rose is your plant. The blooms are a brilliant pink that sparkle and shine. The bloom is actually about 30-50 small, star-like blooms that cluster. The plant has beautiful large leaves which allows it to be attractive even when it isn't in bloom. You do need to know that this plant mulitiplies by underground runners. Therefore, it can be very invasive! But, this allows you to share without any threat of losing your own beautiful bounty. I simply go throughout the area and discard unwanted small plants. If you wait too long, it is difficult to pull up by hand!

Lemon Lollipop

The lemon lollipop is one of my very favorite plants. I bought my first one several years ago at Calloways. I was stunned when I saw this plant. I left the store without buying it because of the high price. I just couldn't stand it and went back and bought it -- SUCKER! I never regretted that purchase. I wanted to save it through the winter and Dad suggested that we cut it back so that the plant didn't have to "work" at keeping too much alive. Unfortunately, it died.

From then on, I searched and searched for this plant. It was a four or five years later that I discovered this beautiful plant again. Roger and I went "flower" shopping. Needless to say, at every garden center I asked about the "lemon lollipop". No luck. We finally came across a man that suggested we go to Hare's." (located on Lancaster) If anybody has it, they will." Off we took, zipping to Hare's. When we drove into this unusual garden center (tables under a tree was about all), I spotted a worker with "THE PLANT". It looked like he was loading them up. I jumped out of the car, ran up to him, and said, "Can I have just one! Just one!" He looked at me like I was crazy, and said "You can have two." He probably thought I would attack him if he wasn't generous!

The lemon lollipop is of the shrimp plant family. The other "shrimps" do not stand straight upwards, they curl over. The flower is made up of brackets with cute white "flares" on the sides. The lemon lollipop does best in filtered sun. It can be planted in a pot or in the ground. Be sure that you keep it away from the hot afternoon sun. It will bless you with blooms until cold weather.

Enjoy your lollipop!

Phyllis

I AM BACK!!!!

Well, it has been a trial! No computer for a week! Couldn't check my mail, couldn't buy on e-bay, couldn't read my nieces' blogs...what does a person do! CALL JOSH...he's the man. At least he saved the day for me. Joshua is Danell's hubby...a truly great guy. He offered to fix my computer and he did just that. I got it back today.

It works perfectly! Thanks Josh.