Scent from heaven

At dusk the perfume of lilies hangs heavy in warm summer air.
This is the first year I've grown Oriental or Trumpet lilies, I got them from one of my favorite bulb suppliers, Brent and Becky's Bulbs. With these hot humid nights, the intoxicating fragrance of these beauties lingers.

They were planted in a renovated perennial bed in early winter and have bloomed like champs. The bed was redone to try and eradicate bindweed (looks like a white morning glory) and improve the soil. For years I honored the plants that were grown by the previous gardener(s), but the soil was awful and the weeds were winning the battle. I tore out everything except the old peonies and a big hosta.

After adding compost (six yards), I covered the entire bed with thick layers of newspaper to stop the bindweed. These lilies would of been strangled in the vines of the weed, but this season, I’ve been able to control the few weeds that have emerged. These lilies are just one of the plants I'm overjoyed with in this new garden. They make great cut flowers that also fill the house with their aroma.

Over the years they will spread and bloom with more flowers, but I'm still going to have to plant more this fall. These "dog days" of summer offer the perfect opportunity to plan ahead for the spring garden. I'm jotting notes in my garden journal about what's blooming where and more importantly where more plants need to be added.

Discovering a new plant after gardening for 25 years, something so simple as a fragrant lily, is one of the things that makes gardening so wonderful.