Sunday, July 19, 2009

Gleanings from the world wide web

Austin gardener and radio host Tom Spencer says it best:

"Spider lily is the common name for many flowering bulbs, so it is easy to get confused. The plants that I am referring to here are the various members of the Hymenocallis clan. These plants offer bold forms and ethereal blooms to our gardens. The foliage closely resembles that of the more familiar amaryllis, but on a larger scale. What sets the Hymenocallis apart are their flowers, which are a beautiful papery white and are shaped like stars (or for those with creepier imaginations, spiders). The flower forms vary a bit from plant to plant, but these are uniformly tough plants that divide out regularly and can quickly fill large swaths of your garden. If you find one in your local nursery snap it because they are still quite rare."

(Read the complete article here.)


We call our selection "Tropical Giant Spider Lily". These are blooming like firecrackers in this 100 degree heat (both in the garden and in the container). It is a wonderful thing to see all the different flowers that continue to bloom through this heat and lack of rain.

Next.... The latest newsletter from the Dirt Doctor Howard Garrett.

For those who really know me gardening, agriculture and world affairs are all passions of mine. I leave off the politics here on this blog but today it creeps in. If the first topic is of no interest to you continue to read the other topics Howard covers. I am not a regular follower of any one writer but I do like to read all the info I can get my fingers on.

Smelling the Roses