Tag Archives: Daylilies

Remembering Ginger

Posted on by Laurie

One of our guests at the Bed & Breakfast once declared me to be “a collector of both Boston Terriers and their likenesses” –  a description which still makes me chuckle. My husband and I have had six much-loved Bostons over the years – and we do indeed have quite a few pieces of Boston Terrier memorabilia, many of them kindly given to us by guests fond of our dogs.

Bill and I have some good friends who also are Boston Terrier parents. Knowing that I am a gardener, these friends have very thoughtfully given me flowers to plant as living memorials to several of our canine children who have passed over the years. One of theses is a  daylily named “Punk” given in memory of Ginger.  (“Punk” was one of several affectionate nicknames that we had for Gingie because she was always ready to turn anything into a game.)

Ginger passed away two years ago at seventeen years of age. She brought us tremendous happiness in her lifetime. This is the first time that Punk has bloomed. So I wanted to share  a remembrance of Ginger and photos of her tribute flower which I tend with affection as I remember our punky Ging.

GingerInSweater2

 

DaylilyPunkSingle

DaylilyPunk

GingerPortrait

Have a lovely weekend!

Last of the Daylilies

Posted on by Laurie

Thankfully, I have a few clumps of late season daylilies scattered around the garden, but their days are definitely numbered with only a few buds left to open … a reminder that the garden will soon be making its transition from being a summer garden to an autumn garden.

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DaylilyAutumnAccent2

I think that this variety might be called “Autumn Accent”, but I am not positive about the appellation. Does anyone know “Autumn Accent” well enough to confirm or refute this? Thank you for any help. Have a lovely day!

Beautiful for a Day

Posted on by Laurie

Hemerocallis – beautiful for a day – is the botanical name for daylilies, so called because each bloom typically lasts for one day. Much of my garden is looking a bit bedraggled from the storm that passed through here last night, but not the daylilies. Since every morning brings all new blooms, they are having their day in the spotlight. This daylily is called Anzac.

Wishing you a lovely weekend …

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Wild Daylily Gin & Tonics

Posted on by Laurie

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After working in the garden much of the day yesterday, I made Wild Daylily Gin & Tonics to celebrate the first day of summer.  Here’s to summer!

Wild Daylily Gin & Tonics

The blooms in these summery cocktails are edible and are meant to be eaten. They taste like cucumbers and are easiest to eat starting from the stem end.

Gin

Tonic Water

Lemon Slices

Hemerocallis fulva Blooms (See note below.)

(1) Pick fresh Hemerocallis fulva blooms. Remove and discard the pollen covered tips from the stamens. Gently wash blooms in cold water. 

(2) For each G&T, fill a tall tumbler about 3/4 full of ice. Add lemon slices. Fill about 1/3 of the way with gin then top off with tonic. Gently stir. Place a daylily in the top. Enjoy! 

Note: Do not eat true lilies or use them as garnishes. True lilies – plants in the lillium family (e.g. Easter Lilies, Asiatic Lilies, Oriental Lilies, etc.) – are poisonous. Daylilies are not true lilies. Ones of the wild variety are edible, though occasionally someone is allergic to them. Hemerocallis fulva – wild daylilies – are the only daylilies recommended for eating because, given the many different hybridized cultivars out there, it is possible that some one or another could make a person sick. Wild daylilies, the tall orange ones that are often seen growing wild along the side of country roads, are edible. I grow them in my garden and use the blooms to garnish beverages and salads. I haven’t tried eating the tubers, but I have read in several places that sauteed wild daylily tubers are quite tasty.

There are a number of articles available on cooking with daylilies. Here are a few links:

Hunter Angler Gardener Cook

Eat the Weeds

Organic Valley

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K-State Gardens

Posted on by Laurie

As part of my resolution to experience more of what Manhattan has to offer, I recently attended a gala at Kansas State University Gardens. It was a wonderful evening. The theme was Three Coins in the Fountain to celebrate the installation of a second fountain in the gardens. Unfortunately, I didn’t bring my camera that night, but that just gave me extra reason to go back! The gardens are just over 2 miles from The Morning Star. I hope that you enjoy my photos. (Since the completion of the gardens is still “in progress”, I’ll certainly have more in the future.)