Tiger Lilies

Every year I look forward to lily time, and these are my favorite. I don’t know their real name. In our family, these are Grandma’s Tiger Lilies.

Grandma’s Tiger Lily

 

This is Grandma in 1930 at age 18. I see my mom in her.

Anna Burger Age 18

 

This is Grandma and Grandpa holding a baby me in 1963.

And this is Grandma with her siblings in 1978. They are all gone now.This picture was taken on Grandma’s farm in Fawn Grove, PA. This is where the tiger lilies came from. My mom took some (as she is wont to do) and made them a part of her yard. When I moved here 22 years ago, she shared, as she is also wont to do.

 

They are tall; many of them are well over my 5 feet 7 inches.

I’ve planted them everywhere.

I want to have plenty to share with my children.  And grandchildren . . .

Seed Saving

My yard is always full of my family and friends. As I walk outside I am greeted by Woody Platt’s Sundrops, Grandma’s Tiger Lilies, and Mom’s Cleome. I take care with these special plants. To ensure that they stay with me, I save the seeds to plant next year.

Cleome Flower and Friend

Cleome seeds in the pod

This is the time of year when the seedpods are brittle and dry. That’s when you want to collect them. The Cleome seeds above are ready to be harvested. I’ll hold a large, clean, dry Tupperware container underneath and brush the seeds into the container.

Columbine Flowers

Columbine seeds work the same way. Collect them when the pods are dry and brittle and look like the picture above.

I store my seeds in a labeled #10 envelope.  Seed Collection Envelope  Here’s a pdf to download to print your own envelopes. It is set up for my printer, which feeds envelopes vertically on the right. I can format it for different printers; just let me know.

spring garden

I am doing a lot of plant watching, lately. This time of year it seems that the weeds grow while my seedlings sit and pout.

I did have a new plant bloom this year: 

Me: “Mom, did you give this to me?”

Mom: “Yes.”

Me: “What is it?”

Mom: “I don’t know.”