Blooming in my garden: Gladiolas

Unknown cultivar © Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Bearded iris ‘Megabucks’

Bearded iris (Iris germanica), photographed at Green Spring Gardens; I think this is the ‘Megabucks’ cultivar, and it’s one of the most unexpected, gaudiest (and prettiest) color combinations I’ve seen to date in a Bearded iris!

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Carpenter bee on Blanket Flower

Carpenter bee on Blanket Flower (Gaillardia grandiflora) ‘Oranges and Lemons’ cultivar

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Bell Agapanthus

Native to South Africa, the Bell Agapanthus (Agapanthus campanulatus) is commonly known as Lily of the Nile, although it is not a lily. This herbaceous perennial blooms in summer and is hardy from zones 8 to 10. Several cultivars and hybrids are winter hardy to zone 7. I photographed this emerging bloom yesterday at Green Spring Gardens.

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Daylily

Daylily (Hemerocallis); I think this might be the ‘Black Eyed Stella’ cultivar; photographed at Brookside Gardens

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Lilytopia 2011

From the Lilytopia signage:

About the Designer: This breathtaking exhibition of lilies was created by Dorien van den Berg, the famed and world-inspired designer from The Netherlands. Dorien was born in The Netherlands and at the age of fourteen was introduced to flower exhibition at the renowned Keukenhof, The Netherlands. She was inspired by these shows and focused her studies on horticulture. She traveled the world and learned different flower arranging styles in Brussels, Vienna, America, Japan and other countries. Years of experiencing different cultures and learning new flower arranging styles have made Dorien what she is and what she creates today. For Longwood Gardens, she carefully selected materials and lily cultivars that create a design that balances color, texture and form to transform the Conservatory into a true LilyTopia.

Lilytopia 2011 showcases over 11,000 cut lilies and 1,500 calla lilies. Learn more about Lilytopia behind-the-scenes in the following links:

http://www.marthastewart.com/270900/lily-glossary?video_id=0

https://longwoodgardens.wordpress.com/2011/05/16/countdown-to-lilytopia-2011/

Photo © Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Oriental Lily ‘Apogee’

New Oriental Lily ‘Apogee’ from Gebr. Vletter & Den Haan

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.