Lilies

My mother loved tiger lilies. Yes she grew petunias, I've mentioned that before. She was one of those ladies that had basket after basket of petunias growing on her porch. That was the only annual she grew, at least that I can remember. As far as perennials go, she loved the aster, the mum, and the tiger lily. She was a proper lady, hardly went farther than the front porch or the car to go shopping. The great out-of-doors was too wild, too vast for her, and too dirty, sweaty. Interestingly enough, her daughters and granddaughters became avid gardeners, and generally speaking, athletic women. Mama is long in her grave now, and I miss her dearly. And really, even though she said to me once, My God, you work like a man, I still learned how to be gentle, feminine, and proper.

As far as tiger lilies go, they are usually spotted orange lilies. In Kingston the slugs ate the heck out of them. I don't grow any in my garden now, but there are many folks in the community garden who do. See Lilies: A Guide to Choosing and Growing Lilies Just two garden plots over there are tiger lilies and other lilies, white ones, perhaps Easter lilies. I love the smell of a lily. It's very sweet and intense scent fills a whole room with intensely sweet scent. When using them as cut flowers, pick off the pollen. It slips off each stamen easily. Just toss the orange pod of pollen in the trash, for if it falls on you carpet or table cloth, it will stain it. Plants are used for fabric dye. And although I haven't studied this much, I do believe pollen is one of the natural substances that is rich in pigment for dying wool and cloth.

Well enough about gardening. Today I will hike to the top of Sauk Mountain with a good friend. He is quite the trekker—long treks in foreign countries, as well as strenuous local treks. He's interesting to chat with and a good listener. When I was married, I was the main chatter, although frequently my ex and I would have evocative conversations about spiritual matters. We also liked to work in the garden together, although he took over everything. Sort of like a noxious weed. He, he. That's exactly it. Pervasive, invading, chokes out other plants.

Speaking of, the morning glory that tangles around the blackberries and butterfly bushes—guess what? All noxious weeds. Obnoxious too. Don't you love the blackberries though, and really the butterfly bush is lovely. You can keep them if you pick off their flowers and toss them out. That way they don't spread seeds.

Back to the hike. Sauk Mtn. is south in Skagit county. I'm not big on knowing the hikes in the area because I'm a transplant. Growing up in Spokane, I know the rivers and the mountains there and north into Idaho. I also know some of the land around Yakima, since I lived there for four years. I do know Mt Rainier and the Pacific Crest Trail. I know snow and mountain lakes and scree fields. I know horse flies and no-see-ums. Sauk mountain actually looks like the cuff of a sock. It's not a long climb, I'm told, but steep with switchbacks. The view is supposed to be splendid. I'll take my camera so I can pass on some pictures.

The rain is coming in today. It's been feeling cool, almost fall like. Very disappointing spring and summer. I've heard that east of the mountains it's a blast furnace. I'll be there in a couple of weeks, get my good dose of heat-to-the-bones before fall comes.

Happy Gardening, Flower