Spider lilies
My grandmother had day lilies along side her house in ‘town’. She also had a huge hydrangea bush near the driveway, ground cherries under a mulberry tree in the back yard and a huge garden, the front half being a standard vegetable garden for the table and the back a huge cucumber patch. Elderberries were on the fence row separating her house from the neighbor’s.
Those day lilies were always so pretty…so different from what my mother grew on the farm. Mom’s favorite flowering shrub was a peony—pronounced ‘piney’.
When we were a young married couple—with not much money, we were given a book by Euell Gibbons–a master at foraging from the wilds.
We discovered day lily buds could be lightly steamed as a vegetable. Later we learned they could be pickled and made an excellent accompaniment to fish.
My dear husband planted these spider lilies along the garage on the farm. When I toured the St. Feriole gardens, I was amazed at the spectrum of day lily color.
I harvested buds and pickled them—those spots made for a deep cranberry red juice.
aren’t they pretty?
That background of the rusting sheet metal on the side of the garage is perfect. Husband wanted to change it out—but I insisted it stay—just for these perfect photo shots.
and here is a ‘plain’ day lily flower.
These were in the gardens on St, Feriole Island
Sylvia Weir Art 