Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Pretty picture: Lilium cvv.

Not a lot really needs to be said about these. Lilies tend to speak for themselves, and most of us have seen this first one, Lilium 'Stargazer,' already. (Readers who have read Amy Stewart's book, Flower Confidential, will also be aware that there's an interesting and somewhat bittersweet history behind this particular cultivar. See my full review of FC here.)


This second one is very similar to 'Stargazer,' but lacks the white edges and gradually deepening pink-red toward the center of the petals. Also much less freckled. I can't really decide which I like better: I suppose it'd depend on how far away you expected people to be when they looked at it. What's your vote?


Both of these pictures came from a trip to my ex-job, by the way. I mean, just so you know.


5 comments:

lynn'sgarden said...

I'd favor the IN YOUR FACE boldness of the Stargazer..just more interesting! BUT the fragrance always give me a headache! Just so I'll know...is there an interesting story behind the ex-job??

Kenneth Moore said...

Stargazer... The other one just looks unfinished!

And I bought Flower Confidential, but I'm reading Wicked Plants first.

Apparently my melon allergy might be due to my intense ragweed allergy, not a specific allergy to melons?

Wicked Plants is a cool book. :-D

Anonymous said...

I really, really like Stargazer. They're so shockingly pink, and then they have those bright white margins - impossible to ignore!

Though the first time I saw them, they were sold as "Starfighter" lilies.

mr_subjunctive said...

Sixwing:

I like the idea of a 'Starfighter' lily. And truly, 'Stargazer' is one of very few lilies that might deserve a name like that.

Kenneth Moore:

I suppose I should probably review Wicked Plants soon: I feel kind of bad that I haven't done so already. It's probably going to be a while, though, regardless. Too many major posts in the works right now to take on another.

lynn'sgarden:

Not especially interesting, no. There is sort of a story, but a lot of it can be summed up by two things: one, transportation to work was going to become an obstacle once we moved, and two, I was living in a state of increasing dread about going to work as the summer approached and the weather got hotter, because of last year's emergency room visits (search PATSP for "Helen Hunt" to find the account of the worst one). Those two things aren't everything, but they were a lot, and would have been enough to get me to leave even if everything else had been wonderful all the time.

The heat stuff, of course, was a lot of time spent worrying about nothing, apparently, this being an exceptionally cold and wet summer so far, but I had no way of knowing that at the time.

Unknown said...

I'd have to go with the majority and vote for Stargazer.

I just found your blog today and have only read a little, but now I'm hooked and will waste way too much time reading what I've missed. You're so mean. Because I really have a lot of other things to do and shouldn't spend time at the computer.