Laurie’s garden has reached the fullblown Jurassic Park stage of midsummer when perennials such as Joe Pye Weed which start from ground level are now taller than we are. The main feature in fragrance and beauty: lilies. All were purchased from B&D Lilies or Van Engelen. Another somewhat accidental feature are a few showy dahlias, originally given me by friend Sheila. Laurie had wanted some bright late summer colour, and the first year she thought she liked them. By the second year, she decided they did not fit in, and so I dug them all out except for a favoured deep red one at the end of the long curved border. They got new homes here and there, but I must have missed some tiny tubers because back they came. My favourite kind are the ones with tight whorls of little spoon petals, but Laurie thinks those look too prissy. Yet when I told her that I would try again to remove them, she said “Oh, but they are family now!” Adorable!
And here, without further gabbery, are the luscious lilies.
[2012 note: In June of 2009, Laurie’s garden was on the Peninsula garden tour. In autumn of 2010, Laurie moved to California for health reasons. I wrote this piece about memories of her garden.]
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