hmmm could I be making the transition over to mystery novels ? Started to write this last night, just barely started that is. Lightning started flashing immediately and since the battery is suffering from assault ( constant re-charging ) and (no longer is a ) battery, the option of an un-plugged quick post was not there. So here I am this morning. The storm has wound down to a drizzle. And it is now official. Bloom season has started here in this garden. Glimpses of the neighborhood Stella de Oro not withstanding we have an actual bloom here in the garden. Moonlit Masquerade, the same bud compared to the lilies close to a week ago has come around to being a bud no more. A blossom this one is. Not the most graceful of blossoms on this drizzly morning. Still the mystery is solved, bloom season is started now ! And Moonlit Masquerade done it. The butler is officially off the suspect list. hmmm he still looks suspicious……
And this is how Moonlit Masquerade finished the day, still not quite open all the way.
a north east ohio garden 
Plenty of scapes but only Stella is blooming. Not even my little”Stella’s Daughter is blooming as I lost all but 2 fns of it over winter – I had potted it to be moved to the field bed this spring.
Asiatic Lilies are beginning, an unknown red-orange and Scarlet Pixie with huge buds on ENCHANTED and a couple of other Pixies. Front bed has several nice clumps and a few singles nearing their season. And then the DL will burst forth!
We didn’t get any storms here overnight but we sure got a gully washer of a rain around 3 – 4 o’clock and some rain blowing in the window wind, Haven’t been over to look at the creek, but lots of little lakes in the alley and all low spots. One more good rain and we should be caught up after last year’s drought. Plants are lush to be sure, hope I don’t see and exploding scapes!
Rebecca,
Is Stella’s Daughter a seedling of yours ? Either way sorry to hear they were lost to winter ! I guess I am glad for the rain. Last night I finally got around to rebuilding the raspberry bed. There were about 5 plants surviving in the bed and another 5 refugees that were growing outside of the boundaries… and into the daylilies in some cases. The rain and cloud cover today should help the transplants settle into the bed. And maybe next year there will be enough raspberries for a batch of freezer jam ! I will have to check the 5 gallon rain gauge tonight to see how much precipitation we got last night. They had pics of flooding on the other side of town.
John, yes, SD is one of my seedlings grown from a “Nature Made” seed off of Stella. It’s perhaps 10 years old and several people have divisions of it, including Mike Darrow and Mike Huben and several friends from my time on Tinker’s Gardens. It’s maybe 2″ an a near perfect bagel when everything is to it’s liking. Scapes are 27″ with 2 or 3 laterals and top “W”. Puts out 20 or so buds. Interesting thing about her is she sends up instant scapes, generally 3 sets, 10 days apart. Increases like a rabbit! In TN is also reblooms. I was going to register it but never got it done.
Quite a few blooms on the Stellas today, all damaged by the hard rain and wind we had last night. Stella and SD are both nocturnal and extended. So much so that SD remains open for 20 – 23 hours! And slightly fragrant too. Not much of a pod setter but pollen is quite viable.
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Hi, I have nominated your blog for 2 awards. Congratulations! 😀 *Brigid
Thank you Brigid !
my pleasure John 🙂 *Brigid
Thanks for visiting my blog. Love seeing your pictures.
Thanks Lois – I enjoyed your blog.