Scarlet Beauty

One of the fun things about spring and summer is watching all of the flowers bloom in the yard. Each year, the parade of blooms is somewhat predictable but still delightful to witness. I never grow tired of the show! This year, many of the flowers are arriving on a somewhat later than usual schedule, as we had a long, hard winter.

The scarlet beauty in this photo is called red carpet border lily, and I took this photo after rain just as the sun came out, so the flower was covered in raindrops. These lilies are blooming in the butterfly garden along the side of our house, and they will be followed soon by another host of red blooms when the monarda open up. Boy, will the hummingbirds go crazy then! I've seen just a few hummingbirds this year so far; they have been quite scarce. But I am hopeful that will change when the huge red monarda (also known as bee balm) blooms open!

I always include a note about lily toxicity in cats when I post a lily photo, and I'll follow that tradition here. Lilies are extremely toxic to cats, and contact with any part of the flower, plant, or bloom can be fatal for a cat, causing kidney failure in as little as two or three days. If you have cats in your home, you may wish to leave the lilies outside in the yard. If you touch lilies, please be sure to wash your hands before touching your cat. Here is a link where you can read more. This announcement has been a public service to cat lovers everywhere. :-)

The soundtrack: the Who, a vintage performance of four baby-faced lads singing Pictures of Lily.

P.S. I'll be off-line for a few days as I go on vacation to Atlantic City with my sister. I hope to come back with some fun beach photos to post here! See ya then . . .