Ann’s Weblog

Lilies are one of my favourite perennials. Before I started flower gardening “in earnest” a few years ago, I had considered lilies of all types too delicate for our harsh climate. At one point after I started selling perennials, an acquaintance phoned and offered me most of her lilies, which had almost been lost to weeds and sod and drought. All I needed to do was DIG them. Most were past blooming for that year, so I didn’t know what I was getting, but I did take this gal up on her offer, and blame her (thank her) NOW for my enthusiasm for beautiful, hardy lilies. I have collected many different varieties since that gift.

Pictured directly above are the five Oriental Lilies that I have… Stargazer, Tom Pouce, Red Hot, Casa Blanca (I think that’s an Orienpet), and Dizzy. I have African Queen Orienpet Lily, but I don’t have a picture of “her”. I don’t know all the names of the Asiatics I have, but some are Lollipop, Landini, Monte Negro, and Chianti.

I’m not trying to mislead you. The above photos are of lilies that grow in my garden, but they are not in bloom all at once. From early June to first frosts, I have some flowers, including lilies, to make bouquets out of. Most of these are actually photographed in my garden either this year or in recent years, and some are photos from various websites.

Thanks for appreciating lilies. ~ Ann

My day started with “suiting up” in order to water the trees, shrubs and perennials in the garden centre, at 7 am.. I had a notion, when I went to bed last night, of going out at 5 am. to beat the mosquitoes, and though I awoke at 5, I didn’t follow through. At any rate, it did get done; the nasty critters were already out in great numbers.

Groomed a little dog from Valemount again today, another dear little Shih Tzu cross. When I started my pet business 23 years ago, the breed most presented for grooming was Poodles, then there were the years of the cocker spaniel, and more recently, a HUGE percentage of my grooming shop clients are Shih Tzu or Shih crosses. Just as with humans, there are good and bad in every “race”, but I usually have little trouble with the behaviour of the pets.

This is the July long weekend/Canada Day. At first it looked like I’d have only two boarders, and suddenly there are eight reserved. We have plenty of space for that number, especially when some are from two-dog families and are kennelled together.

Have been getting ready for the Market: labelling jars and trying to assemble what I need to serve cheesecake. I made Baklava “Cigars” with the intention of taking THOSE to the Market, but I will want to take baking to the Dunster Ice Cream Social, so I might leave that baklava at home. Gary just sampled one and deemed them “wicked”!

The Dunster Ice Cream Social is held on the Saturday of the Canada Day (July1st) weekend. This is a picture from a previous year… you get the idea: all-you-can-eat ice cream and cookies, pies, and cake, etc.

I’m tired. Some treasured returning customers are coming by tomorrow morning before Market time to buy specific perennials and shrubs, some plants which I have YET to dig up. So I’ll try to get up earlier to beat the mosquitoes again.

Thank you for reading my blog. ~ Ann