Loving those lilies

The blossoms on these lilies appear to have missed the worst of the attack of the lily beetles. The colors are so rich and luscious, they always make me think of velvet draperies held back with satin cords in rooms filled with gilt trimmed furniture with heavy brocade upholstery. Welll, that's my fantasy anyway. This pumpkin colored one was one of the first to open. It's slightly misshapen because the beetles damaged the bud before it opened.



This red one has a hole in one petal. Next year I'll know to start picking the beetles off when they first appear. That way they won't produce the larva that do the damage. The larva themselves are truly disgusting (yet interesting0 critters. They cover themselves with their own feces so the birds won't pick them off. This means that they look like little blobs of dirt on the leaves, but they don't wash off as easily. The adults are bright red and quite beautiful, but way too prolific.

Love the color of this one, a sort of peachy cream with freckles.

This red one is a new color. Not all of the bulbs I had planted were mature enough to produce flowers last year. This one took an extra year, but it was well worth the wait. Thank you Claude and Susan for the bulbs.