Today we’re off to the Mohawk Valley in central New York State to visit Lee’s beautiful garden.

It’s midsummer, and I do believe we have a “bloomfest”! At times I’ve seen easily over 300 blooms at once. We’re heading toward the peak, with many buds remaining and the phlox and Maximilian sunflowers yet to start their show. Lots of colors, BIG hand-size blooms, and lilies towering over 7 feet tall! In a previous post (Lee’s Garden Through the Eyes of an Ant) I showed all of the plants starting their push, and now those little lilies that looked like mini-palm trees are 6-footers of a light pink.

I’ve gone through 75 bamboo sticks (which are virtually invisible) and a number of “lumber sticks” (which aren’t invisible); the lilies taller than 4 feet love to be supported due to the weight of the blooms. I even used two expandable tarp poles to string-support the 7-foot red lilies along the rear of the vegetable garden. A storm came through and that wasn’t enough. I almost lost a few to breakage down the stem, but I quickly got some paint sticks and duct tape and made splints. Gotta do what ya gotta do!

Towering lilies (Lilium hybrid, Zones 4–8) carefully supported

A piece of lumber keeps this trumpet lily standing up.

Bright flowers under stained glass

An Asiatic lily with dark petals

Bright rudbeckia (Rudbeckia hirta, Zones 3–8) and coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea, Zones 4–9) mix with lilies.

Seven-foot-tall lilies are carefully supported with a line of string.

Looking toward the pool, which is surrounded by flowers

Lilies and more blooms around the pool

This picture shows the first and probably only painting I have ever attempted. I painted the entire fascia board on the back of the garage with every imaginary flower that I could think of. I painted “panels” from 1 to 2 feet in length and called that a session. I’d come off the ladder and take a break. I’m surprised that I didn’t run out of ideas for flowers.

I certainly hope people enjoy the pictures, maybe tickle their thought-processes in a way that keeps them thinking forward with a vision of their own. My wife and I are quite pleased with my continual effort to make the next year even better. She says that I succeeded. Why disagree with her?

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