Mid-Atlantic Gardening: Show us your Reds & pinks., 1 by critterologist

critterologist wrote:
My lilies were declining, but I've been trying to fertilize them more, and that seems to be helping. I did lose several stems this year to what seems to be some sort of insect problem... little piles of pale rice-shaped bits on the ground, and hollowed out lily stems.... I'm hoping the main bulb survives below and that it had enough time to make food with its leaves before whatever struck it down.

Half price roses and clematis... oooOOOHhhhh... See if you can get one of those Zephyrine Drouhin climbing roses (they'll bloom in part shade, even against a north facing wall)... I just love mine! I should not buy any more clematis until I have put up some trellises or fencing to support the ones I've already planted... one set of them took off a year earlier than I was expecting, and they're just sprawling all over the side patio!

Here's Clematis 'John Paul II', a delicate shade of pink that doesn't show off properly in this photo. I've got several of Brother Stephen's clematis against the side of the house, and I definitely need to get some lattice panels up this fall for them.