It's the Lily Viewing Moment - 'Caravan' in Full, Luscious Bloom

This is the moment - later than usual this chilly summer, but thankfully finally in full gear - the supremely fragrant Oriental and Orienpet lilies are in full bloom. They're so generous with their perfume, especially at nightfall and in warm sun, that my entire garden is sweetly scented - even on a gray morning if the breeze blows towards the house the lily perfume wafts in.

My favorites this summer are the Orienpet lily 'Caravan' which in some spots (probably with the best drainage) tops out over eight feet tall. I know they're blowsy, obvious, showy, not subtle and refined like martagons and other more subtle, quieter lilies - but that's exactly why I love them. The stalks are as hefty as Jack's beanstalk, the flowers are huge and silky, the pollen-tipped stamen so prominent they quiver like antennae, and the colors, let alone the fragrance, stir the soul. You can't believe such magnificence grows from a knobby little bulb tucked into the soil in November.

Because lilies are so vertical, take up such little room, I can have dozens and dozens in bloom at once even in a tiny garden like mine. Which means there plenty of lilies to cut a stem or two to bring indoors...

'Caravan' has blue-green, slender stems that are strong enough to hold up the heavy, outfacing blossoms without bending over too much. The flowers are soft, buttery yellow with rich mahogany red centers - and like the rest of the Orienpets it's proving to be sturdy, durable, and truly perennial - here's 'Caravan' in its third year in my garden...

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Comments

[caravan parks]

This looks amazing. This is the first time I have seen such a marvelous flower such as a 'Caravan'. Hope to see more of these wonderful flowers.