When I was young, my maternal grandparents lived in Montgomery, Ohio. From my earliest visits to their home, I have snapshots of memories; no great detail but hazy pictures. My grandpa’s radio. Going to school with my grandmother. The Hadley potter plates she used on her table. Homer’s Hump – that dip in the road that made my tummy flip. The stand of Tiger lilies on a nearby country road. I couldn’t take you back there today – those lilies may not even be there anymore. Yet they’re a picture frozen in time in my mind.
I’m always on a shoestring budget, so I was happy to discover some Tiger lilies at Home Depot more than a year ago. I created a corner for them in my yard and planted six bulbs. Four came up last year and never flowered. This year, six lilies laden with flowers appeared. I’ve been watching, waiting for them to blossom. This morning I was giddy to see they had bloomed.
I wandered over for a first peek. Not a spot in sight. The lily bulbs sold as Tiger lilies, the package that had Tiger lilies pictured on the label, are not Tiger lilies. Despite a long-awaited disappointment, I’m trying to find joy in these pretty flowers.
Well, I think these are tiger lilies….??
In your memories were they more yellow?
read up on these (google) and see if you can find out what kind you have
These are delightful. Are you saying these came up but you did not plant them (“not a spot in sight”)
They look sweet, little tigers
For some plants, the first blooms do not bloom “true.” I don’t know if that could be true for lilies, but subsequent blooms may be as advertised. Hope so!
I am sorry. I loved my great grandfather, he was the only grandfather I had. He loved lilies and roses, his garden after retirement was so beautiful with just those two flowers. I have those wonderful memories that can never be recreated. I have purchased bulbs and seeds too, that did not match the flower or vegetable that I supposedly bought. Greed of money gets in the way of caring, so manufacturers no longer put quality control first. I hope that you try again to find the tiger lilies that you want. Maybe get bulbs from someone that has what you want. I also bought tiger lily bulbs last year that now that they are blooming, look like your lilies! I bought the bulbs at Walmart.
My memory – and in the packaging – they were spotted. Hmmm.
Hmmm. You get what you pay for? 🙂
Maybe there can be joy in knowing that your care of these bulbs have brought forth blooms even though its not what you were anticipating. We think our life is going to be a certain way yet life has its way-throwing us for surprise good and bad. These lilly’s may not be you wanted but there is still beauty in them. Embrace the beauty of unexpected surprise.