Lenten sacrifice
I’m giving up flowers for Lent.
Who needs flowers anyway when you have fabulous foliage like this? This is one of the heucheras I inherited with the new garden. Not that I care, since I’m giving up flowers, but the white blossoms in the foreground are ‘Diamond Frost’ euphorbia, already plumping back up with the return of warmer weather (it was 82 degrees yesterday; 27.8 C).
Another look at my fuzzy valentine.
This glossy-headed fellow popped up behind a bamboo muhly I planted over the winter, so I moved it to a new spot. Isn’t it pretty? Can anyone ID it for me? I suspect it may put forth a flower before Lent ends. If so, I shall be forced to cut it off in bud.
I’m new to abutilons this year and already loving the back-lit glow of its maple-like leaves. ‘Marilyn’s Choice’ is a real beauty. Ka-pow! Look at that yellow green!
That it has colorful, bell-shaped flowers that never stop blooming is a bonus—I mean, an unnecessary extravagance. These really need to be nipped off.
Honest. Remember? I’m giving up flowers.
All material © 2006-2009 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
Flowers? Not me, I think I’ll give up weeds and other invasive plants in the garden. Yes, that’s what I’ll do. “Hear that weeds, I’ve given you up for Lent, now go away!”
While I won’t commit to giving up flowers, I do love foliage. Foliage is the old reliable friend who is always there when you need it. Most flowers are the fickle fast friends who leave just when your are starting to like them. I think your mystery plant looks like some sort of Asiatic or Oriental Lily emerging.
Giving up flowers for Lent! Now that’s just crazy, Pam. It makes more sense to give up air or water! 🙂 I could never deprive myself of flowers! LOL of course green is nice too…
I am enjoying the abutilons also! I concur with Les on the ID on the mystery plant. Definitely a lily and it has no lily leaf beetles so you are a lucky woman! 82 F? I am coming for a visit! LOL 🙂 Enjoy the balmy weather.
I’m giving up snow! Will someone please tell it enough already. As for your unknown plant, I’m with Les; I thought it looked like some kind of lily as well.
I’m with Linda — I’m giving up winter. 🙂
LOL! Give up flowers for Lent? Not a chance! That doesn’t sound like something that would be good for my immortal soul. I prefer to do something constructive for Lent, such as cleaning all my containers and searching for a nursery or garden center that will take all those old plastic pots.
The foliage of the mystery plant looks like the big white Easter lilies that are so popular around Easter. I could give up winter too, although that would be absolutely no sacrifice for me. Now giving up flowers or chocolate would be a very painful sacrifice!
I agree, a lily! You’re giving up flowers for Lent? I don’t believe you. :-p And I only hope I’ll SEE a flower during Lent!
Oh, I wouldn’t mind giving up sunshine for lent. The reservoirs are still only at 38% where I live, so rain for a month would be great ;->
Aside, I’ve never been so very big on flowers. I agree foilage can be just as attractive.
If you must give up flowers, perhaps it should be silk flowers? Or flowery speech? Anything but the real thing!
Pam, You my dear, are a very clever girl! Love the photos…and the leaves are indeed beautiful on the heucheras, I’ll pretend I don’t see any flowers. gail
Well good luck with your sacrifice! I could only do that if I lived in a climate where things don’t bloom during Lent! I agree with Robin that you’ve probably got an Easter lily there. I would swear that every house I’ve ever moved into had one of those growing, although usually not too well. Most likely it was an Easter or Mother’s Day gift at one time. If you’re lucky, it’ll wait til Easter to bloom and thus your sacrifice will stand. 😉
Jean
P.S. Thanks for the info on pruning abutilons.
I’d recognize an Asiatic Lily any where! Could even be a Star Gazer if your’e lucky. Now, you HAVE to commit to showing us that little beauty when it does bloom!! Just because, we haven’t given up on flowers for Lent! I’m a huge fan of planting my Asiatic Lilys in with ferns. They really are a stunning combination!
I would like to give up brown areas on my yard. That’s why my hubby and I are trying to plan something to give me a lovely year-round view out of my kitchen window. In the winter (and summer) I get a great view of my birds and birdfeeders, but my photos rarely show what surrounds them. A large backyard filled with mulch and large woodchips. I have a garden back there, but it’s limited. I want to build areas throughout it (probably raised-gardens) surrounded by stone walls (well, 12″ or higher). And put in a pond w/ a running stream (maybe) but definitely a fountain. So, while all that may sound extravagant and NON-sacrificial, so does giving up the brown, come to think of it. Hmm, God wants us to be happy though, right??!!
Thanks for playing along, everybody. As you probably realized, I’m not really giving up flowers for Lent. I’m not even Catholic. Check back tomorrow for a flowery update. —Pam
I’m with you here! The more I concentrate on foliage, and less on flowers, the more I love my garden – especially in my container plantings.
So this giving up flowers for Lent was really a sham? Fear the Lord, Pam, fear the Lord! He does not abide empty promises. As for myself, I’ve decided to give up breathing for Lent — starting on Easter.
I’m a vote for the mystery plant being a lily, too – off with its head! I’ve given up flowers in my garden for nearly 4 months now, so no need to sacrifice them for lent, too. VW
Wow 82 there already? That is suntan weather!!!(-:
The semp is so pretty and they always remind me of a flower(-:
I too am convinced the mystery plant is some type of lily. I hope you’ll snap a photo of it rather than snap off its head–moderation in all things. A flower now and then is good for the soul.
Pretty funny, Pam. After the flowers on a florist’s potted lily fade and the stalk starts to dry up, many a thrifty gardener plants it in a good spot to bloom again. Maybe that’s what happened in your new garden?
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
My dear friend Jen is moving back to Texas… and you are the first site I am giving her for gardening KNOW HOWS in her neck of thewoods.
You are amazing girl… love your blog. Thank you for sharing all your knowledge with us.
FABULOUS WORK!!!
Thank you, Bren! 🙂
Thanks also to everyone who ID’d my mystery plant as a lily. Of course—it’s obvious to me now. Don’t worry, I won’t really cut off the flower when it appears. Just having a bit of fun. —Pam
Gee Pam – I gave up cursing for Lent – and I thought that was going to be tough – but NOTHING as HARD as giving up FLOWERS for Lent. Now that’s a sacrifice! Mary Beth