The Fragrant Ginger Lily

     My Aunt had the most fragrant flowers blooming in her yard. They were ginger lilies. 

I got some cuttings from her and they did well. 

Then my daughter, Shirley, married, moved to Virginia and started her own bed of the white blossoms.

Years later Shirley's brother, Michael,  dug some up for himself... took them from Virginia back to Alabama where they'd started, and now he has a bed of them next to his deck. Makes for such a sweet-smelling setting. 

Although the plant is called a ginger lily the bulbs are not edible, however the flowers and buds can to added to salads and other foods. 

African Violets

 Over the years I have tried a hand at growing African Violets. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. All depended on what kind of lighting I had available. 

And, sometimes I'd overwater! 

I have one now that has done very well in indirect light in my dining room. 

Here are some from other times I've had African Violets. 

                                                  Do you grow African Violets? Which color do you prefer? 

Far East Beauty

 I had never seen one of these... well, to tell the truth there is a lot of things I've never seen... but getting back to talking about flowers... 

My daughter Shirley bought one of these and brought it home. She said it was a Siam Tulip. Come to find out the flower isn't even a tulip but belongs to the ginger family. It originated in the far East (Laos, Cambodia and Thailand) but is sold here (evidently since Shirley bought one! 😃). 

Her's has been a steady bloomer and so pretty sitting on her side porch. Is this flower new to you,  too? Just wondering 

                                                            SIAM TULIP