Friday, April 25, 2008

Friday Five - Flowers

When you have only two pennies left in the world,
buy a loaf of bread with one,
and a lily with the other. ~ Chinese Proverb


First, thank to everyone who contributed a favorite quote to last week’s Friday Five. I think that for every mood we humans experience, there is a quote to express our feelings, and I'm sure grateful for that!

Since it’s finally spring here in the United States, I thought I’d honor the season by making this week’s theme nature related. I must admit to “borrowing” all these images off the Internet. I’m also hoping I can get all five to upload, since seeing this week’s five is pretty important (if I could only figure out a way to do “smell-a-blog,” that would be even better!) Thanks to Wanda over at Exuberant Color for her guidance on uploading images.

So, without further ado, I present for your pleasure:

Pattie’s Top Five Favorite Flowers!

1. Casablanca Lilies (pictured above.) Ahhhh! These beauties are certainly magnificent to look at, with a pure white bloom the size of a dinner plate. But it’s their heavenly scent that places them at the top of my list. If you want to lift your spirits, buy yourself a single stem, sit back and enjoy. They’re intoxicating!



2. Lilacs. Another flower I love for its scent. Plus they’re a great way to welcome Spring into the garden!



3. Delphiniums. These guys aren’t scented, but they sure are beautiful – tall and grand and lovely. I have yet to try planting them in my California garden.



4. David Austin Rose. I was just introduced to this variety only a month or so ago, and it was love at first sight. Believe it or not, I’m not a huge fan of roses, but this old-fashioned blossom and heavenly fragrance just stole my heart. If I ever decide to plant a rose, it will be this one.




5. Hydrangea. I’ve fulfilled a life-long dream and have planted not one but two hydrangeas in my yard! One is a lace-cap variety like you see here; the other is the traditional “mophead” variety I keep in a pot so I can adjust the pH to keep it a lovely shade of blue.


So that’s it: my five favorite flowers. How about yours? I hope you’ll leave a comment and tell me your favorite blossom, and may it bring to mind images of Spring!


Until next time…

18 comments:

HappyBlogChick said...

Pretty! Some of your fav's don't grow where we live, but a couple do.

Our hydrangeas are looking good this year. It's too early for blooms, but they're filling out so well I think it's going to be a great hydrangea year.

I love roses, too. I have a light pink Belinda's Dream that is SO easy and beautiful, but I love my Livin' Easy and my Maggie, and ... so many to love! David Austin roses ... isn't that a whole bunch of different roses, not just one kind? Here's where I've bought some of my roses, see the link at the left ... there are a bunch of David Austin roses from what I can tell. http://www.chambleeroses.com/xcart/home.php
Who knows - I just know they're all pretty.

Hooray for spring!

jovaliquilts said...

That Chinese proverb is very much like a poem I learned in junior high:

If of they mortal goods thou art bereft,
And from thy slender store
Two loaves alone to thee are left,
Sell one, and with the dole,
Buy hyacinths to feed thy soul.
Musharish-Ud-Din Sadi

I was just quoting it to someone the other day, but couldn't remember the poet and had to look it up!

Cammy@TippyToeDiet said...

I love roses of all kinds, but especially David Austin roses. This one reminds me of The Sheperdess, which is a nice hardy rose.

Besides roses, I love daisies, black-eyed Susans, lavender, and poppies.

Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson said...

I love foxgloves and delphiniums but don't grow either one. I like all colors of hydrangeas and love the daintyness of coral bells. I really like my Cup of Gold evening primrose which blooms in early June. If I had to choose flowers in a bouquet, it would be roses.

RunningNan said...

I love a good ol' Lily any day!

lahodges said...

My five favorites that are planted in my yard are:

Bearded Irises (which are currently blooming and look magnificent

Pansies (how can you not look at those happy little pansy "faces" and not smile?)

Kaffir Lilies (They only bloom about six weeks out of the year, but those clusters of bright orange lilies just do it for me.)

Dwarf Snapdragons (I think this may be a holdever from when I was a child playing with them in an elderly Aunt's yard and making their little mouths pop open and closed. I still love them to this day"

Gardenias (there is nothing like that wonderful smell when my gardenias are blooming.

Nicole said...

I love flowers. Every kind, doesn't matter to me what. I guess my favorite flower would be whatever's in my house or yard at the current moment. LOL!

I do have a fondness for carnations. Have always loved them. And I must say the pink ranunculus I picked up at Whole Foods this morning are beyond gorgeous.

PoshLa said...

What beautiful photos, as expected, from Pattie, a Master Gardener!!

Roses are my favorite - white iceberg, bonica, and any tea rose lights my fire!! I have thousands of buds ready to explode in a week or two!!

Tea Rose Favorites - Peggy Lee (large soft pink), Double Delight (pink, and vanilla), Lincoln (red), Brandy (apricot). All in my front yard.

I discovered my love of roses through my DH - now I prune them all, water, fertilize and debug them weekly, while DH plays golf!!

Susie said...

This is a great idea for a FRIDAY FIVE..I have noticed the blooming everywhere and it's so beauteous. Sadly, I am no gardener..no horticultural hobbyist..ect.This is on my list of thinks that I would really like to do and learn more about. I like lilacs too..love the way they make the whole area smell. I love a peony and a gerbera daisy too. There are more--but I don't know the names :( Oh and another favorite--ANY KIND MY HUSBAND OR CHILDREN GIVE ME :)..Have a great Spring Weekend!

Manuela said...

Gee, you've pretty much named mine. I have delphiniums and it's quite a lovely bush already (they're azure blue and won't bloom until at least mid to late May).

David Austin roses--does anything smell as heavenly? I have several and they are wonderful as their scent fills my garden and my house--I'll have to take pictures (I just bought Winchester Cathedral last summer).

I've been digging and prepping my beds and perennials and CAN'T WAIT for the flower bonanza to begin!

Hanlie said...

Lovely post! I don't have much space for gardening, but I love the following:

- Trellis roses that bloom in profuse clusters.

- Lavender

- Ranunculus

- Jasmine

- Sunflowers

Kathy said...

Beautiful...and I noticed your flowers are in the same color range that I enjoy!
Master gardener? Moi? Not by a very long stretch! But I have to say that I've always loved and appreciated a well landscaped yard and always comment when I see a well tended garden plot. I'd just let myself get so overweight that it was impossible for me to do those chores. It is so nice now to have lost enough that I am able to bend over and reach to do some of the chores that I love so much. So, maybe there is a budding master inside me somewhere...who knows! The world is full of possibilities and with the price of gas going so high, goodness knows we're all going to be forced into spending more time in our own back yards! Have a great weekend!

Beemoosie said...

How fun!!! A great day to meet you, flowers are a favorite subject of mine! Hmm... five faves. Bearded Iris, lupine, hollyhocks, poppy, and foxglove. And probably anything else these beginning greenish thumbs can get to grow!!
Have a great weekend,
Bonnie

jillytacy said...

I love lilacs since I remember a lilac perfume my mom had when I was 4 or 5 and a lilac bush in our front yard. Good memories! I also love tiger lilies, sunflowers, hydrangeas, and roses. Flowers what's not to love!

Erin said...

So jealous of your ability and space for gardening, I live in an apartment and am not so lucky. Thank you for the beautiful pictures!

Anonymous said...

What beautiful pix! I am going thru garden envy! I love gardenias & jasmine!

Lisa aka water_nymph said...

that IS so nice!! and i was so happy to see the first 3 are MY favorite flowers too!! SInce i am a gardening IDIOT i hope you dont mind but i wrote the other 2 down to see if we can plant them here (toronto canada!)

great post!!

R.Shack said...

Pattie,

I love Casablanca Lilies, should I ever get married it'll be them all the way :-)

I've been searching for months for info on where they can be grown (like is Southern MD warm enough for them). Do you know??