Rejoice, thou humble grass, thou new-born lily flower

Regular visitors to The Belfry have heard of my fondness for martagon lilies and the vicissitudes I've experienced trying to grow them for myself.

I am happy to report that my most recent attempt to plant some did not result in another unexpectedly candy-coloured creature in my front garden.

Behold:



A martagon lily. Behind it, you'll see another about to open. They are not quite 6 feet tall (in fact they're closer to 3 right now) but these are immature plants. Give them a few years to settle in and I'll have my 6-foot purple -- and white -- lilies.

Next challenge: find some Madonna lilies (Lilium candidum) and get those going.

William Blake