Small Miscommunication, Big Consequences
I'd been looking forward to enjoying the beautiful lilies in the flowerbed in front of our house this summer. They'd come up quite nicely, and I'd noticed that a number of them were producing smaller lilies around them. After three years of growth, they'd probably be ready to subdivide and replant this fall.
Today I had the lawn mowed for the first time this season. I'd been focusing on making sure the tulip beds were clearly marked, since I've had trouble in the past with them being mowed right over. But I'd thought sure the bricks that bounded the lily bed would clearly say "I'm a flowerbed, leave me alone."
However, I hadn't gotten around to weeding the lily bed, since I'd been busy with conventions -- and the lilies were mistaken for weeds, so they got knocked down right along with the weeds. There are just a few little stubs here and there -- and unlike daylilies, true lilies grow entirely from a single bud at the top of the plant.
Which means that, barring some literal miracle happening along and restoring my lilies to their pre-mowing condition, we're stuck hoping that the bulbs still have enough energy in them to come up next year -- which means at least a year of green growth to rebuild their energy stores before they'll be able to bloom again. I found a packet of annual flower seeds and have planted them, so we may be able to have at least some flowers instead of nothing but ugly barrenness.
However, next year I want all our flowerbeds worked and mulched before our first mowing of the season. Especially if I have to end up replacing all our perennials, I do not want to lose them again.
Today I had the lawn mowed for the first time this season. I'd been focusing on making sure the tulip beds were clearly marked, since I've had trouble in the past with them being mowed right over. But I'd thought sure the bricks that bounded the lily bed would clearly say "I'm a flowerbed, leave me alone."
However, I hadn't gotten around to weeding the lily bed, since I'd been busy with conventions -- and the lilies were mistaken for weeds, so they got knocked down right along with the weeds. There are just a few little stubs here and there -- and unlike daylilies, true lilies grow entirely from a single bud at the top of the plant.
Which means that, barring some literal miracle happening along and restoring my lilies to their pre-mowing condition, we're stuck hoping that the bulbs still have enough energy in them to come up next year -- which means at least a year of green growth to rebuild their energy stores before they'll be able to bloom again. I found a packet of annual flower seeds and have planted them, so we may be able to have at least some flowers instead of nothing but ugly barrenness.
However, next year I want all our flowerbeds worked and mulched before our first mowing of the season. Especially if I have to end up replacing all our perennials, I do not want to lose them again.