My Passion for Stargazer Lillies

I told you guys it wouldn't be long before my first post on one of my favorite things. Here is the first and it is something that is definetly a passion of mine.

Stargazer by John Dankwardt

My background is a beautiful picture of my favorite flower the Stargazer Lily, taken by photographer John Dankwardt. He has a quite FABULOUS collection of photos  that you can find at http://www.flickriver.com/photos/bunka1/. For me, the contrast between the vibrant colors of the flower petals and the black background brings an elegance and depth to the photo that is rarely found in images of flowers. This picture captures the essence, and beauty of the flower so well. I LOVE it!

I remember receiving a bouquet of flowers with huge, beautiful Stargazer lilies from an old boss Christopher Kern, while I was out sick once. I had never seen anything so beautiful. From then on I was hooked :) For many thousands of years lilies have been associated with thoughts of purity. Which is why we often see them at Easter and actually have Easter lilies. These are plain white lilies. They are thought to have began to grow on soil wet by Jesus' tears in the garden of Gethsemane after the suffering he bore in his final hours, so churches use Easter lilies to memorialize the Jesus' resurrection. White lilies are also used to convey sympathy.

White Stargazer

Stargazer lilies are perennials and are a recent addition to the lily family, having been created by Leslie Woodruff, a lily breeder in 1978. They are a hybrid variation of the Oriental lily and Asiatic lily (both of which I am also a fan,) and are now the most sought after lily type. I love the Stargazers because of their beauty, their capturing scent, their long blooming period and large blooms. In addition to that, they are very easy to grow and maintain once you keep them in well lit areas, and moist but well drained soil. Note that too much sun can fade the flower's vibrant colors, so partial shade is best. Not all Stargazers are the familiar bright pink. They actually range in color anywhere from pure white to bright pink.

The cost of Stargazer bulbs is very reasonable, and you can find them in any Lowes, Home Depot, Walmart or any place that sells a good variety of plants or flowers. Facts and care instructions can be found many places online. I personally like the site http://www.lilyflowerstore.com. In addition to Stargazers, they carry a large variety of lily types and can ship out to you whatever you want. 

I find it hard to imagine that anyone can fail to acknowledge the sheer beauty of these flowers.