The Triple-Orange Daylily Bulbs: Revisted

Back in May, we posted about Grandma Gigi's Texas Garden. Remember, she had the orangest daylilies ever? When she visited us last year, just after E was born, she brought some of these lilies up with her. I believe she may have even snuck them on the plane (sorry TSA!).

During her stay, she "nursed" these bulbs & stems in a pan of water of our deck where they could receive the best sunlight. Then they were planted. After she left I watched and waited for something I could report out on, but nothing came. I was concerned the neighborhood deer might have found them irresistible because I never saw a thing, but I was told it would take just over a year for the blooms (I guess good things DO come to those who are patient...).

Well, the good news did come! One has popped up to say hi! Perhaps I am just getting older, but I was prompted to ask her about the exact history of this flower, especially since I knew it had some family meaning. Here, in Grandma Gigi's own words is the account of the Triple-Orange:

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My mother loved flowers. It didn't matter what kind they were, as long as they bloomed, they grew in her yard. I think I was about 8 years old that spring when she found the triple-orange daylily bulbs in a seed catalog. They were expensive, & we were on a limited income, so she told me we'd have to save our money. One day she said we had enough, so we ordered them. I remember "helping" her fill out the order form, then I got to carry the envelope out to the mail box. I think I was as excited as she was about them. She would look every day for the bulbs to arrive in the mail, & one day, there they were. I remember the package being kind of bulky - the mail box wouldn't even shut all the way! I carried the package very carefully. I was kind of disappointed when she removed those ugly brown bulbs from the package; was this what all the fuss was about? Mother told me that we'd have to wait for a little while, but the wait would be worth it. We planted them the same day we received them. Mother had so many other daylilies - all colors & shapes, but she said THESE were special; the blooms were to have a triple layer of petals on each blossom & be a beautiful bright orange! They came up right on schedule, but I had to wait the rest of that year, plus part of the next spring, before they finally sent up tall, green bloom shoots. I watched the buds grow fat. One morning there were three opened, & they were everything the seed catalog (& mother) said they'd be! Yes, they were worth the wait! Mother called all her friends & told them to come see them. Such are memories made of. I found that those triple-orange daylilies proved to be very user-friendly. They are healthy & hardy, & I found that they would grow in all types of soil. Through the years I've made it a point of carrying a bulb or two of those lilies to just about every place I've ever lived, & left them for the future owner to enjoy. I have also made it a tradition to bring them to family, no matter WHERE they live! Every time I see a bloom, I'm taken back to that summer when I was a child & "me & mommy" planted daylilies together.

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Here are pictures of the actual flower, which has bloomed here in our backyard.

In a digital age of .jpg's and txt msgs, we are elated to know there are still physical objects that can be "passed down", or better yet "planted". What does your family pass down from one generation to the next?