Sunday, July 31, 2016

Console Table

It rained on and off all day today so I had to take a quick photo in between rain showers.  We really needed the rain so I can't complain about it raining.
I'm going to shorten the rods by 8 inches.  That will give an overhang of glass about 4 inches on each side.  I figured that I might need to shorten the rods and that is why I left them as long as possible. Better to cut twice then cut too much off once.

We also want to add another rod but first we will concentrate on the length and then add the third rod.  R says there is one area where he thinks there is enough material that we can drill another hole.  

Japanese beetle trap update.

The traps are still catching beetles but at a much slower rate.  I am still not finding any beetles on my roses or plum trees so that is good.  Next summer should be interesting to see if the number of beetles are less than average.  

Also, I did not win the Powerball tonight.  But I did get a check in the mail for 36 bucks.  About 6 months ago I read an article about class action suits.  It says that a lot of people miss out on $$$ that is owed to them.  So now whenever I get an email about a class action suit, I fill out the form and email it back.  So far I have received 4 checks.  

Granted they are not big. One was for malware software that was bogus and I received a full refund of $19.99, another one was for a memory card that I bought for a laptop a long long time ago, there was also the Ticketmaster suit but I didn't even try to get my discounted tickets because I read they were gone almost immediately.  There was another one for $20 bucks but I can't remember what it was for and today's was the $36 dollar check for magazines.  I didn't really read it carefully.  I just looked at the magazines and went yup I subscribed to that one and that one and that one.  

At one time I was receiving a lot of magazines but then the recession hit and a lot of them went out of publication and they would substitute another magazine in it's place.  One time I renewed a two year subscription for R to a weekly newspaper about racing. Within a month they folded.  This was a well known paper owned by Chris Economaki and he died soon after they folded.  The weekly paper was picked up by another person but changed to a monthly with glossy paper.  R never liked it.  He liked the weekly format because they covered some of the smaller racing series and he could see his name and my son's name in the paper every week.  I ran across a stack of those papers in the garage just the other day.  So anyways, fill out those forms and you may get a check in the mail, too.  Free unexpected money is always the best.

Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle

BTW if you used Rustoleum's Restore on your deck and did not like the results, I understand that they are close to settling that class action suit.  Search the Internet and you will find several forums dedicated to that problem and what to do to get your money back.  The product wasn't cheap and it looks like it didn't work too well.  That really surprises me because I love their spray paint.

Saturday, July 30, 2016

Cutting Threads in a Steel Rod

I wasn't going to cover cutting threads in a steel rod but a miscalculation on my part caused me to haul out my button dies, so here goes.

When I started assembling my console table I realized that I forgot to buy jam nuts and because I didn't buy jam nuts my calculation on how much threaded area was needed was incorrect.  I needed at least another half inch of threads on each end of the thicker rod.  So I hauled out my button dies.

Button dies are the round disc that cuts the threads on pipe or rod or you can sometimes use them to correct a damaged area on a bolt.  More than likely the average homeowner won't have a variety of button dies or corresponding taps but I used them when I was working so I dusted off the old toolbox and found my stash of button dies.  I also realized someone has been in my toolbox because I have a method to storing my tools and I found wrenches in my socket drawer and basically everything was a mess. This screams R all over it.
I keep my button dies and some of my taps in a metal box.  I have another plastic container with my tiny taps, and then of course I have my three tap and drill indexes.  But what I needed today was a button die and a die handle (some call them a holder or wrench).

Each button die is marked with the type of thread such as NC, NF, NPT, and NPS.  NC is national coarse, NF is national fine, NPT national pipe thread taper, and NPS national pipe thread straight. There are others but since I wasn't threading pipe I was only concerned with NC and NF button dies.
A quick look at the threaded rod, bolt or nut should tell you whether it is a fine thread or coarse thread.  Now you measure the rod or bolt to get a size.  I purchased the rod so I knew it was 3/8th.  So I know it's 3/8th and it NC.  But I also need to know how many thread per inch.  This is important because if the thread count is off then the pitch of the threads will not be correct and match your nut or match the threads if you are adding threads like I was today.
You can use a thread gauge or in my case I had the rod with the threads already cut and just needed to match up a die.  Because of my past experience I did grab the correct button die to begin with, which was a 3/8 NC 16.  This translates into a 3/8th stock, national course threads, 16 threads per inch.

To double check, try spinning the button die onto the rod or bolt.  If it is correct it should easily spin on.  If you have to try and try to get it started and it snags along the way it is the incorrect thread count. DO NOT FORCE.
Next you put the button die in the die handle.  You will notice a little indent on the die.  Line this up with the set screw and tighten the set screw.  

Now look for your bottle of thread cutting oil or compound.  I gave up after 15 minutes and just used some 3 in 1 oil that was sitting on the workbench.  Now if I was doing precision work I would have looked until I found my bottle because I would need the nicest threads possible.  

Place your rod in a vise and clamp tightly.  You can place your rod either straight up and down or horizontal.  It just depends on how you like to work.  I'm a straight up and down person because I find it easier to keep my button die handle level in this position..  Next lubricate your rod with cutting oil.  

The first couple of threads will be the hardest and the first thread may even be crooked but by the time you finish, it will be OK.  It's important to keep the handle level until you have several threads cut.  After that the die will keep the handle in the correct position. 

Turn your handle a half of turn and then back about a 1/4 turn, then forward a half of turn, and repeat the process,  When you go backwards it removes the waste metal (shavings) out of the way.  If the metal looks dry or the cutting is difficult, add more oil or compound.  You cannot add too much oil.

If you are doing multiple pieces and you want the threaded area to be the same length you will need to count the revolutions.  Today I needed to add 9 revolutions to each end to get the desired additional thread length that I needed.  16 threads per inch and I needed 1/2 inch more threads so I chose 9 revolutions.  8 would have been 1/2 inch but I added one revolution for good measure....LOL

Now I could assemble the base.  First screw on the jam nut.  The jam nut goes on all the way until you run out of threads.  Next put the rod through the base and screw on the brass acorn nut until it bottoms out.  To tighten, hold acorn nut in place with a wrench or socket and use another wrench to tighten the jam nut against the cast iron.  Repeat process on the other end.  I have two rods to install and they are different size rods because the existing holes I had to work with were different sizes but the process is the same.
I added these vinyl pads to the top of the base to cushion the glass and to help hold the glass in place. 

I shot this photo with my phone and it makes the base look like it is askew but trust me the sides are straight up and down.  Tomorrow I will clean the glass, take a better photo, and I'll have a console table to use on my deck. 
Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle

Thursday, July 28, 2016

Repurposing a Cast Iron Sewing Machine Base

I was beginning to think that I had dreamt that I bought a cast iron sewing machine base.  I must have made 10 trips through the house and barn looking for it.  I walked through cobwebs and through the barn loft until I thought I would faint.

Finally I gave up looking.  R and I were busy today changing out the well pressure tank and replacing some sections of ill installed copper pipe.  Exactly who uses short sections and elbows galore when a straight piece 8 feet long would work perfect?  It was during one of my many trips through the basement and out the basement door that something caught my eye.  There it was.....just where I put it 2 years ago.  
It was 630PM and my local ACE Hardware closes at 7PM.  So I threw one side into my vehicle and took off to buy solid steel rods and acorn nuts.

The rods came in 48 inch lengths which believe it or not was just the length that I thought would work perfect with the glass top.  The base needed to be wider to support the glass top but not so wide that the proportions would look odd.

Dan, my hardware guy, cut threads in the steel rods for me but only after we figured out which size acorn nuts would work best.  He than checked out the thread count and pitch so that he could cut the threads to match.  He used a button die to cut the threads.  I have a complete set in my tool box but I thought he had a thread cutting machine in the back.  It was only after he cut them that I found out he just used button dies.

We double checked the acorn nuts to make sure they worked.....and they did.  Good job Dan.  The cost was a little over 17 bucks.

Tomorrow I'll clean up the base and spray paint it satin black.  I won't need to sandblast it as it doesn't have much rust that can't be removed with a brass brush. It appears that the base was only painted one time, so there is very little loss of detail that happens when multiple layers of paint fill in voids and obscures subtle details.

I'll need to clean the rods with alcohol or paint thinner to remove the protective coating of oil so that the paint will stick.  The only detail that I need to figure out is what I am going to put on the top of the base where it contacts the glass.  Probably some sort of rubber or foam with a sticky back.
By tomorrow night I should have a console table made out of a free piece of tempered glass and a 16 dollar vintage cast iron sewing machine base.

BTW within 1 hour of placing the two table bases out to the curb, they were picked up by a scrapper.

Reuse Repurpose Recycle 

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Curbside Treasures and What are We Going to Do with Them

Seriously R should go pro.  He is finding so much stuff that I just can't keep up.

The first item was a newish metal and glass computer table (rt side of photo) with a pull out keyboard shelf.  I can't use the table but the rectangular shaped piece of glass went into my glass stash.  I have round, square, and rectangular pieces that I can use to make a small table top or a shelf.  

The photo below shows the computer desk without the glass because I had already added it to my stash pile of tempered glass.
You can buy pieces like this at Pier 1.  But why buy when it's free.  I've given a few pieces away to people who have asked me " where can I get a piece of glass for a table top?"  

Don't use single window pane glass for a table top or shelf.  You need to use tempered glass which is stronger and will break into a million little pieces rather than large jagged pieces that are dangerous.

The other curbside treasure was a glass top coffee table with a metal bottom.  The glass top is a bowed rectangular shape.  There was a $5 sticker on it from a garage sale.  The glass is worth more than 5 bucks.  It looks like no one bought it at a garage sale so they put it out to the street.


I'm keeping just the glass from this piece, too.  I love the shape.  I already know what I am going to do with it.  I have several cast iron sewing machine bases that I have purchased over the years.  One in particular is just the ends and the steel rod that the foot treadle rode on.  I wish I had a photo of it to show you but I could not find it in the barn or the basement.  I'm pretty sure it is in the barn but it was about 120 degrees up in the loft so I might have been looking right at it and could not see it.

I will need to get a longer rod so I can extend the sides to accommodate the longer piece of glass.  I am hoping to add two additional rods at the top for greater stability.  Fingers crossed that there is an appropriate place to drill a hole.

Of course it will be painted in satin black and should make a nice console table for the deck.  I have a narrow area on the deck where I think this will work perfect.

I could also use it as a sofa table behind one of my vintage wrought iron Woodard sofas. One of my Woodard lamps would look perfect behind a Woodard sofa.  They are pretty rare and I have 4 of them.  I have yet to run across any other lamps.  

I was lucky that I got these.  I was buying a Woodard tea cart from a seller in Owosso, Michigan (home to Woodard Furniture) and I mentioned to the guy that I collected Woodard furniture and was using the tea cart in my older home.  He then asked me if I was interested in lamps. I asked 'what kind of lamps' and he said 'Woodard'.  I said 'of course' even though I had no idea what a Woodard lamp looked like.
He said he wanted them to go to someone who liked and appreciated Woodard furniture and asked me not to resell them.  He said his late father worked at the Woodard factory and these were his.  I agreed not to resell and asked 'how much?'and that is when he said '10 bucks each'.

I was thrilled.  One of the lamps is the oak leaf acorn pattern that I have a lot of pieces and the other three are the daisy pattern.  Once they are all painted the same color as the furniture it will not matter one bit if the pattern is different or not.

Oh man, have you ever not been able to find something in your house then all of a sudden out of the blue, you remember where you think you have put it?  It just hit me that the cast iron sewing machine base might be in the garden shed or the sun room (excess project furniture storage room).

Both the metal desk and coffee table base will go out to the curb where I am sure a scrapper will pick them up before the trash truck shows up.  It's the beauty of recycling and reusing.

Saturday, July 23, 2016

Buying Pots

LOL....I bet you thought....say what?  I'm talking ceramic and galvanize steel pots.  Not the other pot which Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airman sang about being down to seeds and stems.  This song was a favorite during my freshman year of college.  I'm showing my age, aren't I?
But back to the pots I bought.   I know it is too late in the season to plant these but they are for next year when the deck redo should be finished.  This is the best time to buy such things as it is getting towards the end of the season and they have to make room for snow shovels and such.

I really loved the shape and color of the pots that I bought for the front porch this spring.  It's a traditional shape with a little twist with that raised rib towards the top.  I also like the shiny finish in contrast to my concrete pots.
On my last trip to a local nursery I noticed that they had the pots on sale for 25% off and the selection of black pots was greatly diminished.  So I thought now or never and time to pull the trigger and buy a couple more for next year.  I purchased a larger pot and an additional smaller version.  Then I spied this small round shape black pot with cut outs.  It's an orchid pot but I can cut a piece of coco mat and line it before I fill it with dirt.

FYI I just noticed that the new pots have the raised rib design towards the bottom and the ones on the front porch have the rib towards the top.  So they are the same but not the same.  That's even better.
The other night I stopped by Target to check out their umbrellas (that's another post) and I noticed these two galvanized steel planters in a squared flare design.  I liked them but wasn't sure and left the store. 

All the way home I questioned my decision. When I arrived home I immediately got online and ordered the two planters.  I used in store pick up to save on shipping and Ebates for an additional 2% savings.  I picked them up the next day.
R thinks they look like duct work. LOL I don't think so.  I love the quilted diamond shapes that are lightly impressed in the metal.  
I purchased a set of 3 avocado colored pots at Rite Aid drugstore for 50% off earlier in the summer.  They are ceramic and jardiniere shaped with the same quilted pattern as the galvanized planters.   Rite Aid's online site currently has some cool umbrellas and outdoor pillows for sale. With the Plenti card and the promo code riteaid20 you can get an additional 20% off an online order AND 5% additional savings on Ebates.

Next spring it will be fun to mix and match pots and crank open all my new umbrellas.  Yes, that's umbrellas with an S.  I can't help myself.  R keeps finding these cool umbrella bases so it is my duty to put them to good use.

Tomorrow I'll tell you about what R picked up on his way to the grocery store.  I'm only going to use part of it but it will pair up nicely with an early 1900's piece that I bought at a consignment shop years ago. 

Pot Percher

Normally I don't go for gnomes but for some reason I liked this little guy and the price was right.
$2.89 for a miniature Travelocity gnome. 

Friday, July 22, 2016

New Day Lily Plants and a Beetle Trap Update

I have a beetle trap update but let's look at the pretty flowers first.
 Fooled Me
 Indian Giver

Those are some striking day lilies.  I couldn't resist buying them the other day when I was shopping for flower pots.

The beetle traps are kicking it.  After only a day and a half the half gallon container was half full of those nasty beetles.
The other two traps have a full two days worth and they are each over 2/3 rds full.  Unfortunately that means I need to empty the traps.  EWWWWWW

The above trap shouldn't be too bad because I just need to put the cap on it and I am done.  The other two are gallon bags that you are suppose to empty but I am going to remove them and staple them shut.  EWWWWW  When I replace the ziploc baggie I will put the ziploc portion at the top so that I just need to remove bag and zip it up.  

I walked around again today checking the beetles usual haunts and nary a beetle to be found.  Love it when a plan works out.

Also not to be found, orioles.  They have left for the summer.  But we have a new bird.  The grey cat bird.  They sound just like a pissed off cat.....LOL  

On a side note.....see that rock popping out of the ground behind the beetle trap?  That boulder has popped up out of nowhere in the last three winters.  More than likely the deeper than normal frost has pushed it up.  R poked around with a metal rod and says it's big.  There are about 5 rocks that need to be mined in the side yard. You can see where they are because the grass turns yellow first in those areas because the dirt is shallow where there is a rock.

It's always something.  If it's not beetles eating your leaves, it's big old rocks popping out of the ground.

Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Japanese Beetle Trap Hack

It is amazing how well these traps are working.  The beetles just fly into the bag.

I set up the third trap today and used the trap hack that Hartwood Roses posted about last week.  I used a large water bottle (half gallon???)  and a tomato cage in my version.  She posted an update on her traps today. Read about it here.

First, I cut the bag off just below the narrow portion.
I then placed the neck of the water bottle into the bag and used a piece of plastic twine tied just below the ribs that hold the cap in place.  A twist tie would work better but I didn't have one right at the moment.
Then using the same plastic twine I suspended the trap in the middle of the tomato cage.  I used the tomato cage to help keep the traps from blowing sideways in the high winds that we have had the last two days.  The beetles are not very good flyers and when the trap is blowing around it is hard for the beetles to land on the trap.  Also, I had a stash of cages so no extra money was spend except for the initial costs of the traps.
Yesterday I mentioned that they say not to hang in trees or by plants.  I have found that my plum tree is a Japanese beetle magnet.  In the past years the top of the tree has had a swarm of beetles flying around.  But today the top of the tree was without beetles and the only place I could find beetles were on the limb right around the trap.
The second trap that I hung yesterday was moved out into the yard as was the new third trap.  After relocating the traps I walked around my yard looking for beetles.  Normally my rose bushes are favorite places for beetles to snack on but today there were no beetles to be found.

Where were they?  They were in the traps.  The two traps that I hung yesterday are filling up fast.  By Thursday I will need to remove the bag on the trap in the plum tree. At that time I will either replace with a gallon ziploc bag or modify the trap to accommodate a large water bottle or milk jug.

The more beetles that I kill this year are less beetles laying eggs in the ground to hatch next year.  I don't see ever being able to eliminate beetles all together but if I can keep them off my trees and roses I will be happy.

Sunday, July 17, 2016

The Dreaded Japanese Beetle and How to Get Rid of Them

First off, as bugs go, these are nasty little buggers.  I've lived with them long enough and tolerated their destructive ways, but no more.  I'm packing pheromones and not afraid to use them.

The perpetrator.
 The Japanese beetles was first spotted in New Jersey in 1916 after it was accidentally introduced into the United States from Japan where it is not a major pest.  Here in the US the beetles skelotinize leaves of plants and trees.

The life cycle of the Japanese beetle is such that it is suggested that you treat both for the beetles and the grubs that are in the soil.  Those grubs are nasty looking.  I rarely see grubs when I am digging in the soil but I am sure they are there.

I've decided that I am going to use traps to help with the destruction that the Japanese beetles are doing to my fruit trees and roses.  The use of traps is controversial but I do not want to use chemicals in my yard or around my fruit trees.

While reading some of my favorite blogs, I ran across a post by Hartwood Roses .  She has a fantastic hack for the beetle traps that not only save money on bags but also keeps critters from tearing open the bag of beetles looking for a snack.  Check it out.

There has been some research that shows that traps lure more beetles into your yard than if you didn't have the trap.  My feeling is that I don't care where the beetles come from because my goal is to kill 'all the Japanese beetles'. I could care less if I am luring my neighbors beetles into my yard, as long as I kill them.  I'm sure my neighbor doesn't care because their roses take a hit every year.  I just can't see using chemicals and then eating the fruit from the trees that I treat to kill the beetles.  I may get sick and die from the chemicals but at least I don't have bugs on the leaves of my trees and plants....NO THANK YOU.  I'm going to give these traps a whirl and see how it goes.

The wind was almost unbearable today so I was unable to install the traps on a wire frame out in the yard but I will do that tomorrow.  You are suppose to hang the traps in the open and away from trees and plants.  I did hang them from two of my fruit trees which you are not suppose to do but I wanted to see if the beetles would be interested in the trap.

Were they interested????  Oh my gosh. I laid one trap on the ground while I attached the other one to a limb of the apple tree.  When I looked down there were three beetles on the trap trying to get into the bag.
I hung the second trap and went and got R to check it out.  When we got close to the traps we could see them flying into the bags.  It's amazing.  They fly into the yellow plastic part and drop down into the bag.  The bag kept blowing around and some of the beetles were having difficultly hitting the bag. This will not be a problem once the wind calms down.
There are several companies that make these traps and they are basically the same.  There is a hard plastic frame that the plastic collection bag hangs from, a plastic bag, and a pheromone and attractant disc.  The pheromone lures them in using the possibility of sex as the attractant.  Then there is also the scent of fruit or flower to attract those not interested in a hook up.  The smell is actually quite pleasant and I thought it smelled like a sweet flower and clove mixture.

Tomorrow I will attempt the milk jug hack on the other brand that I purchased.  This is very appealing to me because I do not want to empty a bag or even come close to any kind of contact with these beetles.  The milk jug option means I can remove the jug, cap it, and toss it.
The style that I hung today has a ziploc bag that hangs from the frame.  I think I can use gallon size ziploc bags and a hole punch to replicate the set up.  Rather than emptying the bag, I can just remove it, staple it shut, and  toss it. 
You can buy replacement pheromone/attractant for each brand so that next year you just buy that part and you are ready to go.  I think I will try and buy those at the end of the year when they go on sale.  They are good as long as you do not open the package.  The pheromone/attractant is suppose to last 6-8 weeks once it is opened.

Wish me luck.

Friday, July 15, 2016

Before and After Photos of Umbrella Base

I was excited to paint the umbrella base that R found yesterday.  You can read about it here.

The first thing that I did today was haul out my spray paint and my plywood spray painting board.  I have an old piece of useless plywood that I use when I spray paint.  It works better than newspaper because the wind can't blow it up and into the wet paint.

I always start with the bottom of the item that I am painting.  This way the top is the last part painted and will not get scuffed if I had to flip it over to paint the bottom.
The bottom of the umbrella base had 4 rubber feet.  I say HAD because only two complete feet were remaining.  One was missing completely and one was half scuffed away.  I ran to the hardware store and couldn't buy an exact replica but I did get something to replace the four feet.  This will protect the paint finish when moving the umbrella base.  I'll install them tomorrow.
I gave the bottom and the edge two coats and then mowed the backyard so that the paint could thoroughly dry.  The top required more patience because of the decorative design and received between two and four coats depending on the area.

The 'BEFORE' photo
The 'AFTER' photo
The final result is spectacular.  The details really show up now that it is painted and has a sheen.  When it was dull you didn't notice the raised detail.  Now that it has a slight sheen, it casts a shadow and you notice it right away. 

I cannot believe someone was going to toss this base just because it required painting.  I used a black satin spray paint with primer included.  I used roughly 2/3rds of a can and the paint cost less than $5.00 for the entire spray can and roughly two hours of my time to paint (most of that was waiting for it to dry).

This was a world class SCORE!!!

Curbside Treasure and Market Umbrella Search

R has scored again!

He was on his way to a doctor's appointment when he spied something on the edge of the road that had been put out for trash pick up.  He stopped and retrieved it and then proceeded to his appointment.

When he arrived home he told me to come out and look at what he had picked up.
I was amazed.  It's huge (22 inches by 22 inches) and must weigh at least 35 pounds.  All it needs is a new coat of black satin spray paint and a large canvas market umbrella and this great cast iron umbrella stand will be back in business.
This is the third umbrella stand that R has picked up.  We have a round cast iron base in the garden shed, then there is the umbrella stand that R found along with the Woodard rectangular patio table that we gave to B & G, and now this one.  We also have the restored SUN Oil CO sign base that we use with our current market style umbrella.

Canvas market style umbrellas come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and of course colors but we will stay with basic black to match the wrought iron furniture.  I will introduce color with my cushions and pillows.

I currently have a round umbrella and I thought that was the only shape that umbrellas came in but I was wrong.  You can also get a square umbrella and a rectangular umbrella.  We orinally were leaning towards a rectangular shaped umbrella to use between two vintage wrought iron chaise lounges but then changed our minds and think a large round will work better. 

Umbrellas also come in a variety of sizes from 7 feet to 13 feet.  I'll need a large size to cover two chaises. The umbrella should be manufactured out of a quality material like Sunbrella and the pole needs to be at least 1 3/4 inches in diameter to fit the 2 inch ID (inside diameter) of the umbrella stand pole receiver. So the hunt is on.

Frontgate has a beautiful umbrella but it doesn't come in black.  


Ballard Designs  has a great looking 11 ft round black umbrella (photo shows the striped version) that also tilts.  Hadn't thought about tilting.  The price is good at $299.00.


Home Decorators Collection has a 11 ft. black canvas round shape umbrella that tilts for $278.99.



 I will also need to factor in shipping cost before deciding on an umbrella.  But it looks like there are quite a few options out there.

Tomorrow is a race day so R will leave early to go racing with our son.  He is currently in first place and it is important for them to have a full crew on hand if a problem should arise.  My trackside wrench turning days are behind me so I will watch the race on the computer and get updates on my phone.

I need to mow the back yard and paint.  My spray painting trigger finger is itching to paint that umbrella base and to start on the patio furniture.  I also need to prime some shingles so it looks like I'll be busy on Friday.

Thursday, July 14, 2016

Asiatic, Oriental, and Day Lilies

I like big flowers and I cannot lie. Lame...I know but I couldn't help myself.  Tiny delicate flowers just don't do it for me.  I need flowers that can be seen from a distance because my house sets back from the road so flowers need to be BIG if they are to be seen by the passerby.

Right now the lilies are in bloom. Both the Asiatic and day lilies (which aren't lilies at all) but for the sake of this post anything with lily in the name qualifies.  True lilies grow from a bulb and day lilies grow from rhizomes which is a modified subterranean stem that sends out roots from it nodes.

So what's the difference between Asiatic and Oriental lilies?  Asiatic lilies bloom first and just about the time that they are ending their bloom the Oriental lilies take up the cause.  Oriental lilies also are scented.

So lets start this lily parade.
 Trumpet lily is very large and tall and shaped like a trumpet.  


 This might be a Oriental lily because it smells like a light perfume. Not overpowering but just enough that you take notice.
 Now for the day lilies.  This one is called Little Grapette.  It's a short plant with smaller flowers.  
 I can't remember the name but is is dark dark red with a chartreuse back side. 






 This is striking.
This is a day lily that was suppose to be white but it's ivory and doesn't look white at all next to my white trim so I'm going to move it.  It's very large but not as tall as the label indicated.
Burnt Embers
 This is a small day lily with double the number of petals.
Very large and very pretty.  I prefer the tetraploids day lilies.  Tetraploids have double the chromosomes so the petals are thick.  I also prefer hostas with thick leaves.  I guess I have a 'type'....LOL

I still have Star Gazer lilies to bloom and several of my day lilies need to bloom.

We had quite the storm today so I won't know how my flowers fared until the morning.  We needed the rain so if it knocked a couple of blooms off their stems then that is OK.