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"Possibility and promise greet me each day as I walk out into my garden. My vigor is renewed when I breathe in the earthiness and feel the dirt between my fingers. My garden is a peaceful spot to refresh my soul." Meems






Welcome to my Central Florida Garden Blog where we garden combining Florida natives, Florida-Friendly plants, and tropicals.

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Sweet Blush Pink of Rain Lilies


Rain Lily; Zephyranthes grandiflora

If there is a positive aspect in our many rainless weeks of spring it could be that the rain lilies prove they are deserving of their name. When once we have a nice showering from heaven like we did last week...
their habit is to send up lots of budded scapes after a dry spell. Like clockwork, in another day or two the pale pink flowers push out into blooms of cheery lilies. Rain lilies are of a small stature with approximately 12-14" scapes reaching above the evergreen grass-like foliage and the flower is only about 3" in diameter at full spread.

They won't be the central attraction but they definitely add a nice variation and the sweet blushing color is an attention getter for any "lover of pink".

Starting from bulbs or rhizomes these easily grown lovers of Zone 8-11 are perfect for a sunny spot or partial shade in the garden. They especially appreciate crowded conditions like the rest of the family of Amaryllidaceae.

Mine were started from a neighbor passalong who grows a sea of them in her front gardens. Slowly each year (dividing in spring) I've found more places to poke a spot of them in between other plantings for the sheer enjoyment they offer every time they come around.
Great performance with continual rounds of blooms throughout the summer months can be counted on which makes them an automatic must-have in Florida.

20 comments:

  1. I love the rain lilies. I grow them in pots and overwinter them in my garage. They haven't bloomed yet for me, even with all the rain we've gotten, but I hope to see some blooms in a few weeks, providing we still get some rain!

    Carol, May Dreams Gardens

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  2. Beautiful. I would love to have a sea of rain lilies.

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  3. Rain lilies are tough little beauties aren't they? I had forgotten about them, but now I must go and see about finding some. Once upon a time I had a huge pot of them by my door, and they seemed to thrive on neglect. I love your blog.

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  4. Carol: glad to know you can grow them there... I would think they would do very well in pots. I keep thinking I should try that too.

    vanillalotus: I don't have a sea yet my neighbor does... but I get to enjoy hers from across the street.

    sue: Yes, tough and little beauties. You are right- they don't need much attention. As a matter of fact I can't think of thing I ever do except snip the seeds off the ends once bloomed in order to promote more blooming ....but even that isn't necessary.

    Thanks for visiting. Always fun to see fellow Florida bloggers.

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  5. hopefully this won't show up twice.
    these are truly lovely! they almost look purple to me, which i can never get enough of.

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  6. Your pink rainlilies are beautiful. I think they also vary in their coIours, some are dark pink and some have just a blush of it. I always look forward to summer when they are flowering in my garden. They make such nice clumps. I have made borders with them.

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  7. I saw rain lilies on blogs last year and loved them...I found one little white one this year at the San Francisco Flower Show...it's still alive but that's about the best I can say for it!

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  8. Marmee: only once... they are definitely pink but you know how capturing colors goes on a camera AND different computer screens make hues show up inconsistently.

    Titania: Thank you. Don't think I've ever seen the dark pink but white is one I've read about only.

    Leslie: Don't give up on them- they will either multiply eventually which will cause them to bloom better or you might want to think about getting a couple of neighbors to crowd them in and see what they do?

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  9. We had a lot of rain in the past week and my rain lilies are also out in force.

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  10. I have a feeling your rain lilies enjoyed the continuous rain from yesterday.

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  11. Rusty: you guys have been getting better rain than us but finally yesterday we had a really good- I'm out of town but hubby is home keeping me updated.

    Jane: Hubby is especially glad as he doesn't have to drag the hose around for me as much until I return.

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  12. Beautiful rain lilies....and I love the soft pink. I can imagine a drift of them, it must look so pretty.....

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  13. meems,

    hello! I do love these perfect little flowers...and wonder if I ought to try them here in zone 6b (quickly becoming 7a). The color is sweet and calls to me! The notion of a plant that likes to be crowded is terribly exciting to a lazy gardener!

    Glad you are back, I did miss your posts!

    gail

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  14. I don't think I have ever seen these before Meems. I can sure see why you would like these pretty flowers. They are a beautiful addition to your garden.

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  15. I just noticed these this year. Do they only bloom once or continously throughout the year?

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  16. cheryl: thank you... yes I can see my neighbor's drift of them from inside my house through my front window and they are delightful...

    Hi Gail: I think you can grow them you will just have to dig them up before winter and that might not fit the bill for the lazy gardener. :-) Hope you had a nice vacation.

    Lisa: Rain lilies are most likely not grown in your area too often but you could give them a try in pots- I'm glad you like them.

    WG: They do keep re-blooming - as soon as one "round" of blooms expires it doesn't take but a few days and another good afternoon storm for another round of blooms- throughout the summer. You should give them a try -they would do well where you are!

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  17. glad you're back online! glad you have some new tech gear too! your flowers are lovely. PS: you'll be glad to know your garden's been gettin' some good rain!

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  18. Your blog is beautiful. I want to meet a manatee sometime.

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  19. Where can you buy rain lilies by mail. I have pink ones and I understand there are different colored ones and I would like to send for some. Marilyn

    PS I live in Iowa and grow them in pots and put them in the basement for the winter

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  20. marilyn: hello and welcome. I don't really know where to tell you to buy rain lilies. You might just google it and probably find a place that way. I started out with some from a local nursery and have divided them up from there.

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Have a blessed day,
Meems


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