Lone Tiger

For only the second time in the five years we've lived in this house, one lone Tiger Lily has bloomed beside our driveway. What a sweet surprise it's sudden appearance was to me this morning as I was leaving for work! I didn't plant it--it's a remnant from the days when an old lady owned and lived in this house and enjoyed tending flowers. I always take a moment to send a mental "thank you" to this long-dead woman when something pretty pops up in the yard. Tiger lilies are among my very favorite midsummer flowers.

Surpise Tiger Lily!

I got up this morning, poured myself a cup of coffee, and stood sipping it while looking out of the kitchen window. A spot of bright orange beside the driveway caught my eye, and it turned out to be a Tiger Lily! We've lived in this house for four summers now, but a few scattered daylilies are the only kind that ever bloomed here. Of course I ran and grabbed the camera.

This is actually a Turk's Caps Lily (Lilium superbum) but one of it's common names is the American Tiger Lily. That's the name I grew up with. They are a species of true lily, native to eastern and central North America, and are only available on a limited basis in nurseries. My grandma grew them a long time ago, but you rarely seem to see them these days. They've always been a particular favorite of mine.

I thought that after four years, I'd seen all of the flowers left over from the days when a little old lady owned the house. What a happy surprise this was to wake up to!