Cee Neuner is sharing a flower with something orange in it every day in October, so I thought I’d join her by sharing these lilies. The first ones are an Asiatic lily, Lilium ‘Orange Art’, displayed as cut flowers at a flower show. Pictured on the last day, they seem the perfect choice for the rigours of a show – resplendent, perfect, and sturdy. The lights in the marquee gave the markings a pronounced purple glow.
Their colour made me think of tiger lilies with their elegant, backwards curling petals. I could only find a picture of these doubles growing in a mixed border at Wollerton Old Hall.
Although their colour is a little softer than ‘Orange Art’, they still packed a punch in the garden. An extra row of outer petals adds weight to the flower. The nearest bloom has thick inner petals, almost like a daffodil, but others were more slender. I’d guess that flore pleno is a fancy name for a variable double, rather than the named cultivar that Lilium lancifolium ‘Flore Pleno’ would imply.
They were pretty, and certainly caught the eye, but seemed more of an interesting curiosity than an improvement on nature, to my eyes at least.
If I had to choose, I’d pick the nodding tiger lilies for their grace. Singles.
Susan Rushton 
Incredible flowers and stunning images, Susan.
We often associate orange with autumn, yet is is just as striking in the summer.
Wow. Those are incredible. X