Naked

August 26, 2020

Our lilies came out over the weekend.  Two had bloomed earlier and then died, and then suddenly we had eight more poking up through the soil.  This flower is called the Belladonna Lily or Naked Ladies (Amaryllis belladonna).  The plant produces a green, leafy growth similar to a floppy tulip that emerges in spring and dies back by midsummer. In late summer, leafless stems produce elegant, pink flowers. Belladonna Lilies are hardy in zones 7 – 11 and are considered annuals in all other zones. That means our plants return every spring and summer.

When I told Melissa they were up I called them Bare Naked Ladies, which I thought was their common name.  I was informed that Barenaked Ladies was a band while the flowers were simply   Naked Ladies.  The Canadian rock band formed in 1988 in Scarborough, Ontario, and developed a cult following in Canada beginning in 1991.  Their self-titled cassette became the first independent release to be certified gold in Canada. They reached mainstream success in Canada in 1992 and United States success in 1996.  In the 2010’s, the band became well-known for creating the theme song for, “The Big Bang Theory.”  The group has sold over 15 million records, including albums and singles, and was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in March 2018.

With all the rain and weather we have gotten this summer I have been mowing right around two times a week.  I have also been mowing at a higher blade level.  If I cut it shorter my yard ends up looking like I am getting ready to bale hay.  I usually only do weed eating every second or third time, depending on how energetic I feel.  When I was getting the yard ready on Saturday I got too close to the Naked Ladies and cut two of them down.  While I felt sheepish about my guffaw, I got up my courage and told Melissa what I had done.  She said it was fine, as long as it is not one of her succulents.

THOUGHTS:  This is not the first time I have taken a weed eater to someone’s flowers.  I was helping my brother mow a tenant’s yard years ago and he came running over with his arms waving.  I was weeding through the flowers that had been replanted along the side of the house.  It seems his tenant had planted them unknown to my brother and he had done the same the month before.  Like my Naked Ladies, it is hard enough to keep from making mistakes when you know what to expect.  Like the tenant’s flowers, it is even harder when you do not know what to expect.  This summer we seem to be finding out what has been known, but not always recognized.  Change is coming and it starts with you.