GARDENS AND CASTLES

ADDICTED TO DAYLILES    

Lily Auction bonus seedling (PREMIER SURPRISE X JERRY NETTLES X NATCHEZ & LACE # 402)


Wow what a confession that would be! I guess confession is the first step to conquering any addiction.....
TO ADMIT

 (concede disclose divulge
 expose reveal)

No one is able to conquer an addiction unless they are first able to RECOGNIZE something as an addiction and admit it.

ADDICTED TO DAYLILIES:
Now I ask you...how can anything as beautiful as this-one of my seedlings- be an ADDICTION!!

"Krinkel Kut" (COLLECTOR'S CHOICE seedling X WHITE BASE)

Well.... actually,I guess it could be....if I held on to it too tightly...making it my whole life...my idol per se....

here is a definition for ADDICTED

1. Physically and mentally dependent on a particular substance, and unable to stop taking it without incurring adverse effects.

2. Enthusiastically devoted to a particular thing or activity.

I guess for the daylily enthusiast, and especially the hybridizer it CAN be all consuming...so devoted to the plants, the seeds, the process, and the "Christmas in July high" that one gets every season.

Lily Auction seedling (GOD SAVE THE QUEEN X BLUE LAKE)

Right now, during the cold winter days I am certainly getting "my high" as I go through all my photos and statistics...even though at best it is just plain old "arm chair gardening". It shouldn't be so hard to break away and do my other "duties" like....

     getting dressed

     making supper

     washing clothes

     etc. etc. etc.

In short...not wanting to be distracted.....interrupted.....or inconvenienced when I am into my 'daylily mode'. The interesting thing is thatthey can't give me
 permanent joy..

 it's all temporary                                 

they can't give me 

     lots of dollars

     because I put out dollars 

     for the "new ones"  

     that so entice me 

     (TEMPT ME)

But then, wouldn't you be tempted by this??

(MYSTIC WARRIOR X UKN)

OR THIS??

seedling (MUSICAL MEDLEY X  MILDRED MITCHELL  seedling) "Splashes"

So like so many addictions I can easily make excuses for my passion

I must admit it takes great self-control to keep every thing in perspective. There IS life after daylilies, and if there weren't, my life would be destroyed...for daylilies are only a PART of the whole picture. They CANNOT satisfy all the time, they cannot fulfill my EVERY NEED...even though at those momentous "highs" it seems like that! But if I truly let myself be addicted I would miss out on much more important things....

MY FAMILY

MY FRIENDS

and most of all

MY GOD

God who made all this happen in the first place! How foolish can I be to forget God!

The Israelites and mankind all through the ages have forgotten God....for you see, 
it is way too "natural"
to become self-indulgent
whether it be food or relationships or jobs or drugs or liquor or hobbies or even our health.

Oh that we become God-indulgent and appreciate what He asks us..."to love the Lord our God with all our
HEART
MIND
and
SOUL
and
OUR NEIGHBOR
AS OURSELVES.

LORD let me be addicted to You and put YOU first ...You said when we put You first "all these things shall be added unto you"
and may I always remember that it is You that gives me one of the joys of my life: Your awesome blossoms!