Return of the lily beetle

Guess who came back?  Yes, lily beetles in abundance.  This time I grabbed my camera.  They are so mean looking.

The Language of flowers - ABC

I love how sentimental the victorians were, decorating their jewelery with hidden messages.  Here are what some flowers mean:

Alstromeria - Devotion, Friendship

Bluebell - Humility, Constancy

Calendula - Joy

Asiatic Lilies

Asiatic lilies give great impact and are really easy to grow.  They may not be fragrant like their oriental hybrid relatives but they come in more colours and flower earlier.  I grow mine in containers on the patio.  They are really simple to grow from bulbs and it works out a lot cheaper than buying them in bud from a garden centre.  They're simple to look after too, I just stake mine if they are getting to big to stand up straight by themselves.  Just watch out for lily beetles.  When I was watering my plants a few nights ago there were about eight of these little critters on my lilies.  They are red with black bodies, and make lots of holes in the foliage.  I have to admit the horticultural part of my brain kicked in before the photographer part, because they were all dead before I had chance to take a photo of them.  I prefer to be organic and knock them off the plant and stand on them rather than spraying them.  If you need to use chemicals to get rid of them, use one with contains thiacloprid or imidacloprid.

To view full picture:

http://www.flower-pictures.co.uk/p381546101/h3ff67e96#h3ff67e96