first lilies of the season

today the first lilies of the season opened in the garden.  since many of them were consumed last year by a family of hungry bunnies, this year comes with a welcome celebration for their blooming.

the orange lily photographed to the right is mrs. backhouse, given to me by a midland gardening friend.
i have over 40 lilies planted in the garden with a combination of asiatic and oriental lilies selected.  their colors were selected in a combination of pinks and whites.  even though they were moved from last year's unprotected location outside of my picketed fenced area to within the garden, i have continued to protect their bases with green coated chicken wire circles.  still, a few hungry bunnies have managed to chew a few of the grouping. however, it looks as if i have over 30 plants that should produce blooms this year.

these lilies should offer several weeks of color in the garden and will complement other perennials in bloom/