Todaylily

It's Daylily Day in New Jersey

2009-06-26T22:02:00.000-07:00

Cheerful Heart is big and I like the vein pattern on the petals.

Always Afternoon is a classic- the throat really lights up.

American Revolution has an interesting color- the dark sort of overlays the red.

The Saturday before July 4 is Daylily Day in New Jersey. The Garden State Daylily Growers Club has an exhibition of blooms every year at Deep Cut (Monmouth County) Park near Middletown, NJ. I'm contributing the above daylilies and some others to the sale. We offer everybody who comes a complementary bare-root daylily, usually Happy Returns and this year including Black Eyed Stella.

First Bloom, Begin With a Bang & Mexicali Miss

2009-06-11T08:03:00.000-07:00

First bloom on new arrival, but from New England, so it may bloom here even earlier next year. This is Mike Huben's "Begin with a Bang", of interest to hybridizers because it's extra early but NOT Yellow or Orange. I'm hosting it for the GSDG auction this year or next, depending upon how it does this summer. Because my job is to make it grow, I have to cut off this scape now, since I've confirmed identity.

I keep Mexicali Miss ONLY because it's early. It does have interesting veining.

"Echos In the Mist" (???) 4th daylily to bloom

2009-06-10T11:52:00.000-07:00

A GREAT daylily doomed to obscurity by probable registration error. This was sold to at least two hybridizers & commercial growers as "Echos in the Mist" (EH Salter, 2000). For me it's 24ERe4 (registered 26EMRe4). BUT the color doesn't match the registration (registered as "Lavender above Yellow Green Throat"). I personally believe Salters screwed up the color on the paperwork, because the parents (Witches Wink by tet Little Print) seem to be much more likely the parents of this than of a lavender. There is another daylily being sold in the trade as "Echos in the Mist". But I believe it is LESS likely the "correct" Echos, because though it is lavender, it has a prominent eye not mentioned in the registration. It's a shame because this is early, and a great rebloomer. I've given mine the garden name "Echos India Mystic". Anybody know anything more about this daylily? Why did she misspell echoes? Did she name it for the Andrea Kane book?

Stella's Sparky Daylily Second Bloom

2009-06-10T07:00:00.000-07:00

Stella's Sparky first bloomed in the rain about a week ago, finally produced a second photogenic one. This doesn't show the great diamond dusting from grandparent Stella De Oro.

My Podophyllum 'Kaleidoscope" survived another winter- they tend to rot during wet winters or freeze because they emerge early. But I think they're worth the trouble, and just got a "Spotty Dottie" too, but (typical of mail order plants) it's too small to photograph without a macro lens.

Leave a garden cart half full of dirt overnight, and it's almost guaranteed to rain over an inch!

Early Daylilies- Earlybirds get the Prize!

2009-05-26T16:02:00.000-07:00

This is my new bed for Flore Pleno, a triploid variety of the fulva species. It's orange, but with 9 petals and 9 sepals. They can't be planted in the same bed as hybrid cultivars, because they spread by rhizomes. So they come up in the middle of other clumps unless there's a mowing strip around them like this.

This arrived from Florida last week with a scape, so I let one bud bloom to confirm identity. It's "Mister Right" (Joiner, 2003). I think that's a great name for a daylily worth waiting for.

The second daylily to bloom this year here in Philadelphia was Megan Skinner's Earlybird Orangeade, which she says gets its early genes from Esperanza.

The first daylily to bloom for me this year was Earlybird Sunshine, by Megan Skinner of Allentown, PA. They hybridize on a small city lot, so they sell their introductions through Manatawney Creek near Pottstown, PA. http://www.manatawnycreekfarm.com/ has additional links to the Skinners' introductions, and also has a gallery of Stout hybrids.

I tried to space out my purchases this year, but two dozen (3 orders) arrived on the Wednesday after Mother's day, our traditional "frost free" date (although Allentown, PA got a 32 degree night over a week later this year). I soak them in a weak fertilizer solution for 4 to 24 hours using milk containers with the tops cut off. (I used the kitchen pots until my wife found out.) Then I water them in with the same solution.

Digging Daylily Beds for New Daylilies

2009-05-17T19:40:00.000-07:00

I've been digging this new daylily bed forever, it seems, due to some really rainy weather, and my orders started arriving before I've finished. This is the last available spot in the deer-protected (fenced) back yard but it's on a slope. So the top side is a 4x4 at ground level, and the bottom side is a 2x8 or 2x10. After digging out the sod and rocks, I add compost and topsoil to level. The outline of lumber in the foreground is the final section, hopefully to be finished this week.

My order from Sassafras (Floyd Boatwright) was the first to arrive. I also got my orders from Memory Jordan and Tim Herrington. I'm planting them only 10 inches apart this spring, then next spring I'll relocate every other row after I clear out a bunch of old clumps for Garden State Daylily's "Daylily Day" June 28, and the Delaware Valley Daylily Society sale in August.

A recommendation: check http://gottagarden.blogspot.com/2009/05/2008-ahs-national-conventiongarden-nine.html Katie Cook's photos of the last garden at last year's AHS national convention in Houston. They were worth the wait. The other eight gardens are also linked from this entry. If the link doesn't work, just go to http://gottagarden.blogspot.com/ and scroll down to the May 4 entry, or find the link from the subject list at the right. And watch for her postings from the 2009 national convention in Florida- she's attending next week and should have some great photos. Put this one in your favorites!

Roses in Snow in Snow

2009-03-05T09:05:00.000-08:00

No cooking out on the grill tonight!

The "Roses in Snow in Snow" I had to post for your amusement. I went out last week to record which daylilies were acting like evergreens, so I can make a note to mulch the expensive ones next year. The mulch isn't to protect them from the cold, it's to KEEP them cold once the ground freezes, so they don't do this destructive sprout-die-sprout-die dance in our extreme freeze-thaw cycles here in Philadelphia (Zone 6.9). Yesterday it was 9 degrees, with 65-70 degrees predicted for this weekend. I mulch with spruce branches, which don't retain moisture but shade the ground from the sun.

It's Not Easy Being Green in February

2009-02-28T20:20:00.000-08:00

It's not good to be green if you're a daylily in February. This is going to get covered by 7-12 inches of snow tomorrow night, then killed back when the cold returns next week. What a waste of energy.

My Thanksgiving Cactus has put out all these buds 3 months after its regular bloom, for some crazy reason. I thought shortening days caused buds to set, but any bloom is welcome this time of year.

I'm not sure what this ground cover used at a local home & garden show is, probably a tradescantia (?), but I'd like to know what it is and if it's hardy. Please leave a comment if you know what it is.

Spring 2009 Daylily Speakers Announced

2009-02-09T20:33:00.000-08:00

Top Row= Black Eyed Stella, Siloam Plum Tree,Scentual Sundance, Little Wine Cup, and Apricot Sparkles. Bottom Row= Stella D'Oro, Tuscawilla Tigress, Nature Girl, Happy Returns, Rosy Returns, and Siloam Double Fringe. Below is another shot of Siloam Plum Tree.

Delaware ValleyDaylily Society (Philadelphia, Eastern PA and Northern Delaware) has announced its Spring Luncheon speaker will be Dan Bachman, who hybridizes fantastic Spidery daylilies in SW Ohio. Luncheon will be March 21 at Concordville Inn, reservations required. Garden State Daylily Growers (New Jersey) will have Boston's Mike Huben speaking at our Sunday, April 26 meeting at Deep Cut (Monmouth County) Park, 1:30 pm. More info on Mike at
http://hubendaylilies.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default fyi. GSDG meetings are free and nonmembers are welcome. Directions ar posted under "Schedule" link at www.gsdaylily.org Mike Huben has used the daylily above, Siloam Plum Tree, in hybridizing for Northern rebloom. Look at the rebloom buds still on this scape in mid-September! The top photo is most of the daylilies blooming for me on September 10 last year- about 1.5% of the cultivars I grow. So if I bought all of Mike's introductions so far (11), I might be able to enjoy twice as many daylilies blooming in September.

Planning for 2009- Can You Dig It?

2009-01-20T12:27:00.000-08:00

First- a plug for Party Pinafore, becoming widely available for $15-$20. OR- take a look at what Jack Carpenter has done crossing Tet ParPin with Roses in Snow- two spring 2009 intros ("Jitterbug Jessie" and my fave "Just a While Longer") and a fall 2008 (Happy Charmer) at http://www.lilyfarm.com/ AND they're priced at only $65 - $85!

And MEAN MISTER MUSTARD (Apps/Blew), released last year by Centerton as the first of what I hope will be a long line of daylilies with CHARACTER. Not everybody's cup of tea, but I love the stipply eye. Available wherever Trophytakers and Happily Ever Appsters are sold, and at White Flower Farm.

I've gotten Malachite Prism through two winters in Zone 6b, so it may be less tender than I was told- I found a nursery in Mass. selling it.

My way of testing new bed configuration: these beds are subject to giant rodent browsing, since our township won't allow deer fencing in the front yard, but I've run out of space in the back. So this is for pretty but expendable clumps- I'll still drench them with Liquid Fence.

And this will be the final bed out back- on a slope so I've got some retaining wall work to do before May. No, I didn't order enough daylilies to fill up this whole bed. But I want to group all my lates and rebloomers so I can water them easier.

Arum italicum 'Pictum' at Scott Arboretum

2008-11-02T16:40:00.000-08:00

Chesapeake Crablegs, my last blooming daylily of 2009. This scape still has buds, but I think this may be the last to open.

My Ice Plant, which loved the drought this summer, is still blooming. All it needs is good drainage and full sun.

After a lecture on shade plants at Swarthmore, I found this great ground cover planted under the Dawn Redwoods next to Lang Hall. Arum italicum has fall and winter foliage, then flower and fruit similar to other arums in the spring. Then it goers dormant, so it's great for spots in some shade that need some winter interest, like hosta beds. Available from Breck's for about $1.50 per corm. I have some planted with my native jack-in-the-pulpits.

Remember the Garden State Daylily Growers November 9 (Sunday) meeting at Deep Cut Park, Middletown, NJ 1:30pm. I will be presenting slides of members' favorite "overlooked" daylilies, ones that don't make it to the top of the AHS popularity poll, but deserve to be more widely grown.

October Final Daylilies of 2008

2008-11-01T16:28:00.000-07:00

Scentual Sundance October 15 still had over half a dozen buds, but a deer got them that night.

Little Wine Cup finished about mid October. Loses color in the cold, but reliable rebloom.

Nature Girl (Apps) has impressed me with its rebloom this year. Very similar to Sunset Returns (below) but narrower petals, a bit more "unruly", possibly the reason for the name.

Sunset Returns is one of the super diamond-dusted Apps hybrids.

Rosy Returns rebloom scape lasted longer this year than I remember in the past, or maybe it's just that deer didn't find it this year. Deer also got Siloam Plum Tree rebloom scape, or it would have been on this list.

Variegated Daylilies

2008-09-26T14:10:00.001-07:00

Note the all-green "reversion" leaves in this Kwanso variegata- they must be culled, or they will ultimately take over, since they are actually more efficient. I dig up the clump every year or two and compost the reverts.
My variegated Tiger's Eye is still alive, but still one fan. I've moved it to a better spot for next year. The pattern isn't always 50/50, and color varies. But the bloom is definitely Tiger's Eye.
These cheap ($10) trellises I bought from the craft store have been recycled below:
I got this trick from Betty Harwood- she elevated some of her plant labels on (pvc?) pipe. I use the steel tubing from surplus trellis to bring the tags up to readable and photographable height. My favorite non-daylily new plant this year is this Ligularia- still looks good after a year with alternate droughts and drownings.

Polytepal Nature Girl NOT a Fluke!

2008-09-18T18:25:00.000-07:00

Today I got another 4x4 polytepal Nature Girl. Had another on the 15th.
Beautiful Edgings continues to amaze! It's been blooming since June- just keeps building buds, and there are two more on this scape. AND a proliferation, which I managed to pop off and put in water today.
My Flore Pleno patch on the left was sneaking into adjacent cultivars, so this is my solution: vinyl siding makes an excellent separator strip, deeper than any other edging material I know. I think it should be angled with the top farther away from the "aggressive" side, so roots hitting the barrier don't go down and under. I try to set it an inch or so above ground level, so it gets just covered by the mulch.
And this is my poor man's shade cloth, picnic umbrellas from the dollar store or the party store, I can't remember which right now. It protects new transplants and proliferations while they get roots established.

Tuscawilla Tigress Isn't Orange?

2008-09-17T19:30:00.001-07:00

This color "defect" above might be of interest to hybridizers: it appears Tuscawilla Tigress isn't Orange, it's really YELLOW with a red overlay!
I didn't notice when I took this Nature Girl photo that it's a 4x4 polytepal.
Penn Hort Society had a Member's Day event in Philadelphia and invited other plant groups to participate with informational displays.
And here's Dave! DVDS President Dave Guleke manned the DVDS display all day- that's dedication deserving a medal!
Siloam Plum Tree is a dependable rebloomer for me- look at those buds!

GSDG Auction & Where I Put Them

2008-09-17T19:30:00.000-07:00

Do you have a problem with voles, tree roots, or both? This is my equivalent to planting a pot in the ground, but with better drainage. The black "sack" is known as a "tree bag"; the inside is treated to keep tree roots from penetrating the bag in the nursery. I turn it inside out to keep tree roots from growing INTO the bag, then encase the bag in 1/4" wire cloth to keep voles out. The wire has to extend a couple inches above the ground, but the bag must be buried or it wicks moisture away from the plant. In places I just have voles OR roots, I'll use one or the other.
These were blooming the day of the DVDS Sale & Auction. Top row Just Plum Happy, Carolicollosal, Be Thankful, Grape Magic and Showtime Now. Bottom = Stella, Happy Returns, Little Wine Cup, Siloam Double Fringe, and Commanche Maiden.
I bought more plants at the auction than I had space for, so I was finally forced to get rid of this pile of dirt that's been sitting here for over a year, to build the ramp to the right hand garage door you see in the background. But after filling in the ramp (at right, below), I still had a big ol' pile of dirt left. So rather than move it, I built this block wall around the remaining pile and got a raised bed for my DVDS and GSDG auction wins.

DVDS Split & Splash Daylilies (August 16)

2008-09-17T17:44:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy month, starting with DVDS Split & Splash, where we get together to split & tag the donated daylilies we sell the next Saturday in Paoli, PA.
Cynthia Marriott brought these from her garden: from top left= Shimmering Sunray, Third Witch, Unknown Red, a Don Herr seedling, (row 2) Last Man Standing, Tiger Prince, Mynelle's Starfish, Fancy Button; (row 3) Don Herr seedling, Victoria's Secret, Twice as Nice, Fire King.
Terry Oates' Point of View, Bridgeton Gem, Beautiful Edgings; (Row 2, inset) Lady Neva, Be Thankful (orange), Showtime Now (Lavender), Frans Hals; (row 3) Tuscawilla Tigress, Chesapeake Crablegs, Harwood seedling HS-40 from Ruddys, and Bridgeton Eyecatcher; (bottom row) Peacock Maiden, Night Vision, Little Wine Cup, Siloam Double Fringe, and Commanche Maiden.
Jacque' DeJesse's (top row) Point of View, Cool Cassie, and Annabelle Rose; (row 2) Subliminal Message, Cerulean Star rebloom, Nicole Joyce, Singing In the Sunshine; (bottom) Planet Max, Red Hill, Jersey Jim, Sandra Elizabeth, and The Sky is Falling.
On August 12, I started 7 proliferations from one clump of Jim Murphy's "Rocket Science". I use Cynthia Marriott's method- stick it in water just up to the root line until roots are about an inch long, then plant directly into garden soil. You can sometimes pop the prolif off the scape, and get it started without sacrificing any unbloomed buds, but the scape gives the prolif support during the rooting process. I cut off the scape before planting, but Cynthia leaves it on if possible to provide aditional support.

August 11 Daylilies

2008-08-12T11:15:00.000-07:00

Last Spell Fire today- it's a bit out of focus, I think, but then so am I sometimes.
This is the last time this year I can wax ecstatic about Party Pinafore, but it's one of my prize cultivars. No, I won't trade any of it- find your own at these Eureka nurseries: Moon's (I highly recommend Bruce), Eller's, Knob Hill, and Brown's Ferry (Charles Douglas- also ordered and very happy with results) are $20df. Newbury ($19df) is in Illinois, for those who prefer ordering from more northern gardens.
Last Pirate Beads. No Eureka sources on this, but worth looking for.
NOT the last of Don Herr's Whistle a Happy Tune, but it still looked good after a drench.
Finally, Just Plum Happy has returned for rebloom season. This was the first eyed "Happy Ever Appster" and it tends to rebloom down in the foliage, but at least it's blooming! Rosy Returns is also blooming, but it's my least favorite of the series- also reblooms low. Stella is reblooming, but Happy Returns is still in it's summer nap here in Philadelphia.

August 8 & 9 Daylily Favorites & Finals

2008-08-11T20:49:00.000-07:00

Siloam Little Fairy gave us two blooms for it's last hurrah today.
Don Herr's Her Purple Eyeliner last bloom.
Depending upon which side of the fence you're on, you can have a completely different Point of View.
Calgary Stampede blooms are highly variable, but it is a parent of Betty Winkler, Geneva Firetruck, Happy Apache and Miss Apache, among others.
Priscilla's Dream (Shooter 93) is an interesting color, and also showing a proliferation on each of two scapes this year.

August 7 Daylilies

2008-08-11T20:28:00.000-07:00

Last El Bandito- another oldie but goldie.
Last Siloam Amazing Grace- this always looks good, with interesting shading & ruffles.
Betty Harwood's Cool Cassie is still going strong- I may bring this to the GSDG Auction. Darrel Apps' Dinner and a Movie still has some season left.
And here are the last two of Margo Reed's Origin Stories. Last year it had a couple of prolifs, but none this year. But I've got prolifs on Fox Ears, which has never had them before. Go figure.

Daylilies August 6

2008-08-11T20:06:00.000-07:00

Last of 2008 Night Wings- one of my favorite dark daylilies.
Last Castle Orchid Frostings.
Last Joan Senior- if you have only one near-white, this should be it.
Night Vision is NOT the last, as you can see from all the buds. Similar to Pardon Me, but later.
And Fox Ears has started its bloom season. This year it has a proliferation, but I'm not going to sacrifice any blooms to root it. When the last bloom on the scape is done, I'll stick it in water.

August 5 Last Daylily Blooms

2008-08-05T10:48:00.001-07:00

Last of Don Herr's Lavender Suspenders still looks pretty good.
Panda Bear's last scape is down in the foliage, but this is still one of my favorites.
Gail Reese will be missed- I wonder if Gail Reese was or is a freckled redhead??
Last Jordan Verhaert (Kinnebrew 01) which has a better edge here than Raspberry Masquerade (Salter 2002).
Last Persian Ruby- recognizable from 500 feet, but tends to burn in afternoon sun. Best viewed from a few feet away here in Philadelphia sweltering summer.

Daylily Last Blooms August 4

2008-08-05T10:29:00.001-07:00

Last bloom on Night Wings, not the darkest but I love that bat wing texture.
Is this Pirate's Patch? Another lost tag, and that's my best guess. Notice the color pattern in the eye that adds close-up interest.
Surprising Anomaly normally has deeper color, but this is it's last hurrah.
My Sabine Baur may be an imperfect tissue culture- it never looks as good as the catalog pictures. Or does NOBODY's Sabine Baur hardly ever live up to the "best of 100 shots" catalog photos?
Last Bridgeton Kodak Moment for 2008. Not a girlie flower, and the yellow fades in strong afternoon sun, but it does get your attention!

August 1 - 3 Daylilies

2008-08-05T09:45:00.001-07:00

I THINK this is Baja, and this is repeat bloom. 30" tall, velvety standout. Anybody think it's something else? I lost the tag on this one years ago moving from New Jersey to Philadelphia.
Bridgeton Jim Dandy is still going strong, pretty composed on a hot day.
Things are thinning out in the daylily beds- that's Carolicollosal in the foreground.
Charlie Pierce Memorial last bloom- this is another favorite oldie (1987).
Note the proliferation at the bottom center on Chesapeake Crablegs. I also have two prolifs on Fox Ears, but none on Rocket Science or Origin Stories, which both had multiple prolifs last year.

Catching Up: July 31 Daylilies

2008-08-05T09:09:00.000-07:00

When My Sweetheart Returns is one of my favorite "Happy Ever Appsters".
Spider Breeder has that little something extra over lots of other yellow spiders.
Peacock Maiden is another oldie I love- and so does the mini bee on the top sepal.
I think this is rebloom on Cameroon Night- it's been blooming forever.

Carolicollosal isn't much as a single bloom, but a clump of them shows up from orbit.