Plants We Grow-Daylilies

It is time once again for the showing of the daylilies that grow here at the Fairegarden. The brilliant idea of adding the names inside the photos came in a dream. That will be better for my record keeping and better for those readers who only look at the photos rather than read the text, you know who you are. These will be shown in order of bloom time, with the above Pardon Me leading the pack, as usual. This daylily was brought with us in the move from Texas in 2000, purchased at the Antique Rose Emporium in Brenham. The dead flowers could have been removed before the photos were taken, but we have often accidentally broken whole scapes off when doing that. It’s not worth the risk. Raspberry Rasper came from our neighbors, Mae and Mickey. The unnamed roadside daylily is prized just like the other named varieties growing here. It is tall and carefree, planted amongst the tall grass Calamagrostis ‘Karl Foerster’. This is a fine match. Pardon Me also grows in that area. One year the brilliant idea to have a section of the garden for the smaller flowered, or miniature daylilies occurred in a dream. Tiny Temptress was the first purchase, from our friends at Sunshine Hollow, for that bed. Other smaller daylilies were moved from various parts of the property to find a more suitable home with others of their same stature. My daughter Semi, who has a thing for daylilies and has been joining me on the yearly treks to Sunshine Hollow, shared Cosmopolitan with me. It is another of the minis and the color is reminiscent of the martini drink. We try not to buy the same daylilies, knowing they can be so easily shared, yet sometimes we simply must both have one and can’t wait for it to grow to division size. Not very thrifty of us, but we are helpless to the charms of these flowers. Another passalong from Mae and Mickey, Ruby is a strong grower and really is prettier than this too sunny photo reflects, a darker deeper red. All Fired Up was the first purchase made from Champion Daylilies, a grower who lives in a suburban neighborhood on the road to Semi’s house from the interstate. The gardens behind his home are phenomenal, with raised beds around the edges of gravel paths lined with pots of daylilies. He is breeding his own cultivars and has some fantastic specimens. Needless to say, Semi is a frequent visitor and is often gifted with free plants for her loyal patronage. Another of the small flowered set, Jason Salter is a passalong from Semi. I am not sure where this one came from, she may or may not know either. This segment will end with a masterpiece of breeding, Golden Globes. From the name, one would think this would be yellow, but the colors are fabulous and the flowers large and numerous on tall thick stalks. This came from Sunshine Hollow.

The daylilies are opening with great haste as we approach mid June. One reason for that is the visits to the daylily growers near us begin as soon as the season starts, June the first. Our preference is to purchase plants in bloom, to be sure what we are getting. This results in mostly early season bloomers with it trailing off later. While we have tried to add mid and late flowering varieties, restraint in not getting just the early ones is not being applied. Above is Reality from Sunshine Hollow. From the denizens of the Black Garden is Soot Storm, passalong from dear neighbors Mae and Mickey. From the miniature group is Siloam Jim Cooper, from Sunshine Hollow. This one is an excellent bloomer, covered in flowers. Also one of the first purchases, so the plant has a large root system, even though it has been divided several times. Sometimes the name tags have been lost or misplaced, or there never was one in the first place. From daughter Semi, she claims this to be tagged Rosie Meyer, but research disputes that. So Not Rosie Meyer? it will be. In the same category, but mixing up the naming a bit is Non Stella. When we first moved back to Tennessee from Texas in 2000, neighbor Mae had me come over to their large garden with my shovel that fall and dig a clump from each of their daylilies, twenty-five in all. Plastic grocer’s bags were labeled with a marking pen with the names on the metal stakes for each piece. The above was in the bag with actual Stella D’Oros. It is a vigorous grower and has been spread at the lower end under the tall pine trees with the Annabelle Hydrangeas, a good mix of orange and white. Noticing that most of the daylilies were dark colored, the search began for the perfect white one. White Opal is on the short side and rests at the edge of the steps leading from the garage into the garden of white/yellow, from Sunshine Hollow. Savannah Art from Sunshine Hollow has a watercolor appearance and is a favorite here. After the planting of the twenty-five daylilies from Mae and Mickey all together on the hill newly cleared of unwanted trees surrounding the multi trunk silver maple with the roots ground two feet below the soil, new purchases were planted willy nilly around the property. It was as if we were blindfolded and spun around, shovel and daylily in hand to decide what would go where. This has resulted in some of the daylilies being moved many times, always in full bloom of course, because that is when the error of the planting site would become apparent. Poor little Lullaby Baby has been moved the most of all. She now resides with the miniature group, for she is a wee thing, and has finally been in the ground a whole season to be able to produce substantial and happy flowers. From Sunshine Hollow. As a more recent purchase, after seeing the error of my ways, Dance Ballerina Dance has benefitted from never being moved. From Sunshine Hollow, this one is part of my search for the perfect orange. Excitement here in the Fairegarden began when seedpods formed on some of the first daylily plantings. Some seedlings appeared in the gravel paths, other seeds were planted in specific spots to be watched. Research told us it would be five years before flowers were produced on these seedlings. Most seemed to be the venerable Pardon Me’s offspring, but this one looks like Emperor’s Dragon. We are naming it Emperor Baby. Welcome to the garden, young one. Also the result of insect pollination, planted next to Emperor Baby, both thought to have been seeds from Pardon Me is Red Baby. This one does not look like the assumed parent either, with an orange rather than green throat. Very interesting. The seed pods will be properly labeled this year with the plant name from which they are gathered. But with so many cultivars and flying insects visiting them all, who knows what we might end up with?

Welcome to the never ending daylilies growing at the Fairegarden. Nearly wordless is more appropriate for this post. From whence they came will be noted to keep it shorter, already we are finding that difficult, we do love words. Above is one of the minis, Little Fantastic, from Sunshine Hollow. Shared from daughter Semi last weekend, Little Grapette, another mini. From Champion Daylilies in Knoxville, TN, Bela Lugosi. New addition purchased last weekend from Champion Daylilies, Ada May Musick. Matthew Martin, one of several Dougherty bred from Sunshine Hollow. From Sunshine Hollow, Juanita’s Picotee Delight. There were several varieties of daylilies that came with the property. We have named them Elrod, the owner’s name with the color to tell them apart, Elrod Purple has been the most vigorous of these. Early on we discovered the need for lighter colors to contrast all the reds, from Sunshine Hollow came My Keeper. From good neighbors Mae and Mickey came Cartwheel. This has been divided and spread to take advantage of its height and color. It reblooms well, as do several of the others. Also from Mae and Micket, Kabuki. Again from M and M, Save Mine has been spread over at the side of the house by the HVAC unit. It is a good contrast on the daylily hill with all the reds also. Another from M and M, Red Volunteer.

Hyperion from neighbors Mae and Mickey. My Ways from M and M. Anna Warner from M and M. Palo Duro Canyon from Sunshine Hollow. Anzac from M and M. Free Orange from Sunshine Hollow. Chicago Regal from M and M. Comic Strip from Sunshine Hollow. Chorus Line Kid from Sunshine Hollow. Innocent Bystander from Champion Daylilies. Pandora’s Box from M and M. Dave Rhyne from Sunshine Hollow.

Now is the downhill slide of the daylily season. Mid and late season cultivars are opening with a few of the early ones still producing the colorful blooms. We open with Royal Butterfly from Sunshine Hollow. Emperor’s Dragon, the first purchase from the first visit to Sunshine Hollow in 2000. Fairy Tale Pink was new last year from Champions Daylilies in Knoxville. Night Beacon from Sunshine Hollow. Demetrius was a freebie bare root from Sunshine Hollow. From daughter Semi is Elegant Candy. She has several of the *candy* series. Siloam Ury Winniford from Sunshine Hollow. Addie Branch Smith from Sunshine Hollow. Unique Style from Eshleman’s in Pennsylvania bought last year. Heavenly Treasure from Sunshine Hollow. Long Jump from neighbors Mae and Mickey. Rosemont Firebrand from M and M.

Chamonix from neighbors Mae and Mickey. Radiant Greeting from Mae and Mickey Chicago Brave from Mae and Mickey. Ida’s Magic from Sunshine Hollow. Black Prince from daughter Semi. Princess from Mae and Mickey Red Cadet from daughter Semi. Stand up Double from Sunshine Hollow. (Not) Lusty Lealand from Mae and Mickey. Trahlyta from Sunshine Hollow. Swan Pond from Sunshine Hollow. Gay Cravet from Mae and Mickey. Elrod Peach (made up name) came with the property. Planet Max from Champions. Ahoya from Mae and Mickey. Moon Dazzle from Champions. Not Moon Dancer. I have no excuse.

Siloam Ribbon Candy from Semi (not Ribbon Candy, it seems, so unknown!)

Closer Look from Sunshine Hollow

Peach Dragon is a chance seedling from Emperor’s Dragon

Champion Seedling is a seedling cross made by the owner of Champion Daylilies

Buddy’s Black Jack from Champion Daylilies

King James from Champion Daylilies, mother’s day gift from Semi 2010

Orange Velvet, shared from Semi

Classic Rose is the latest to bloom here, from Sunshine Hollow

Pardon Me
Raspberry Rasper
H. fulva aka wild orange
Free Orange*
Ruby Whitmore
Cosmopolitan
Jason Salter
All Fired Up
Golden Globes
Tiny Temptress
Reality
Non Stella – Sammy Russell
Dance Ballerina Dance
Not Rosie Meyer?*
Matthew Martin
My Keeper
Savannah Art
Bela Lugosi
Night Beacon
Soot Storm
Kabuki
Closer Look
Anna Warner
Ida’s Magic
Dave Rhyne
Innocent Bystander
Red Volunteer
Chicago Regal
Matt
White Opal
Demetrius
Fairy Tale Pink
Unique Style
Stand Up Double
Chorus Line Kid
Hyperion
Heavenly Treasure
Elegant Candy
Cartwheel
Long Jump
My Ways
Save Mine
Little Fantastic
Swan Pond
Emperor’s Dragon
Anzac
Brocaded Gown
Lullaby Baby
Red Cadet
Princess
Palo Duro Canyon
Juanita’s Picotee Delight
Radiant Greeting
Addie Branch Smith
Elrod Purple*
Elrod Peach*
Elrod Pink*
Pandora’s Box
Trahlyta
Royal Butterfly
Chicago Brave
Gay Cravet
Not Lusty Lealand- H. fulva double *
Blue Luster
Classic Rose
Chamonex
Ahoya
Rosemont Firebrand
Dewey Roquemore-missing in action
Siloam Ury Winniford
Ada May Musick
Little Grapette
Comic Strip
Black Prince
Planet Max
Siloam Baby Doll (not Ribbon Candy)
Moon Dazzle
Barbara Mitchell
Buddy’s Black Jack
King James
Orange Velvet
Happy Returns
Emperor Baby **
Red Baby **
Peach Dragon**
Champion Seedling**
Beautiful Edgings
Aunt Nettie’s Coral*
Becky*

* denotes a made up name because the real name is unknown
** denotes made up names for seedling crosses

Rebloom 2009

Cosmopolitan
Lullaby Baby
Golden Globes
Palo Duro Canyon
Raspberry Rasper