Lazy Party Girl

Starting off the week with a bevy of beauties:

Hemerocallis "Trahlyta"

Besides being tricky to pronounce, "Trahlyta" can be the most stunning daylily I have in the garden.  It's a 6 1/2 inch soft silver gray/lavender with dark purple eye zone and green throat.  Blooms early to mid season plus rebloom.  Dormant.  VERY fragrant.  Diploid.  Proliferates although it hasn't in my garden.  Won the Award of Merit, Lenington All American Award and Honorable Mention.  The colors of Trahlyta may vary.  Not a bad thing but my favorite is when it's a shimmering silver gray; a color unlike any I've seen in other lilies.  

Hemerocallis "Designer Gown"

"Designer Gown" is a 6 inch pale lavender pink with a darker lavender/purple eye zone and edge.  Yellow/green eye.  24 inch scapes.  Diurnal.  Mid season bloomer.  Tetraploid.  Dormant.  Increases clump size.  Won Honorable Mention.  

In my garden, I'm not good with tough love for daylilies with faults. I pamper, make excuses and tolerate.  At worst, I may move them to a less focal point.  Designer Gown is a lovely lily except when it rains.  Anything more than a sprinkle and it turns to absolute mush. 

Hemerocallis "Unknown Orange with Red Star"

An unknown variety, "UK Orange with Red Star" puts on a nice reliable show.  4 inch orange spider with a white vein, red halo and large yellow star eye.  24 inch scapes.

Hemerocallis "Corryton Pink"

"Corryton Pink" is a 6 1/2 inch clear clean pink with yellow/green eye and light midrib.  May have a darker pink halo.  32 inch scapes.  Early to midseason bloomer.  Dormant.  Vigorous.  All good things in this lily, every day and every time.  

Hemerocallis "Mary Todd"

"Mary Todd" has all the good things going for it as Corryton Pink.  A 6 inch bright yellow with ruffles and frills.  22 inch scapes.  Early season.  Semi evergreen.  High bud count.  Substantial.  Stout Silver Medal winner.  In my family garden for my sister-in-law, Mary Gibson.
 

Hemerocallis "Raspberry Pixie"

I have somehow accumulated many little purple daylilies.  Although not powerful, they do fill in around other perennials and lilies in a sweet way.  "Raspberry Pixie" is a sweet example.  1 1/2 inch raspberry petals and lighter sepals with small purple halo,  somewhat textured and yellow/green throat.  Mid season plus rebloom.  Evergreen.  Diploid.  

Hemerocallis "Party Queen"

A true party girl, "Party Queen" doesn't fully open until almost midday.  It's petals are so substantial there is no coaxing it open and occasionally it will throw a temper tantrum and not fully open all day.  When it does open, the 6 inch vibrant coral/apricot self with a bright glowing orange eye is stunning.  It is heavily ruffled and on 28 inch scapes.  Dormant.  Tetraploid.   Received Honorable Mention.  It's easy to see this sleepy head partying all night.   

Rebloom:  When I list "rebloom" it's because that's the official registered description.  The chances of a daylily reblooming here in our part of the Midwest is slim.  On the rare times where we have a very early and warm spring and a late freeze - then maybe a daylily just might send up another scape.  Anything listed as mid-season to late season bloomer probably won't have enough time to rebloom.

Plus it's difficult when you have many daylilies to realize the bloom you're seeing is on a new scape and not simply one of the original scapes now maturing.  Having said that, I really don't care much why it's blooming, I am simply enjoying the show.

I've found those lilies with high bud counts are my best bet because they will bloom continuously almost a month.    

Bodaciousness!

The Bodacious of the most bodaciousness:  Sunflowers!

As I was reading a newsletter from the California nursery of Annie’s Annuals, she had so many varieties of sunflowers I wanted them all.  Sunflowers can bring a joy to your gardens in many ways and I'm all about joy. 

They are an especially easy to grow annual.  Throw out the seeds and they barely need to be “planted”.  Sprinkle a little soil over them to keep the birds from eating every one and they’re good to go.

All these little bees have legs packed with pollen.

They need little water after they have sprouted and here in the Midwest nature will take care of enough water to get them going.

They provide pollen for every bee we have in our gardens.  As a side note:  When bees are busy gathering pollen they won’t bother you unless you bother them.  It’s a fun experiment with children to stand and watch them packing that yellow stuff on their hind legs.

In the fall, they provide seeds for a variety of birds but it’s especially fun to watch Goldfinches boldly hanging upside down plucking a mouthful of seeds for lunch.

Sunflowers like rich soil and full sun.  Perfect for a border on a vegetable or flower garden.  If you have the room, an entire “patch” filled with sunflowers is a wow factor and will also attract more birds and insects.

Sunflowers come in a large variety of heights, flower sizes, branching, color and seed configuration. 

If you feed sunflower seeds to birds, taking a handful of seeds and throwing them onto disturbed soil will produce enough sunflowers to satisfy the child in all of us.

I let the volunteers from my bird feeders live
most anyplace they don't shade perennials.

Buying seed packets and planting a deep red flower, bi-color, lemon yellow or orange is especially beautiful.  Besides all the volunteers coming up from bird seed, I bought "Mammoth" sunflower seeds from Burpee.  I put them around my raised bed.  

There are huge flowers up to one foot across, doubles that look like a cheerleader’s pompoms and smalls like we see along the roadsides.

Let’s face it – sunflowers are happy flowers and as Annie says in her advertisements, “Sunflowers are really bodacious.”  

Along the Elegance Trail

Hemerocallis "Along the Way"

"Along the Way" is a 5 1/2 inch diamond dusted peach/pink lily with deep red brushed eye and green throat.  Slightly ruffled edge that is usually yellow.  On 30 inch scapes.  Tetraploid.  Dormant.  Strong grower and tolerates partial shade.  As the light changes, it takes on patches of iridescence.   

Hemerocallis "Fly Catcher"

"Fly Catcher" is a 7 1/2 inch dark red spider with long thin slightly curled petals around a large yellow/green throat and white midribs.  Diurnal.  Diploid.  Dormant.  Mid to late season bloomer on 32 inch scapes.  This lily is so bright and big it catches attention from across the yard.

Hemerocallis "Midsummer Elegance"

"Midsummer Elegance" lives up to it's name.  5 1/2 inch dark royal purple/red, heavy midribs, darker halo, small green eye and wide overlapped ruffled petals.  20 inch scapes.  Late season plus rebloom.  Dormant.  Diploid.  This looks really pretty next to white flowers - either other lilies or perennials.

Hemerocallis "Purple de Oro"

This picture shows how lovely daylilies are when mixed with other perennials; this is a very hardy False Sunflower "Summer Sun" with "Purple de Oro".  In the gene mix with Stella de Oro, this is a 3 inch lavender with reddish halo and yellow throat.  The edge is lightly ruffled and it has 24 inch scapes.  Semi evergreen.  Mid summer and rebloom (or pretty much continuous.)  A very reliable lily.

Hemerocallis "Unknown Glowing Yellow Chartreuse"

I name all my unknown varieties and this one I call "UK Glowing Yellow Chartreuse".  I have it in too much shade and it still does fine.  The 5 inch semi spider's glowing chartreuse stands out in the shade and catches attention.  It has a small green eye and lightly recurved petals that also lightly ruffled.  28 inch scapes.  Blooms mid season.  Always healthy.

And alas, it's raining again this evening.  I didn't garden today; taking a day of rest.  Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to get back out.  May have to wear my HazMat suit since yesterday I received loads of bug bites through my clothes and with spray.  Determined little insects.  Aw, the hazards of gardening.     

Sun tutorial:  Most daylilies do best in full sun in the Midwest.  Some hold their color longer if they have some afternoon shade.  Usually if they're in too much shade, the bud count will diminish, the scapes will be less strong, (meaning they will flop on the ground) the plant won't increase in size as fast/much and the colors may be different than advertised.  Seldom will it die unless it's competing with very strong tall plants.  Even then it may just sit there - alive but not blooming and looking sad once uncovered.  If this matted cover happens early in the summer, it will not send up scapes/flowers the rest of the season even if uncovered later.  They are genetically programed to do certain things at certain times and they stick with the program.   

Seven Come Eleven

Eleven daylily varieties bloomed for the first time yesterday.  I was able to enjoy them more because I was weeding some more.  This is my ruthless weeding year; everything that doesn't enhance the beautiful is going.  I've been much too lenient with these invaders because they do have beauty themselves but many of them have become thugs.  The self seeding phlox is a wonderful fall flower and pollen seeking insects use them.  This year, because of the heavy rains, they are mildew covered and ugly.  I've left a few stands but mostly they're gone.  I'm killing that one ground cover that has lovely flowers in the spring because it shades everything under two foot the rest of the summer.  And pulling and pulling this one thing that looks like tree starts, gets about 3 ft and does nothing but invade.  It's been a banner year for that baby.  On to my lilies:

Hemerocallis "Royal Butterfly"

"Royal Butterfly" deserves it's name:  7 inch rose pink with darker halo, large yellow/green throat, ruffled edges and light midrib.  Blooms mid season.  Dormant.  30 inch scapes.  Received the Honorable Mention Award.  And it surface sparkles.  Yummy.

Hemerocallis "Little Judy"

"Little Judy" is a 5 inch light mahogany spider that shimmers and has vein markings and gold midribs.  A darker shade watermark that fades to a large yellow eye.  30 inch scapes and high bud count makes it perfect for the back of the border.  Mid to late season bloomer.  Dormant and pretty much perfect in every way.  I have it in my family bed for my good friend Judy Elwell.  She's also my son's mother-in-law and a favorite of everyone.

Hemerocallis "Chicago Star"

If you're new to daylilies, the Marsh series of Chicago introductions are sure to be winners.  "Chicago Star" is an 8 inch bright yellow self on 24 inch scapes.  Lays flat with slight ruffling AND opens as soon as dawn breaks; perfect for next to your breakfast area.  Mid season bloomer with high bud count.  Does best in full sun but will tolerate (with lower bud count) some shade.  Semi evergreen.  Tetraploid.  Diurnal.  Increases clump size.  Honorable Mention award.  

Hemerocallis fulva "Kwanso"

"Kwanso" is rejected by many gardeners because of the close resemblance to "Orange Tawny" aka ditch lily.  This has more beauty and less aggressiveness. 5 inch double orange with light midribs and red halo with gold eye.  36-40 inch scapes and blooms early.  It is considered an "Heirloom Lily" first discovered in 1860.  A must have for anyone wanting old varieties and it doesn't spread like OT.

Hemerocallis "Oriental Rudy"

Here's the thing about "Oriental Ruby":  It's the only red I have with orange undertones.  6 inch deep ruby red, darker halo, lighter midribs and told throat on 34 inch scapes.   Mid to late season bloomer.  Dormant.  Good grower all around the country.  Lenington All-American Award.  The orange undertones lets it pair with oranges (obviously), yellows, browns and peaches.   Not purples.  It's very distinct and draws attention from across the yard.

Hemerocallis "Red Volunteer"

"Red Volunteer" has won the "All American Daylily Selection", "Lenington All American Award", "2005 Exhibition Winner", the "All American Selection", A.H.S. Award of Merit.  Plus, it's been consistently selected a favorite of A.H.S. members for years.  An Oakes introduction and a favorite for good reason.  7 inch true red with yellow/gold star throat, light midribs and slight ruffling.  Midseason bloomer on 30 inch scapes.  Semi evergreen but very hardy.  Proliferates.  Looking for a nice reliable red:  Red Volunteer volunteers.

Hemerocallis "Brutus"

"Brutus" is a 7 inch flat yellow bloom often with a bronze overlay.  Round petals with slightly ruffled edges and a light vein.  Bright green eye.  24 inch scapes.  Hardy - good bud count - mid to late season bloomer (because of high bud count) and semi-evergreen.  Honorable Mention.  Nice dependable producer.
 

Hemerocallis "Nicholas"

"Nicholas" is a 7 inch yellow self with tiny green throat, slight ruffled edges and raised midribs.  The flat petals consistently form a triangle and sepals are recurved making it an unusual and beautiful variety.  Dormant. Fragrant.  Blooms mid-season.  Honorable Mention award.  In my family bed for grandson, Nick. 

Hemerocallis "Chicago Ruby"

I used a landscape shot with "Chicago Ruby" to show how well a nice clear red blends with other lilies and the rest of the garden.  5 inch clear ruby red with gold throat on 30 inch scapes.   

Two other lilies (Unknown Pink/Peach and Cherry Cheeks) aren't pictured because I need to do some work.  UPP came up for the first time and who knows why or how or what.  I'm suspecting CC has been misidentified.  

And finally a "Red Admiral" decided to pose while I was taking pictures of daylilies.  Quite an artistic little butterfly!

Super Superlative

Hand weeding is not an enjoyment for me, it's a penitence!  That was my yesterday and I wondered, as I was slip sliding in the mud, if I got the roots or just a hand full of muddy tops.  Sigh!

Here are the daylilies that lifted my spirits and bloomed yesterday for the first time this year:

Hemerocallis "Superlative"

"Superlative" was rightly named; it does super in my garden.  A 6 inch lightly ruffled true deep red velvet with a gold eye zone and gold thread and sometimes has a gold midrib.  30 inch scapes.  Somewhat fragrant.  Early bloomer and rebloomer.  In my garden, it's more of a continuous bloomer (meaning high bud count.)  Semi evergreen.  Tetraploid.  Increases clump size meaning you can divide, move and give gifts!  Was awarded Honorable Mention and the Award of Merit.

Hemerocallis "Quilt Patch"

"Quilt Patch"is a 6 inch unique spidery pearl dusted brown with a darker purple/brown eye zone and large yellow star throat which extends into the curling petals and sepals.   26 inch scapes.  Early to mid season bloomer plus rebloom.  Dormant. Diploid.  Blooms well in partial shade.  I think of "Quilt Patch" more as an exhibition flower than as a clump filler.  It needs it's place to show off by itself because it is so unusual plus gets rather lost among bright flowers.

Hemerocallis "UK Rose Show"

My daughter, who isn't into anything about daylilies except their prettiness (and that's alright for most people), shared this flower but didn't remember the name and so I call it "Unknown Rose Show".  

A 5 inch salmon with darker rose halo and ruffled.  The eye is yellow going into a chartreuse throat.  24 inch scapes.  It is ALWAYS healthy, huge bud count, vigorous and can be divided often.  My no-name beauty is pretty much perfect.

Hemerocallis "Ruffled Apricot"

In my belief that there should never be a patch of sunny ground that doesn't have a daylily, I made some flower beds out by my husband's shed.  He was a little "iffy" on my making it too girly - HA! The chances were good.  So anyway, I moved or ordered some inexpensive beautiful yellows and oranges.  

"Ruffled Apricot" is one of the beauties (in a manly kind of way.)  7 inch rich apricot self with ruffled edges.  Early to mid season bloomer.  Dormant.  Good multiplier on 28 inch scapes.  Stout Silver Medal winner.       

Hemerocallis "Ruffled Feathers"

"Ruffled Feathers" is more beautiful in person than in pictures.  A 6 inch pink/peach self with green/yellow throat.  White midribs and is heavily ruffled in a darker pink/peach.  Dormant.  Mid season bloomer.  26 inch scapes.  Diurnal.  Tetraploid.  Substantial and a little reluctant to open all the way until later in the day.

And now:  off for more weeding on the fabulously beautiful day.

Big Day on the Ranch

OK, we don't live on a ranch but it was a big daylilies first bloom day!

Hemerocallis "Siloam Ury Winniford"

"Siloam Ury Winniford" is so reliable, I go outside and think, "Yep, Ury is looking pretty again!"  An Award of Merit winner for good reason.  4 inch substantial cream white with large purple eye zone and small chartreuse throat.  23 inch scapes but much taller this year.  Very hardy. Dormant.  Early to mid season bloomer plus extended and reblooming.  Does not fade and seems insect resistant.  

Hemerocallis "White Temptation"

"White Temptation" is one of those lilies I've divided so many times I'm always surprised where it blooms.  Not only does it have it's own beauty, it helps to highlight other more vibrant flowers.  A 5 inch near white with faint yellow/green throat and wavy ruffled edges on 32 inch scapes.  Dormant.  Mid to late season bloomers.  Fragrant and very consistent.  Received Honorable Mention and the Award of Merit.  

Hemerocallis "My Melinda"

"My Melinda" has 3 1/2 inch rose pink petals and pale pink sepals and midribs with a golden throat (considered a bi-tone.)  Lightly crimped edges and vigorous.  Midsummer plus rebloom or extended in my garden.  Tetraploid.  Diurnal.  Dormant.  Here's the fun part:  the flowers last at least 16 hours each day.  This makes it a good choice next to patios and porches.  Received the Honorable Mention Award.

Hemerocallis "Blushing Summer Valentine"

"Blushing Summer Valentine" is another show stopper.  5 inch light buff pink bloom with a vivid burgundy maroon large eye zone and matching edge and a yellow eye.  24 inch scapes.  Early season plus rebloom.  Semi evergreen.  Tetraploid.  Fragrant.  Was awarded the "All American in Exhibition Category" in 2008.  

Hemerocallis "Princeton Prairie Art"

"Princeton Prairie Art" is another from Hornbaker Nursery in Princeton IL.  5 inch pink/peach and cream blend with white midrib and yellow eye.  Intense ruffling.  Evergreen.  This one was a little slow to start in my garden but the flowers are beautiful.  They open later in the morning.

Hemerocallis "Night Beacon"

"Night Beacon" is a little fussy some years and insects love the purple color.  That said, this 4 inch unique deep rich purple curled petals with huge chartreuse center on 24 inch scapes is beautiful.  Early to mid season bloomer plus rebloom.  Evergreen.  Diploid.  Increases clump size.  Received Honorable Mention and Junior Citation.  

Hemerocallis "Cream Puff"

"Cream Puff" is put to the test where I have it growing - a lot of shade.  5 inch cream sepals and peach/pink petals with lighter midrib and slightly ruffled edges - gold eye and green center.  36-48 inch scapes.  Vigorous with high bud count.  Midseason and continuous.  Diploid.  Evergreen.  Diurnal.  A sweet little bi-tone.

Hemerocallis "Unknown Big Banana"

This was given to me with no name attached - I call it my "U/K Big Banana" because this 8 inch spider has yellow banana shaped petals/sepals.  It has light midribs and small green eye.  30-36 inch scapes.  I have it everywhere because it is so vigorous and healthy.

Daylily season is in full swing and more coming on fast.  Weeds are in full swing, also.  Was out pulling, cutting and hauling until it started to rain - again.  Maybe I needed a break!

Little visitor to my yard or maybe I'm a visitor to
its yard:  Metaphid Jumping Spider.

No Stopping Daylilies

It was a quick run outside today to take the pictures of today's new bloomers.  Between rain and mosquitoes, it had to be a quick dash.

Hemerocallis "Catherine Woodbery"

"Catherine Woodbery" is a 4-6 inch light pink/lavender that lays flat with slightly ruffled edges and a large yellow/green throat.  The cooler the temperatures, the more vibrant the color.  Early to Mid-season bloomer plus rebloom.   30 inch scapes.  VERY fragrant.  Dormant. Diploid.  Registered by Childs in 1967.

Hemerocallis "Double Daffy"

"Double Daffy" has a huge bud count meaning this plant is covered with these 3 inch double yellow flower (with fiery red eye) for a long time.  A mid-season bloomer and pretty much continuous for almost a month.   Hybridized by Kropf and introduced in 1976.

Hemerocallis "Little Pumpkin Face"

"Little Pumpkin Face" is in my family bed for son, Ian, whose was called Pumpkin Puss for way too long for his liking.  A 2 inch butter yellow with maroon eye zone and yellow eye.  Ruffled edges and substantial.  20 inch scapes although this year they are much taller.  Diploid.  Dormant.  Blooms Mid Season.  Hybridzed by Roy G. Klehm in 2000.  As a side note, I visited the Klehm's nursery in Wisconsin a few weeks ago.  It was like visiting the home of a rock star!

Hemerocallis "Siloam Ethel Smith"

"Siloam Ethel Smith" is an average sounding name for quite a pretty looking lily.  3 1/4 inch pale pink/tangerine with a deep rose eye zone around a gold throat and chartreuse eye.  Ruffled edges, distinct midrib.  20 inch scapes.  Broad petals.  Diploid.  Dormant.  Mid season bloomer.  Hybridized by Henry 1981.  The depth of color varies according to conditions.

Hemerocallis "Spiritual Corridor"

"Spiritual Corridor" has it all going:  substance, heavy bud count, vigorous and beautiful.  A 5 inch lavender pink with a prominent creamy yellow eye and matching picotee edge with a small chartreuse throat.  Early to mid season.  25 inch scapes.  Semi-evergreen.  Hybridized by Hanson in 1992.   I got this from Hornbaker Nursery in Princeton in 2010 and divided several times. If you want a show stopper on a budget, this beauty is your answer.

And Kadence is my little garden show stopper.  Always willing to pose for a picture with meemaw's flowers.  

Dodging Bullets

In this area, we were all hunkered down in basements as a storm with rotation was heading to our area.  And then it made a turn and we hardly saw a sprinkle.  Good bullets to dodge.

Today's beauties:

Hemerocallis "Chloe"

"Chloe" is a 5 inch bicolor large spider with magenta/purple petals and cream/yellow sepals.  It has a large yellow eye.  36-40 inch scapes.  Add to that, it's fragrant and has a large bud count.  Dormant.  Was awarded the "Award of Merit".  

I've divided "Chloe" so many times, they are in every bed.  Dependable and vigorous.

Hemerocallis "Decatur Gentleman"

"Decatur Gentleman" is another of the outstanding purples.  At 5 1/2 inches, it shimmers and has a deeper purple halo around a yellow/green throat.  18 plus scapes.  Dormant.  Blooms mid-season.  Always dependable and beautiful.

Hemerocallis "Ed Murray"

A perfect red.  "Ed Murray" has it all:  4 inch ruffled dark ruby red with recurved petals sometimes narrowly edged in white and a white midrib.  Dormant.  Mid-season bloomer.  Diploid.  Vigorous, free flowering, spreads AND self seeds.  Winner of the Stout Medal, Lenington All-American Award, Award of Merit and the Annie T. Giles Award for a small flower.  Yes, Wowzer!

Hemerocallis "Prairie Angel"

"Prairie Angel" is a high styled beautiful flower - except when it isn't.  5 inch deep mauve/peach pink with light gold throat and gold bubbled edge.  Has a light water mark.  Slightly fragrant and has 36-48 inch scapes.  Blooms mid-season.  Dormant.  The finish is often spotty which (for me) majorly takes away from the beauty.  I used to blame insects eating the top layer but now I've begun to think this variety doesn't have reliable color.  I keep it because it is seen from afar.  I'd rip it out except it's so darn flamboyant when perfect.

Hemerocallis "Spider Miracle"

One of my new lilies, "Spider Miracle" came on with a strong showing.  8 1/2 inch rich yellow self with chartreuse center.  This spider is classified as "unusual form spatulate" because the petals turn under at the ends.  On 32 inch strong scapes.  (Never buy a large daylily on spindly scapes because it won't support these beauties.)  Blooms mid-season.  Dormant.  Diploid and diurnal.

"Spider Miracle" looks like a new introduction but it was released in 1986 by Hendricks. 

Last night's area storms blew the humidity out and it was a perfect day.  Perfect for daylilies, too.