Saturday, July 18, 2009

More Today...

BLACKJACK CHERRY...


HOMEMADE STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM...a gift from Tim Bell who was our Bus Captain at the National this year...


SOLAR MUSIC...huge and very flat


MARY'S BABY...


AMERICAN DOLL...


MASKED EMOTIONS...


TRULY ANGELIC...


CIMARRON ROSE...one of my very very favorites (it and LINDA BECK)...I've been using its pollen as much as possible...


MUSIC OF THE MASTER...


LAVENDER CREAM...a new one this year, think it will be a nice border plant...


SPACECOAST GOLD BONANZA...


SPARTICUS ADORNED...


CAPTIVATING SMILE...


DROP DEAD GORGEOUS...which it certainly was...stopped me in my tracks...


HELAMAN...


FOSSIL RECORD...


AQUA VELVA MAN....I don't know...a little bland...at least so far...for my tastes...


Ending with an odd one from ALEXA KATHRYN...a bitone bloom....AK is not a bitone....Alexa Kathryn is definitely on my outta here list...despite last minute efforts like this one...


Oh yes...a PS....I think this one has better color, darker purple...closer to how it truly is....SINS OF OMISSION...


Although the blooms have really slowed down...there are still blooms of interest...

Friday, July 17, 2009

Mid-Lates...

BLISSFUL BLACKBERRY PIE...


YOU LOOK MARVELOUS...


BRIDGETON IVY LEAGUE....very impressive plant habits this year...lots of buds/branching...huge plant...just starting to bloom...


SUZY CREAM CHEESE....you know when this one blooms that things are beginning to wind down...


VINTNER'S TREASURE...


CHRISTMAS COTTON...


LATER ALLIGATOR having a terrific day...


LOOK HERE MARY...another that singles the slow down...LHM has gigantic blooms...you can spot this one from afar...


HOLLY DANCER...an oldie but with such terrific color...


EDGE OF HEAVEN..


TREASURE OF THE SOUTHWEST...


RUTH WHITTEN...


LAKE EFFECT...


ROYAL SPECKLES...


JANET BENNETT...


EMMA'S GREEN GIANT...


LOVE OR ELSE...another one with great plant habits...


SPIRITUAL CORRIDOR...


BERRY PATCH...


FRAGRANT BOUQUET...


MADGE CAYSE...


HILDRED WEST...likes to throw a poly bloom...


MEMORIES OF OZ...


TECHNY PEACE...


CARIBBEAN PURPLE SPIRES....can't make up mind about this one...it is a bit tall and I do like that...


SINS OF OMISSION...going to have to keep trying with this one...the purple is much darker than this picture conveys...


AUGUST FROST...I always want to call this one July Frost...because it blooms in July here, not August...


Look at DARLA ANITA...continuing to try to stay here...


CARNIVAL IN BRAZIL...


LIFE ON BAJORE...


GLORY BRIGHT has been a blooming machine...



I haven't posted much about my seedlings this year...I suppose I'll save that for when I have lots of time...to go through and sort all the photos...however, here's one today that I'm liking and it is blooming on a rebloom scape...which is a terrific trait...


So, if you wonder what daylilies are blooming now (at least here)....you've got a pretty good idea, right? Let's hope there's more tomorrow (of course there will be!).....and there's still all those from earlier that I never got around to....the regional meeting, the national, etc....I see endless daylily posts....hehe.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

And More...

RASPBERRY GOOSEBUMPS...


THE FLOWER FORMERLY KNOWN AS GRIFF...


STARGATE PORTAL...


PRIMAL SCREAM...


MILDRED MITCHELL...


PEGGY JEFFCOAT...


BARK AT ME...


PRISSY FRILLS...


TEXAS BLUE EYES...


FRAGRANT BOUQUET...


...later...

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

More Daylilies

Just a few before I turn in...

ETERNAL WARRIOR...


The legendary J. T. DAVIS...


STARMAN'S QUEST...


VIOLET VEIL...


STRAWBERRY MARGARITA...


MICHAEL MILLER...


SCINTILLATING SUZETTE...


HEARTFELT SECRETS...


CLOTHED IN GLORY...


MOUNT RAINER...


....until tomorrow...

Monday, July 13, 2009

Daylilies....

Time to get back with things. The daylilies are now past peak and I am no longer taking hundreds of pictures each day. The lates are beginning as the mids finish up...still plenty of blooms, but not like it was even a week ago. I've been busy pollen dabbing and look to have a fair amount of pods starting. The days fly by this time of year.

At some point, I'll organize the seedling photos and have lots and lots of tour photos...plenty to keep me busy.

Because I think I should just jump in (having missed my daily daylily postings), here are some photos from the last few days...

SYMPHONY OF PRAISE...


...try not to notice the spent bloom at the bottom....there will probably be others as I don't like to take them off until the pod grows to a sufficient size...and then they'll fall off easily.

LOVELY PINK LADY...


...has been outstanding...loads of blooms...so far, though, I haven't been able to set a pod (I keep trying) as the blooms are heavy when they start to decline...I have been using the pollen from this one on various unusual forms/spidery types.

LARGER THAN LIFE...


...looking particularly nice...maybe it heard it is on the outta here list...

A poly from TUPAC AMARU...


....this one has really shown me (once again) the value and importance of letting a daylily settle in (three years)...what scapes it has this year (the rain has helped)...

SUNRISE SUNSET BEAUTIFUL...


ETERNAL MEMORIES...


...definitely on the keeper list as I make unfortunate but necessary decisions about who goes and who stays...

PALACE GARDEN BEAUTY...


...has really benefited from being moved, unlike most who pout for a bit when moved....I mistakenly thought I might move it out last year...but am glad I decided to keep some. I have an interesting seedling out of PGB.

STRUNG OUT...


...I like 'em big and STRUNG OUT delivers...another view...


SOFTLY AND TENDERLY...


...a new one this year, lovely gentle coloring...looking forward to it settling in...right now it is in the pot ghetto...

CLAUDINE'S CHARM...


....also new this year and also in the pot ghetto....another one that shows much promise...

BIRD BATH PINK...


I'M AN AMERICAN...


....this one is usually perfect for the Fourth of July, but was later blooming this year...

VICTORIAN LACE....


MASK AND METAPHOR....


....think I should have/could have waited a bit later in the day to take MASK AND METAPHOR's picture....probably have one somewhere...

MADIBA MAGIC poly....


LAVENDER KINGDOM...


FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS...


...another new one this year....this one actually gets some teeth, knobs, etc. in the heat..

DENA MARIE...


....finally some blooms from this one....DENA MARIE'S SISTER has been a good daylily, nice to see what DENA MARIE has to offer....I can tell this one should be even better with some time.

ON THE WEB....


...okay, this one took itself off the outta here list, has been terrific this year...

SHEER EXCITEMENT...



LOLA BRANHAM...


LAVENDER CRINKLES...


...beginning to see some of the crinkling, at last....another one that goes on and off the list...

FOLLOW THE FASHION...


....had about given up on this one....might keep it around another year...

Ending with DARLA ANITA...


....this is actually a pretty good picture of ole DARLA ANITA....who is perpetually not on my good list....I don't know, the color doesn't grab me at all, although she did look a bit pinker (which is good) than usual...

It was pretty easy to put DARLA ANITA on the outta here list...and a couple of her friends (relations)....give me good color, rich color in just about any shade but drab....just my opinion...lots of folks like this one....see, that's what so great about daylilies, something for every taste....

If I can get it in gear (doubtful), I have enough pictures to keep going endlessly...ha...

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Not Quite Summer, Not Quite Peak....

Lots of rain of late and with that, some great blooms...larger than normal and more intense colors. It's hard to keep up as each day more and more open. Peak will probably be in a week or so, as a guess. The only down side (besides extreme weed growth) is that getting to the seedlings on my hill is near impossible. The bottom bed is especially difficult and that's the one I must make the difficult decisions on. Ah well...their fate will have to be decided on later blooms...

Here's some of what I'm seeing...

Surprise!


Scurrying to get away....


thinks he/she is safe now, hiding under the peonies...


I was trying to photograph this one, JAN'S TWISTER, when I surprised Mr. (Ms.) Turtle...


SUGAR PLUM JAM...


GREEN MYSTIQUE, not showing any green...


...unlike GREENWAY...with great green edges (can't get enough of this one!)...


BLUEBIRD BUTTERFLY...


TREMOR...


KATHRYN JUNE WOOD...


PEACE BE WITH YOU...


FOREVER REDEEMED...


WONDER OF IT ALL...


VIOLET BECOMES YOU, more purple than this picture shows...


Poly on TRICOLOR...


BANSHEE WHISPER...




YOU BET YOUR SWEET BIPPY...



YOU BET YOUR SWEET BIPPY from an angle, showing the blasted scape ('fixed' with green duct tape) and, if you look down, the instant rebloom scape coming up....


SAN IGNACIO...quite tall this year...


Clump shot of PEPPERMINT PINWHEEL...


closer...



BENCHMARK...more vivid this year...


Clump of BARBARA MITCHELL...


MISSOURI MEMORIES...


ETHEL BUCCOLA...


GLEAM OF TIME...


For grins, here's the pollen I collected this morning...

Monday, June 15, 2009

Sad...

Last night, my father passed away. He had fought hard for the past three months, but it wasn't to be. My father had just turned 80, so he had a long life. I feel blessed to have had him as my father and am grateful that I was able to spend that 80th birthday with him.

How this intersects here is that my father enjoyed growing plants. For a number of years, he propagated African Violets and when my parents owned their home, had a vegetable garden every year. I remember his enthusiasm for roses which waned, I suspect, with receiving virused plants that we later learned were problematic during that era. I could talk a lot about my dad, but what I am actually here to write about is something that happened today.

I was lying in bed thinking about my garden for comfort and, in particular, my daylilies (surprise). I had the thought that I would very much like to name a daylily for my dad. My seedlings (it's early yet) haven't exactly been superlative so far (as some of you might know from various forums) this year. It bothered me a bit that I realized I didn't even know my dad's favorite color.

As I pondered this, I thought that it must be a daylily that stands out...not because it is unusual or bizarre (which my dad wasn't)...but one that is sturdy, strong and works its heart out, never giving up. I realized this could be difficult and might take a few years to find out. It would give me comfort to have one to keep an eye on, though. I thought maybe it shouldn't be a tall one (because my dad wasn't) but just average height. It should be one that makes you glad to see it.

Okay, now those are generalizations, but you get my drift. Upon arising this morning, I took the dogs out front and looked around at what was blooming (not seedlings, those are in back)...I felt a bit nervous because I soooo wanted to find something, now that I have this thought. I'm pretty patient with my seedlings, but today is different.

I came inside and took a peek out the window...

I must say, it did catch my eye...and I was very excited to go down and have a look...(you know, the mud...)

Cutting to the chase...


I'm liking it!

A pretty good looking scape....


Now, this is the ffo (first flower open)...ever...on this seedling...it has lots of challenges to go through...but, I gotta tell you....on such a sad day, I feel a bit of hope...and, I guess, maybe a tad encouraged...

Here it is again...(that's self-seeded parsley behind it...in the seedling bed...I am, apparently, running a swallowtail butterfly farm...)...


Well, who knows...but, for today...it's enough...