Thoroughbred Daylilies

Last Friday (June 27th), on our way to Ohio, DH made a stop for me in Paris, Kentucky....the home of Thoroughbred Daylilies...the daylilies of John and Annette Rice. The next day the Rices were preparing to welcome over 100 visitors as part of the Northern Mecca Celebration. Annette had asked that we call when we crossed into Kentucky to make sure someone would be around to greet us. We did so and learned a tremendous thunderstorm had just occurred and more were expected. Nonetheless, our car continued its journey onward...what's a little rain!

As you can see, the sky was a tad dark when we arrived:


Luck was with us, as most of the rain held off until I was ready to leave, anyhow. DH settled into the car for a good read/radio listen/and/or nap....and I was headed through the daylilies!

The daylilies outside looked pretty well, considering what they had been through. I wanted to see this pond that was up by the greenhouse:


In bloom, I hope you can tell, were lotus blossoms of great beauty.


I had to get as close as possible (drat....need that macro lens!):


Outside the greenhouse were potted daylilies for sale. They had held up to the rain pretty well, too. Here's WONDER OF IT ALL looking as if it could be rained on all day (in the corner, that orange one is GLORIOUS AUTUMN...I'm so sorry...boohoo...that my picture of it didn't turn out well...it's a gorgeous double).


JOSETTE LISE:


I was eager to see what was in the greenhouse, though. Busy as she was, Annette Rice was a perfect hostess and took precious time to take me around the greenhouse. She graciously pointed out plants to me and showed me some of her favorites. She also encouraged me to take a look outside, to compare the daylilies there with the ones in the greenhouse. I gotta tell you, I did take a quick jaunt out into the fields of blooms, but my heart and mind were in that greenhouse! It was obvious to me that my camera (yeah, it was the camera's idea!) wanted to take pictures inside, rather than outside. You'd feel the same way, too, right? So, let's get inside!

First, we have to get past this guardian....errr, gargoyle:


Inside, was a daylily lover's dream greenhouse! Everything you could think of was here and in beautiful perfect bloom! No wonder people want greenhouses and/or take their pictures there! The only thing Annette asked was that no one bother any labels or move anything, which seemed easy enough to accommodate. I couldn't take a picture of everything (although I wanted to...and some might feel I tried...hehe), so here's what I got...in no particular order:


LOTUS POSITION:


FLORIDA SCRUB JAY:


CELESTIAL SHORE:


UNBRIDLED SPIRIT:


KINGDOM OF HEARTS:


FREIDA ALLEN JERRELL (By the way, we'll visit the garden of the real Freida Allen Jerrell when I get my pictures together from the Regional Meeting Tour):


WILD CHILD:



JERRY HYATT:


RUCKUS:


EYES RIGHT JONES:


CHINESE SCRIBE:


BORN TO REIGN:


MRS. JOHN COOPER:


TRIFECTA...this daylily was putting on such a show! I really considered it, but realized the one I was looking at probably wasn't for sale...only single fans were...potted up right there...and none were blooming (or getting ready to bloom)....I'm still thinking about it:


LABYRINTH OF SOLITUDE:


There were some other wonderful daylilies that I had only seen pictures of in bloom...but I either didn't get good shots or couldn't read the label (in my photo) for sure...some were actually too tall as they were all potted up on tables...and some of those guys got pretty tall! Here is the famous BEAR CLAWS which was rather shocking to me. Annette said it didn't open very well, but was great for hybridizing with:


(You didn't think we were done, did you?)

BORN TO RUN:


TEXAS FEATHERED FANCY:


JOHNNY CASH:


(Remember JOHNNY CASH from the last AHS tour garden? That picture was taken outside, this one inside...looks like Johnny does superbly either way!)

I took this one for me....I love love VELVET RIBBONS and I wanted to compare theirs (grown in near perfect conditions and culture)...to mine:


Okay, now...here are just a few shots in the greenhouse....it was overwhelmingly beautiful:



These next two are seedlings:



I'm not sure if this is a seedling or an introduction, sorry:


I didn't spend as much time as I would have liked (or should have) looking at the seedlings as we did have to get back on the road and all.

Here's one of Annette's diploid spiders...it's quite tall, very sturdy...and just delicious looking:


She pointed out all these to me, if I understood her correctly, as being her spiders that she's working with:


I took this picture as proof (ha) that I actually did go out into the fields:


It's time to hit the road....it would be nice to sit here, but we must go.


Of course, I had to purchase ANNETTE'S MAGIC (naturally...having now met Annette and all...hehe), JUST PLAIN BILL (I needed to replace a weakling plant that I had bought elsewere), and CHINESE SCRIBE (my picture doesn't do it justice...another time, I'll post one of it blooming here in Virgina)....and the Rices gave me FEMININE INTUITION as a bonus...lucky me!

Thanks to the Rices, especially their kind daughter who hauled my plants to the car for me and all...for taking time out of a busy day to accommodate daylily lovers (hey, you didn't think I was the only person there, did you?).

*****

When I get to it, we'll have a little visit at Valley of the Daylilies....

*****

All pictures clickable.