Driving Miss Daylily...

My husband is a man of many talents and gifts. One of those is his sense of humor. Recently returned from overseas, he took me to Ohio...to see daylilies (you knew that). As he patiently waited for me in garden after garden, he joked that he was Driving Miss Daylily (you remember the movie, Driving Miss Daisy?).

When I laughingly related this to a fellow Virginian in one of these Ohio gardens, he said to me, "That's a good husband." Indeed.

Ohio is home to some very talented daylily hybridizers. They've taken it upon themselves to have a weekend each year with open gardens called Northern Mecca. Just in case you're not quite as tuned into the daylily world and daylily doings as I am, the name comes from the nickname given to the annual May-time pilgrimage that daylily lovers from around the world make to Florida. It's been called Mecca (as in Daylily Mecca) for years. Florida has been the center of cutting edge daylilies for some time now, but others are now taking up the challenge.

As you might suspect, despite how adaptable the daylily is, different areas of the country have different challenges. And, like plants everywhere, locally grown plants adapt best to your garden. Florida has allowed rapid advance in the daylily with its mild climate and the ability to go from seed to blooming seedling in nine months. Where I am, it takes me two to three years to see a first bloom. So, nine months gives quite the advantage. And, Florida rightly has attracted a number of very talented hybridizers.

However, enter a collection of daylily hybridizers mainly in Ohio (also Kentucky and Michigan)....and you have a new daylily destination. Here's a link to the website to see all the folks: Northern Mecca.

I targeted four to visit this year. Actually, I did make it to five, but that fifth one didn't really get a good viewing as it was so late in the day when I arrived there. So, we'll mainly have a look at four.

"Miss Daylily?" We're here." Here would be Bob Faulkner's Daylilies.

I'm very excited! After hearing Bob speak twice and viewing all those wonderful pictures of patterned daylilies, I'm finally going to get to see them for myself in situ...

Here's my first view:

(This for my DH)


(I'm thinking all these pictures are clickable as they appear so small here....trying to save space, I am...)

then this...



so pretty, huh...but, I know, where are the daylilies...you're wondering...

There they are!

Let's go look at some.


That green is really something...




Here lies the famous sign...


closer...


but, back to the flowers...





(chuckle)...







(nice welcome)...





Plenty of scenic views here...


the other side...


This side houses Bob's famous pigeons...


...who very kindly put up with my taking pictures of them. I thought they were quite beautiful with interesting...patterns...something we know Bob is very well known for...


An unusual (ha) one for Bob (you get my joke, right...unusual form daylily...ufo...)...pointed out to me by master hybridizer Charles Douglas...


I liked this one very much! As well as many others...

Look! Here's the Great Man at work:


You may have just witnessed the making of a Stout Medal Winner!

A few more daylilies...





You may not have caught this sign...(that's why you have me!)


There's a lot more than daylilies here to see...


from the other side...


If you can't make it out, the arch says "It all began in a garden"


and backwards...


That's Buzz, a very fine garden assistant...here (below) with his best friend, Bob...


...more daylilies...




...and other flowers...




What's a garden without a gnome?


...a very sweet garden...


My visit nears an end here....more gardens to see...many thanks to Bob Faulkner for his hospitality, beautiful gardens and for allowing three seedlings to escape (thank you!)...also thanks to Roma for providing some great shade...

....last look and goodbye to Buzz...who makes all Jack Russell Terriers proud...


...off to our next garden...