2012 AHS National Convention: Pleasant Valley

Here we are at stop #3 of the optional day tour.  Forewarning:  This will be a picture heavy post. 

Pleasant Valley Farm is located in Dayton, Ohio,




and is home to wonderful toothy daylilies and an assortment of interesting animals.  


I had the good fortune to visit Pleasant Valley a couple years ago and had a bit more time to explore.  Bus tours are great; however, your time is usually always too short in a garden.  Given that I knew there were things of interest here besides daylilies, I jumped off the bus and headed toward where most people were not.  It's challenging to take pictures on tours as we all want to be in the same spot at the same time (smile) and for daylily tours, that naturally means the daylilies.


Join me as I start this visit with the garden on the other side of the house.  Rest assured, we will see daylilies.





 First up, an enchanting miniature garden.  Look closely (you can click on the picture) to note some of the touches that tell a story....like boots by the front door and the bunny nibbling on a plant...




Moving around this enormous tree, look here...



What a bench, huh.  Let's look at it directly...



The above picture gives a hint on what else is here.  Something that I thought was particularly neat and so, of course, I took multiple pictures.

Tell me this isn't the greatest thing!





I was already thinking I have just the teapot...except I don't have a matching cup and saucer :(

One more, because I like mushrooms, too...



The magic and fantasy of it all is very appealing.  A sweet shady escape where one can fantasize that perhaps fairies really do reside there.





Here's kinda an overview...



There's so much more to the front yard garden, so let's walk out a bit, shall we...









This fountain is definitely worth a closer look.





American flags proudly wave here...





Let's walk back down as there's still more to see...

 

 

 

Never forget to look up...



You may have caught a glimpse of them before....here are the famous French fry eating birds...



A bit more...





Plenty of spots to rest a moment or sit in the shade...





Can you see them?  The gates?

 

Notice the horses that are on each side.  Let's make our way around the other side and into daylilydom...



Maybe before we do that, we should say hello to some folks...


The chickens...




...and other exotic fowl...



I believe I saw a peacock in one area.  Interesting as they are, who can possibly resist these beautiful horses?






Happily, I got to give them each a carrot.  They had three friends in the barn as well.  

I know, I know...bring on the daylilies...

We're getting there...



The back of the house...




Approaching lots and lots of daylilies...





Looks what's by the gazebo....



The hunt for blue is clearly over...





ANGELWALKER:



JOHN PEAT (the daylily)...

 

Two of KENNESAW MOUNTAIN LEMON SORBET...





FOREVER BLOWING BUBBLES...

 

BUZZ SAW...



A seedling 08-JPT-2-T...

 
  





Because you want to see...



BOUNDLESS BEAUTY...




ELEANOR ROOSEVELT...



A seedling 10-JTP-168-T...





 

RON VALENTE...



Three views of TIP OF THE ICEBERG (because I liked it)...







Two lovelies...







A most appropriate sculpture...









If I don't have a name or a seedling number, we'll have to guess that they are seedlings...







Sunflowers...





More beauty...





I was looking at the picture of the statute when something behind her caught my eye.  Alas, time was running out in the garden and I was scurrying here and there to see the daylilies quickly...but...I remembered my pictures from two years ago, July 2, 2010, to be exact...and found this...



I mean, we couldn't have a visit without seeing such a creature, right?  Back to the present...


PRISSY FRILLS...




08-JTP-21-T






ARCTIC LACE...

 

VIOLET LIGHT...



KING SOLOMON'S TREASURE ...




And, here we have an active infestation of the species Daylily-Aficionado-Homo-Sapiens in situ....

 

(I crack myself up!)

We have to hurry now.  Lots of shots of seedlings, as far as I know...







Junior Citation Candidate...



This one, too...




closer...







Last one...





A highly used plant and/or a very fertile one...

  

Haha...

 



We're off to the final garden on our extra tour.  Thanks so much to Doug Sterling and Joel Thomas Polston, hosts most excellent, who allowed us free reign over their gardens.  It was fun!

*****
BONUS...I'm going for the longest post...ever...and herewith add some photos from my visit on July 2, 2010.  You can compare and perhaps see a few things differently.

Now that we know our way around, I'm going to try to zip through these.  We'll start with scenic/view/general dayliles ones.






















Chickens and, of course, the horses...








These will give you some idea of the scope of the daylily operation...



This is looking through the open gates clear on the other side (above)...













 





 





Back of the house (below), offering a nice spot to relax...



Notice our serpent friend to the left...(below)




Some non-daylily flowers...

 







Daylilies! Daylilies! Daylilies!

VALLEY OF THE KINGS...



PASTOR LAURIE ANN MOELLER...




RASPBERRY GOOSEBUMPS...



Two of WILD HAIR...





TOOTH AND NAIL (2)...





DARK SIDE OF THE MOON (darker than this picture shows)...



 Some seedlings....This first one (three views) appears to be a guest plant of the one and only Bob Faulkner...








  

08-JTP-195-T



Here's one that stood out in the seedling field...








The tag for the above or below, I'm not sure...





  I think the tag below belongs to the one that follows (two views)...








 A stand out...(literally)



 

 Another...



Last one!






By now, you've probably gotten a pretty good idea that lots of wonderful things are going on at Pleasant Valley Farm.  Hope you've enjoyed your two (ha) visits; I know I did.