Daylily List and Descriptions

I think that it was 18 years ago or so that my sister Shannon purchased a group of mail-order daylilies and planted them in front of her cottage-like house with the white picket fence. At the time I (foolishly) wasn't impressed with them, simply because I didn't have enough experience with the flowers.

Now I can't get enough daylilies.

A friend of a friend crossed daylilies and sold the undesirable (to her, anyway) offspring for a mere $5 a clump. Hornbaker Gardens in Princeton, IL had a $10 a clump sale a few weeks later. After visiting both of these places, I was officially hooked on daylilies.

Somehow the tags on my named lilies in the back yard are AWOL. I suspect that the two huskies, in one of their many Wild Dog moments, have kicked them up. Either the lawn mower has eaten them or the mysterious canna stealing critter walked off with them. Hard telling.

Here's a list of some of the daylilies that jump out at me:

I have a sunny yellow, rather tall lily with an extraordinary amount of buds that I thought was 'Karen Sue' but is not (according to the google image search that I just did.) This is one of the daylilies with the tags missing The show this daylily puts on lasts for at least two weeks. I have tried my hand at making my own daylily crosses (which is discouraged by the professionals...sorry, I can't help myself) and have found that this daylily is a good parent. I'll see if I can find the original sale tag to find out her true name.

'Fuzz Bunny' is a medium-sized double yellow daylily. There are only two to four buds per stem, but the unique bloom makes this variety a must-have. I haven't had any luck with crosses.

I believe the daylily on the other side of the deck is 'Little Grapette'. I LOVE the dusky purple-brown bloom with the darker eye. It is a small flower, and cute as can be. When I crossed (both ways) with what I thought was 'Karen Sue' I got muddy, disappointing blooms. I think 'Little Grapette' should be left as it is...just perfect.

'Ice Carnival' is a REAL work-horse. It is a tall, proud daylily that produces bloom after bloom after bloom. The flowers are large, pale yellow (almost white) beauties that are easily crossed. I have divided and shared this daylily many times, and it still gives me a full bushy plant each season. If you have a large area to fill in and want a mass of solid color, try 'Ice Carnival'.

'Winnie-The-Pooh' was purchased in honor of my niece Erin. She loved the fuzzy little bear. Too bad the lily isn't nearly as cute. It is a medium-sized plant with a orange-tan color. Personally, I don't think it's the same color as the Pooh bear, but maybe I'm just color blind. This plant hasn't multiplied much, and I've never tried to cross it.

'Strawberry Candy' packs a punch. The smaller plant has a medium-size flower that is a bright strawberry ice cream pink with a darker center. It has three to four buds per stem, so the show doesn't last long. It is a desirable plant simply because it's so darn cute.

'Exotic Love' is a WOW for sure. I have a great close-up picture of it that I will post if I can. (Darn it, the computer won't let me attach the pic. It says 'error' across the top in a big red band. Perhaps you can do a Google image search for it. I'll try to do another post with that picture, and pics of other daylilies as well.)

'South Seas' is a very tropical looking lily. It produces only a few buds and I haven't tried to cross it, but I do enjoy the flower when it is in bloom.

I have an unnamed cross from Hornbaker's that I like to unofficially call my 'Shelly Lily'. It is a bright pink with a bright yellow throat. I have shared this lily with many, many friends.

I haven't had the chance to write down the daylilies from the front or east yard. I will do so, and blog about them, at a later date.

Daylilies start blooming around the last week of June and put on a show for about a month in my yard. They are easily maintained, grow well in my clay soil, and demand little attention once established. If you haven't given daylilies a chance in your gardens, you should really do so.

shel

p.s. I still can't add an image. Curses!!! I did a Google image search and got pictures of all of the above-mentioned daylilies except 'Winnie-the-Pooh'. Notice how the 'Ice Carnival' blooms looks different in each picutre...sometimes a camera just isn't able to capture the true color. 'Little Grapette' is the same way.

If you get the chance, go to Hornbaker's in rural Princeton in the next week. The fields of daylilies will be in full bloom...it's a glorious sight! Get information by visiting www.hornbakergardens.com