PATTERNS!!!

     After reading the most recent A.H.S. journal I was inspired to write a quick segment on patterns.  I think of all the the categories of patterns, my personal favorite is concentric rings or bands.  One thing that I've noticed in the years that I have grown daylilies with patterns is that some are heat dependent (they seem to show up better when it's more hot or humid) where as others show up all the time.  It seems there are only a few patterned daylilies that show their patterns all the time.  As a good friend and fellow hybridizer said to me recently, " I think it is still early in the progression of patterns in daylilies."

      I think my friend is right.  I thought I would highlight a few that are fairly consistent.  At the top of the page is Ted Petit's, Through the looking glass.  I got this daylily quite a few years back when Gavin Petit was selling some of his Dad's daylilies to pay for his way through college.  I was very pleased to see that the pattern looked exactly like the picture in Ted's catalog.  Once Through the looking glass had established, I had no problem setting pods on it and it's pollen is quite fertile as well.  I don't have any seedlings to show you yet, but should in a year or so.  From what I've seen from other hybridizer's photos that have used it, it passes on it's pattern quite easily.

       The other two daylilies that show their pattern quite regularly are Rings of Wonder and Get Jiggy, both from Pat Stamile.  I've had more luck setting pods on Get Jiggy and I would add that both are pollen fertile. I really can't wait to see the results of those crosses.  I have one patterned seedling out of Vertical Horizon with concentric circles, but so far those circles only show up when it's hot so I'm just using it as a bridge plant for now. Rings of Wonder shown below at the top, and Get Jiggy at the very bottom. 

Some cool Frank Smith daylily seedlings and my new Youtube video.

     Today's blog entry will be kinda brief, because I think I'm coming down with a cold again. In spite of the fact that this winter has been one of the easiest I have ever had in Northeast Ohio, I can't remember ever being sick as often as I've been this winter.  I think this is my third cold in about three months.  Gotta start taking my vitamins more regularly.  Anyway, this past summer my wife and I went got a chance to visit Frank Smith's daylily garden in early June.  It was a little past peak, but there were still a lot of daylilies in bloom.  The most impressive was seedling 8-106 which is featured at the top of the page.  I don't know any information about the parents or when it will be introduced.  I even contacted Pete Harry to see if I could find out more but he didn't have any information.  Also featured at the bottom of the page is seedling 8-172.  A very nice seedling that I unfortunately have no information on either, but man what a nice eye.  Looks like it could be a Tet. Peppermint Delight seedling, but that's just a guess.  Hopefully we'll see these introduced in the years to come. 

     I shot a 15 minute video which is posted on Youtube of all the daylilies in my front and backyard.  I will add a link for you to click on.  If for some reason that doesn't work, just go to Youtube and put "Paul K. Lewis's daylily garden" in the search box.  My video should come up.  It was shot during peak bloom July 19th, 2011, and it features many hybridizers introductions, including a few of mine.  Hope you enjoy it. http://youtu.be/M1_z_Q3yBJ4

Stan Holley's daylily, "Oklahoma Sand Burr" and my toothy Mort Morss seedling.

     Feels like spring out today!!!  Temps in the 60's and sunny!!  Nice for March in northeastern Ohio. Hope everyone is having a nice weekend! So, today's blog entry takes us back to toothy daylilies and one that has been a standout lately is Oklahoma Sand Burr from Stan Holley of California.  First of all, let me say that dealing with the Holley's over the past couple of years to purchase daylilies has been a very pleasant experience.  They sell a lot of their introductions on the lily auction and always send very healthy plants.  I think I first saw Stan's daylily Oklahoma Sand Burr at Dan Trimmer's place.  The thing I remember was it looked exactly like the photograph in the Holley's catalog.  A lot of times we daylily people have to buy daylilies without seeing them in person, buying a daylily based on a picture alone doesn't always work out, so it is refreshing when someone has a daylily that looks exactly like the photograph.  Oklahoma Sand Burr is a dark purple flower with some very nice teeth, both on the petals and sepals.  The photograph above was taken in my garden last year.  The cross that produced Oklahoma Sand Burr was (Mary Lena X Robes for the Queen).  The plant I got of Oklahoma Sand Burr arrived this spring and it bloomed and set a few pods for me in it's first year.  Fertile both ways, and I seem to remember Bonnie Holley saying it's putting teeth on all it's seedlings. 

     The other daylily I thought I would highlight was a toothy seedling of mine.  The cross that produced this seedling is Pirate King X Mort Morss.  I think the thing I love about the seedling is that blue eye and how nicely it contrasts with the purple in the flower.  It has some nice teeth, but on some mornings it does seem to water spot.  All pictures below are of this new seedling.  I'm going to keep watching it to see how it does in the next year.  A little on the fence as to whether I will introduce it, but it's got some good features.  Anyway, hope you enjoy these flowers as each day we get closer to when we can actually see blooms out in the yard.  I know my southern friends are already enjoying greenhouse blooms. 

Jeff Salter's "Dark Moon Fair," and Vic Santa Lucia's "City Center."

     When I go back over the daylily photos from the past year, it seems the ones I photograph the most are my personal favorites of that year.  This year I had a ton of photographs of Jeff Salter's Dark Moon Fair.  I had bought Dark Moon Fair in 2010, but it seems to take a year for the new arrivals to settle in, and this past summer it really impressed me.  It is a fine purple color with a lighter lavender watermark, and a very nice ruffled gold edge.  Jeff writes in his description that Dark Moon Fair was one of the brightest, cleanest colors and was used extensively in his breeding.  Dark Moon Fair's parentage is ((Forbidden Fantasy X Seedling)X Spring Sensation.)  I highly recommend this daylily to you all.  Photos at the top of the page are Dark Moon Fair.

       The other daylily that caught my attention this year was Vic Santa Lucia's City Center.  Being a fan of great plant habit, City Center had very nice height, branching, and bud count.  Each bloom was very consistent and it was easy to work with.  It increased fast as well, making a nice clump for me.  I grow a lot of blue eyed daylilies and this one was very nice.  Very reasonably priced through Iron Gate Gardens for only $20.  Both photographs at the bottom are of City Center.  Well, that's this week's installment.  Here in northeast Ohio, winter is still holding on giving us a dusting of lake effect snow and temps in the 20's and 30's. March....in like a lion....out like a lamb.  Let's hope.  Winter is just too long for me.