An interview with our friend, Tim Bell

Lord of Creation (Tim Bell 2021)

 

Manasota Key (Tim Bell 2020)

Back in 2008, I was traveling with my wife across the country to see daylily gardens and had the good fortune to visit Tim Bell's lovely daylily garden in Sycamore, Georgia.  What a lovely layout and so well kept.  I've always wanted to learn a little more about Tim and figured an interview would be the best way.  With nothing further here is my interview with Tim Bell: 

Tim and Linda Bell

INTRODUCTION WRITTEN BY TIM BELL:

I grew up and still live in Sycamore, Georgia which I consider to be God's country. I am a peanut farmer turned daylily grower. My wife, Linda is my right hand in running our daylily business and our 3 kids are actively involved in helping. I am so thankful that God has blessed me with something I love so much and has allowed me to do it for a living. I began growing and breeding daylilies in 1982 after graduating from the university of Georgia and while still farming. 

Photo by Jacob Henry

1. How did you first get interested in daylilies?

Tim: I have always enjoyed growing things and gardening. A distant relative shared 106 daylilies with me and the next spring I was hooked. 

Photo by Jacob Henry

2. Which hybridizer introduced you to daylily hybridizing?

Tim: A small backyard gardener named Jackie Threewitts.

3. What were your first goals in the beginning of your daylily hybridizing?

Tim: My first goal in hybridizing was simply to bloom a daylily from seed and then to have one that I thought was pretty. 

4. What were some of the challenges you've faced with your daylily hybridizing over the years?

Tim: I have problems finding good parents that were pod fertile. Then figuring out the best method of growing seedlings. The worst problem was voles. They ate the biggest portion of my seedlings last year.

Photo by Jacob Henry

5. How many seedlings do you grow each year?

Tim: I grow 10 to 15,000 seedlings per year.

6. How many years in total have you hybridized daylilies?

Tim: 39 years.

7. What are some of your favorite introductions from other hybridizers?

Tim: Sharyn Lianne (Pierce), Spacecoast Black Sensation (Kinnebrew), Hotlanta (Waldrop), Great White Dove (Pierce), Sunscream (DeVito), and The Fantastic Barbara Watts (Salter J.).

Rachel Gibbs and Jessica Lynn Bell

8. What are some of your favorite daylily introductions?

Tim: Linda Bell, Jessica Lynn Bell, Rachel Leigh Bell, Jared Timothy Bell, Double Surprise, and Peacock's Pride. 

9. What are some of your favorite daylily gardens to visit?

Tim: Kathy's Daylilies (Bruce and Kathy Fowler), Wynn's daylily garden (Gene Wynn), Bill Waldrop's garden in Marietta, Georgia, and David and Doris Bishop's garden in Cartersville, Georgia. 

Photo by Jacob Henry

10. What are some of your favorite memories involved with daylilies?

Tim: The 2015 national in Atlanta, Georgia.  Visiting Wimberlyway garden in Gainseville, Florida. Traveling around the country and doing daylily club talks for daylily clubs including my home daylily club in Valdosta, Georgia. (We have a great time!)

Now here are some of Tim Bell's seedlings and future intros:

AND NOW SOME OF TIM BELL'S FABULOUS INTRODUCTIONS!:

Oodles of Ruffles (Tim Bell 2020)

Looking Back (Tim Bell 2021)

Lavender Dandelion (Tim Bell 2021)

Birth of a Butterfly (Tim Bell 2020)

Egyptian Jewelry (Tim Bell)

Frozen Patterns (Tim Bell 2020)

Frilly Frazzeled (Tim Bell)

Mikell Gibbs (Tim Bell 2020)

Sharon Brown (Tim Bell)

Linda Bell (Tim Bell)

Rachel Leigh Bell/Rachel Gibbs (Tim Bell)

Jessica Lynn Bell (Tim Bell) 

Jared Timothy Bell (Tim Bell)

The Bell family cat, Opie and a friend

My friend Jacob Henry shot a wonderful video of the Bell daylily garden and I wanted to include it so you all could see how nicely it looks. Click on the picture below. 

I really enjoyed Tim's interview.  Thank you Tim for sharing your experiences with us all.  I should add that Tim and the Bell family have a Daylily Spectacular at their garden every September where they auction off daylilies and have a bargain table that you can purchase Bell introductions at a discount.  This September will be their 10th Daylily Spectacular.  To get more information, you will want to go on the Bell Daylily website which is: bellsdaylilygarden.com.  All the above pictures are the property of Tim Bell and use without prior consent is prohibited.  Thanks again Tim.  It was a pleasure putting this piece together.  So, the upcoming segments will be featuring some old daylily catalogs my friend, Curt Hanson share with me.  Thanks for stopping in!  Hope you all are having a nice new year.