A visit with our friend, Kathleen Nordstrom

Luscious Kiss (Kathleen Nordstrom 2018)

Change It Up (Kathleen Nordstrom 2023)

For some time now, I have been meaning to do an interview with Kathleen Nordstrom and Mike Grossmann of Northern Lights Daylilies.  Finally, I have found the right opportunity to do an interview with each of them.  I figure it's best if I break it down into two parts and do each one separately. Ladies first, so with nothing further here is Kathleen Nordstrom's interview:

INTRO WRITTEN BY KATHLEEN NORDSTROM

I was born in Bismarck, North Dakota and lived there for the first seventeen years of my life. I chose Arizona State University for college, mainly so I could escape the snow and cold. Unfortunately, I traded -45 degree winters for 110 degree summers. I attended medical school at the University of California San Diego, followed by an internship in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and residency in Radiation Oncology at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. After completing my training, I worked in Portland, Oregon for a couple years, then Cedar Rapids, Iowa. I then returned to Bismarck and practiced there for 10 years. If you told me in high school that I would be practicing medicine 2 blocks south of my high school, I would have not believed you! For the past 10 years, I have been working part time providing coverage for nearby clinics. I discovered this was the best way to have control over my schedule and allow me to hybridize in the summer. I retired in January 2022. 

I first met Mike when he came to my garden in Bismarck the day before the 2010 Region 1 Summer meeting. Steve Horan had driven down from the Twin Cities with Mike and another friend. Steve parked in front of my house. Mike thought they were going to see one of the Open Gardens. I came out of the garage with totes and gloves for everyone. That was when Mike learned he was volunteering to live head my garden! We met again the following year at club meetings of the Daylily Society of Minnesota. I moved to southeast Minnesota where we live in a rural setting about ten miles from the Northern Lights Daylilies greenhouse. 

1. How did you first get interested in daylilies?

Kathleen: My mother had a lovely perennial garden in Bismarck. Once I had my own home, I started my own garden. I had two daylilies planted among the many perennials. In 2004, three girlfriends invited me to come along on a trip to the Twin Cities "to shop for daylilies." The first large daylily business I saw was North Star Daylilies by Norm Baker. We also bought daylilies from Kyle Billadeau in Chaska, Minnesota. When they bloomed the following summer, I was hooked. 

2. Which hybridizer introduced you to daylilies and hybridizing?

Kathleen: My earliest lessons in hybridizing came from Karen Schock in Bismarck, and the hybridizers in the Daylily Society of Minnesota. Of course, Mike is the one who has taught me the most. 

3. What were your first goals in daylily hybridizing?

Kathleen: At first I was just dabbling, and wanted to make some small flowers that were hardy for cold climates. That soon expanded to unusual forms, patterned daylilies, bitones, and polymerous daylilies. Now my main goal is to create daylilies that are unique.

4. What were some of the challenges you have faced with your daylily hybridizing?

Kathleen: Our cold winter weather is one of the biggest challenges. The low temperature usually gets to -30 to -35 degrees every winter. Part of my program involves crossing non-hardy fancy faces to my hardy seedlings with a goal of getting fancy looks on northern hardy plants. Every year, Mother Nature does some heavy culling of the weak ones for me. The hardest part is walking the seedling fields the following Spring and seeing long rows of seedlings that did not come back. But I finally convinced myself that that is actually a blessing in disguise, because that leaves me with hardy plants to carry forward in my work. 

5. How many seedlings do you grow each year?

Kathleen: I plant 5000 seedlings each year. We have a four year rotation in the seedling field, so between Mike and I, we usually have about 30,000 plants blooming in late July.

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

Kathleen: I assume you want me to list introductions from hybridizers other than Mike Grossman? LOL. Early on in my collecting years, I was enamored with the small flowers of Grace Stamile and Elizabeth Salter. I am currently in love with the luscious colors in Mike Georges' introductions. 'Wishing on a Star', 'A Tale of Revenge', 'Alphanie,' and 'Dogs, Cats, and Pompadour Hats'. I have them planted in an area where I see them every day. I am fond of the polymerous daylilies of Don Herr. From Riverbend Gardens, each summer I enjoy 'Red-winged Blackbird' by Mike Holmes, and 'Hope Hunt' by Sandy Holmes. Other favorites have come from Jamie Gossard, Kim McCutcheon Eby, Margo Reed, and Jim Murphy. 

My favorite Mike Grossman introductions are 'Opa's Whiskers' (2023), 'I'm In Love' (2020), and 'Magician's Cloak' (2018).

7. What are some of your favorite daylily introductions?

Kathleen: Well, I still like my first two introductions, 'Quasar Cutie' and 'Luscious Kiss'. 'Quasar Cutie' blooms early, so many people have reported it is the first daylily to bloom in their garden, plus it gives two rounds of rebloom. Other favorites include 'Popoki Pookie', 'Gift of Life', 'Pink Starfish', 'Crack Me Up', and 'Something For Everyone'. 

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

Kathleen: I have had the pleasure of seeing many spectacular gardens at National Conventions - Tim Bell in Georgia, Linda and Bill Pinkham in Virginia, and Blue Ridge Daylilies (Bob Selman and Eric Simpson) in North Carolina. What I really loved about these gardens were the impressive collections of other types of plants in addition to their daylily collections. Every summer we visit Steve Horan's garden in Woodbury, Minnesota at least once, more if we are able. Steve grows daylilies better than anyone I know. He also has a spectacular collection of daffodils, peonies, and ornamental grasses. 

9. What are some of your favorite memories involved with daylilies over the years?

Kathleen: I have to say I am grateful for every friend I have made and the memories I have from my experiences in the world of daylilies. We have many fond memories from participation in National Conventions and Hybridizer meetings. I had a very humbling experience at the National in Asheville in 2022. I was astounded by the number of people who came up to me, introduced themselves, and proceeded to tell me how much they like 'Quasar Cutie', or one of my other introductions. Some well known hybridizers were encouraging me to submit nominations for some of my introductions for the AHS ballot. Wow! Hard to believe.

10. What is the one piece of advice you have for people just getting started with hybridizing?

Kathleen: My main advice? Remember to have fun! I try not to take it too seriously. Just enjoy yourself. Live in the moment, find joy in each experience. 

NOW HERE ARE SOME OF KATHLEEN NORDSTROM'S SEEDLINGS:

Nordstrom seedling 7.77

Nordstrom seedling 9.198

 

Nordstrom seedling 9.295

Kathleen's comments on her seedlings: I am excited about some of my futures which will likely be introduced in 2024. Seedling 7.77 (yes, I was lucky) has a very soft yellow base color with a dramatic purple quasar eye. It comes from crossing my 'Quasar Cutie' with 'FKA JT Polston'. 

Seedling 9.198 has a lovely clean ivory base with a dark purple eye and patterned sepals. The petals show pattern on rebloom. It started blooming in early July this year and it rebloomed around August 23rd. 

Seedling 9.295 has been a favorite of mine. It will be my first introduction from my polymerous work. It is poly about 50% of the time. I wish that the poly percentage was higher, but that is coming in later generations. Nonetheless, 9.295 has a pretty face with good color and pattern, it reblooms, and it makes a beautiful clump. In addition to garden visits, I study the seedling and future intro photos that people share on social media, and I think it is one of the more unique looking poly's. 

NOW SOME OF KATHLEEN NORDSTROM'S INTRODUCTIONS AND HER FAVORITES FROM OTHERS:

Popoki Pookie (Kathleen Nordstrom)

Alphanie (Mike Georges)

Pink Starfish (Kathleen Nordstrom)

Hope Hunt (Sandy Holmes)

Something For Everyone (Kathleen Nordstrom)

Quasar Cutie (Kathleen Nordstrom)

Thank you to Kathleen Nordstrom for taking the time to share her beautiful program.  I must admit I really enjoyed reading all her answer to my questions.  It was truly a pleasure doing this interview.  Next up will be Kathleen's husband, Mike Grossmann.  Mike's been hybridizing for a quite a while and I am looking forward to seeing what he says.  Stay tuned!