Favorite Old Daylilies

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

A rainy day here on the mountain. I have been fighting with Blogger for half an hour trying to get this blog out and the new format is having a few problems today. Not the only thing with problems. Gail just returned to the house after a walk with Karl the Wonder Dog and her hair looks like she just attended some ceremonial event where confetti was freely tossed. Her hair was covered with spent blossoms from the Miss Kim lilac by the walkway and it probably took me ten minutes to pick out the flowers. Now the kitchen floor is dotted with lavender colors and I have been chastised once again for not trimming down the lilac two years ago. I love starting a day with "warm" comments. Oh well.

As the daylilies begin to show color at the flower farm, web orders come in and we begin digging from the fields as people passing by on Route 2 see something they want in their gardens. Many gardeners enjoy the old fashioned daylilies. These are not anything special color-wise and many are shades of yellow or orange which are the two original species colors from a couple hundred years ago. Many have nice fragrances and some bloom in the evening, not the morning at sunrise. Up top is Hesperus and next down here is Hyperion.

Many of the older daylilies are very strong growers and they provide a jump start to early summer garden blooms. Dumortieri pictured below, is a vigorous grower and with its bronze back it provides real nice contrast. This clump is pictured from the display garden where it is backed up to a granite boulder.


I have always loved Citrina, pictured next. It is a night bloomer, fragrant, 5 feet tall over time, and is now used by more and more hybridizers because of these traits. It is a lighter yellow with a slight ripple to the petals. Very nice!


Bitsy, just above here, is an early bloomer that goes on and on. The dark stems are very nice and it works well in late spring arrangements with Trollius, perennial Bachelor Buttons, peonies, bleeding heart and a couple field-friendly lupines. The daylily blooms might have to be pulled from the arrangement after the second day but their presence is welcome for a while.

Apricot, just below, was the first daylily ever registered back in 1883. It is a neat daylily, a sparkling orange, and upfacing. The upfacing part requires a little more thought--as if you are planting Asiatic lilies, but it sure is nice, very hardy and it has a nice deep green foliage.

Golden Chimes is another small flowered daylily with a bronze back and dark stem. Like Bitsy, it works well in arrangements and this one has a long, dark stem.

I have to get going here as we have crates and crates of daylilies ready to get divided and planted or mailed. The loons are calling from Peacham Pond and remind me I'd rather be on a pond some place right now but work beckons. Despite the rain, stop by the flower farm and say hello if you have a chance today.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
On Facebook as Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens and also as George Africa
On Twitter as vtflowerfarm
And ready every day to help you grow your green thumb!

Valued Colors

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Greetings from Wet Marshfield, Vermont

Chorus Line
This is a beautiful flower that some seem to miss in the gardens. Early through mid season bloomer with a high bud count and some more bloom into August.

It's another wet morning here. It rained from late evening until about 4:30 and the air is still and quiet now, save for the dripping tree leaves. Karl the Wonder Dog wanted to go out early. He must have heard the bears go through as his sniffer went into action as soon as we hit the road. He's a funny canine because if he sees a bear, it's one of those tag-wagging, "Hello friend" ordeals but if he only smells their scent, he freezes tight and won't budge because he cannot relate the smell to the animal. By now he should be well versed in bears as he and Gail have seen enough but it hasn't quite connected yet. It still bugs me a little when I want to head down the Peacham Pond Road and he reneges before we really get started. Dog decisions don't always match people decisions.

Chicago Peach Parfait

The daylilies are beautiful this year and we should have a bountiful display today if the sun decides to shine. The colder temperatures as this morning's 51 degrees have delayed bloom times by over a week. The flowers are abundant on more scapes than we have ever seen before but some of the plants have smaller flowers because of the cold.

The rains which started when snow still maintained a patchwork around the nursery have continued so the daylily plants are extra large. I shouldn't, but I laugh on occasion when I see Gail dig one out for a customer and then has trouble figuring out how to get it into a wagon or cart. No customer has said he didn't want such a big plant as most are very good size after just two years in the ground. Were not talking 2-3 fans here but now they are often 5 and up to a dozen.

My plan was always to sell directly from the garden, no longer from pots, and this has worked well. It requires a little more thought and is a bit difficult to keep the production tied to the demand. Some reds such as Spider Man and Ruby Spider (no more for this year) have already been broken down to single fans to regrow for next year. Something as simple as Double Dream has been popular and we have stopped selling it to rebuild stock too. Respighi, Sir Black Stem and Sinbad Sailor have joined the list of "look and wait until next year".

I'm heading to Jericho with Alex in a few minutes as he has a program to attend there this morning. Gail and Austin will work until I return at 1:30 and we are all hoping for a busy day. If the sun shines, I am sure there will be plenty of company.

Here are some more blooms you can see today if you visit. Mail order is available on all these and as I mentioned, the plant size is impressive.

Chicago Arnies Choice
Large flowers on thick, strong scapes. Many concurrent blooms.

Catherine Neal
A little darker purple than this picture

Joylene Nicole

Long a favorite for the front of the garden. Shorter scapes but good quality and easy to match with many companions.

Gordon Biggs
This one blooms all season with lots of blooms and consistent color.

Golden Chimes
Gail and I have come to love this flower. Three feet tall, sturdy, bronze-black scapes, lots of substance. Easy to use in a quick flower arrangement.

Fragrant Treasure
A profusion of blooms so pleasant in the morning when the flowers open and you glance around wondering where the fragrance is coming from.

Good gardening wishes! If you are out and about today, stop by and stroll the gardens. The tall Citrinas, Hesperus, Lady Fingers are out. Spider Miracle may still be in bloom along with Jersey Spider, Amazon Parrot and Bela Lugosi. Thousands to see to complicate your decisions.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm: A website with great pictures to make your choices easier! Call Gail today at 802-426-3505 with questions.