I blame Arthur. Really.

Rain for the past three days, and it's cold this morning!  
I blame Arthur.  Really.
For those who aren't aware of it, there is a brand-new hurricane coming up the eastern seaboard, and although it will likely give us a complete miss, we have been feeling its effects.  It's the first one of the season, and its name is (obviously) Arthur.  

OK, so much for the weather report.  There have been only a few new FFO's recently, so it will be easy to catch you up.  Earlier this week, to start the month out on July 1st, out popped three new blooms:  Ella Gee, Boundless Beauty, and Elves.  

ELLA GEE, by Holman, 1975; Early; 17" x 2"
(I got this because my grandmother's name was Ella, and her married name began with "G"!)

BOUNDLESS BEAUTY, by Stamile, 2005; Mid; 28" x 8"
(This was a newcomer to my garden this year, and probably got a good hormonal head start in its original location, hence an earlier than "Midseason" bloom for the Northeast.) 

ELF CAPS, by Hudson, 1977; Early; 15" x 2"

****
 
These were followed by Elves on July 2nd, but the photo I have is a bit more recent.  It shows the area around Elves as well as the daylily itself.

ELVES, by Romine, 1979; Early Early; 22" x 3". 

*****

Then the Happy Returns I divided and put into a holding bed last year began to open on July 3rd (photo taken today, however):

 HAPPY RETURNS, by Apps, 1986; Early Early; 18" x 3" (This one really does rebloom, here in the north.  Aptly named, it truly returns quite happily!)

*****

On the 4th of July, there was an explosion (see what I did there? heh heh...) of four new openings!  


 One of them seems to have been a mystery plant I didn't even know was a mystery!  For over a decade, I assumed the plant I "knew" was Saco -- labeled and recorded as such-- was growing on a certain mound.  I did notice some ,brushed stripings after a few years, but didn't give it much thought, since my interest in the gardens was waning then anyway.  I had thought it strange that the Golden Chimes I also "knew" I had did NOT display the brownish, brushed stripings on its sepals that G.C. is known for.  Finally, last year, I did some research, compared photos of the two, and looked into the records I'd made of their acquistion.  I think I got the plants/tags mixed up when I got them from a local dig-your-own sale.  The fault was my own, nobody else to blame for this one, hahaha!   So, the clump formerly known as Saco, but will henceforth be labeled, Golden Chimes, bloomed yesterday!  Love it when mysteries get solved!

Here is a pic of it from the side, showing the "stripes":

GOLDEN CHIMES, by Fischer, 1954; Early Mid; 46" tall (Mine's not that tall -- could it be a misprint?)

(You'll have to wait until much later in the summer to see the real Saco!)

Some more of the Hemerocallis fulva (common ditch daylily) bloomed yesterday, too.  I'll come up with a nice group photo of it soon.

Another mystery -- a new one!-- bloomed, finally.  In 2012 or 2013, I noticed a single fan in between the original planting of Stella De Oro and Midas, but it didn't seem to belong to either.  Too small to bloom (due to my neglect of those several years, I assume) it didn't offer any clue at all.  Yesterday, it proved that it truly is neither of its neighbors!  Looks like an older variety, but my records of colors and bloom times, etc. are not helping me identify it.  Here's a photo:

It's a bit darker than this.  Even though it has been raining for days, and the sky was still overcast, there was enough light to distort the color.   I would have a hard time deciding between reddish-orange, or orangey-red.  Russet, maybe?  The bloom was three inches across, not counting the tips past the point of recurve (I never know whether to count that part or not).  It was 25 inches tall from the ground to the bottom of the inflorescence, and another three inches out (sort of trumpet shaped).  That's another measurement I am confused about.)  It would be considered an E or EM.  Nice li'l guy, and quite welcome in my garden, but I'd love to know who he is!

Last but not least, of the July 4th FFO's, was Little Flirt. 

LITTLE FLIRT, by Lenington, 1963; Early-Mid; 24" x 4"
Not particularly little, but quite flirtatious!  

****

Only one FFO today, an old favorite of mine.  I don't know why it is a favorite -- there is nothing special about it, other than .... it makes me smile to see it.  Imagine my smiles when I saw TWO blooms this morning, as "First Flower Open."  

SKIPPY, by Russell, 1952; Early Mid; 30" tall (bloom sizes weren't registered way back then.  I'd say it's from 3-4" in width?  I didn't measure.)
It's slightly darker than what I'm seeing here. 

OK.... one more.... NOT a daylily, though.  On June 1st, my friend Ruth came over for some daylilies I was offering her to make room in the garden beds.  She brought me a lovely white foxglove, with its babies!  They're all settling in nicely, and seem happy.

Some of those speckles are the natural spotting on foxgloves, but a bit of them are mud splatters (It was pretty low to the ground this morning). 
Did I mention it's been raining for three days?  Because it has! And SO chilly!
Really, Arthur... was all that necessary?   

(Yes, I truly am grateful the hurricane hasn't bothered us much, and very hopeful it hasn't caused any serious damage nor injury to anyone else, further south of me!  Gentle and protective blessings to all in Arthur's path!)

A hot Sunday summer morning.

This morning, I was pleasantly surprised to see two lovely additions to the blooms opened: Pirate's Promise, and Great Red Dragon!  I got P.P. last year, but it didn't bloom, and G.R.D. is a NEW arrival this spring!  

PIRATE'S PROMISE, Salter, 1995; MID; SEV/TET; 28" x 6"; re 

This one is settling in quite happily in the Pirate-themed garden!

GREAT RED DRAGON, Gossard, 2006; DOR DIP; Early-Mid; 41" x 10" (It has 4-way branching, and a 25 Bud Count!)  This thing is going to be HUGE; I may have put it in a less than good spot, down front of a small slope.  Nothing behind it will be visible!  You can see by the snipped leaves that it's a newcomer, and nowhere close to the size it will get, with time.  I think I'm going to love this handsome dragon ... immensely!  But I'll have to work out another spot in its garden.  It's at the top of what I call, "Dragon Alley," shared by the Harry Potter theme and the Lord of the Rings theme.  This is the LOTR end, and its neighbor is called, "Firedrake."   Seemed like a good spot at the time, but I didn't have the numbers in front of me.

On another positive note, I believe I have all those spring deliveries either in pots or in the ground, FINALLY!  Daylilies aren't supposed to be heeled in, and if done, shouldn't be for more than a day or two.  These poor babies have been heeled in for a great deal more than that!  But if it means losing them versus saving them, it gets done.  I'll check, but I believe they are all settled now, in one way or another!  And none have died.  They might have been set back, sure -- might not bloom this year.  But they're alive.  


Yet another positive note:  my side yard looks FANTASTIC!!!  The yard guys showed up again, for a shorter time, and finished up.  I have a yard again! 

This may not look terrific, but it's SOOOO much better than it was a few days ago!  The large maple to the left is throwing a bit too much shade, so nothing is growing under it.  It will need to be trimmed away from the house too, since the branches are extending over the roof of that part you see on the right.  The lilac doesn't bloom on the shady side near the tree, either.

 A few steps further, and past the maple, turning slightly left... one of the four remaining apple trees, and some black locust saplings.  Those were removed today, after these photos were taken.  Bit of hard-earned advice:  DO NOT PLANT BLACK LOCUST trees in your yard!  They are invasive, and horrible to try to remove/ annihilate.  They're WEEDS!  Yes, for about one week in the spring, when they're in bloom, the air around them smells lovely.  But the other 51 weeks of the year, they'll be busy plotting how to make you miserable.  And ultimately, how to take over the world!  These won't be gone for long, believe me.  They will spring up little suckers that will need to be trimmed, faithfully every year, until they finally succumb.  But I don't know how many years that will take.  I'm not always faithful.

I'm thinking of putting the "Meditation Garden up on the knoll, where I used to have a vegetable garden in the late 90's.  The guys can clear that in the future, and I'm sure they'll do a fine job, if we go that route.  The above spot is that former "knoll garden".  There is still a lot of scruff that has grown in, but not impossible to reclaim.  The guys have started dumping the grass clippings up there, and with some manure over the winter, I should have a decent start to lay it out, in the spring!  Oh, and the budded plants in the foreground?  Hemerocallis fulva -- aka, "Ditch Daylilies," of course!  I'd forgotten I had long ago tossed some extras there.

If there are some FFO's tomorrow morning to show, I'll be back then. 
Have a great rest of today!

Three more

I got three more photos today -- want to see? 

First was an FFO for today, Black Eyed Susan.  Then I went over to another part of the yard to snap a shot of one that has been blooming for a few days: Patterns.  Crossing the yard again, there was Saratoga Springtime just waiting to model for me!   All of these either are already involved in my theme gardens, or will be when I get that theme going.  

BLACK EYED SUSAN, Stevens, 1983; Dor Tet, Mid, 26"x6" .
This is blooming in a pot, waiting to be planted in a section of garden I'm only just getting clear.  Now, I'm afraid it will be longer, as there is a bit of structural work to be done on the house behind where it will go.  Plants and snow up against a wooden door that is never used, but is part of the house's history, have rotted away the lower parts.  I think it should be fixed before new plants go anywhere near that area.   So... the pot will remain, for awhile longer!

PATTERNS, Lambert, 1969; Dor Dip; Early, 26"x5"; re; frag.

Not a great increaser, but it's tenacious. and a welcome change of color from the yellows that predominate the Early bloomers.  I had to move the whole clump and plant without dividing it, like so many others.  I really need to have more space for lining out divisions!

SARATOGA SPRINGTIME, Saxton, 1976; Dor Tet; EE; 24"x6"; frag.

This is a newer one, having arrived only last spring.  I moved it to another section, and it had to wait in a pot for a bit longer than I'm happy about.  But it seems to have recovered!



This weekend is mostly about yard work, and I'm getting some long overdue help with the lawn, and the jungle of nasty raspberry bushes that have invaded it.  Trust me, they are NOT the lovely, romantic boon people think wild raspberries are!   They are bullies to everything around them, and are truly a PAIN to get rid of.  Thorns, remember?  Learn what they look like and be ever vigilant (birds spread them!) and ever ruthless.  I lost a lot of nice daylilies and other plants by letting the raspberries (and bee balm) slide for a few years.  I can get big fat raspberries and blackberries at the local grocery store!   So... a huge THANK YOU to my weekend warrior helpers out in the yard!  They did far more than rescue me from raspberries, but just that is a great improvement.  Take a bow, gentlemen!!! 

Getting excited!

We're getting LOADS of budded scapes here, and a few blooms have made it to my 2014 FFO list.  FFO stands for First Flower Open, and it helps in getting an idea of what to look for opening in the future, where to plant things, and so forth.  A new one last year that didn't bloom is an Olallie unregistered flower, "(VT) Ray of Sunshine."  It bloomed about the tenth of June (after all that, I'm guessing, as I don't have the list nearby).  Beating that was "Elfin" by Stout, on June 5th, and as always, "Elizabeth" on June 3rd.  Since then, Patterns, Saratoga Springtime, Lynn's Delight, Bubbly, and of course, Stella De Oro have shown their wee faces.  The only one of all these that is not some shade of yellow is "Patterns."

Daylily, ELIZABETH, which I may have shown before, but this photo is special.  Due to the extra long winter/late spring, Elizabeth was a bit late blooming.  The peonies had pretty much caught up, so for the first time, I had these two blooming together!  Why is that special?  Because the name of the peony is "Charlie's White."  I have these two together because my Mom and Dad were Charlie and Elizabeth!  Here they are, together again!

ELFIN, by Stout, 1949; DOR DIP, EE, 20", re, ext
I think I'm going to like this one VERY much!

RAY OF SUNSHINE, by the Darrow family; unregistered.  I bought it of course because of the "Ray" reference, and will put it in two different gardens: one dedicated to the good people we bought the house from 18 years ago -- and the other, when I have it going, will be the one where my beloved's cremains will be scattered.  I will go there too, when my time comes.  I just have not decided where that will be, on our property.

I have been looking for a photo of Patterns, but cannot find any in the computer.  I know I had one, last year, but I might have taken it with the iPhone, which I manage to drown recently.  I'll have to take another one as soon as I get a good bloom.  Maybe tomorrow!

TOOOOOOO Busy!

Too, too, TOO BUSY!  Too busy to post progress here -- so sorry!  Every day that has been good weather (most of them) I'm in the gardens.  Today it rained, sometimes only drizzling or misting, but very wet, nonetheless.  I still got out there and pulled a few weeds, tried to organize things in my mind.  Also, a package arrived with more plants!  A lot of 'em.....  That had to be opened, unwrapped the bundles of wonderfully healthy daylilies (a big thank you to the Shooters of Marietta Gardens!) and got them starting to hydrate a bit.  Tomorrow should be wet also, but I think Friday should be better -- but I haven't watched a weather report in awhile.  So... when I'm inside there are chores to be done (the usual housework stuff) and I get to make markers for the new plants (slow going; a little labor intensive, but worth it).  I should take photos of some of them, but there's an issue with the computer, and my son intends to figure it out and fix it.  Soon, I hope.  

Add to all the crazy gardening, there have been some minor crises, like the fridge died, and I got stopped by a cop about a week and a half ago because my taillights were both out.  Had flashers and brake lights, and it wasn't bulbs.  Took my wonderful mechanic a couple of stabs at the job to get it fixed, but today it's good!  A bigger problem was getting my car to him when each of us was free for a few hours.  Tonight I won't have to drive the back roads to keep the cop from stopping me again, LOL!  And, I have to shut down the computer and get ready for work, now.  I just didn't want to let it slide another day without an entry.  No photos tonight.

Still bizzy!

And so... another day begins in my yardful o' plants.  I finally have all the pots of daylilies that were on the porch OFF of it.  There are some other plants I also purchased that are hardening off there, plus on the back steps, but the daylilies are off.  There are just a few still in water buckets, and a lot that are heeled in, to take care of as soon as humanly possible.  Heeling in isn't a good practice for daylilies, but it will provide an extention that could ensure survival.  Plants might not be happy enough to bloom well, but they're more likely to live than if they get either dried out or waterlogged from waiting too long.  And I'm still figuring out where to plant many of them!  I need to renovate several gardens, so there is little point in planting something in those, only to dig them up later in the summer.  They should go in pots, but right now, pots are at a premium for me.  Sorry... sounds like whining, but I do have some plans about what to do.  It all just takes time. 

Weather has been somewhat cooperative.  It rains a lot, which means far less hauling water out to the new transplants!  They should be heavily watered in the first day, maybe some the second day, but then, probably not.  The roots need to be encouraged to go fairly deep and seek moisture on their own.  If we were experiencing a dry spell, I might say otherwise.  But it's spring in New England, and that usually means a fair bit of rainfall.  Unfortunately, it keeps me inside a lot.  Like HERE, at the computer!  HA! 

There are still several more deliveries to come in and I expect some will show up this week.  I feel like I can breathe long enough to do two or three appointments in the next couple of days, and then Thursday is supposed to be a beautiful day!  That should give me a running start on what needs to be done.  I also have a couple of friends who will be getting some of my plants in the mail, so I need to package those up, asap. 

Oh!  And I have found budded scapes on three daylilies!  Elizabeth, always the first to bloom each year, might be challenged for that title by Elfin.  I also have found a wee scape on one of the many Little Bob daylilies I have. 

 IT'S BEGINNING!!!!!!

Below is Little Bob, from an old shot in 2012.  Breeder is Williamson, 1979,  SEV DIP, Early, 10"x 2", nocturnal.

BIZZY, BIZZY, BIZZY!

Barely have enough time to tinkle, the past two weeks!  Various crises have arisen (none of them insurmountable, of course) including the death of Old Man Refrigerator.  I cannot replace the fridge until I can also replace the kitchen floor; they have to be done together, which will be a monumental project.  Just getting the current stuff out of the kitchen will be daunting!  So, to stall the inevitable, which I cannot spare the time for now, I got a small dorm or camp fridge/freezer to save some of the stuff that was in the old one, and get us through until the big changeover.  I won't do the floors for a few weeks, since I'm tracking in soil all the time, with all these transplantings.  Really, I'm truly a dirty old lady! HA!
 
A few more deliveries have shown up either by UPS or USPS.  I had to get more plant markers, but had a good idea this time of what sizes to get.  No more small ones!  When I get the herb garden going next year, they'll be useful for that one.  The labels are easy to change around.

My front porch looks like an alien jungle... lots of daylilies in makeshift pots, with most of their roots in water.  They're basically protected there, and it's a central zone to go and collect plants A, B, and C to take to section X, Y, or Z.  It might get chilly, but for the most part, they're acclimatizing well there.  I have so many to resolve places for, I'm going a little nuts.   Daylilies probably shouldn't be heeled in, but I have had to resort to that.  The first ones were done a few days ago, and I can't let them stay like that much longer!  But it's better than their getting  air-dried upper roots or waterlogged crowns from irregular amounts of water in their little containers.  At least they're touching soil.

I've been able to score a number of old plants that I used to have, but lost.  Well, I assume they were lost, but there are yet quite a few that haven't bloomed in 2012 or '13 for identification.  So, who knows?  Anyway, certain ones have been "replaced."  I'm certain that Jerome and Jackie's Choice were gone, and not sure that my Mint Ice was correct in the first place.  Those are all new here, this week, and I expect blooms this summer.  Mint Ice has been planted; the others are waiting.  I have a spot all prepared for Jackie's Choice -- in the Pirate Garden!  (Get it?)  Others that are being replaced include Congeniality, Alexander the Great, Siloam Robbie Bush, Siloam Merle Kent, Dancing Lions, Oliver Dragon's Tooth, Ed Murray,  Real Wind, Orange Vols, Give Me Eight, Amadeus, Little Wart, Mini Stella, and Marked By Lydia.  For a few of these, it will be their last chance.  Three strikes and you're out.  I've had two failures for Orange Vols and Siloam Robbie Bush, each.  Why do some cultivars just act like they don't want to be here?  There have been a few others, too!  

I'd post photos of the ones I mentioned above, but the photos of the old ones I lost are not in this computer.  They're in the old computer, also lost, though I emailed many of them to myself for personal referrence, as enclosures, not attachments.  Can't upload from that.  And I don't want to risk any copyright infringement (nor bad manners) by taking photos from the databases or people's sales websites.  So... no photos of those!

I mentioned the Pirate's Garden (thinking I should change that name to Pirate's Cove or Pirate's Patch, but there's a daylily called Pirate's Patch -- got it, too!) and I have a number of other themed gardens.  My first one was the Arthurian or Round Table Garden.  That one desperately needs overhauling.  Got a lot of attention the past two summers, but needs much more.  There have been family themed gardens, or what I call Family Plots.  (-- or sometimes "Family Plotz," LOL!)  Those are all over, in various places according to parts of family, generations, etc.  They too are getting overhauled this year, and sooner rather than later.  I may have mentioned "Dragon Alley," but that's getting very little change this year; so far two additions, and a few subtractions that don't belong in the theme.   Last year's holding beds are now the Stout Silver Medal Winners Gardens (SSM's) and one that had a lot of foreign sounding plants being held will be the International Garden.  The Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings Gardens will remain in the same places, touching Dragon Alley.   There are others too, but I've gone on long enough.  I'm having trouble posting the photo of Dragon Alley, taken last summer, so this will have to end here.  Better luck next time, right?

 

Deliveries and more -- oh my!

Woooo-HOOOOOOOOO!

The daylilies I have ordered over my "Winter of discontent" have been arriving!  Two online orders and two small auctions have been delivered... ooh, remind me: I have to leave some feedback on the two auctions.  They arrived in fine shape, BTW.

So, everything's a bit stressed from being dug, wrapped up, shipped, and unpacked, but though they look a bit sad, they'll recover.  Many are still sitting in water because I have had to move established daylily clumps from the places where the new ones will go.  I have sort of given up on dividing those, at least for awhile.  They'll take up far less space in the holding beds I've put them in, if they're still clumped.  The important thing now is to get the babies settled in to their new homes!  

Almost all of the Stout Silver Medalists that have arrived are planted in the SSM area.  Nine out of eleven, to be precise.  Most of the others have a general area to go to, but if I'm to do the right things by height and colors, I have to take awhile to research those factors, and maybe move an existing plant or two.  Or more.  Some move easily; some put up a fight.  "Cara Mia" was wrapped around an important wire!  The biggest part of it was moved yesterday, but I left the wire wrapped part in place; that will take some careful surgery to finish.  And it's raining this morning!  Everything that hasn't got an immediate or "pretty soon" place to go will have to be potted up until I can resolve the space issues.

"Cara Mia," by Lester, 1955; about 14" tall, EM.  This photo is a bit blue-shifted.  The real blooms are warmer in color than this. 


So far, I've unpacked 71 plants that were expected, and two bonuses, one of which was a repeat of something I have too much of anyway, so I gave it away.  The rest of the orders will be much smaller.  I asked that the plants not be shipped until mid-May (I really thought I had instructed ALL of them thus, but could I have missed one or two?).  Let's see, half of 31 is 15.5, or 16.  So, the mid-point of May was YESTERDAY!   By yesterday afternoon, I'd received four shipments, already.   OK, enough grousing... I'm basically a happy camper just to have some new daylilies.  I shudder to think if the sale had actually gone through for me, though.  By the way, that sale is tomorrow -- I won't be going, even as a customer.  Too much to do right here!  But if I had had to dig, clean, etc. everything for a sale, all the while prepping the newbies for planting too, I'd have been twice as exhausted this week as I already was.  Next year, I'll make a specific note in my own records of whether or not I gave those instructions.   And hopefully, next year I won't go quite so crazy over the winter.

One more thing -- my "Elizabeth" daylilies, always the earliest of the extra-earlies to bloom, have a few scapes with tiny buds on them!  Last year, their FFO date ("First Flower Open") was May 20th.  It was a lovely, early spring, last year.  This year has been the opposite: cold, clammy, and horribly late after a hideously LONG winter.  It doesn't bother me that these are a bit later than last year.  In fact, I'm surprised they have come along so quickly as they have!  Have I ever shown you a photo of  "Elizabeth" in bloom?  Well, just in case I haven't, I'll post one now, from last year.  This is one of the plants I want to take to my brother's house soon.  I got it to commemorate our Mom, whose name was obviously Elizabeth.  I also have a bit of my "Charlie's White" peony (Dad) and I think I'll slip a few more relatives in there, because they need dividing anyway.  

 "Elizabeth" by Norton, 1942; Tinker's Garden's database says this grows to 36" tall!  I'll have to measure mine when it blooms, but I doubt that it gets THAT big!  A cultivar this old doesn't give the flower width in the registry, but I'd say her blossoms are about 2.5 to 3" wide.

Like my mom, she's kind of small and truly lovely, and always makes me smile when I see her.  Wish I could see Mom again!

Sale? or No Sale? That is the question.

OK, OK.... I've been so bad.  But where daylilies are concerned, that's good, right?

A turn of events:  I may not be able to attend the sale (as a vender) in three weeks, being run by the local daylily group.  I NEEEEED to free up the space those plants are using in my gardens!  Looks like I'll be having a literal YARD sale, in June!  Here in the north, plants don't get very big by mid-May, unless there's an early spring.  This has been a late spring; weather is still chilly.  Hence, waiting a few more weeks will give the plants more time to look impressive for sale.  Then, when those plants are OUT, I can plug in the new ones that will be coming in quickly for a few weeks.  The down side is that word will have to get out via different routes.  I might have to pay to advertise the sale.  The up side is, I won't have to share the proceeds with the group, as it's a fundraiser for them when they host it.   Also, if I don't sell them all on weekend #1, I can try it again later!  

Plants I know for certain must be moved:

Stella de Oro (of course... prolific, and who doesn't have plenty of those?)
Happy Returns (ditto, if you have them.  I get better rebloom from them, and I like 'em better!)
Little Bob (a small, dark red)
Canyon Lands (rose brown & gold blend, eyezone)
Cinnamon Roll (Bright yellow brushed cinnamon)
Gallant Hour (very reliable, older red, average size)
Dublin Elaine (late, pink, double... nice)
Elves (perky yellow)
Firestorm (one of my favorites!  Hot and spidery)
Isaac (nice clear yellow, average size, or slightly smaller)
Lady's Torch (an older, average red)
Grape Adventure (an older, average purple)
Black Cat (there is no such thing as a true black or white daylily,  only "near black," or "near white," many just being dark red or purple, or palest of yellows, pinks, etc. -- but this one is VERY close to black!  I'm quite fond of it!  But it has been "having kittens" every year,  so some of it needs to go.  I have a space set aside to represent my animals, of which there have been a couple of black kitties over the years, and also am planning a Halloween themed garden!  So, a bit of it can go there.  Still, that will leave more with no room for it.)

There are others in the gardens that truly need division.  Poor things are so clumped up!  I hate to make them wait yet another year, just because space will be at a premium this year.  I was going to try to include as many of these as possible in the sale also.

We'll see.  I'll have to think about this some more.

Sprout excitement

It's not a lot to get excited about, but I am excited anyway!  I have sprouts -- lots and lots and LOTS of sprouts!  Almost everything is showing up, after this long, hard winter.  There are some more to make their appearances, but not all are on the same time schedule.   I can be patient.  Well, what choice have I got, really?  

I found a place on the internet that has many of the older, early Stout Silver Medal winners, but not sure they will do mail order.  They seem to prefer to do a more direct, visitor business.  I'll give them a call tomorrow.

I noticed a lot of grass tightly cramping a plant called, "Val."  It was pictured awhile ago, and is truly lovely.  It is on my list to be moved anyway, so I started digging the new bed where it will go, soon.  It was so nice to be digging in the fresh earth... the smell of newly turned soil is one of the BEST of springtime!  

 No old photos this time... sorry.  Had a mild domestic problem, and it's nearly time to shut down the computer.  However, I can give you a few almost current photos: one of some crocuses that are now blooming, and one of the yard, with a bit more snow than is there today.  And of course, a sample of the daylily sprouts! These were taken a few days ago, and between warm days and some April rains, the snow is nearly gone!

 A variety of crocus called, "Dorothy".  I got it to remember my Aunt Dorothy (my dad's sister).  And she has a little friend who is enjoying her company!

 The pond behind the house, with a fair bit of snow, still.  Hint: it's gone now, in only a couple of days, since.  Still pretty drab out there, though!

I'm not even sure which sprouts these are, since they almost all look alike at this stage. That broken bit of plastic might have a clue, but I can't read it.  I don't dare clear out the debris yet.  We are in danger of freezing temps and possibly snow tonight!   New England weather is famous for being fickle!  But we Yankees are quite used to it. 

A few more photos from last year.

I just compiled a list of the daylilies I have ordered, while waiting (impatiently!) for spring.  The internet is probably the flower vender's BEST friend!!!  They are in a general, not perfect, alphabetical order, but I don't dare count them.  I just wanted to avoid duplications, which I did a few times, last year.  
I wanted to send out just ONE MORE order.... just one!  I swear!  Last one!  Really!
But this last place doesn't have a shopping cart format, so I have to write it all out and mail it, along with a check.  That's OK... it'll give me more time to consider the order. (NOT to select more daylilies!  NO.   Seriously.   Yeah, right.)

Meanwhile, let's revisit a few more of last year's blooms, shall we?
Insert telephone "hold" music here, LOL.  Spring may be here at last (as of yesterday afternoon) but it will still be a long while before the snow is gone, the ground thawed, and sprouts pop up.  However, I have been greedy enough to start looking for snowdrops.  Too soon.  We are still "on hold" for actual spring weather.

 The above is:
OLALLIE GEORGE DARROW, Darrow, 1978, Dor, Tet, Mid-Late, 24" x 7".

(Dr. George Darrow, by the way, was an early, well-known hybridizer of daylilies -- and of raspberries.  The name, "Olallie" comes from a native American word from the New Jersey area he worked in, meaning "place where the berries grow".  I apologize if I have any details wrong, but that is the gist of it.  Dr. Darrow's descendants continue his passion for daylilies, breeding and selling in Vermont.)

 PIPPIN'S MAGIC, Munson, 1987, Ev, Tet, EM, 28" x 5". 
(Fairly good performer, not quick to increase.  Sort of from the school of  "Slow and steady wins the race."  It is lovely, though!)

ORCHID CORSAGE, Saxton, 1975, Dor, Dip, ML, 32" x 7.5"
(This is one of my later season faves.  Lovely and langorous... graceful lines.)

BROOKRIDGE, Wild, 1971, Dor, Dip, EM, 26" x 5"
(I got this just last year, as a bonus in an order.  Got a few blooms on it too, before summer was over.  Quite nice.)

HOPE DIAMOND, Mac Millan, 1968, Dor, Dip, EM, 14" x 4".
(Before I planted it, I handed it to my husband, telling him to "give this to me," and to tell me he was giving it to me.  He didn't understand, but knowing I was up to something, did it.  Then I told him the name of the plant, and that he could thereafter tell anyone that he had given me the Hope Diamond.  He didn't say anything, but smiled in that way that said, She's goofy, but ya gotta love 'er.)

WEDDING BAND,  Stamile, 1987, Sev, Tet, M, 26" x 5.5".

(This was the Stout Silver Medal winner for 1996!
-- And don't ask what the red one is in the background... it's still one of the mystery daylilies.  Hopefully, I'll figure it out this year, but there are no promises.)

While we wait for spring, how about some older photos of daylilies from my gardens, in seasons past?  I have made a list of photos I've already posted, so that I don't repeat myself.

 The above is BRIDAL SUITE,  Hanson, C., 1988, Ev, Tet, EE, 21"x 5".  The bell-shaped flowers in the background are Campanula, "Elizabeth".

                   SALIERI, Moldovan, 1992, Dor, Tet, Early, 26" x 5.25", ext.

                       APOLLO'S FIRE, Moldovan, 2002, Dor, Tet, EM, 32" x 5".

                           CHOSEN LOVE, Maxwell, 1971, Sev, Dip, EM, 26"x 6".

 FRIAR TUCK, Lester, 1951, Dor, Dip, EM, 36" tall (no bloom width given in database.  I'd guess it's about 3" or a bit more.)  I have a theme garden based on the King Arthur legends, and though this would be the Robin Hood legend, I've allowed a crossover with this plant.  He's quite happy in Camelot, if he can't be in Sherwood Forest!

           SABINE BAUR, Salter, 1997, Sev, Tet, EM, 25" x 6", re, nocturnal. 

                VAL, Elliot, R., 1984, Dor, Dip, M, 20" x 4.5", re, ext, fragrant


Well, that's it for tonight -- time to go to bed, and dream of spring!

And now for something completely different. Or sorta different....

Took a break from ordering daylilies -- and ordered some OTHER flowers, LOL!  I have ordered from Graceful Gardens before, but not for many years.  Good folks, good plants.  Even though daylilies are supposed to be deer-resistant, I had some deer damage last summer.  OK, to be fair, deer are only *suspected* (innocent until proven guilty?) but much of the damage was too tall for rabbits, etc.  And the dogs are off the hook, because:  a.) they don't have access to certain areas, and b.) this stuff was eaten.  Not simply knocked over or broken.  There was nothing on the ground below.  Also, we have deer here, and lots of them.  So, in case there is temptation for next year to continue the buffet,  I'm putting in a few more deer resistant plants.  They don't care for many plant fragrances, and some of these qualify on that count.  Some I got because they will grow in shade or semi-shade, which is a problem for me, and are also deer-resistant.  Cannot call anything "deer-proof", since there is nothing they won't eat if they're hungry enough.  Some plants are poisonous; I'm a little cautious about that matter (no datura) but there are a few I love anyway, such as daffodils and foxglove. 

If you love cottage gardens -- SO romantic! -- check out Graceful Gardens at :

http://www.gracefulgardens.com/

I'll probably have photos of many of them in the future, as the focus plant or neighbor to a daylily!

Winter madness

Yes, I have been naughty again, LOL -- ordering daylilies from here, from there, and from ... over there, too.  The worst of it is (or is it the best of it?) I'm not done yet!  heeheehee...

The hunt for Stout Silver Medalist daylilies continues, but I have found a fair number of them.  The local daylily (and hostas) group will have a sale in May, so I'm hoping to free up a lot of space in the areas where I want to put the SSM's.  Keep your fingers crossed for me!

BAAAAAAAD Janet! (Heeheehee...)

OK, I know... I'm bad.  Yet, not bad at all, in the minds of most daylily lovers!  

I can't garden yet, since the gardens are frozen and covered with snow, sleeping peacefully.   But winter won't stop me from dreaming!  I have ordered quite a few more daylilies, and I'm preparing an order for more!  

I'm trying to collect as many of the Stout Silver Medal award winners as I can -- wouldn't it be great to have them ALL?  But the older cultivars are very difficult to find.  Most venders don't give their garden space to old cultivars, even the SSM winners.  I have found a couple of sites that have a fair number of them, and it's very hard to hold back!  

When the summer of 2014 is over, I should have over half of the SSM's in my collection, plus a fair number of replacements for some of the ones I've lost.  

Yes, much of this is out of frustration that I can't be outside digging holes in my yard.  However, it's still constructive use of my time.  I won't be needing to make all these decisions in the warmer weather, plus I can budget monies appropriately.  

That's my story, an' I'm stickin' to it!  heh heh....