Daylilies, beautiful daylilies–what else could I take photos of for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day? Okay, a rose or two perhaps. GBBD is hosted on the fifteenth day of each month by our friend, Carol Michel at May Dreams Gardens unless, of course, the fairies take over posting. Then, it’s the fairies calling the shots, and it’s chaos. I find myself giggling at the thought.
Back here in Oklahoma, I can truly say, it’s been a wonderful spring. Well, other than hail the size of tennis balls and terrible twisters, but that’s the norm for my state. Still, in my little corner of north central Oklahoma, things have been pretty peaceful. A bawdy storm struck this morning at the early hour of 3:00 a.m. I heard the thunder, turned over and went back to sleep. I awoke to two inches of glorious rain in my gauge. Not bad for mid-June. The daylilies, roses, and everything else have responded with beautiful blooms, vegetables and fruits.
A few years ago, I went through a pink period in daylily collecting. I still love Patrick Stamile‘s pinks because he worked hard to create a pink daylily with a bluish hue. Once, a peachy color passed for pink in daylily culture. ‘Absolute Treasure’ isn’t as blue as some of the others, but it does have exquisite form. I also have ‘Chance Encounter’ and ‘Blue Pink Beauty.’ Below is the latter.
It may not have a gilded edge, but oh . . . that color! How could I ask for more?
As I snapped off spent daylily blooms this morning, I ate a handful of blackberries which were so sweet. We’ve also had peaches and sour cherries, and there are little green apples on the trees. Bear and I dutifully spaced them four to six inches apart with the help of her softball bat. We knocked them off the trees, and then she and I played a little impromptu softball as we hit them into the upper pastures. Overripe peaches went to the chickens. We’ve eaten the rest.
But, back to the daylilies. There’s just so much to share today that I forget where I am and where I’m going. Hemerocallis ‘Ninja Storm’ is new to me. I bought it last year, and while I should have let it go another year without blooming, I couldn’t stop myself from seeing its dark and ethereal beauty. If it has plenty of blooms, and being a recent UF (Unusual Form) it probably will, it’s a keeper.
Daylilies are truly garden worthy plants in my state and much of the south except for southern Texas because it’s too dry there. I find they love our sunshine and the summer heat as long as its not unseasonable. Even in a summer like last year, the blooms may have been scorched, but the plants soldiered on. I’ve noticed that many of these true survivors of 2011 have increased even more than expected. I don’t know why, but I’m glad. Other members of my daylily club reported similar findings.
However, we all lost a few, new ones we planted last year. I noticed daylilies are on sale now at many nurseries because they are finished blooming, and you know how people don’t want to buy plants out of bloom. Why not take home a container and transplant them–not into the garden where their roots might rot at this late date–but, instead into larger containers. Place these in a shady spot and don’t forget to water them. Mine sit in filtered sun beneath the deck. In September, when things finally begin to cool off, place the daylily and surrounding soil into hole. It should settle right in.
Usually the Central Oklahoma Hemerocallis Society has a daylily sale in September around my birthday. To make room in their own gardens, members often bring plants. Plus, we order some to sell. The funds pay for the daylily show every year and other functions of the club. Dues are only $5.00 a year–unless they’ve gone up, and it’s a great way to meet other daylily nuts and have great fellowship.
One more thing, the lovely Marsha won the contest for the Proven Winners® plants two postings ago. Congratulations Marsha! Happy Bloom Day everyone.
Very beautiful!
I have to say, I think I’m going to put North Wind Dancer on my Wish List 🙂
Oh, honey, how beautiful your flowers! And a frog in that bloom! Your blooms are amazing. I credit you with encouraging me to get daylilies. Slowly…slowly. Mine are not doing too well this year. Either too dry or too wet, we’ve had both. And three of my daylilies got something that caused them to whither down. Can you imagine? One was an established plant that had made it through the drought just fine. Maybe I can find some on sale, thank you very much!
xxxxooo
It is so good you are getting the rain this year. Goodness, you needed it after last year. I very much like the pink daylilies, but oddly, they do not do well here in comparison to the yellow varieties. They just do not multiply. Your garden looks beautiful this June, Dee, hope you had a wonderful GBBD.
You had your pink daylily period, and I am in my black and brown period. I really like the dark and murky colors, but they need careful placement.
Dee, I could so go for a pink phase in daylilies— love those that you have. Yes, North Wind Dancer is sublime! This is the time of year that I could add tons of daylilies….love the splashes of color they add to the garden.
What beautiful daylilies, Dee! I’m so glad your weather has been milder and rain has been more plentiful this year. It seems to be our turn for heat and drought so far this year, but 2″ of rain last night and milder temps today were so very welcome.
I so enjoyed this post. Your photos are lovely. Have a wonderful week, and Happy Bloom Day!
Dee, that’s a great way to thin apples. Call it batting for apples. ha.
All are beautiful, dear Dee, and how wonderful to have that nice rain. There is no amount of human watering that can compare to water from the sky. I am sorry for your daylily losses, but it seems you are still surrounding by outstanding beauties!
Dee, your garden is a glory! I think I will have to have a “pink period” with daylilies. I’ll keep your list. My daylilies have all gone dormant for the moment, but I bet they’d perk up with a few pinks!
Linda, there are lots of good pinks now. Lots. These were the early ones. One daylily we should all grow is a cream, ‘Victorian Lace.’ There is not a prettier daylily on the planet, and I love them all. Thanks for your sweet words.~~Dee
What a feast of lilies.
Have some of our rain – we won’t miss it!
Hi Linda, thanks so much for stopping by all the way from Scotland. I will always take a little rain. It is so hot here. Happy Bloom Day!
Lovely, lovely daylilies and other flowers, too. Thanks for joining in for bloom day, and encouraging us all to buy more daylilies.
Thank you Carol. I want to encourage everyone to grow them. They are such great plants. Thanks for hosting bloom day too. It’s fun to see what’s blooming all over the world.
Great post. Your lilies are wonderful. North Wind Dancer really caught my eye. Great color!
Thank you Chris. ‘North Wind Dancer’ is a great daylily and much coveted. I’ve looked for it for years. Happy Bloom Day!
You do have some beauties. I’m only a recent convert to the joys of growing Daylilies and I now wish I had loads more room to grow beds of them. Your back garden is looking an absolute picture at this time of year.
Oh Bernie, if you get into daylilies, you’ll find you create more beds. 🙂 It happens to us all.
It’s winter here in Australia, but your daylily photos are making me very impatient for spring to see mine in bloom too. Your pinks are beautiful; we don’t seem to get quite the same pinks and reds as you do. Both often have a slightly brown cast to them which can result in dusty pinks and terracotta-y and tan-y reds. I have built up quite a collection of pinks trying to find pretty clear pinks, so blooms like your Blue Pink Beauty and Absolute Treasure are my holy grail. I read ages ago that it was something to do with the soil or the minerals in our soil – but it doesn’t seem right that rationale should fit a whole continent.
Marisa, gosh, what a bummer. You’d think that if that were the case, my red soil (like in parts of Australia) would also yield these results. I know it’s very hard to create blue reds and pinks because the yellow genes in the daylilies keep wanting to come through. However, I also read that soil has something to do with color so I don’t know. I’m sorry though. Maybe, I would grow some in containers and see if that made a difference. Thanks so much for stopping by to visit so far from Australia. I’d love to visit there one day.
North Wind Dancer was worth the search…I may have to locate it, too. They are all lovely…xogail
It is one everyone should own. So easy to grow, and the most lovely bloom.
Dee I like the new look of your blog…and I always love your daylilies..I drool over them actually…Mine have not bloomed yet…they are budding and I bet they bloom this week when the temps hit the 90s.
Thanks Donna. It needed a change. WordPress had updated its platform, and my other one wouldn’t work. I bet yours will bloom as soon as those temperatures rise. Woo-hoo!
I love your day lilies. I am trying to identify the ones I have in my garden. . . .did I save the labels – no! I have taken pictures of them and posted them on my blog: http://thejardinencantado.blogspot.com/
In east Texas (Brownsboro to be exact) we have a great place to find lilies – Big Chicken Day Lily Farm.
Happy gardening.
Ann, I’ll come by and look. Daylilies are so hard to i.d. if we lose the tags. I have several I don’t know the names of too.
Lovely Day Lilies!
And Grandma’s yellow rose is beautiful!
Happy Gardening!
Lea
Lea’s Menagerie
Thank you so much Lea! Happy Bloom Day!
Don’t know how my life would be without my day lilies. When all else fails those beauties still brighten up the gardens.
Linda, I don’t know what I would do either. I would be very sad without them.
Is the day lily sale open to the public from the club? the sale in September?
Yes, Phyllis, it is. All sales are open to the public. Come early though before all the good ones are gone. We also have a sale every April.
Wow Dee…your day lilies are so beautiful! Each one prettier than the one before. I couldn’t possibly pick a favorite!
Thank you Leslie! I love them very much. This has been an especially good year.