Daylilies are blooming!

Ok people, no choice, for the next week or two I'm going to inundate you with daylily photos. After all, for many years they were my favorite perennial.

This opening photo is 'Spotted Fever'. A stunning double daylily with stippling on the petals but unfortunately, not the best choice for a name.

'Jeanne Fitton' was hybridized right here on Long Island, by Mr. George Rasmussen. It's an oldie but I still don't know another daylily with the color of this one. These photos are as accurate as can be.

Another look at 'Jeanne Fitton', just a little closer. It is unbelieveable compared with the bloom blooms on the Nepeta 'Six Hills Giant' (cat-mint).

Finally, 'Delta Force' from Jamie Gossard of Ohio was putting on a show today. Actually at least 50 varieties were in bloom but unfortunately I spent all morning putting together flower arrangements for Lauren and forgot to take photos before the sun was shining on the blooms.

For those of you who are new to plant photography, don't take your photos while the sun is shining on the plant, the sun washes out the colors and casts shadows at the same time. If possible, wait for shade or a passing cloud.

Off to read a good book,
Melanie

Daylilies

Daylilies will be a main feature perennial here at Old Country Gardens.

Why? Well, because they are so easy to grow!

This photo shows a clump of daylily 'Sun's Shadow' as it's emerging out of the ground. It's in desperate need of division, it's actually mounding up out of the soil (quite different from when a plant heaves out of the ground due to frost).

As you can see from the top photo, 'Sun's Shadow' is a stunning daylily. It was bred right here on Long Island. One of the things I've been working on for years (and my favorite topic to lecture on) is a list of perennials for Long Island Gardens. If you don't live on Long Island, my garden falls in the zone 6b area so you can judge for yourself how well these plants would do for you. We get lots of cold nights, warmer winter days than the interior of the USA and very little reliable snow cover.

Last night within minutes of beginning this blog I received a phone call. It was a total coincidence but a local garden club called and booked me for a lecture on April 21st. I'll take that as a great sign of things to come :-)

Melanie