Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Daylilies


(Photos from last year) Since daylilies are so easy to grow, I have accumulated a few varieties over the years. The first one I planted many years ago is the naturalized orange daylily that grows in the ditches around here.  I dug a couple of chunks out of a patch, and they have always bloomed well with no fuss or bother. The only down side is that the bloom time is shorter than new varieties.

This is Little Business which blooms mid-season and has striking burnt red petals.  It's a little taller than the d'Oros.

I find that the colour of Strawberry Candy varies with the weather.  Sometimes it's quite a dull pinky purple, and other times it has a better pink colour.  It always has an inner ring of a darker shade.  The plants are very sturdy.

Black-eyed Stella d'Oro is my best performer with the lots and lots of blooms early in the season and giving me a bit of repeat blooming later in the summer.  It is mid-size and a vigorous grower.
Purple d'Oro, which you don't see for sale that much, has quite variable colour depending on rain and temperature.  Sometimes it looks almost identical to Strawberry Candy.  It blooms around the same time as Little Business. I would be happier if the colour was more purpley and more consistent.
Stella D'oro is the quintessential reblooming daylily.  It is quite short and , in full sun, will give lots of flowers.  They are more orangey yellow than this photo.  The flowers have thick petals that can stand up to hard rain .


Pandora's Box has nice ruffley edges to the petals and an unusual colour pattern.  I've only had it for 2 years so I'm not sure how vigorous the plants will be.  I don't think it will be a match for the O'ros, but it is interesting.

Happy Returns is also a new one to me, but already it is spreading.  The flowers are a lovely lemony yellow.  It is definitely a favourite.
This year I have planted Pardon Me, a rich red one.  We'll see how it grows.


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