Flowers For Valentines Day!

"All You Need Is Love. 

But A Little Chocolate Now And Then Doesn't Hurt"

-Charles M. Schulz

Daylilies

I thought I would brighten up your week by sending you some flowers for Valentines Day.





I absolutely LOVE the daylilies! Or the Latin name of Hemerocallis.

Pineapple Daiquiri

Daylilies got their name because their flower only lasts one day and then it drops. But there are so many blooms and branches on this plant that it will flower for you usually about three weeks. And if you have different varieties that bloom at different times during the summer they will last you quite awhile.

"Ditch Lilies" on left

I got into daylilies about eight years ago. I didn't know that much about them and I thought they came in just two colors: the orange that you see along the roadside and yellow. Another one of their nicknames that I used to refer to them by were Tiger Lilies. A friend of mine calls the tall orange ones that you see along the road "ditch lilies". When I first used that term in front of my husband he did not like it. He is rather fond of "ditch lilies". So occasionally I have the need to tease him and I'll refer to them as those "ditch lilies". I do like the "ditch lilies", and we have some clumps growing around the yard.

A friend of mine, Diane Crandall, introduced me to the dayliles. Diane had been growing them for a long time and has many varieties. When I stopped by her house one summer she showed me all her rows of daylilies and I was in Love! They were beautiful. Some are early summer bloomers, mid-bloomers and late-bloomers, and in between all those times as well. Also, some are re-bloomers too. Re-bloomers mean that they will bloom once, rest for a time, and then bloom again later in the season. This will depend on your hardiness zone whether or not they re-bloom for you. Because of our hardiness zone of 5a-5b my daylily re-bloomers usually do not re-bloom except the reliable yellow Stella D'oro. 

People's Choice Daylily

Daylilies have other traits as as well. Some are fragrant, some have an extended bloom period, and others open in the evening. They come in miniature and dwarf varieties as well as very tall selections. Some  can have ruffled edges on the petals edges (that can be referred to as pie-crusting), and other daylilies can have extra large flower blooms. 

Daylilies are easy to care for as well. The rootstock is like a tuber and will grow just about anywhere as long as it gets sun. And the more sun it gets the more prolific the blooms. Usually they require at least four hours of sun to bloom well for you. They will not bloom in deep shade. They will bloom in some shade, but they will not produce as many blooms. They will bloom in any soil, clay or sand, but the better the soil the more reliable your plant will be. You can use compost to enrich your soil if needed. The only time you need to fertilize these plants is in the spring. If you over-fertilize your plants they will probably produce a lot of foliage, but few or no flowers.

They will grow well with other plants and perennials. Some varieties of daylilies will grow into large clumps so be careful where you plant them if you don't want them to crowd out other perennials. Sometimes even though you think they might be on the small side because of their name, that's not always the case. An example of this was a variety I purchased called Little Wine Cup. I thought it was a miniature because of the name, but that was not the case. It turned out to be a miniature bloom (less than 3"). The plant is actually pretty tall 18-24" and it has a huge root/tuber. I still like it though even though I had to move it from it's original location. 

Siloam Double Classic

Dalilies do better when they are well-watered. If you have a dry year regularly watering them will help with growth and blooms. I think that's why my daylilies did so well this past year because we had a lot of rain in spring and early summer. They don't mind a good rain or soaking, but they will probably rot if planted in a swampy area that doesn't dry out. 

Quatro Daylily

Daylilies can be planted any time during the growing season. For our zone that is usually Memorial Day through early October. If you transplant them you will have better luck in the spring or early fall which gives the roots time to get established before the ground freezes. Newly transplants will do best if they are watered daily for the first week. Most new transplants will not flower the first year. If you have seeds from daylilies, you can plant them and they will probably come up, but they may not be the same as the parent plant. The original parent plant was probably cross-fertilized for certain characteristics such as color, strong stems, disease resistant, etc. And it takes patience to plant them from seed too. It can take up to three years before you see a bloom on them. If you get a root division as a starter plant your plant will look like the parent plant and won't take as long to get established and bloom.

If you have a large clump of daylilies that have not bloomed well for you it could be that they are too crowded and need to be split up. The best time to dig them up is when they have finished flowering. Dig the entire clump up with a shovel and split it into small clumps or segments. You can get quite a few divisions from one clump so if you don't have room for all the new divisions pot them up and share with a friend. If you purchase daylilies from a mail order source they usually come in a small clump or single sprouts with a single growing point.   

Pandora's Box Daylily with Astilbe

If you order daylilies from a catalog (or even online) the color may not always be exactly the same as the image source you viewed it from. Varying degrees of color occur in the printing process of catalogs and also computer monitors color screens vary as well. A few times I was a little disappointed with some of the daylilies I purchased from a catalog because the color was not the same. So be prepared for that possibility. And this is true for any flower/seeds that you order from a catalog or online. I have had good luck ordering daylilies from a company called Gilbert H. Wild and Son. I found their prices to be very good, and the root divisions are very successful. They also guarantee their plants. Here is a link to their site if you are interested: Gilbert H. Wild and Son. Or you can call them and ask them to send you a catalog (toll-free 1-888-449-4537).

Ruffled Apricot

I might caution you though that daylilies are not deer resistant. As a matter of fact the buds are like candy (or chocolate) for the deer and they love them. They won't eat the foliage, but they love the flowers and the buds. I have had success using a deer repellent spray. I just have to apply it more often than what is recommended on the label.

Baja

If you don't have any daylilies in your garden you might want to try some of these easy plants. They will reward you with their ease of care and with over 60,000 varieties you should be able to find something that will fit in with your garden display!

Link to : US Hardiness Zone Map

- Sending you Flowers, Hearts & Valentines -

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