Oh, Lily Rae!

Hello Daylily Friends,

I've just got to tell about one of Little Lily Rae's adventures this morning.  We went on our morning walk, and we went by one of my tractors at my barn.  Lily Rae wanted to sit in the "driver's seat," and so of course I put her in the seat.  Before I did, however, I asked Grandmother Diana Rae to go to the opposite side of the tractor just to be sure that Little Lily Rae was safe.  Well I put Lily Rae in the driver's seat, and she immediately reached for the steering wheel, and in just a flash, she was reaching for the forward gear.  Little Lily Rae was ready for action once she got behind the "steering wheel."  She is such a treat, and she makes our days so much better when she is here.  We love and adore this precious little child.


I've also got to mention a seedling that bloomed this morning.  It is so new that I haven't even given it a seedling number, but I was so impressed with the flower that I had to keep it even though it has only a few buds, and no branching.  It is a cross between the following parents:  (Little Jackie Paper x Tet. Rose F. Kennedy).  What I liked about the flower was the intense green eye, and the strong color of the self.  It may eventually have branching since it is probably a dormant, or probably leans toward dormancy, based on what I know about the two parents.  We'll just have to wait and see.  I normally would have passed over such a flower, but the green in the eye was just too intense.

I also have to mention Seedling 3-355.  For some odd reason I did not write down the number of branches or the bud count on this seedling, but I kept crossing it with pollen from Seedling 11-293, which is a dormant.  In fact, I made a post about 11-293 back on June 11, 2011.  You might consider going back to the older blog to look at the picture of the flower.  Anyway, I was crossing pollen from 11-293 to Seedling 3-355, but until today I didn't really realize how many pods I had set.  I'm showing a picture.  Keep in mind that 3-355 has only been living for 9 months, and already it is covered with multiple pods with seeds.

I have to also report that a "King Snake" has entered my Greenhouse.  Many of you will remember when I posted back on April 5, 2011, and on April 27, 2012, that I've had previous experience with King Snakes.  In my initial Greenhouse encounter I killed a King Snake with my shovel.  This time I just took a picture of the King Snakes, and left him alone.  I did notice, however, that he emerged from underneath my refrigerator.  I was quite startled to see him.  Over the past several years I've noticed a Lizard who normally lives underneath the refrigerator, but over the last few days I've seen him darting about.  I had thought that he was growing more tolerant of me, but now that I've seen the King Snake, I think that my Lizard is "on the run."  I will say again, anything that lives outside a Greenhouse, can, in fact, ultimately find a way into the Greenhouse.

Diana and I are looking forward to this coming week-end.  It will be a chance to be with many daylily friends, and to also celebrate "Mother's Day."

Bill

Green, Green and Green!

Hlorello Daylily Friends,

I thought that I had seen the best of the "green edged" daylilies, but then this morning I had a new experience.  I saw Seedling 3-409, and I couldn't believe that I was seeing a peach colored daylily with an obvious, clearly obvious, green edge.  At first I thought, well it's too short.  I must have walked past the plant several times, and then this afternoon I finally decided that 3-409 was just too beautiful to overlook.  In the Greenhouse it is 25" tall with 4-way branching, and 14 buds.  The flower is 5 inches in diameter.  The mature daylily may be much different depending on its ploidy.

I would add that the weather has been cool, and that in my Greenhouse I have not tried to keep it as hot as the daylilies would perhaps prefer.  So, I think that 3-409 did not fully open and show itself in its best form.  After the rain ends next week, I'm going to put 3-409 into a three gallon pot, and over the next year give it every advantage to show what it can become.

Well I've had more blooms on the seedlings from TET. SUNGLASSES NEEDED.  I've tried to cross these seedlings with each other, but this has not been successful.   There is the trouble of finding pollen and sometimes even finding pistols.  I think that I also mentioned that I've only had William's VIVA GLAM GIRL as a pod parent.  Well, this morning there was a new bloom on Bruce Kovach's AT JACK'S.  A wonderful double with teeth.  I found some pollen, and used it Seedlings 3-374 and 3-392.  I would also add that I entered AT JACK'S as a double last year in our daylily show, and that it won, best double.

I'm also selecting seedlings to keep
that are doubles, rather than just throwing them away.  Specifically, I've had two that I've kept that have had 1-414 as parents.  One is Seedling 3-393, and the other is Seedling 3-408.  I plan to cross these two together, and hopefully develop a big purple double with an attractive eye and edge.  Getting this done has been a problem over the past 48 hours because my  refrigerator in the Greenhouse stopped working.  I bought a new refrigerator, but sadly, I lost the pollen that I had been keeping in the fridge.  Oh well.  I've started keeping pollen all over again, and hopefully I'll make progress with the doubles.  I've seen the tip of a scape on my conversion, TET. SUNGLASSES NEEDED.  I'm going to use every bit of pollen that I produce.

I've also been trying to convert PAPA GOOSE for my friend, Charles Douglas.  PAPA GOOSE was hybridized by Heidi Douglas, and it was introduced in 2011.  It is a wonderful daylily because it is about 32" in height, and it has 8 inch flowers.  I tried to get it converted last year, but I "missed," so I'm trying again this year.  I have one plant that has thrown up a scape, and I can see two little buds that will hopefully bloom.  This will give me early insight as to whether I've made another conversion.  Looking at the two buds, what do you think?  Is it still a diploid, or has progress been made in turning it into a tetraploid?

It is a good thing to be able to make seeds in the Greenhouse.  I am never slowed by rain, the weather doesn't matter, and I get the seeds made so early.  All is well in the Greenhouse.  Outside I've seen many, many scapes.

Bill

I Suppose that I'm Now Committed to "Doubles."

Hello Daylily Friends,

I thought that all five of the seedlings that I made from using TET. SUNGLASSE NEEDED would be big, yellow doubles, but I was mistaken.  I've just had Seedling 3-397 to bloom, and it certainly isn't a yellow double.  Instead, it looks somewhat like BUZZ SAW BOOGIE, the pod parent, but
 on steroids, with a more emphatic size and color.  It is 32" tall with 4-way branching, and 25 buds.  The flower is 8 1/2" in diameter.  It is difficult to know how 3-397 will perform in a cold climate since both the pod and pollen parents were produced in south Georgia.  However, I would expect that it would do well, and would not have a problem.  We'll find out this coming winter.

Another double that has just bloomed is Seedling 3-394, and it is 35" tall with 6-way branching, and 24 buds.  It is like Seedlings 3-374 and 3-392, in that it is 9" in diameter.  Just a monster big flower.  The 6-way branching is most impressive.  The only doubles that I've had in the Greenhouse to use with my seedlings from TET. SUNGLASSES NEEDED are William Marchant's VIVA GLAM GIRL, and of course my own Seedling 3-353.  Unfortunately, I can't set but just a few pods on 3-353, and so I will have to wait for this seasons initial bloom on TET. SUNGLASSES NEEDED.   I will just use the pollen again to make more seedlings.  I have set numerous pods on VIVA GLAM GIRL.

This past Friday my lovely wife, Diana Rae, had some painting done in the house.  In the family room she had the ceiling and walls painted, and this required the movement of my "Grandfather's Clock."  When the painter's finished their work they put the Clock back in place, but it did not "tik-tok."  When Little Lily Rae came over on Monday she was most distressed that the clock did not work, and she opened the door to perhaps identify the problem.  Fortunately the painter's came back and fixed the Clock before Lily Rae returned on Wednesday.  Lily Rae really likes the Grandfather's clock, and she always listens to hear it go "tik-tok."

Oh, let me tell you something else that happened.  Later on Monday afternoon I went to the U. S. Post Office to mail several daylilies to friends, and I noticed that the person standing in front of me was wearing a gun on his belt.  It seemed to be to be a "Beretta," although I am certainly not an expert on the different styles of firearms.  There has been much public discussion about weapons, but I nevertheless thought that it was unusual to see someone wearing a gun in the Post Office.  In a odd way it was perhaps like the old west with "Billy-the-Kid" and "Clint Eastwood."

Anyway,  I had a red seedling with teeth to bloom.  The parents are IWANNA PIRANHA, and my own Seedling 11-266.  This plant is now Seedling 3-402.  It is 28" tall with 6-way branching, and 38 buds.  The flower is 5 3/4" in diameter.  There are nice teeth on the sepals, but not as much on the petals.  I crossed  3-402 using pollen from my earlier Seedling 3-309.  I will hopefully get to a very tall red with teeth everywhere, but so much work is still ahead.

More news soon!

Bill

Daylilies on Saturday in April.

Hello Daylily Friends,

I've just got to show two pictures of one of my newly selected seedlings.  It is Seedling 3-379, and the parentage is as follows:  ((11-201 x 1-414) x 1-414).  To actually look at the parents you could go back, and review my blog entries made on March 10 and 24, 2012.  I'm not sure about the color of 3-379.  Sometimes it looks lavender, but then I know that this is probably not accurate, and Diana says that it is perhaps a blend of violet and blue.  What are your thoughts about the color?  I would be appreciative if you

would write a note below and record your thoughts.  One point of emphasis about 3-379 is that it has a chartreuse edge.  I should also mention that it is 34" tall, it has 7-way branching, with 38 buds, and the flower measures 6 inches.  I have been crossing 3-379 with TET. ROSE F. KENNEDY.  In fact, I am so fortunate to be able to use TET. ROSE F. KENNEDY.  It was converted by my friend Larry Grace, and Larry has allowed me to use the plant.  Thanks Larry!

Well, today is Saturday morning.  I got up early this morning, and promptly went to clean the Greenhouse.  Removed all of the old buds, looked for new blooms, and considered what had to be done to take advantage of the day.  I had to hurry because we were to meet our friends, Don and Judy Bodner, and we worked together for our Club at the "Jonquil Festival" in Smyrna, Georgia.  We worked from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m., and then we were relieved by other Club members.  Our friend, Gene McCord, was in charge of our presence as well as our plant sale at the Jonquil Festival.  After we all arrived we were soon very, very busy with lots of customers.  People were just glad to see us there.  I can say this with confidence:  Those two young men who bombed the Boston Marathon wouldn't have done what they did if they had been members of a Daylily Club.  Instead, they would have had friends, and plenty of activities to keep them busy.  The whole horrible conduct in Boston was just bad.

On a more positive note, after
working at the Festival Diana and I, and Judy and Don, all had lunch together at a "German Bakery."  I had the special: two hot dogs and warm potato salad.  I was told that the hot dogs were actually wienerschnitzel, which is said to be better than hot dogs.  I must say the wienerschnitzel was mighty tasty.  After lunch we all came here to our house, and looked over the crop of daylilies in the Greenhouse.  My new Seedling 3-392, was the star of the afternoon.  Again, it is a cross between the following parents:  (Buzz Saw Boogie x Tet. Sunglasses Needed).  3-392 is the same cross as Seedling 3-374, which I just presented on my last post.  Tomorrow a third sister daylily will bloom from this same cross.

Well, a little later in the afternoon,
my friend Kenny Shively came by to also look at the Greenhouse daylilies.  Kenny came to visit a friend, and we were glad that he stopped by to say hello.  Kenny is from Rineyville, Kentucky, and really enjoys daylilies.  One of the daylilies that Kenny particularly liked was a cross that created an orange beauty.  So, we had our picture taken just in front of this daylily.  Then, I remembered my friend, John Wagner, who sent me an e-mail after I posted the 9" flower that is Seedling 3-374.  John pointed out that I could just put a ruler in front of the flower, and show for certain whether it was 9".  So, I put my ruler in front of 3-392, and Kenny took the picture to show for certain that 3-392 is also 9".  Thanks Kenny for helping me with the ruler measurement.

One other notable daylily that bloomed is Seedling 3-390.  It is like Seedling 3-347, that I showed on April 15, 2013, in that both daylilies have pleats on the "petals."  The common parent to both daylilies is BLUEGRASS MEMORIES, so this must be  trait contained in the gene pool of BLUEGRASS MEMORIES.  Tomorrow, on Sunday, I expect to cross 3-390 and 3-347 just to see if the pleats show up on the seedlings.   

That is all the news for today.  Hoping for rain tomorrow.

Bill

New Shoes for Little Lily Rae!

Hello Daylily Friends,

Things have been happening so fast in the Greenhouse.  Practically every day that I walk inside to see the blooms, there is something new that creates new interest and new opportunity.  This past Saturday, for example, we had a very special day.  Our Pastor, Rev. Elaine Wilder, her husband, Paul, and their precious son, Elliott, along with Paul's sister, Brooks, came by to see the daylilies.  We were so pleased that they did, particularly because it was a special day in the Greenhouse for the "Green" edged beauties.  My Seedling 2-426 was blooming again, and it was gorgeous.  I am so proud of 2-426, and I have six (6) fans of it growing outside.  If it does outside what it has been doing in the Greenhouse, then I'm going to be a very happy Gardener.  Anyway, I've had another chartreuse edged daylily to bloom, and it is Seedling 3-375.  The parents of 3-375 include Salter's HOLY GUACAMOLE, along with my own cross between IRISH HALO and FRINGY.  I really like 3-375 because it is 38" tall, with 5-way branching.  By crossing 2-426 and 3-375, I should hopefully raise the height of 2-426.  So much happens with hybridizing work, and every day is a new day with daylily work.  So many opportunities to make changes to daylilies.

Yesterday Little Lily Rae was over, and she was wearing "new shoes" that her father bought her.  She was so proud of her shoes, and when she would walk around she would look down at them.  They are Nike tennis shoes, and they have what is called a "swish" on them.  I asked Lily Rae to show me the swish, and she pointed to the bottom of her shoes.  Sure enough, there was a swish there!  Well, as always, Lily Rae and I, we walk together in the Greenhouse.  Sure enough there was a large 7" inch bloom on Seedling 3-349.  Such beautiful colors on the flower. It is a cross between the following parents: (Red Sapphire x Red Top Mountain).  3-349 is 34" tall, with 6-way branching, and 26 buds.  It is so nice to bloom such a large daylily that I anticipate that most enthusiasts will want to grow it because of its height and size.  Anyway, no matter what blooms, when Lily Rae is over it is a good time.  She is the best!

Well we've also been experimenting
with growing "doubles."  A good while back my friend Marlee Price, brought me a diploid daylily named SUNGLASSES NEEDED.  It had won "Best in Show" in Savannah where Marlee was a Judge.  Marlee was so impressed with the flower that she got me a plant, and I eventually converted it from a diploid to a tetraploid.  Last year, with only limited pollen, I was able to make five (5) seeds using Nancy Eller's BUZZ SAW BOOGIE as the pod parent.  Then, today, there was a massive bloom.  I now call the new flower Seedling 3-374.  It is 42" tall with a nine (9) inch flower.  Yes, I did say a nine inch flower!  A massive double.  In fact, I've never seen a double this large.  I wouldn't necessarily expect everyone to accept my report, but I have four witnesses.  My witnesses are our friends Jim and Kay Chappell from Warrior, Alabama, and Chuck and Linda Winington from Homewood, Alabama.  They saw me put the ruler up next to 3-374, and they can each verify that it was, indeed, a nine inch double.  Thanks to Jim and Kay, and Chuck and Linda for visiting today.  It is nice to see something new in daylilies like a massive, new double, on a tall, strong scape.

There were two other blooms in
the Greenhouse today that also should be mentioned.  The first is a lovely red beauty.  It is Seedling 3-378, and the parents are as follows:  (11-269 x Hotlanta).  Aside from the beautiful red color, Seedling 3-378 is 38" tall with 6-way branching, 33 buds, and a 6" flower.  I am so pleased with this progress!  11-269 is a cross between SANTA'S LITTLE HELPER and RUNNING HOT, and it is 34" tall with 4-way branching.  I used 11-269 with HOTLANTA because I didn't then have TET. WAXEN SPLENDOR to use, which I now have, and indeed will use to full benefit in just a few more weeks.  The other new bloom that must also be mentioned is Seedling 3-356, and the cross is as follows: [(1-385 x 1-337) x Tet. Rose F. Kennedy].  The bloom is so beautiful; such differences in colors.  I couldn't make up my mind as to how to use 3-356, so I simply crossed it again with TET. ROSE F. KENNEDY.  There are many other blooms appearing from RFK crosses, and I will report again when there is something exceptional.

That is where we are today.  Tomorrow morning I'm looking forward to seeing a new bloom on TET. HANDSOME ROSS CARTER.  Having this pollen to use again will be exciting.

Bill

Daylily Happiness!

Hello Daylily Friends,

I am so excited to show you Seedling 2-426, and here is the cross: (Diana's Irish Dream x Irish Halo).  I would note that both parents are currently on the market.  I released DIANA'S IRISH DREAM this year, and IRISH HALO won an "Honorable Mention" from AHS this past year.  I didn't really make that many seeds to produce 2-426, and when I first saw 2-426, it reminded me of lettuce.  That's right, lettuce.  I took the plant to the Atlanta Daylily Club when it met last April, but to see the plant bloom again at what I would think is peak production, is just so thrilling.  Here are the Greenhouse measurements:  30" Tall, 4-way branching, 21 buds, and a 6" flower.  I also have 2-426 growing outside so we will see how it measures and what it looks like in June, following a cold winter.  I am really so excited to see the advance of the green color on 2-426.

I have also been working to make a better blue-eyed daylily, and I've had some success, but with my new seedlings the best that I've seen up through today is Seedling 3-347.  The parents are as follows:  (Bluegrass Memories x The Blue Parrot).  When I first saw BLUEGRASS MEMORIES I was impressed, and am still impressed.  I thought that THE BLUE PARROT was ok, but I wasn't as impressed as I was with BLUEGRASS MEMORIES.  Actually, THE BLUE PARROT was purchased by my good friend David Arthur from Ron Bonner.  David wanted me to use THE BLUE PARROT so I put its pollen on BLUEGRASS MEMORIES.  I'm so glad that I did.  I really like 3-347.  It is 32" tall, 7-way branching, 28 buds, and a 5 3/4" flower.  I really like the shape of the flower, and of course, its color.

Another stunning daylily that I've had is Seedling 3-353, and the parents are as follows:  (11-266 x Randy Stephens).  I made the cross to create a red daylily with teeth such as I showed with Seedling 3-309 on Saturday, March 23, 2013, and again on Saturday, March 30, 2013.  Daylilies are so unpredictable.  Who would have thought that I would get this beautiful red/rose colored double?  It was certainly something that I didn't expect.  Here are the measurements on 3-353:  40" tall, 4-way branching, 14 buds, and a 6" flower.  Now, I'm hoping for consistency in the doubling trait.

My good friend, Lori Hankinson, from Grand Rapids, Michigan, sent me an e-mail this past week and requested an "update" on Little Lily Rae.  I have to tell everyone that Little Lily Rae is doing so, so well.  She now knows so many words, and one word that she is in the process of mastering is "butterfly."  When I visited the Club in Grand Rapids Lori gave me a number of gifts for Lily Rae, and several of the gifts showed butterflies.  Then this past week I pointed to a butterfly outside, and I hope that Lily Rae saw it, but I'm not sure that she did.  Anyway, her Grandmother, Diana Rae, purchased a "butterfly rug" which we now have at the entrance to the family room in our house.  This morning when Lily Rae came in she went straight to the rug, and announced: "B - fly."  Oh it was so much fun!  Also, Grandmother Diana Rae took a picture of Mother Kelley Rae, posing with daughter Lily Rae, in front of the "Pink Sparkles" tree that Jeff and Karen Pansing brought for Lily Rae.  The blooms on the tree and Lily Rae's smile both bring a smile to my face.  Thanks Diana for the great picture.  Oh, I should mention that the clothes that Lily Rae is wearing I purchased for her.  Oh she looks so nice in her spring time pink and white outfit.  Lily Rae also has new spring clothes coming that her Dad purchased and I hope to get a chance to show some of these during the summer.

I must also let AHS know that the Atlanta and Cobb County Clubs are working together for the National Convention to be held in Atlanta in 2015.  In fact, another meeting took place at the home of David and Camilla Arthur this past Thursday.  I'm showing a picture, and David is easily identified:  He is the gentleman with the shorts and bare feet.  I am so proud of all of our officers from our two Clubs who are working so hard to make Atlanta "the place to be seen in 2015."

More news soon!

Bill

I've Got PINK STRIPES Converted.

Hello Daylily Friends,

Good news, good news, good
news.  I've got PINK STRIPES converted.  First, to fully explain what has happened, we have to look backwards to the diploid.  I took a picture of the diploid flower, and then I took a picture of the pollen.  The diploid is a good daylily, and a lot of people like it, as evidenced by sales interest in our garden.  However, it has only about two branches, and is attractive, I think, because of its unusual shape: with its "stripes."  I would like to think that these stripes will open up a new avenue of hybridizing in the tetraploid line. 

Well, lets now look at the tetraploid. Wow, the appearance is so different.  It is a bigger flower, the colors are deeper, and it calls for use to create something new.  I do not have any of the other tetraploid daylilies that I could use as a pod parent with TET. PINK STRIPES, so I am left in a quandary as to how it might be used.  We can see from looking at the pictures of the two flowers, that the tetraploid is much bigger with both its petals and sepals. Also, I can report that the scape is much more sturdy.  All in all, this has been a good effort at a conversion.  I didn't know what to do with the tetraploid pollen so I froze it in my garden refrigerator.

I might also mention the size of the diploid and tetraploid pollen.  On my microscope the diploid pollen measures an 8 or 9, whereas the tetraploid pollen measures a 15.  This is significant.  The plant has totally changed, and will never again be a diploid. 

Thanks to my friend Paul Lewis in Ohio who sent me PINK STRIPES to convert.  I'll get a converted fan to you Paul after I've had a chance to multiply the fans.

I also want to show a flower that bloomed in my Greenhouse this morning.  It is Seedling 11-81, and here is the cross:  [(Shirley Anne McCord x Gnashing of Teeth) x (Shirley Anne McCord x Gnashing of Teeth)].  This is an "F-2" cross.  Last summer my good friend Larry Grace came to see our summer garden, and Larry noticed this particular flower, and asked about it.  I confessed that it had not been fertilized, and Larry asked for a fan, which I gladly provided.  Since Larry was going to grow it, I decided that I should as well.  When I went into the Greenhouse this morning I could hardly believe what I was seeing.  Just a beautiful purple with great white teeth. Thanks Larry for noticing this beauty!

More news soon!

Bill