Friday, May 29, 2009

Sometimes You "Hit a Home-Run."

Hello Daylily Friends,

One of the new daylilies that I bloomed last year was Seedling 8-76. It is just a delightful daylily. Tall, about 32" with 4-way branching, plenty of buds, blue-eye, and just demanding of attention, which I always give. How could there be a better purple? The cross that made this beauty is as follows: [(Spiney Sea Urchin x (Heartbeat of Heaven x Johnny Cash)) x Cerise Masterpiece]. Three of the parents come from Stamile, and one parent comes from Karol Emmerick. As I marched toward making this beauty I really didn't have a good daylily until I added Cerise Masterpiece. Oh what an addition. The flower kept its purple color, it produced a more pronounced blue-eye, and it added plenty of height from Cerise Masterpiece. I would humbly say that this is a home-run.

Another daylily that has been such an early morning delight is my Seedling 8-44. It bloomed in the Greenhouse last spring and then spent the winter in our cold weather. After many freezing and thawing cycles it has bloomed beautifly. The cross is as follows: (Creator's Song x Tet. Emerald Splendor). Creator's Song was given to me by my friend Harold Verner who is a member of the Daylily Society of Greater Atlanta. I converted Tet. Emerald Splendor. In fact, this morning I was looking at the diploid Emerald Splendor, and it looks a lot like 8-44 except that 8-44 just has a more intense color and is just, how shall I say it, "more beautiful." One similarity is that both the diploid and 8-44 both have a white edge. I certainly have other daylilies from the same cross, but so far nothing beats 8-44. The only draw-back is that 8-44 does not have any serious branching. It has from 10 to 12 buds and it 24" in height. I have taken pollen from my Seedling 8-243 (See Entry from April 27, 2009) to 8-44, but I did not get a pod. I tried again today with pollen from 8-243. If I continue to have difficulty I may switch and instead use pollen from Judy Farquhar. Judy should help with height and branching and I shouldn't lose much of the beauty of 8-44. I will keep trying to improve the branching. Or, I might use pollen from Charles Douglas' THELMA DOUGLAS, which is dormant. I have options.

I might also again suggest that you "click" on the seedling pictures to have a larger view. It always helps to have a "closer look."

Bill

3 comments:

  1. Hi Mr. Bill
    I will agree with you. You have hit a home run with seedling 8-76. It is beautiful, has height and branching. Keep up the good work.

    Greg

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  2. Hi Mr. Bill

    I was searching for Creator's Song on the web she was blooming today and came across your blog. I know this is an old post from 2009 But I would like to know what became of Seedling 8-76 I would really like to get a piece of it if you still grow it I have an Idea for it. I like that is flat and round! Terry Wilson from South Georgia

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