Joy in the Daylily Garden.

Hello Daylily Friends,

This past Saturday we had many friends to visit the daylily garden. The visitors even included Lt. General David Poythress and his wife Elizabeth. General Poythress formerly served as the Commander of the Georgia Army and Air National Guard. He has also served as Georgia's Secretary of State, and as the State Labor Comissioner of Georgia. Quite a resume. General Poythress is now a candidate to be elected Governor of the State of Georgia. It was certainly exciting to have a candidate for Governor to visit our daylily garden. I'm showing a picture of General Poythress, along with his wife Elizabeth, and Diana and myself.

When General Poythress and his wife Elizabeth walked the gardens a few of the daylilies they could admire included one of my introductions from several years ago: PASTOR LAURIE ANN MOELLER. No matter when PASTOR MOELLER blooms, the day just somehow becomes brighter. PASTOR MOELLER is seven inches across when she first blooms, and even though the successive blooms become smaller, the daylily is just as cheerful as ever. I particularly like the almond color, and today I put pollen on it from TET. ORANGE VELVET. This could well produce something just as bold and beautiful next spring.

General Poythress and Elizabeth could also admire one of my new blooms that is produced from an unusual cross: (Silent Musings x Tet. Uncle Bryan). Silent Musings is a Stamile flower that has Tet. Grace Pierce in its background. I have also been impressed with Tet. Uncle Bryan because it is so red, and because it is dormant. When I applied pollen from Tet. Uncle Bryan to Silent Musings I had no idea what I might produce. Well, now I have my answer, and here is a picture of my new seedling. I call it Seedling 8-217. It is 28" tall, it has 3-way branching, over 20 buds, and a 6 1/2" flower. I am not sure what I should call its color, but clearly it is a lovely color. I also like the edging. Quite unusual. It is a semi-evergreen that leans toward dormancy.

The last seedling that I will show will be introduced this coming season. It is a cross between Tet. Indian Giver and Stamile's Wild and Free. I took pollen from Wild and Free and used it on Tet. Indian Giver because this was the easiest path that I had to create the seedling. It is 38" tall with 3-way branching, with about 16 buds. It grows very fast. It is an unusual form and is a combination of Wild and Free, an "evergreen," with Tet. Indian Giver, which for me is a "dormant." The result is a semi-evergreen that will grow practically anywhere. I like the purple color, I like the white edge on the petals and sepals, and I like the cascade edges on the sepals. Indeed, as the day progresses the petals also cascade. To cascade simply means that the floral segments curl upon themselves. This makes for a very nice appearance.

Thanks to General Poythress and to his wife Elizabeth for visiting the Kennesaw Mountain Daylily Gardens.

Bill