The Summer Blooms Continue

Good Morning Daylily Friends,

I still get up and walk through the garden early in the morning, and surprisingly, I continue to see new daylilies. This morning one new daylily that I saw was a red beauty with teeth. It is a cross between MORT MORSS and RANDY STEPHENS. My cat Sammy may have bent the bottom sepal on the flower. The other suspect is my lovely wife, Diana Rae. However, for purposes of family harmony I am going to point at Sammy as the culprit. Diana cooks supper; Sammy does not. I look forward to a good supper. Anyway, as you can see from the picture, the flower is quite nice. I would note that the scape is short, but it was only planted as a seed on August 18, 2009, and today is July 19, 2010. Eleven months have passed, and I am privileged to see the flower. I am thinking that I may take this red and move it to the Greenhouse. Can't make up my mind. I would also add that there is a better way to identify the different types of teeth that we see on daylilies. Some teeth are perhaps properly called "Shark Teeth." Other types of teeth, such as we see on this red seedling, should have another name.

Another beauty is a cross between older daylilies. It is Seedling 8-202, and the pod parent is KENNESAW MOUNTAIN ROMANCE, and the pollen parent is TET. SILOAM RALPH HENRY. As you can see from my picture, the flower is quite nice, particularly because of the sepals. Another significant quality of the flower is that it has great substance. That is, it is a "thick flower." It does not give way in the sunshine. The disadvantage of this daylily is that it is a slow grower. Also, although I have had 3-way branching, most of the time I only have 2-way branching. I have continued to think about registering this plant, but I can't make up my mind because of the branching. I would also add that it is a dormant, which is a big plus.

Another daylily that I have been particularly pleased with is Seedling 8-97. I am naming this daylily COLONEL PRICE. It will definitely be an introduction in 2011. It just has such clear color, and it practically always blooms with the beautiful eye and edge that you see. The cross is as follows: (Jennifer Trimmer x Heartbeat of Heaven). The name that I have chosen is in honor of my friend, Alan Price, who is a graudate of the Air Force Academy, and who is retired from the Air Force Reserve. Alan is also now retired from Delta Airlines where he served as Delta's number one pilot. Alan stays busy as an "Auditor," and he travels all over the world doing this work. Alan is just a tremendous person and friend.

Well that is the news for this morning.

Bill