Getting Ready for Georgia's Region 5 Conference.

Hello Daylily Friends,

I am so pleased that the best of the spring is here, even though it is so hot.  Every day there is something new to see in the garden.  More about this in a moment.  What I want to talk about first is that we had so many friends come by at 8:00 a.m. this morning to dig daylilies, and prepare them for our Region 5  Annual Conference beginning this Friday, June 10, 2011.  I was so pleased that our "crowd" was diligent and determined to do their work well.  In the far, far back, of the first picture, just in front of the Greenhouse, is my good friend Gene McCord washing daylilies.  Here in the foreground you see Mitch Buehner.  To Mitch's right is my friend Ilene, To Mitch's left is John Norlander.  Somewhat not clearly visible are David, Rita, Katy Lou, and Luke.  More friends are coming over this evening to prepare other daylilies for the Conference.

One of my new introductions this coming fall will be my Seedling 8-64.  The parentage is as follows:  (Leslie Renee x Tet. James McCaskill).  I had wanted to introduce this beauty last year, but I cold not justify the lack of branching.  Then, this spring when it bloomed, there was three and four way branching.  There are about 20 buds on each scape, and the flowers are 5 1/2" in diameter.  Importantly, this introduction is dormant.  It will grow most anywhere.   I will "invent" a good name.  It is my understanding from the Robin that only AVA GARDNER has been introduced using Tet. James McCaskill as a parent.  I hope that everyone likes my new seedling.

Another daylily that I had to bloom is Seedling 11-266.  It is just a wonderful, wonderful red.  I'm  showing a picture.  It is another introduction that I planted in a peat pot on August 19, 2011, that was then planted outside on September 30, 2010, where it went through our winter.  Of course, if Seedling 11-266 were just red it would not be that much different.  However, it has nice "teeth."  Very nice teeth.  I fully expect Seedling 11-266 to grow and be a champion.  I would note the long parentage that created 11-266.  This parentage is shown on the photograph.

The last daylily that I will show is another "peat-pot-beauty."  It has the same August 19/September 30 history that I just recounted for Seedling 11-266.  Here is the picture.  The parentage of this beauty is also most unusual.  The pod parent is one that I created several years ago, and then grew in the Greenhouse during the spring of 2010.  This parent is (Tet. Lavender Blue Baby x Tet. Crystal Blue Persuasion).  The pollen parent is Ted Preuss' BLUEGRASS MEMORIES.  I saw Ted's flower at my friend Lee Pickles' garden, and I was fortunate that Lee let me grow it last spring.  What a combination of colors!  The colors are as you see them.  Another Champion is coming.  I will try to get a proliferation from this beauty to grow in the Greenhouse because I intend to leave the seedling where it is growing now for the year 2012.  I am just so fortunate to have Seedling 11-270.

Well friends are now arriving for the "evening shift" to prepare more daylilies for our Region 5 Annual Conference.  I will let you know how things go over the week end.

Bill