Hybridizing Starts Today!

Hello Daylily Friends,

This morning I walked to the Greenhouse with anticipation.  I knew that there would be new blooms from several daylilies.  The first bloom that I saw was on Bill Maryott's PRICKLY SENSATION.  A much better bloom that I saw earlier.  Although I have not seen PRICKLY SENSATION bloom outside the Greenhouse, I must say that if it blooms outside about 85% as well as it does in the Greenhouse, then, it is indeed a "must have" daylily.  I believe that it will do as well outside, so I'm making seeds with it.  I have saved the pollen, and I plan to use it on many of my orange daylilies.

I was also glad to see my own RED SAPPHIRE.  Wow, it is big!  Branches and branches and buds and buds.  It is such a grand daylily.  Unfortunately, it did not have the many bobs and teeth that it often has when it blooms.  Nevertheless, I saved its pollen which I plan to use on many, many seedlings.  It is my humble opinion that RED SAPPHIRE is a "must have" daylily.  When it was first registered I didn't have but about 15 plants which sold fast.  Then, last year I had more plants.  Now I am increasing my supply, and this summer I hope to increase distribution.

The most fun this morning was seeing the first bloom from a seedling from my good friend, Paul K. Lewis from Mayfield Heights, Ohio.  Paul sent several daylilies to me to grow, and this was the first bloom from Paul's seedlings that I have seen.  In my opinion Paul has a champion.  I like the carving, I like the size, I like the edging, and I like the color.  Paul has done a good work.  I am privileged to have been asked by Paul to grow his seedling.  I again saved the pollen, and will use it in my program. 

Another bloom that I had this morning was from my Seedling 1-300.  I have posted pictures from this seedling several times, and I'm always amazed at its height and branching.  There is always, always, 4-way branching, and the height is a reliable 37 inches.  There are many more teeth when 1-300 blooms outside during the heat of the summer, but there are still plenty of teeth in the Greenhouse in February.

I should also add that this past week my beautiful wife Diana Rae and I went on a Princess Cruise to the Bahamas.  We were gone for 7 days.  We had a wonderful time, and went on the cruise with 14 members from our Sunday School Class.  The first night of the cruise I had to pass up a "Prime Rib" supper because I was dizzy and did not yet have my "sea legs."  I really regretted missing the Prime Rib, but the remainder of the cruise was wonderful.  When we returned home this past Sunday, I immediately went to my garden and to my two Greenhouses to check on my daylilies.  I'm posting a picture of myself and Ms. Diana from the deck of our ship.

Bill