Not Your Average City Girl.

Hello Daylily Friends,

Every day I ask myself, "What is more important than any other task today?"  The answer is always the same: "making seeds."  So, no matter what happens each day, I do my very best to pollenate every bloom in the Greenhouse.  This has worked very well.  It doesn't matter what happens in the main garden, as long as I get to the issue within a reasonable time.  It does matter what happens in the Greenhouse, because I have only that specific day to pollenate and hopefully make seeds.  Every day I do my best.  Today was a wonderful day, I had my first bloom on KENNESAW MOUNTAIN HAYRIDE.  What a lovely daylily.  I should note that the HAYRIDE has already won an AHS Honorable Mention Award.  To receive such an award is not an easy task.  It takes a total of 20 votes coming from a minimum of 4 Regions.  Thanks to all who voted for KENNESAW MOUNTAIN HAYRIDE.

Another bloom that I've had in the Greenhouse is from Seedling 1-383.  The cross is as follows:  (Spacecoast Blood Diamond x Home of the Free).  Mr. Kennebrew once said that his SPACECOAST BLOOD DIAMOND was his best red, and of course, HOME OF THE FREE is a great red from my good friend Larry Grace.  Seedling 1-383 is 31" tall, it has 5-way branching, 25 buds, and a very large 7" flower.  Also each scape seems to produce a proliferation.  Outside I have 10 fans, and inside the Greenhouse I have two fans.  I'm thinking that this red must be introduced.  I'm thinking of a name having to do with "canon fire."  The Civil War Journals on the History Channel sometimes show canons firing, and the color of 1-383 reminds me of the red flame when the canon ignites.  I'll have to give the name more thought.  I would note that the outside 10 fans are very massive.  The 5-way branching is a big, big issue, especially with the 7" flower.

I must also report that our good friend Kim McCutcheon from Ohio came to visit with our Club this past Sunday.  Kim flew in on a Delta Flight, and Diana and I were fortunate that Kim stayed with us.  Kim likes to work with diploids, and she has produced some very beautiful seedlings.  Kim is a very busy young woman.  She cares for two youngsters, and she attends school with the full intent to become a nurse.  In between these time consuming tasks she grows daylilies.  When Kim began her presentation to our Cobb County Daylily Society she began with a slids that read: "Not your average city girl."  Kim is certainly not your average city girl.  Just before Kim left Diana and I had our picture taken with her in front of Diana's Lavender tree.

I must also report that the much desired new daylily from my good friend Larry Grace bloomed this morning.  Of course I'm speaking about DR. STUMP.  As many of you may know, Dr. Stump is Larry's dentist.  So, Larry named his wonderful seedling with its wonderful clean color and big teeth, after his dentist.  What a wonderful cross.  Larry was very wise to see that Salter's FANTASTIC FRINGE would be an excellent cross with MALCOLM DAVID BOOKER SENIOR.  Obviously, Larry is well on his way to another Stout Medal.

Another new daylily that bloomed for me this morning was Seedling 2-403.  The cross is as follows: [1-336 {Wild Hair x Fantastic Fringe} x 9-26 {Irish Halo x Best Edge}].  I'm not sure that 2-403 is a mark of progress toward a green edged daylily with teeth.  However, I had to use my Seedling 1-336 which has good teeth, and when I made the cross, 9-26 was my best seedling with a green edge.  I assume that there will be other seedlings to bloom that have better green teeth, but in the meantime, I had to mark and save 2-403.

That is the news for today.

Bill