Hello Daylily Friends,
This morning after Diana returned from Church she went to water her tomatoes. I must say that Diana does not grow ordinary tomatoes. On the contrary, she grows heirloom tomatoes, big tomatoes, little tomatoes, and of course the
"Porterhouse Tomatoes." The Porterhouse Tomatoes are the very, very best. Diana usually grows t
hem to be about 3 pounds each, but this year I expect that the size will increase. The main reason is that three (3) massive oak trees have been removed, and so there is more sunlight, and the roots of her tomatoes can run very, very deep. I'm showing Diana using her red bucket to water her tomatoes, and then she is using her green water bucket. Quite a show. I can't wait for late June, and the tomato sandwiches and salads.
Back on April 15, 2012, when I posted about Little Lily Rae's Baptism, I mentioned that "I [was] expecting a bloom of a cross between 11-201 [See Blog dated March 24, 2012] and 1-414 [See Blog dated March 10, 2012]." I went on to say, "Whether the new flower is good or bad, I will let you know what I see." My daughter Kelley Rae wrote a "comment" a few days ago asking about the cross. In the intermission, when I was having trouble with my computer, I did not show a picture of the new flower. So, because of Kelley Rae's question, here is the picture. I was quite surprised with what I saw. I am stunned that so much of the green edge was joined together, but of course the "self color" on the petals is not that good or clean. I now call this new daylily Seedling 2-421.
Another daylily that I have "overlooked" over the past 10 days is a beautiful orange. It is saturated with color, and here is the cross: [(Varsity Orange x (Lonnie Leroy Carpenter x Kennesaw Mountain Hayride)) x 498-9]. This new daylily is now Seedling 2-434. I was privileged to grow a new daylily that my friend Larry Grace developed from a conversion, and I simply put the conversion on my own plant. The only issue with 2-434 is whether it will have any branching because I presently do not see any branching. However, I am crossing 2-434 with my own Seedling 11-301 [See Blog dated August 15, 2011]. I like 2-434. I hope that 2-434 has a future in daylilies.
I've also had a yellow toothed beauty to bloom. I immediately took it out of its one-gallon bucket, and put it into a three gallon bucket. Wonderful parentage. You might ask me, "Bill did you cause those sepals to be so obvious and wide?" My answer is "NO." I did nothing, and I can see that when the summer heat arrives, this little beauty will present a "big show." In the next few days I may have more to tell about this daylily, and maybe I will let you know what is is that I am trying to do with it.
While all of this was happening this morning, Diana went into her kitchen to prepare Sunday Breakfast. I picked strawberries for her to use, and so we had these with our eggs and bacon. This afternoon Diana is going to prepare a Strawberry Pie with the remainder of the strawberries. Diana is "outstanding" with her preparation of her Strawberry Pies." Just outstanding.
More news soon.
Bill
hem to be about 3 pounds each, but this year I expect that the size will increase. The main reason is that three (3) massive oak trees have been removed, and so there is more sunlight, and the roots of her tomatoes can run very, very deep. I'm showing Diana using her red bucket to water her tomatoes, and then she is using her green water bucket. Quite a show. I can't wait for late June, and the tomato sandwiches and salads.
Bill,
ReplyDeleteAll three of these seedlings are nice. 2-412 is particularly nice. Seems like the edges are going from gold to now more of a chartreuse green, which I prefer. I remember back in the early 2000's when just to have a gold edge on a daylily was all the rage. Boy have times changed. Enjoy the gold daylily out of Varsity Orange as well. It is neat when you get a gold that glows, or appears as if the color glows. Tell Diana to save me a slice of that Strawberry pie.
Hi Paul,
ReplyDeleteAfter supper, half of that Strawberry Pie was gone. I ate a 3/4 slice, and Diana Rae had a 1/4 slice. Love Diana's Strawberry Pie.
You are correct. Just gold on the edge of a daylily, will not necessarily sell a daylily. I might also add that putting green/chartreuse on the edge of a daylily is no easy task. Additionally, people want "strong colors" in the daylilies that they purchase. The market shifts; Hybridizers must adjust.
Thanks for your message!
Bill
All I can say is Wow! What a fantastic green edge that is and I would be scattering the pollen quite often if I were you. lol You are making great progress and keep up the good work! BTW I went over to Charles yesterday and he had just got back from Florida and he had Guy Pierce's Crimson Cowboy blooming and what a bloom it was. He so graciously gave me a bloom and I now have it in my fridge waiting on some of red's and purple's to bloom.
ReplyDeleteMarlon
Hi Marlon,
ReplyDeleteI have used the pollen from 2-421, and I also have CRIMSON COWBOY which I like very much. I have had lots of options for making seeds in the Greenhouse, and this morning I noticed several blooms in the outside garden. I think that outside we are three (3) weeks early. Much is going good, but we desperately now need rain.
Hope your red and purple crosses work well!
Bill
Bill I have had at least one bloom everyday since last Sunday. We are almost a month ahead of schedule with bloom here. I'm heading down to Florida in 2 weeks and Guy is suppose to be holding a pot of Crimson Cowboy for me.
ReplyDeleteGood for you with CRIMSON COWBOY. It should help our red programs.
ReplyDeleteBill
Bill, I always love your seedlings...
ReplyDeleteGot a question on Diana's porterhouse tomatoes....just a good varieties for the South?....not familar with that name.
Strawberries looked wonderful...;)
Hi Lori,
ReplyDeleteDiana buys the seeds for her Porterhouse Tomatoes from the Burpee Catalogue. So, of course, we grow these tomatoes from seed. She usually starts them in her kitchen in February, then they go to the Greenhouse for a while, and then they are planted outside on Good Friday.
I regret to say that, so far as I know, the Porterhouse Tomatoes can only be purchased by buying the seeds from Burpee.
Thanks for watching for the seedlings. I will post more soon. I'm really getting excited about the outside garden and the new blooms that we're now seeing.
Bill