Barry Mathie's, THE FREAK, is "Converted."

Hello Daylily Friends,

Several years ago my beautiful wife and I were privileged to go to Canada, and speak to those gathered there about our daylilies.  Diana and I sat with Barry Mathie, and Barry told us about his daylily that he had grown and would soon register as "THE FREAK."  Barry's daylily was a diploid, and Barry asked me if I would try to convert his plant.  I agreed that I would try.  Sometimes things do not go as well as I would like with conversion work, but I've just found, through microscopic analysis of the pollen, that I have converted THE FREAK.  So, henceforth, it shall be called TET. THE FREAK.  The picture that I'm showing of the pollen was taken using my camera and my microscope.  As you can see from looking at the picture, the pollen measures about a "15" whereas diploid pollen usually measures from about a 6 to an 11 on the same scale.  There is just no doubt about the conversion.  After I knew that I had the conversion I told Little Lily Rae, and she was amazed!  I've been making seeds using pollen from TET. THE FREAK.

I wanted to also show a bloom that I've had using my 11-234 (See Blog dated May 13, 2011) as the pod parent, and TET. TEXAS KALEIDOSCOPE, as the pollen parent.  I recall having had eight flowers from this cross to bloom, but this is the only plant that I've had with height and branching and bud count.  I now call it Seeding 2-441.  While I would have preferred a plant that looked more like the diploid, TEXAS KALEIDOSCOPE, I am  very pleased with what I have, and I can see that it is a wonderful daylily.  It will hopefully be a good parent.

I've also had a double to bloom from using my parents that have teeth.   I really would like to use pollen from TET. SUNGLASSES NEEDED on my new Seedling 2-440, but I can't seem to get enough pollen to cause this to happen.  There is just a tiny bit of pollen that is extremely difficult to collect and then use.  Maybe, just maybe, I will get an opportunity before all of the buds actually blossom on 2-440.  All that I need is just one chance.

Guess who has just reappeared in the garden?  Yes!  Randy the turtle. He was walking along the edge of the grass, near the daylily beds that are close to the "bridge."  Then, he went marching across the bridge.  Randy is a bold turtle.  He is not afraid of anyone, and he considers all of the property here to be his "hunting ground."  I have noticed that he has been eating strawberries, but he hasn't had any tomatoes because it is too early for them.  Blooms but no fruit that we can see.  Randy does not "duck his head" into his shell when we appear.  He just keeps doing what it is he is doing, and pays us little attention.  Oh, I should add that it rained last night.  Wonderful rain that we badly needed.  And rain or no rain, slugs have been a real problem.  I wish Randy would "eat more slugs."

Bill