Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Wonderful Visitors to the Garden!

Hello Daylily Friends,

I regret that I haven't been posting lately, but Diana and I have been so busy.  Over the past two weeks we have had well over 180 visitors to the garden.  Also, I have been teaching Sunday School the past two weeks.  While we enjoy having visitors, and being involved in many projects, it nevertheless sometimes prevents work on other projects that I also enjoy, like writing on the blog.  Two of our most welcomed visitors this week were Gordon Riggle and David Kirchhoff.  Just before Gordon and David left I took our picture together, but David didn't smile.  So I "tickled" him, and that is why we are all laughing in the picture.  It was just delightful to speak to David about hybridizing.  He is so knowledgeable.

I've also had a wonderful time working with TET. SUNGLASSES NEEDED.  So, here is the story.  I had a new, green edged seedling to bloom in the Greenhouse.  I immediately liked the seedling: first because of its green edge, and second, because its "sepals" were so wide.  So I selected it, and now it is Seedling 2-455.  In fact, I liked it
so much that I took it out of its one gallon bucket, and put it into a 3-gallon bucket.  It bloomed several more times, and then it bloomed as a double.  I was so, so surprised, and so, so pleased.  Then I wondered if it would bloom as a double with any frequency.  The next day there was another double.  Today, there was no double, but there  was plenty of petlaoid material in the center of the bloom.  Although I have converted TET. SUNGLASSES NEEDED, it is difficult to use because I only seldom get any pollen.  The day before David came I took my last bloom of TET. SUNGLASSES NEEDED, and put it in the refrigerator.  I showed it do David when he was here.  I was so pleased with myself for having a "double" that could attract David's attention.  Anyway, I have taken pollen from TET. SUNGLASSES NEEDED, and put it on four blooms of Seedling 2-455.  I just hope and pray that pods form because I do not have any more pollen.

Another fun event that has happened is that our Cobb County Daylily Society, and the Greater Atlanta Daylily Society, had a breakfast meeting together here at our house.  At our last official Club meeting I mentioned that I particularly liked "sausage and egg casseroles."  Well the ladies brought eight (8) sausage and egg casseroles.  Oh what a wonderful breakfast it was with the casseroles.  I should also add that we had our joint breakfast in preparation for our Joint Daylily Show which will be on June 9 at the Galleria Mall.  Our "Instructor" at our Daylily Breakfast was Jim Mullins.  Jim is a tough competitor.  He wins most everything at the Northwest Georgia Daylily Club, and here in Cobb County he is a difficult person to beat, especially with small flowers.  Since Jim is so good at his work, it was most appropriate that he teach us some of what he knows.  Also as a part of our Daylily Show we will also have a "Design Competition."  The Instructor for this Class was Ms. Carin Guzy.  This is also a very difficult competition.  At our Joint Daylily Show everyone has to be ready for "stiff competition."

Thinking back to when David was here, he mentioned that
there were "fewer white" daylilies since that Great Gardener Pat Stamile retired.  I mentioned to David that I had been working with several white conversions, and that I had been incorporating these into Pat's lines.  Two of the whites that I've convered are TET. HEAVEN ALL DAY and TET. ESP.  Then, today, I had a bloom on my new Seedling 2-458.  Here is the cross:  [(Lacy All Over x Tet. Heaven All Day) x Lacy All Over].  What I have done is to take a "dormant" Carpenter introduction, convert it, and then insert it into a sandwich cross with LACY ALL OVER.  I really like this new white.

Finally I want to let you know that I went to visit my good friend Larry Grace in Newton, Alabama.  I left home at about 3:30 a.m., and I arrived at Larry's house at about 8:00 a.m.  Larry had already been in his Garden making seeds since much earlier in the morning.  I stayed in the Garden and in the Greenhouse all day, and looked at everything.  I would like to tell you what I saw, but alas, I can't because there isn't enough room on this blog.  I stayed overnight and then the next morning we were in the Garden/Greenhouse again.  Cindy, Larry's wife, cooked breakfast.  I had multiple waffles, and Cindy also fixed me a big Omlette.  I like breakfast: it is the best meal of the day.  Finally, close to noon, I was on my way back home.  Thanks Larry and Cindy for your wonderful hospitality!

Must close for tonight.

Bill

7 comments:

  1. Bill,


    Missed reading your blog, but sometimes other things do take priority. Would love to see more pics of blooms especially from your visit with Larry Grace! Seedling 2-455 is one you should introduce! All I can say is wow! I'm going to visit David Kirchhoff in late June. I am a big fan of his red tet. hybridizing. He's a good guy. It's great to have you back writing your blog. What would we do without it? All the best to you and the rest of the Waldrop family.

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  2. Hi Paul,

    I would show other pictures from Larry's garden, but I do not have permission. Oh, and there is one that I would really like to show. But I just can't.

    I saw A.D. LEWIS bloom outside after having gone through its second winter. What a wonderful red. Tall. Wonderful branching. I only had three to bloom in the Greenhouse. I believe the others must be dormant. I'm going to plant them all outside and wait to see them next year. I like A,D. LEWIS. I like reds. I also like David's BARBARA MANDRELL.

    My outside plants are beginning to look closer to normal, but so many are far too short. I hoping for better results as "rebloom" season approaches.

    Many thanks for your note.

    Bill

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  3. Bill,


    Boy I feel bad...I posted some pictures on my blog from my visit to Larry Grace's a couple of years ago. I hope he's not mad. I did email him to let him know about it. I most recently posted the picture of the A.D. Lewis seedling you emailed me as well on my blog. Hope your not upset about that either. As to A.D. Lewis in the greenhouse, I don't have a greenhouse, but I can tell you that A.D. Lewis is a hard dormant. It loves being planted outside and is very hardy. I'm getting ready to go to South Carolina at the beginning of June to see Browns Ferry gardens and the Shooter's Marietta gardens. Should be fun. I'm beginning to burn out on cutting grass. I work two jobs and then work in the garden. Just turned 49, so it's taking a little toll. Need a vacation.

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  4. Bill, I'll have to echo Paul's thoughts on seedling 2-455. What an outstanding bloom it is. I just got back from Florida visiting all our daylily friends again and all I cna say is WOW at the seedling picture's I have. I think Ann took almost 1000 and half was at Floyd Cove. Paul, I hope you are going to be at Browns Ferry next Saturday or Sunday? That is the big open house weekend and I'll be there all day helping out in the garden. Hope to see you there.

    Marlon

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  5. B,

    Just wanted to let you know you can post pictures of any of my guest plants that I have down there on your blog anytime! Or any of my daylilies as well. Just thought I would clarify that.

    Marlon, unfortunately I will be at Browns Ferry on Friday, June 8th. I think I will miss you, but it will be fun to see Browns Ferry. Never been there.

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  7. Bill, I think your great seedlings give me more inspiration than any others. There is your double seedling, which you post here. Just wanted to show you and say thanks for great works, sharing it and inspiration for my dye on silk works.
    http://flowersonsilkflutters.blogspot.com/2014/01/bomb-double-daylily-on-silk.html

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