Saturday, July 7, 2012

Lily Rae and her Telephone.

Good Morning Daylily Friends,

I have watched a seedling that I selected and planted several years ago, and I did this simply because I thought that it was lovely.  I couldn't tell what the cross was, but I could tell from the bottom part of the identification tag that the pod parent was MISSISSIPPI MEMORIES.  I knew that I only used MISSISSIPPI MEMORIES one time several years ago, so I went to my log book for 2008, and found that, indeed, I had selected three seedlings.  The cross was as follows:  (Angels Gather Around x Mississippi Memories).  Henceforth I will call this daylily Seedling 8-63.  It is 32" tall with 4-way branching, 15 buds, and a 5 1/2" flower.  It may grow even better with less heat and more water.

I also must tell you about Little Lily Rae.  Diana bought Lily Rae a phone which says "Hello" when it is opened, and when it is closed is says "Goodbye."  While the phone is open the numbers can be pressed, and then there are sounds like tones on real phones.  Also there is a song on the phone which is "Knick Knack Paddywak Give Your Dog a Bone." Quite a neat little telephone.  Little Lily Rae was playing with her phone, and I just had to take her picture.  She is so beautiful!  Diana and I just adore and love Little Lily Rae.

I have to also tell you about another flower that I have that I also really like.  It is what some have called a "big yellow."  Yes, it is a big yellow, but then, in daylilies, there is big, and then there is really big.  I will call this a 7 inch flower.  It has such wonderful height and branching.  I can't wait until another year passes, and I can sell it so that friends in other daylily gardens can also see it grow.  Lots of credit has to be given to Whatley's RAM which was introduced in 1994.


Two years ago I was privileged to have Sandy Holmes' WALT LOWRY.  If you do not have this lovely "large daylily," then you should order it immediately from Sandy.  I tried to cross it last year with one of my unusual forms, but I made no progress.  Then I found that WALT LOWRY and Stamile's WILD AND FREE were compatible.  I set pods on WILD AND FREE, and then I planted the seeds on June 21, 2012.  Then, on June 30, 2012, the first new sprout emerged.  What a joy.  In my humble but accurate opinion, WALT LOWRY is at the top of the world of large daylilies, and WILD AND FREE is at the top of the world of unusual forms.  I planted about 120 seeds from my cross, and I'm probably going to grow them all in the Greenhouse.

I should note that spiders can be registered as large flowers.  I learned this at our last daylily show.  My friend Claude Carpenter entered what I would have thought was a spider, but indeed, the hybridizer had registered the flower as a large flower.  That is, a flower larger than 7 inches.  WALT LOWRY is between 10 and 11 inches, and the scape is over 40 inches tall.  At our show next year I may enter WALT LOWRY as a large flower.

I must also tell you about Diana's Cucumbers.  At first she had trouble growing them, and then when they did start growing, the deer nibbled on them and really slowed them down.  Soon, however, the plants recovered, and we've had plenty of Cucumbers.  Then yesterday Diana called me to come and look at her plant.  There was a snake curled around the vine, and looking like he owed the plant.  I took his picture, but I didn't bother him: he wasn't a poisonious snake.

We're going to the AHS National Convention in Ohio this coming week.  It will be good to see many friends again.

Bill 



7 comments:

  1. Hi Bill, I love both seedlings you have pictured. Seedling 8-196 would have to be considered not just another yellow in my book. I think bright yellow and orange daylilies are often overlooked anymore due to the progress hybridizers have made but those two colors probably catch my eye quicker than anything in someone's garden. They just usually stand out. My friend Gene Tanner who hybridizes at Browns Ferry has a huge 7 to 8 inch yellow called Big Flat Floozy and Ram is in the parentage. Keep up the good work and we will see you in Ohio. Ann and my mother is off Tuesday but I ahve to work a half a day so we will be leaving Tuesday afternoon. I am hoping to make it to around Knoxville to spend the night and then make it on in Wednesday Morning. See ya soon!

    Marlon

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  2. Hi Bill,
    I am really excited to see seedling 8-63 as well as some of your other near white seedlings. In my opinion that is a direction that really needs to be continually worked on. I bloomed two near whites this year that I will be watching very close. Please keep up the good work on your blog as it is something that many of us out here check every day. I wish that Nikki and I were able to come to Ohio but it is too close to her due date so take lots of pictures please!
    Josh Jaques

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  3. Oh Josh, I'm so pleased to hear the news that you and Nikki will have your new baby soon. What a joy to anticipate. So much happiness ahead.

    So pleased that you like 8-63. I'm going to grow it in the Greenhouse for sure. I have another white that I hope to see soon. It is a cross between WHITE AS SNOW and LACY ALL OVER. I have many flowers from this cross coming, but I will have to see them mostly next year. As you probably know, WHITE AS SNOW is dormant, and I'm finding that it just takes longer to bloom plants that have dormancy in the immediate background. Anyway, the deer have been prowling where my white is growing, and I'm a bit nervous. I've put out Milorganite, but deer are persistent.

    I have found a fan of TET. HANDSOME ROSS CARTER. Will watch it this winter. Will let you know what happens.

    Will miss seeing you and Nikki in Ohio.

    Bill

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  4. Hi Marlon,

    BIG FLAT FLUZIE sounds so interesting. Wonderful daylilies are created at Browns Ferry Gardens. Diana and I were so privileged to visit there last year.

    I'm going to bring your BLAZING CANNONS with us to Ohio. I'm anxious to know how it grows in your garden.

    Bill

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  5. Bill, Oh I'm looking foward to getting Blazing Cannons. I can't wait til next spring to use it with my other reds. Ann and I have been packing this afternoon for our trip. We have never been to Ohio before so we are anxious to see all the gardens up there. Thank you so much for your generosity!

    Marlon

    Marlon

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  6. Love Lily Rae's "hello" phone...So precious your photos of her...What a cutie...
    I hope the Guard Snake decides to leave his post when the pickles are ready for harvest.
    Of course I think your seedlings shown were wonderful also,but especially enjoy your other photos . Glad to see you are attending the National ...me too...it's been so HOT & DRY in Michigan....looking forward to a few days away...;)

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  7. Hi Lori,

    Wish I could take credit for the wonderful photographs of Little Lily Rae. However, it is more that she is so photogenic than my skill as a photographer. She always has that smile!

    Yesterday while she was here Diana cooked carrots, then mashed them to an orange mush. We thought that Little Lily Rae would like them but she did not. She wouldn't eat them. So we had to give her another wonderful treat for lunch. She is so much fun.

    As for the snake, I have grown much more tolerant of them since I had the incident in the Greenhouse last year. I just leave them alone, and so far this has worked very well.

    Look forward to seeing you at the National. Can't wait to begin driving early Thursday morning.

    Thanks for your note.

    Bill

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