Visiting with the "18th Annual Can-Am Classic."

Hello Daylily Friends,

Diana and I were privileged this past week-end to have attended the Can-Am Classic in Toronto, Canada.  Our friend, Dave Mussar, made the arrangements for our attendance, and we thank Dave for his tremendous and outstanding work done both for us and for the Classic.  Dave met us at the Airport and took us to the Delta Hotel where we stayed for the weekend.  We listened to many wonderful speakers, and had a wonderful lunch, and then during the evening we had another wonderful dinner.  Two great meals!  Later in the evening, after the second great meal, we met everyone in the "Hospitality Suite," and continued to talk about daylily happenings.  Oh, I should have mentioned the Daylily Auction that took place on Saturday afternoon.  I wanted a bird house that was built by Nick White, and notwithstanding the intervention of the famous David Kirchhoff, I won the bid.  I had no idea how I would transport it back to Georgia, but I had to have that bird house.  Then, fortunately, our friends, Anthony and Carol Haj, from Orchard Park, New York, offered to bring the bird house across the border using their car, and then bring it to us at the coming AHS National Convention in Ashville, North Carolina.  We are grateful for their offer.  Thanks Anthony and Carol.  Thanks also to Nick and Barbara White for the tremendous bird house.  I'm going to put it in our garden during the 2015 AHS Convention in Atlanta.

I want to tell everyone about the success I've recently had in producing a black daylily with white teeth.  I've had somewhat similar daylilies, but I've not kept them.  They are usually lacking in substance, and around 9:30 a.m., they usually just melt.  Well this particular daylily did not melt.  Instead it had good substance and lasted quite nicely until just after lunch.  I have decided that this daylily is a keeper.  In fact, I have put it into a 3-gallon pot, and I'm crossing it with another black daylily.  Much of the credit for this beauty goes to my good friend, Karol Emmerick, from Minnesota for her introduction, GNASHING OF TEETH.  Thanks Karol!

You may also recall my seedling from last year that I intend to name, CHEROKEE GOLD. [See Post on Sept. 18, 2013].  I made a number of seedlings by taking pollen from CHEROKEE GOLD and pollenating William Marchant's, VIVA GLAM GIRL.  The new seedlings have been blooming quite nicely, and I'm now officially into hybridizing doubles.  I thought that I would show two of these new seedlings to give an idea of what is blooming.  When I eventually get more pollen from TET, SUNGLASSES NEEDED, I will use the pollen to make the seedlings even bigger.

One new seedling that bloomed today is Dianna Gossard's CHEDDAR EXPLOSION,  Wow, what an introduction!  It is very tall with 5 way branching, and it is a dormant.  Just a beauty, and just what I need for crossing with CHEROKEE GOLD.  In fact, I was so impressed with CHEDDAR EXPLOSION that I called Dianna and Jamie to let them know how pleased I am with their new double daylily.

Well, I hear Little Lily Rae who has just awaken from her afternoon nap.  She is with us this week-end, and it is a joy talking to her.  She speaks with the vocabulary of a much older little girl.  She knows the names of many trees, including the Hemlock, the Pine, the dogwood, and the Japanese Maple.  She also knows the names of many of Diana's flowers including the Peony.  I'm showing a picture that we took with Lily Rae at Easter.

Bill