Circular Rings

Hello Daylily Friends,

Friday afternoon Diana and I drove to Albany, Georgia, and met friends from the Albany Hemerocallis Society.  We had a wonderful supper with Marian, Jack, Dianne, and Ron and Pat, and we all talked for many hours.  The next morning we prepared to go to the meeting where we met so many more friends.  I took my four 2015 introductions, plus 2 fans of BLAZING CANNONS for auction, and the auction went very well.  Did I mention the lunch?  It was fabulous!  I took a picture of the Club, and we thank Ron and Pat for their hospitality and thank Jim and Mary Netherton for inviting us to come and speak.

 

On the trip to Albany we drove Diana's new Lincoln Hybrid MKZ.  The MKZ runs on both battery and gas.  Most of the power comes from the battery, and it holds only about 12 gallons of gas.  On the trip to and from Albany we used just under 11 gallons, and our MPG was 40.5.  "Forty point five" miles per gallon is outstanding! The trip was a total of about 7 hours.  Another factor with the car is that when I'm using the Cruise Control it resists a lane change unless I engage the right or left blinker.  It also alerts me if I move toward either the right or left travel lane lines.  It even gives me a yellow light on our outside mirrors if someone is coming from the rear and is in our "blind spot."  Even more important than these points is that if someone pulls in front of us the speed of the car adjusts automatically and keeps an established  distance from the car ahead.  Just incredible safety features.  The car rides well and the seats are very comfortable.  Diana and I agree that this Lincoln Hybrid MKZ is the best car that we've ever owned.

We even like the Navigation System.  It is easy to use, and unlike OnStar, there is no monthly cost for using the system.  Plus, the map is large and easy to see.  I particularly like seeing the bends and turns in the roads that we're approaching.  Navigation Systems are so vital to travel, and we really don't need maps anymore when we travel.

Even though we were with our Albany friends on Friday and Saturday, on Sunday afternoon I went with my friend Camilla to hear Greg Goff speak to the Northwest Georgia Daylily Society.  Greg is the new owner of Ted Petit's La Petite Jardin.  Greg brought many plants to the auction, and I bought LET'S DANCE TONIGHT for just $60.00.  Quite a bargain.  Enjoyed listening to Greg, and I believe that the Club likewise truly enjoyed his presentation.

Have I shown an outside picture of my first real spider?  I may have shown a picture from the Greenhouse, but the picture from outside is clearly the best.  It shows the height of 44 inches, and its easy to see the 4 branches.  Plus, the colors are so snappy, and the 10 inch flower is also quite pleasing.  Much of the credit for this beauty goes to Sandy Holmes who let me grow her WALT LOWRY.  The parentage in WALT LOWRY includes TET. SKINWALKER.  Whenever a first generation plant is used, and one of the parents is a conversion, the new plants from the cross often favor the converted plant.  Also, WILD AND FREE from Stamile was a real contributor because it is an easy pod parent for spiders and unusual forms.  Thanks Sandy for letting me grow WALT LOWRY.

I also had several other surprises this past summer.  I crossed Larry Grace's UNLOCK YOUR DREAMS with Stamile's RINGS OF WONDER.  I had a number of nice flowers that I've seen two summers in a row.  Although the flowers were nice, I was disappointed that there weren't more branches.  I decided to keep several plants that I had numbered, and I planted them in a new row.  When these were replanted they really started to grow, and then they just grew and grew and grew.  I didn't get any rebloom scapes, but I think that over the last two summers these plants were just planted in the wrong place.  Because of the growth that I saw on the plants, I hope that I will see more braches this coming summer.  What I like about the flowers is the circular rings, and I also like the strong yellow color on several of the flowers.

I also like the purple eye with the rings on 4-587.  I tried to work with circular rings a number of years ago, and I tried to use a converted Carpenter seedling.  Unfortunately, the pollen was sterile, and I couldn't set a pod on the plant.  So, I lost interest in circular rings, but with these new seedlings, I'm back to working with these rings.  Fortunately I have the dormant, FOUR BEASTS IN ONE, to use with my new seedlings.

Little Lily Rae is coming to be with us this coming Thursday, and I can hardly wait.  All the time we have together is just such a blessing.  When she was here two weeks ago the both of us just talked and talked and talked.  We both like to talk.  Yesterday I went to the store to purchase grapes and fruit cups for the little beauty.  And tomorrow I'm going shopping again for several additional items that I know she likes.  She is the best!

Oh, I almost forgot.  I've updated my website.  You might take a look at the following address:  kennesawmountaindaylilygardens,com.

Bill