Traveling to Ohio

Hello Daylily Friends,

Diana and I have been traveling, and we have visited gardens that, up until now, we have only read about. For a long time we have heard about the garden of John and Annette Rice in Paris, Kentucky. Since we were driving up I-75 enroute to Ohio, and since the Rice garden is not that far off of I-75, we took the time to stop for a visit. Right away we met both Annette and John, and John was kind enough to show us his garden. What a delight! Did you know that John Rice introduced BASS GIBSON? I'm sure that I knew this, but to see it growing in John's garden was a special blessing. BASS GIBSON is one of the best daylilies with teeth that we have seen. We stayed with John and Annette quite a while, but then it was time to get back onto I-75, and proceed to the garden of Dan and Jackie Bachman in Lebanon, Ohio.

We drove across a big river as we entered Ohio, and I thought that it was the Mississippi River. I handed Diana my camera and instructed that she take a picture of the river. She nevertheless took a picture of Cincinnati. As you can see from the picture, the City was resting as it celebrated the July 4th Holiday. The picture was taken looking out the windshield of our car while I was driving at about 70 miles per hour. It seems to me that my little camera did its best to capture the wrestful City. I later learned that the river is the Ohio River, and is not the Mississippi River. We finally reached our hotel, we rested for an hour, and we then proceeded to the Bachman garden. When we arrived there were cars that I could not even count. The Clubs in the area were having a joint picnic on the eve of July 4th. Dan and Jackie were busy with their hundreds of guests. We sat down as if we were long time club members, and ate polish hot dogs, cole slaw, beans, desserts, and everything else that was offered. There were evening fireworks, and we didn't arrive back to our hotel until around 11:00 p.m. After the long drive, visiting gardens, and meeting everyone, it didn't take us long to be sound asleep.

On Sunday morning, the day of July the 4th, we ate breakfast at the Hampton Inn, and then proceeded directly to the garden of Mike and Sandy Holmes. When we arrived we were pleased to also see Larry and Cindy Grace, and Herbie and Gale Phelps. Diana and I walked with Sandy as she showed us her gorgeous seedlings. To my surprise Sandy has been very successful in using Tet. Skinwalker in her hybridizing program. She had many seedlings from having used Tet. Skinwalker, but the one that Diana and I liked the most was the seedling Sandy entered for the "Junior Citation" award. It was tall, it had a lovely color, twisting petals and sepals, adorable green throat, and an allure that just drifted with the breeze. I liked this seedling such that that I am hopeful that we may be able to grow it, and put its pollen to use in Diana's hybridizing program. It is difficult to create a spider that is tall, that is a tetraploid, and that swings in the breeze like a diploid. Congratulations Sandy for a work well done!

We eventually left the Holmes garden, and proceeded to Columbus, Ohio, to see for ourselves the birth place of so many Gossard introductions like HEAVENLY ANGEL ICE. When we arrived there were many guests who had Jamie's complete attention. Diana and I began to walk the garden, and there was so much to see. Jamie has many chickens, and they are in the middle of his garden. He does not have to go to the grocery store to purchase eggs for breakfast; he only needs to visit his chicken coop. I should also add that Jamie has large cows and several pigs. The gardens in Ohio always seem to have an added extra that make the garden even more special. We were soon able to walk with Jamie, and see so many of his flowers. I was particularly pleased to learn about a chemical called "Conserve" that Jamie uses to kill thrips. I plan to buy it from my John Deere dealer this coming week. In my picture of myself and Diana with Jamie, I would invite you to notice the size of Jamie's arms. You can see for yourself that he is truly a "champion gardener."

During the evening of July the 4th we were asked to spend the evening with Mike and Sandy, and our good friend Cindy Grace, with the help of our friend Kimberly McKutcheon, prepared an outstanding "steak supper." Of course I enjoyed the steak, but I particularly enjoyed the baked potatoes that were prepared in a "special way." I ate two because they were so good. It was indeed a grand supper, and I wish that I could tell you about our long conversations over the dinner table.

On the morning of July the 5th I thought that I was up very early. I went to the bathroom and took a shower and shaved. Soon, Diana was also up and ready to go, and about 7:45 a.m. we checked for Mike and Sandy, and for Cindy and Larry. Mike, Sandy and Larry, to our surprise, were gone. Cindy, however, following her labor in preparing supper for 8 friends, was still "sleeping." Even though we thought that we were up early, we were not. So, we proceeded to the Holmes garden where we found everyone walking through the flower beds. We stayed about 30 minutes, and then we proceeded to the garden of Joel Polston. I must say in admiration that Joel has set a high standard with his WILD HAIR. What an incredible flower! I was delighted to see so many of Joel's new seedlings, and I was particularly intrigued with his "Junior Citation" candidate. It is Seedling number 06 - JTP - 153T. Now, with a number like that you know that the flower has to be beautiful, and indeed it is: Here is a picture. The seedling stands tall, and it had many flowers blooming. It was basically orange in color, and with teeth everywhere. Joel also has Clydesdale horses and three Clydesdale ponies, he has corn, he has a pavillion that he built himself, he has peacocks, he has chickens, horse manure, and just everything that an Ohio gardener would want. It was a thrill to have so much of Joel's time! Thanks Joel.

Diana and I have heard our friend Bob Faulkner speak about his daylilies that have such interesting facial patterns. I spoke to Bob at the Mid-Winter Convention about perhaps being able to treat one of his diploids so as to convert it to a tetraploid. So we went looking through Bob's diploids daylilies with this thought in mind. As we walked through the daylilies we passed a small house, and I asked Bob about it. Bob said that was where his "Pigeons" lived; we then went to see Bob's pigeons. Now, Jamie has Cows, Joel has Peacocks, but no one has pigeons like Bob does. There were pigeons of every color. The pigeons that I liked the most were those with the white heads and white bodies with different colored wings. I took a picture of Bob with one of his pigeons. We again continued to look at the daylilies, and I spotted one that I liked. Bob said that I could grow it, and try to get it converted. I'm showing a picture. I like the circles and the rounded sepals, plus the fact that the daylily is tall. Thanks for the daylily Bob! Our time with Bob was tremendous fun, especially seeing the pigeons, but we had to drive many hours back home.

Diana and I made it home Monday evening around 8:15 p.m., just in time to feed supper to our cat Sammy. We missed Sammy, and Sammy said that he missed us as well.

On Tuesday morning Diana was walking through the flowers. I had quit walking the beds where she walked because I have walked those rows so many times and have seen very little. This morning there was a big change. About 10:30 a.m., Diana asked me if I had seen the green edged daylily that had teeth. I said no, and she took me over to look at it. I had to go and get my camera and take a picture. Diana had taken some of the pollen, and the morning sun was hot, but I had to take a picture to show you what I saw. It really was a daylily with green teeth. Look at my picture and I think that you will agree. I have really got to use this new daylily. Someday I hope to grow a daylily with circles in the face like the one from Bob, with green teeth all around the edge.

Well that is all for this morning. More news as it happens.

Bill