My 2011 Introductions

Hello Daylily Friends,

Well I have decided upon the daylilies that I will introduce in 2011. The first daylily is one that grew from me in Tim Bell's seedling bed in Sycamore, Georgia, during the 2011 AHS National Convention. I have named this daylily, RED TOP MOUNTAIN. I would note that there is a Red Top Mountain near our home, and this is the reason that I chose this name. In fact, the daylily, RED TOP MOUNTAIN, has a bright red eye and edge, and is an "evergreen" beauty. It is 24" tall, with 3-way branching, 15 to 18 buds, with a 6 1/2" flower. In my Greenhouse I have seen it with 8-way branching, and over 50 buds. RED TOP MOUNTAIN is one of the very best that I seen using Tet. Peppermint Delight as a parent. In fact, here is the cross that made RED TOP MOUNTAIN: [(Ageless Beauty x Minstrel's Fire) x Tet. Peppermint Delight]. Although it did not bloom during the National Convention, Tim told me that he couldn't help but notice it several times when it bloomed shortly after the Convention. The cost of RED TOP MOUNTAIN will be $150.00. RED TOP MOUNTAIN will grow in cold climates, but it will perform at its best in the warm, sunny, southern states.

The second daylily that I will introduce will be MARIETTA HEARTBEAT. It is just an absolutely, stunning and gorgeous purple, with a distinctly blue eye. Here is the cross that made MARIETTA HEARTBEAT: [(Spiney Sea Urchin x (Heartbeat of Heaven x Johnny Cash)) x Cerise Masterpiece]. I am particularly delighted with the ivory colored edge on both the petals and the sepals. I like its perfectly round form with its petals overlapping each other. It is 30" tall, 4-way branching, 25 buds, and a 6" flower. The parents are from Stamile's introductions, with one exception: Karol Emmerick's Heartbeat of Heaven. The addition of Heartbeat of Heaven just changed the character of the daylily: more purple, better form, gorgeous eye, and a lovely, lacy edge. I named this new daylily after my hometown of Marietta, Georgia, and incorporated the name "Heartbeat" from Karol's Heartbeat of Heaven. I hope that you like MARIETTA HEARTBEAT. The cost of this semi-evergreen introduction will be $200.00.

My next introduction is SHIRLEY ANNE MCCORD. My friend Shirley was a committed member of the Cobb County Daylily Society, and even though her cancer sometimes caused her to feel less than her best, she nevertheless attended all of our meetings, and fully participated in all of our activities. We all miss Shirley! Shirley's husband, Gene, continues to be one of the leaders in our Club. In fact, Gene was the Chairman of our most recent "Nominations Committee," and he and the other two members of the Committee, selected our truly outstanding new leaders for the years 2012 and 2013. The daylily parents of SHIRLEY ANNE MCCORD are the same as those for MARIETTA HEARTBEAT. SHIRLEY ANN MCCORD is semi-evergreen. It is 30" tall with 3-way branching, 20 buds, and a 5 1/2" flower. I must say that SHIRLEY ANN MCCORD has been one of my most outstanding parents. In fact, it is one of the parents of Seedling 1-337, which was posted and shown on this blog on May 10, 2010.

My fourth and final introduction is BROOKE'S BRIGHT STAR. Sadly, Brooke lost her life as a result of an automobile accident on a wet road, and her friends wanted to honor Brooke, and they asked if I would use her name with one of my 2011 introductions. Of course, I said "yes." There are three significant and important factors that make BROOKE'S BRIGHT STAR to be much more than simply another yellow daylily. The first important fact is that it is 7 inches in diameter. The second important point is that it is "dormant." The third fact is the distinct carving on the face of the petals. I would note that BROOKE'S BRIGHT STAR does not grow well in the Greenhouse; it likes the cold winter nights that prepare it for outstanding summer blooms. The parentage is as follows: (Diana's Evening Gown x Judy Farquhar). It is 28" tall, with 3-way branching, and 20 buds. I must say that it is difficult to produce such a big, bold daylily that is dormant. Nevertheless this has been accomplished. How do you like the use of the small measuring device that I used to actually show the circumference of BROOKE'S BRIGHT STAR? The cost of BROOKE'S BRIGHT STAR will be $100.00.

The total cost of the four introductions is $600.00. However, for those who purchase the collection, the cost of the four daylilies will be reduced to $500.00. A significant savings. I truly hope that you like my new daylilies!

Bill