The Region 5 Fall Fling in Atlanta, and Visiting Louisville, Kentucky.

Hello Daylily Friends,

I have just returned home from our Region 5 Fall Fling in Atlanta, Georgia.  It was a wonderful adventure.  Our AHS National Officers and Staff met Thursday and Friday at the hotel, and I was invited by our Region 5 President, Ms. Barbara Kirby, to attend the evening gathering and auction.  I assume that I received Barbara's invitation because I previously served with the Officers and Staff as our AHS Attorney for 5 years under three AHS Presidents.  It was very good to see so many Staff members that we know, to see Officers that we know, and it was particularly good to meet our incoming AHS President, Ms. Julie Covington from Roanoke, Virginia.  Julie gave a presentation on photography, and indeed, Julie is a "photography expert."  Julie said we should not have "hands" in our pictures, ugly foilage should not appear, that focus is very important, and that some photo repair is sometimes needed to remove these unwanted elements.  Apparently Julie is very good at using Photoshop, and her purpose in using this program is to show the true beauty of the daylily.  Julie's pictures are everywhere, and over the years I have noticed many of them in our AHS publications.  Everybody enjoyed listening to Julie.

I have to mention my friend Don Eller.  Everybody knows that Don is an outstanding hybridizer, and he is also outstanding in the work of daylily conversions.  Don was speaking about his introductions when he showed one of his seedlings named DUCK UNIVERSITY.  Don said that his wife, Nancy, also a very talented "doubles hybridizer," had cautioned him against using language that might be offensive, so he said that he usually referred to his flower as "DUCK U."  Everybody understood the homonym.  That Don Eller is a man of considerable humor!  We truly enjoyed also seeing Nancy's doubles.  WOW!  What more can be said? Would you believe that Nancy has four of the top 5 daylilies in our Region 5 Popularity Poll?  In fact, one of Nancy's doubles is the most popular daylily in Region 5.  The "Duck" family is indeed very, very talented.

I was also glad to meet my friend, Bill Maryott, from Freedom, California.  I have sold daylilies to Bill, I have swapped daylilies with Bill, and I have come to genuinely admire Bill's work.  At the plant auction I purchased two more of Bill's daylilies:  CORRALITOS ROSE and SULTRY SPANISH EYES.  I also wanted RED CHILI RENDEVOUS, but I didn't place a sufficiently high bid.  Bill's daylilies are much desired.  I understood from Bill that his high temperatures in California are about 82 to 85, and that his evening temperatures are hardly ever below freezing.  So, Bill grows his daylilies in basically perfect conditions.  Perhaps at some time I will be able to personally see Bill's operation.

Our Auctioneer was Ms. Nikki Schmith, who used to live in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, but who has now moved with her husband to live in Indiana.  Nikki gave us so much information about how to put on a "Daylily Show," and basically Nikki said that if a Club is not working toward improving, and particularly with presenting a Daylily show, then the Club is pronouncing an unfortunate sentence upon itself.  Nikki says that a Club should be active, and that Daylily Shows are a "must."  I was particularly pleased that Nikki had photographs of many daylily shows including our joint show here in Atlanta.  Oh, Nikki is a superd Auctioneer.  My good friend Nicole Harry really received tremendous attention during the plant auction: her daylilies went for "top dollar."

Of course I enjoyed every Speaker, and I particularly enjoyed hearing from our AHS President, Mary Collier Fisher from Walpole, Massachusetts.  Mary spoke about the Doorakian daylilies.  In my humble opinion I would say that perhaps the most important Doorakian daylily is ROSE F. KENNEDY.  When Mary spoke she showed two Doorakian seedlings that I "must have."  My good friend Claude Carpenter, our Region 5 President, has promised to send me a copy of Mary's presentation so that I can find the numbers of the two seedlings that I desire to own, and Mary says she will try to help me obtain them.  I want to convert these two diploid seedlings. 

During our Fall Fling I learned from our AHS President that I earned three more "Honorable Mention" awards.  My three winning daylilies are as follows:  KENNESAW MOUNTAIN LEMON SORBET, DIANA'S EVENING GOWN, and LYDIA'S REGAL ROBE.  It is such an honor to win the Honorable Mention awards for these three daylilies.  I certainly do not have the ability to circulate these daylilies, and I am always surprised to hear that someone in another state is successfully growing one of my daylilies.  I usually have no idea as to how my daylily found its way to its owner.  I can only say how humbled and pleased I am that so many votes were given to my daylilies.  Thanks to all of you who voted for my introductions.

Speaking of introductions, I want to show you one of my new, 2012 daylilies:  RED EYED RADIANCE.  It is one of my best.  It has four conversions in its parentage and includes the following:  Tet. Siloam Ralph Henry, Tet. Connie Burton, and Tet. (Last Midnight x Peppermint Delight).  RED EYED RADIANCE is 32" tall with 3-way branching, but I have seen it with 5-way branching.  It has a minimum of 22 buds with a 6" flower.  The beauty of RED EYED RADIANCE is seen in its distinctive red eye and red edge, with a deep green throat.  Since it has so many conversions in its parentage, it is a difficult pod parent, but it is pollen fertile.  The cost is only $100.00.

Tomorrow morning, on Monday, October 17, Diana and I are driving to go and visit the Daylily Society of Louisville, Kentucky.  The meeting begins at 7:00 p.m. at the Republic Bank, 9600 Brownsboro Road in Louisville.  We're looking forward to seeing our good friend, Brenda Macy, and the members of the Club.  I thoroughly enjoy meeting daylily friends wherever they meet.  Tomorrow will be another good daylily day.

Bill