Tet. Sebastian the Crab.

Hello Daylily Friends,

I've been having a splendid time in the Greenhouse.  In fact, this morning while it was dark Little Lily Rae and I walked to the Greenhouse to see the blooms together.  Lily Rae was so enthralled with the stars.  And, once we entered the Greenhouse I had to remove her hat and coat because the Greenhouse was so warm.  One reason we went to the Greenhouse was because I wanted to see Jan Joiner's SEBASTIAN THE CRAB.  I've been trying to convert it to a tet., and I wanted to see if it had bloomed.  Indeed, it had bloomed, and it was 9" in diameter.  Just a monster sized flower.  I could see that there were two possible sites for pollen, and so I had to wait until about 10:00 a.m. to check the pollen to truly see if there was a conversion.  There was so very little pollen, but I took a picture:  the pollen was tet. pollen.  Hooray!  It is good when a conversion plan such as this comes together.

I was also looking at PINK STRIPES, plant number #1, and I can see a small scape emerging.  Now this is a stroke of good fortune.  Whenever I'm trying to get a plant converted I usually have to wait at least a year to see the pollen, but to get a scape within 4 or 5 months after treatment, is, indeed, a blessing.  I'm showing a picture of where the scape is on the plant.  I should see a bloom within 3 to four weeks.  In order to track what I've been doing in trying to convert PINK STRIPES, you might want to look back at my posts on the following dates:  Jan. 11, 2012, Nov. 23, 2012, Nov. 30, 2012, Jan. 3, 2013, and Jan. 30, 2013.

I have to also comment on a white daylily that bloomed this morning.  I can't say that it is at its best because the scape "cracked," and so the bloom might not be as big as I'm sure that it can be.  However, I have it growing both in the Greenhouse, and outside in the garden.  The number of this daylily is Seedling 2-423, and here is the cross:  [(Lacy All Over x Tet. ESP) x Lacy All Over].  I put Tet. ESP in between LACY ALL OVER to see if I could improve Stamile's white, and I think that I have.  Judge for yourself.  I can't wait to see the outside bloom in June.

Also I had a blue eyed daylily bloom this morning.  It is now Seedling 3-305, and the cross is as follows:  (Bluegrass Memories x Vivid Butterfly).  I'm reluctant to post a picture of a blue eyed seedling after seeing the seedlings produced by my friend Lee Pickles.  Lee's seedlings were so beautiful.  Still, I keep trying.  I really like Ted Preuss' BLUEGRASS MEMORIES, and I also really like Stamile's VIVID BUTTERFLY.  Both of these daylilies are champions.  So, I'm pleased with what I've produced, but Lee still has me in a "hammer-lock" on producing blue eyed beauties.

I have to mention my cat, Sammy.  There was a squirrel in our "Western Red Cedar" tree that was given to us several years ago by our friend, Dr. Tom Caras.  The Cedar is right next to a large, tall covering that is a part of our deck.  The squirrel was teasing Sammy, but Sammy is a cat that doesn't take any "guff" from anybody.  So Sammy sprang up the tall covering headed to corral the squirrel in the Cedar tree, but of course the squirrel got away.  Then Sammy was stuck up high above the deck with a difficult task ahead in trying to get back down to the ground.  Sammy tried many times to get down, and I even went outside to help, but Sammy is reluctant to accept assistance.  Anyway, after a while Sammy was able to come down.  That squirrel should rethink his conduct in teasing Sammy.  I mean I've seen Sammy kill and eat squirrels.

Bill