Daylily Happiness!

Hello Daylily Friends,

I am so excited to show you Seedling 2-426, and here is the cross: (Diana's Irish Dream x Irish Halo).  I would note that both parents are currently on the market.  I released DIANA'S IRISH DREAM this year, and IRISH HALO won an "Honorable Mention" from AHS this past year.  I didn't really make that many seeds to produce 2-426, and when I first saw 2-426, it reminded me of lettuce.  That's right, lettuce.  I took the plant to the Atlanta Daylily Club when it met last April, but to see the plant bloom again at what I would think is peak production, is just so thrilling.  Here are the Greenhouse measurements:  30" Tall, 4-way branching, 21 buds, and a 6" flower.  I also have 2-426 growing outside so we will see how it measures and what it looks like in June, following a cold winter.  I am really so excited to see the advance of the green color on 2-426.

I have also been working to make a better blue-eyed daylily, and I've had some success, but with my new seedlings the best that I've seen up through today is Seedling 3-347.  The parents are as follows:  (Bluegrass Memories x The Blue Parrot).  When I first saw BLUEGRASS MEMORIES I was impressed, and am still impressed.  I thought that THE BLUE PARROT was ok, but I wasn't as impressed as I was with BLUEGRASS MEMORIES.  Actually, THE BLUE PARROT was purchased by my good friend David Arthur from Ron Bonner.  David wanted me to use THE BLUE PARROT so I put its pollen on BLUEGRASS MEMORIES.  I'm so glad that I did.  I really like 3-347.  It is 32" tall, 7-way branching, 28 buds, and a 5 3/4" flower.  I really like the shape of the flower, and of course, its color.

Another stunning daylily that I've had is Seedling 3-353, and the parents are as follows:  (11-266 x Randy Stephens).  I made the cross to create a red daylily with teeth such as I showed with Seedling 3-309 on Saturday, March 23, 2013, and again on Saturday, March 30, 2013.  Daylilies are so unpredictable.  Who would have thought that I would get this beautiful red/rose colored double?  It was certainly something that I didn't expect.  Here are the measurements on 3-353:  40" tall, 4-way branching, 14 buds, and a 6" flower.  Now, I'm hoping for consistency in the doubling trait.

My good friend, Lori Hankinson, from Grand Rapids, Michigan, sent me an e-mail this past week and requested an "update" on Little Lily Rae.  I have to tell everyone that Little Lily Rae is doing so, so well.  She now knows so many words, and one word that she is in the process of mastering is "butterfly."  When I visited the Club in Grand Rapids Lori gave me a number of gifts for Lily Rae, and several of the gifts showed butterflies.  Then this past week I pointed to a butterfly outside, and I hope that Lily Rae saw it, but I'm not sure that she did.  Anyway, her Grandmother, Diana Rae, purchased a "butterfly rug" which we now have at the entrance to the family room in our house.  This morning when Lily Rae came in she went straight to the rug, and announced: "B - fly."  Oh it was so much fun!  Also, Grandmother Diana Rae took a picture of Mother Kelley Rae, posing with daughter Lily Rae, in front of the "Pink Sparkles" tree that Jeff and Karen Pansing brought for Lily Rae.  The blooms on the tree and Lily Rae's smile both bring a smile to my face.  Thanks Diana for the great picture.  Oh, I should mention that the clothes that Lily Rae is wearing I purchased for her.  Oh she looks so nice in her spring time pink and white outfit.  Lily Rae also has new spring clothes coming that her Dad purchased and I hope to get a chance to show some of these during the summer.

I must also let AHS know that the Atlanta and Cobb County Clubs are working together for the National Convention to be held in Atlanta in 2015.  In fact, another meeting took place at the home of David and Camilla Arthur this past Thursday.  I'm showing a picture, and David is easily identified:  He is the gentleman with the shorts and bare feet.  I am so proud of all of our officers from our two Clubs who are working so hard to make Atlanta "the place to be seen in 2015."

More news soon!

Bill