September is a Busy Month.

Hello Daylily Friends,

I've really been busy in the Garden, but last Saturday morning, I had to take a short break.  I went to see Georgia Tech play Elon down at Grant Field in Atlanta.  I've often wondered why Georgia Tech's football field has the same name as the Union General and U. S President, General Ulysses S. Grant.  Oh well.  I'm not sufficiently interested to research the point, but here in 2013, Tech celebrates 100 years of playing football on the same field.

As I may have reported, I have been "rebuilding" the daylily beds in the main garden.  After I finished the work, and started replanting daylilies, I was "disturbed" because of the shade from the adjacent pine and oak trees.  I fretted over the problem for a while, and then consulted Ms. Diana Rae.  Diana agreed that the trees were a problem that we just couldn't continue to overcome.  So, we then retained our friend, Mr. Stan Wills, who operates "West Cobb Tree Service."  The cost that Stan quoted to remove the trees was reasonable, so we had Stan remove 9 massive trees.  Most people would not have removed these trees, but as I said to myself, "We're not trying to grow big Pine Trees, instead, we're trying to grow the world's best daylilies."  It took Stan and his Crew three days to finish the work, but when they left, everything looked great.  I'm so glad that the trees are gone, and now the daylilies should really grow, having so much more sunshine to help them become much larger in size. 

Meanwhile, out at the Greenhouse, more work was in progress.  My friend came and helped me on "Labor Day," and between the two of us, we got the Greenhouse as clean as it could be.  In fact, it was so clean, that it was just "spic and span"! Also, I removed the "shade cloth" that had been on the Greenhouse most of the summer, and the result was so much more sunshine on the seedlings.  Daylilies just have to have plenty of sunshine to be at their best, and with the shade cloth being removed, and the thorough cleaning that was done, there is bright sunshine everywhere.  As part of the clean up of the Greenhouse, I had to use Stan's "Bobcat" to put many more "wood chips" both inside the Greenhouse, as well as around the Greenhouse.  Unfortunately, the Bobcat slid down the hill. and to get it removed, I tore up the drainage pipe.  Well, this required more work as if there wasn't enough to do already.  When the work was finished you couldn't even see but just the very end of the drainage pipe from under the dirt.

As I mentioned, I rebuilt the daylily beds in the main garden, but there are at least eight more beds that will have to also be rebuilt in the back garden, near the Greenhouse.  After I rebuilt the beds in the back garden, it rained, and I've also kept the beds moist with intermittent watering.  The new beds are full of rotted wood chips, plenty of fertilizer, and lots of lime.  It was a lot of labor to do the work, but I had the help of Little Lily Rae, who volunteered with a cheerful heart to drive the John Deere Tractor.  Lily Rae knows colors, shapes, and numbers so well.  I suppose that all Grandparents brag about their grandchildren, but seriously, Little Lily Rae is so, so smart!

This past week-end was exciting.  Jamie and his wife Dianna came to stay the night with us, and it was such a delight.  Jamie is a great daylily gardener, and his achievements are many.  He is best known for growing unusual forms, and more recently, for putting gorgeous teeth on his petals and sepals.  Jamie has created very large daylilies that just can't be overlooked.  Diana and I have thoroughly enjoyed Jamie's HEAVENLY ANGEL ICE.  It just blooms with so many branches, and there are many days when it has multiple blooms.  It is a daylily that just can't be overlooked.  It is a candidate for the Stout Medal, and it has our vote because it is, indeed, a superior daylily.  At supper, we invited David and Camilla Arthur to come over, and we just talked daylilies up until about midnight.  Then, we all had to go to bed to rest for the meeting of the Greater Atlanta Daylily Society.  It was a wonderful meeting, and I took a picture of Jamie showing a slide of his daylily named "BEAST MAN."  At the meeting we also had a wonderful luncheon.  Daylily lunches, after hearing a great daylily presentation, are always good.

Then on Sunday, our Club, The Cobb County Daylily Society, held its meeting.  Our President, Mark Franklin, handled our meeting very well, and Mark introduced our Region 5 Director, Ms. Barbara Kirby.  Barbara talked about the structure of the AHS, the responsibilities of Region 5 (Georgia), she talked about National and Regional Conventions, as well as a myriad of other topics.  It was good to visit with our Region 5 Director, and we thank Barbara for coming to speak.  I have to also add that we had a wonderful afternoon snack including pound cake, cookies, brownies, soft drinks, and many other items as well.   I ate as much as I could.  It was all good.

I'm thinking of registering Seedling 1-317, and I'm showing a picture.  The cross is as follows; (God Save the Queen x Red Eyed Radiance).  The plant is 32" tall, with 3 and 4 way branching, 16 buds, and a 7" flower.  It is a semi-evergreen, and blooms early to midseason.  It is both pod and pollen fertile.  I do not yet have a name for this seedling, and any suggestions will be helpful.  If I choose a name that someone else submits, then the person providing the name will receive a free plant.

Daylilies are the best.

Bill