A Cold Winter Day in North Georgia.

Good Morning Daylily Friends,

Last night before I went to bed the temperature outside was a frigid 15 degrees.  Then, when I got up this morning I turned on the TV News, and saw that the temperature had dropped to 6 degrees.  Oh it was so, so cold.  Even with the cold weather my beautiful wife still insisted that I walk down our frigid driveway, and get the
morning newspapers. 
So I did it.  My coffee almost froze before I got to the papers.  I later talked on the phone with my good friend Karol Emmerick, and she told me it was so cold in Minnesota that they were experiencing -20 degrees.  Oh, this wicked weather.  I decided to walk out to my Greenhouse where the temperature is much more balmy.  Oh the Greenhouse is such a sanctuary from the harsh winter.  In the Greenhouse everything looks like we are at about late April or early May.  The foliage is so green, the plants are so lush, and the seedlings look like they are at a size where they could be shipped as introductions. 

One of the first things I do when I go to the Greenhouse is to check on the growth of my Conversions.  These are often such an incredible tool when it comes to creating a new introduction.  Whenever I see a diploid that I really like, I usually try to get it converted.  One such diploid is Seedling 11-297, which was
hybridized by my wife, Diana Rae, and I posted a picture of it back on July 21, 2011.  I'm again posting a picture.  I really like how the green is captured in the
eye of this daylily, I like the coral and peach color, and I like the unusual form shape.  If I can get this converted I know that I can use it in my program.  So, as I said, I'm showing a picture of the flower, and then I'm showing a picture of the conversion as it is growing today.  I actually have four conversion attempts for 11-297, and they all look like they are converted.

I also started trying to convert two other daylilies that are now in our basement.  I dried these for over two weeks, and then I brought them inside.  Both of these plants are dormants, and I've previously tried to convert BY THE GOLDEN RULE.  I was truly aggravated several times when I made progress during the conversion process, and then lost the plant.  I've somewhat become "big-headed," in that I now believe that I can convert almost anything, but I've
consistently failed with BY THE GOLDEN RULE.  So, for the relief of my sometimes hidden prideful nature, I'm trying again.  The second plant that I'm trying to convert, like Seedling 11-297,  was also hybridized by my beautiful wife, and it is Seedling 3-434.  This seedling had three proliferations on it this past summer, so I took these, got them rooted, and hoped to have them grow to sufficient size so they could be converted.  However, due to the dormancy, or perhaps due to the size of the fan, the plants are very small.  Well, I just didn't want another year to go by without trying to get this beauty converted.  So, I'm also working hard at this project.  I'm showing a picture of 3-434.  Diana calls this seedling CARAMEL CANDY WINGS.

I have to also report that several months back, Diana and I were in Costco, a large sales store, when we saw two "tumblers" that were for sale.  The price was low, and so we decided to make the purchase.  Diana wanted the tumblers because she likes to turn kitchen and yard scraps into mulch, which she uses in her soils and sometimes around her plants.  For months I kept putting off the assembly of the tumblers, but then Diana made me an offer that I could not refuse.  So, I started to work.  It took me 6 hours to get the job done.  This assembly was no "walk in the park."  Seemingly hundreds of screws and nuts and parts.  I am showing a picture of the finished product.


I also want to tell about our adventure with Little Lily Rae on Saturday a week ago.  We all got up on Saturday morning, had breakfast, then we went to Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park.  The Mountain is a place where a historic Civil War battle was fought, and we wanted to take Little Lily Rae to the top of the Mountain.  Lily Rae has been interested in the "Big Bad Wolf" because of several stories that we've read to her, and Diana mentioned that we might see the Wolf on the top of the Mountain.  We rode the bus up the Mountain, had a wonderful time, then suddenly, there was a lady with what appeared to be a wolf.  He was a very friendly dog, but he sure looked like the wolf.  He and Lily Rae had a good meeting, and the trip to the Mountain was a wonderful success.

Looking forward to more moderate temperatures.

Bill