Right now the first rain in about 3 weeks is falling and no doubt the daylilies are rejoicing. An unusual mid summer "not-as-hot" front is making its way through as I type. Tomorrow the humidity level is supposed to be lower and I'm hoping to get a chance to work on a project that I've had on hold since summer began.

Tranquil Masquerade (Jarvis, 2017)

Today's image is Tranquil Masquerade. This was one of the few seedlings with a very low initial bud count (5 buds) that I decided to evaluate anyway because I liked the bloom. It was a pleasant surprise when the following year it had a bud count of 20 on 4-way branching. It has 5" blooms on 28" scapes and comes from the cross (Open My Eyes X Face Paint).

I don't recommend keeping seedlings with such a low bud count for evaluation as the bud counts seldom increase to acceptable levels but this result goes to show that there can be exceptions.

Seedling 16-152 didn't bloom this past spring. Transplanting so close to bloom season caused a number of plants to not bloom. But just recently, I noticed that 16-152 was sending up a scape and it bloomed today. It's always nice to get a late season surprise especially one that looks this good after weeks in the upper 90's.

Seedling 16-152

Seedling 16-152 has 6" blooms on 24" scapes and comes from the cross (Celtic Moonglow X Barefoot Bay).

Today is the "first day without bloom". It happens every year... sometimes earlier but usually a little later than this. Up until this point, I've had at least one bloom to enjoy each day since back in April but today, nada. There are still a few more blooms to come so the season isn't completely over.

Seedling 14-026

Seedling 14-026 is another of my favorite yellow seedlings. This one's claim to fame is its incredible substance. It has 6" blooms on 30" scapes and comes from the cross (May I Have This Dance X Hog Heaven).

The summer is getting serious here in Houston. Temperatures are expected to exceed 100 F. for the next 3 days. I don't expect that to be a problem for the daylilies as I've seen a lot worse in years past. In August of 2011 for example, there were over 3 weeks of consecutive days of 100 degrees or more. The daylilies weren't happy but most survived.

Seedling 15-007

Today's 'happy face' is seedling 15-007. It has 6" blooms on 26" scapes and comes from the cross (Mississippi Memento X Thomas Tew).

I just finished updating my Access daylily database with the information and pictures from this bloom season. I have always tried to keep good hybridizing records. I certainly don't have a photographic memory and knowing which crosses worked and which didn't helps when planning crosses for the next season. No sense wasting time and space trying a cross that 'sounds good' but has been proven to not be productive.

I found it interesting just how much the FBO (first bloom date) of some of the seedlings differed from previous years. This year, because most were transplanted in the late spring, I expected just about everything to have a delayed bloom. It was obvious that FBO dates were not true to previous but I was surprised that many bloomed as much as 3 weeks earlier than past years while some as much as a month later and some bloomed around the same time as previous years. I'm not sure what that proves but I found it interesting none the less.

Springtime Romance (Jarvis, 2011)

Back in the 80's when I first started hybridizing, I heard the term "piecrust edging". That created a vision in my mind of what a daylily would look like with edges like my mother's pie crust crimping. Eventually I figured out that not every hybridizer's piecrust edging matched my vision. I guess not everyone's mother made pies that looked like my mothers (smile). It took a lot of crosses but I eventually got the piecrust edging I'd been looking for. Springtime Romance has 5" blooms on 27" scapes and comes from the cross (Dream Runner X J.T. Davis).

Normally in mid-July I review the seedlings to see how the foliage looks after they've finished blooming. Some seedlings seem unfased by the stresses of putting out lots of blooms and their foliage still looks decent. Others however, have reduced and sometimes ratty looking foliage which speaks to the overall vigor of the plant. Basically, I make notes of the plants I'm not happy with so to take into consideration later when I'm reviewing for possible registrations.

I suspect that those with poorer foliage after blooming probably have a weaker root system which becomes depleted by the rigors of blooming. Therefore, this year I'm not making foliage observations because I know the plants didn't have enough time to get established after being transplanted in late spring.

seedling 16-117

Today's image is seedling 16-117. It has 5.5" blooms on 28" scapes. It comes from the cross {Midnight Amulet X [Mask of Eternity x (Islesworth x Awesome Blossom)]}. Most blooms have this round recurve form. I have always liked these 'bagel' shaped blooms.

So what does a 'daylily nut' like me do during these hot summer days? About 3 weeks ago I visited Benvenuti Garden, an American Daylily Society Display Garden in Lake Jackson, Texas. There are a number of display gardens located around the country. These gardens are meticulously groomed and contain excellent collections of both new and older cultivars. I highly recommend visiting one during their bloom season.

Anyway (I digress...), while at the garden I took a lot of pictures. Recently I finished putting together a PowerPoint presentation to show the Houston Hemerocallis Society at one of the meetings during the upcoming year. I'm also considering posting some of the pictures here during the winter.

Seedling 11-003

While there is no such thing as a blue daylily, there are blue eyed daylilies. Seedling 11-003 is a patterned daylily that has a nice blue eye. Some may say it's actually lavender but it looks blue to me (smile). It has 5" blooms on 27" scapes and comes from the cross {(Web Of Intrigue x Optical Art) X Bit Of Blue}.

Summer in Houston revolves around heat and humidity. Early morning temperatures are reasonable (upper 70's) but the relative humidity can be close to 100%. It's pleasant to be outside but only if I'm not doing too much. The period from late morning thru late afternoon is not a good time for me to be outside because I can't take the heat. Starting around dinner time and through the evening is probably the most pleasant time to be outside. It's hot (lower 90's) but not unbearable and the higher temperatures mean that usually the relative humidity isn't all that bad.

I am fortunate that the front yard beds get shade until about 10:00 am and the back yard beds get shade from about 5:00 pm on. That means that for the most part I can work in the front beds in the morning and the back beds in the evening without having to work directly in the sun. Many thanks to my neighbors for having large oak trees growing in just the right places!

Seedling 16-004

Because it had recently been transplanted, seedling 16-004 didn't bloom as well as last year but it's still decent enough to post a picture. It has 5" blooms on 20" scapes and comes from the cross (Violet Stained Glass X Serengeti Sunrise).

Wishing everyone a wonderful Independence Day!

Carnival Morning (Jarvis, 2000)

This picture was taken in bright sunlight.

Unfortunately, the free fertilizer didn't turn out to be as promising as I'd hoped (see previous post). The heaviest concentrations of dust lasted only one day and there wasn't any rain to wash it out of the air. Some of the dust did settle out as evidenced by a slight coating on the car windshield, but most of it remained in the air moving northward to benefit others.

Seedling 14-070

This is an image of seedling 14-070. It has 5.5" blooms on 25" scapes and comes from the cross (Springtime Romance X Emerald Bay).

I'm hoping for a nice application of another kind of nature's fertilizer today. A huge cloud of fine dust from the African Sahara has made its way across the Atlantic and is currently filling the skies here in Houston making them milky white in color instead of the usual blue. This dust is picked up from the Bodélé Depression in Chad, an ancient lake bed where rock minerals composed of dead microorganisms are loaded with phosphorus. Phosphorus of course, is one of the major nutrients in fertilizers. NASA reports that this dust usually ends up fertilizing the Amazon rain forest but once in a while it moves farther north and can end up hitting the southern United States.

While some of this dust will certainly settle out on the ground, what I'm hoping for is a few sea breeze showers this afternoon to wash a more significant amount out of the air. That would really give every growing thing a nice boost (including my daylilies, of course). This dust is great for plants but not so nice for those with sinus and allergy issues.

I believe the prevailing winds will probably move the dust cloud northward from here so other parts of the country may also see some of this dust cloud.

Seedling 14-006

Today's image is seedling 14-006. It has 6" blooms on 28" scapes and comes from the cross (What Love Can Do X Emerald Bay).

Not much going on in the garden. There are a few daylilies still blooming but not many. Usually there are quite a few still blooming at this time but because everything was transplanted this spring they didn't get a chance to fully establish and that hurt rebloom. Next year should be much better.

Seedling 14-005

Seedling 14-005 has 6" blooms on 31" scapes and comes from the cross (Hedwig's Eyes X Shipwreck Cove). It inherited the form from Shipwreck Cove while inheriting the coloration from Hedwig's Eyes. I was actually hoping for the opposite... Hedwig's Eyes' form with Shipwreck Cove coloration but I'm not disappointed with the results.

In my earliest hybridizing, I worked a lot with red daylilies. Back then there were no fancy edges or heavy ruffling on reds and I became bored with the many reds that I thought were so similar. So I moved on to hybriding with other colors and especially 'eyed' daylilies. More recently, red daylilies have been produced with tremendous ruffling and heavy contrasting edges and I turned my attention back to hybridizing reds.

Seedling 16-078

Seedling 16-078 is one of the edged red seedlings that I'm currently evaluating. It has 6" blooms on 28" scapes and comes from the cross (Cimarron Rose X Rose Sensation).

We've had 4 days in a row now with rain, some of it from thunderstorms. Lightening causes rainwater to contain more nitrogen than other types of rain. The energy of the lightning shatters the nitrogen molecules in the air. Some of the free nitrogen atoms combine with oxygen to form compounds called nitrates that mix with the rain. These nitrates are a powerful natural fertilizer. Raindrops carry the nitrates to the ground in a soluble form that plants can absorb. This process is called atmospheric nitrogen fixation, where lightning creates fertilizer in the sky.

Seedling 14-071

Today's image is one of my current favorites. Seedling 14-071 has 7" blooms on 30" scapes and comes from the cross (Daydream Spirit X Priscilla's Smile). What make this daylily special is that it produces perfectly formed blooms a high percentage of the time. It has 5-6 way branching with up to 35 buds.

In preparing this post, I noticed that seedling 15-104 isn't as pink this year as in the past. It's reported that regular use of Epsom salt in the beds can result in more vivid colors in the daylily blooms. I'm going to be sure to add Epsom salt both in the fall and early spring this year to see if there is a noticable difference. I don't think I used Epsom salt last fall and spring as I was too busy transplanting.

Seedling 15-104

Even with a lighter pink color than usual, seedling 15-104 has a pretty face. It has performed well with 6" blooms on 26" scapes. It comes from the cross (Princess Dianna X Elegant Expressions).

Eagerly awaiting some much needed rain predicted to start today.

Seedling 14-062

The dark red eye and edge on seedling 14-062 stands out nicely on the cream petals. It has 6" blooms on 25" scapes and carries a bud count in the 20's on 4-way branched scapes. It comes from the cross [(Caribbean Magic x Magic Attraction) X What Fun].

One of the observations I've made this year is that regular weeding is much easier than waiting until the weeds are about to take over before tackling the beds. Waiting always results in weeding becoming a 'project' while a few minutes each day requires minimal effort. I wish I'd learned this discipline a long time ago!

May I Have This Dance (Jarvis, 2005)

Today's image is 'May I Have This Dance'. It's one of the tallest daylilies I've registered with scapes up to 40". It has 6" blooms with lots of branching and bud count.

I finished installing the soaker hoses this morning and started using them. I have the hoses running on both sides of clumps where possible and only on one side where necessary. The hoses have been placed right next to the clumps where the roots can reach the moisture and secured with landscaping pins. Each soaker hose has a quick connector so I can easily move the garden hose from soaker to soaker. It will be interesting to see the results.

Seedling 16-097

Seedling 16-097 was nice enough last year but this year's bloom was even better. For example, the gold in the outer edge didn't manifest itself until this year. It has 5.5" blooms on 25" scapes and comes from the cross (Wonder Of It All X Wild Cherry Round Up).

I spent part of the day yesterday putting together a PowerPoint presentation for a Houston Hemerocallis Society meeting this upcoming year. A couple of weeks ago I visited the garden of one of the members of a different local club. I had never been to this garden before and had a great time. I took lots of pictures so I could build the presentation. So many people today are too busy to visit other gardens and this is a way for me to share my visit with them.

Seedling 15-050

Today's image is seedling 15-050. It has a smaller bloom than most in my garden measuring only 4.5". What makes it interesting is the dark purple eye covers most of the petals leaving only the tips showing the petal color. It comes from the cross (Magical Mystery Show X Answering Angels).

I was watering the front yard this morning when I noticed my crepe myrtle bushes were looking pretty nice. I couldn't help grabbing my camera for a picture. This crepe myrtle variety is 'Peppermint Lace'. I planted them over 30 years ago but have never been happy with them. The big problem (at least with this variety) is their susceptibility to powdery mildew which makes the foliage and blooms look terrible. Last year I decided that during the spring, every time I sprayed the daylilies for rust I would spray the same fungicide on the crepe myrtles. The picture below is the result. No powdery mildew and they've never looked better!

Crepe Myrtle (Peppermint Lace)

I started a new project yesterday. I'm installing soaker hoses in some of my front yard beds. In the past I've used overhead sprinklers made from PVC pipe. That method has done a decent job but there were some disadvantages. These disadvantages included some areas in the beds getting less water due to the irregular shapes of the beds, excess water usage due to overspray caused by the irregular shapes, and overhead watering wets the foliage making it more susceptible to rust. Probably my biggest problem with PVC sprinklers is that they are really UGLY as they require 20" PVC pipes rising about every 6 feet or so all the way around each bed.

I've tried using soaker hoses in the past and they do work. Soakers can result in less water consumption because the water drips right into the soil reducing evaporation. They also put the water only where you need it. The original soaker hoses I used were purchased at a big box store and were poor quality. This resulted in plenty of water near the hose connection but only a little dripping near the end of the hose. Furthermore, they seldom lasted more than a year before they started clogging. This time I'm using a commercial quality soaker hose that should be a more permanent solution. Initial observations show drip rates about the same at the source and the far end of the hose at a distance of about 60'. The front beds will be my test and if I like the results, I may do the rest of the daylily beds in the fall.

Celtic Moonglow (Jarvis 2014)

This is Celtic Moonglow. It has 6.5" blooms on 30" scapes and typically carries a bud count in the mid 20's. It comes from the cross (Victorian Lace X J.T. Davis). This picture was taken early in the morning and the sun was low on the horizon enhancing the gold edge.

I always wanted to live in the woods. Years ago when I moved into my home it had 14 tall pine trees on my property. That may seem like lot of big trees for a city lot but they were well spaced and provided a nice pleasant atmosphere. This type of pine is very tall and has most of the branches near the top so they also provided nice filtered shade - perfect for growing daylilies in this hot climate. That was then... Now a whole lot of years later, the number of pines has dwindled. The majority have been lost to lightening strikes and pine beetles while others were brought down by a tornado and straight line winds.

Monday I had the next-to-last pine removed due to pine beetles killing part of the base of the tree. That leaves only a single pine on the property. Here's a picture of clouds emanating crepuscular rays that I took last month. You can see the last remaining pine on the left. It's sad losing all these trees but I'm pretty much surrounded by large oaks on neighboring properties so I still feel like I live in the woods.

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Seedling 12-070

Today's image is seedling 12-070. It has 6" blooms on 24" scapes and comes from the cross (Winter Wayfarer X Priscilla's Smile).

This morning, I cut the spent scapes from the front yard beds and removed much of the foliage that has turned brown due to the hot (mid to upper 90's) temperatures. In hot climates like along the gulf coast, the high temperatures cause the foliage to transpire moisture faster than the roots can pick up moisture to replace it. To compensate, the plants will shed some of the older bottom leaves of the fans. This makes the beds unsightly as do the spent scapes.

I have a theory that after the last bloom on a scape, the plant begins drawing back the plant juices that remain in the spent scapes. I base this on the observation that scapes dry from the tips back to the base however I'm not aware of any scientific evidence to confirm this. Based on this theory, I leave the scapes to completely dry in the back beds before removing them but remove them from the front beds shortly after bloom finishes for aesthetic purposes.

Seedling 16-033

Just when I was beginning to think the garden had given up its last 'gem' of the season, seedling 16-033 opened this as it's first bloom on a rebloom scape. The blooms on the first set of scapes were nice enough but this rebloom put them to shame. 16-033 has 6" blooms on 25" scapes and comes from the cross (Cimarron Rose X Rose Sensation).