The Perfect Perennial

by Deanna

It's July, it's summer, it's warmth (sometimes), it's garden in bloom time.  I mentioned the word "sometimes" because we have had an unusual summer.  No heat, lots of rain, minimal sunshine, but with all that rain comes the flowers.  It's not April showers bring May flowers, it's summer rain brings plenty of gain.  Oh I am lame when it comes to rhyming, but you get the point.  And what's blooming right now, along with other flowers, are my daylilys or the botanical name of  Hemerocallis  which in Greek translates to "beautiful". Can't argue with that....

 The 1st Daylily I planted over 30 years ago..

Over the years I have collected several varieties because 1) they don't die 2) they take very little care 3) they will grow in bright sun or some shade 4) they need minimal water 5) you can dig them up in the spring or fall and divide them for more beautiful clumps 6) they adapt to about any soil condition, 7) they will grow anywhere from zones 1-11 which covers the entire USA. OK, what's not to like about these wonderful flowers?  It is the perfect perennial.

Daylilys come in practically every color except blue and pure white. The lighter the color, the more sun they need to bring out the paler colors, while the deeper oranges and reds can do well in some shade.

 My "almost" white daylily

In the 1920's the yellow daylily was introduced to the American garden, and since that time there have been more than 35,000 different varieties introduced.

 I love these two toned species

Daylily, as the name implies last for only a day.  But each stamen has an abundance of buds so with each new day, a new one appears.  They naturally are not great for cutting because of their short life span, but I did read that if you cut one that has multiple buds, the buds will then bloom after cutting. I have yet to try that.  Let me know if you have tried this.

This is the palest pink that is growing in my garden.  Hybridizers are constantly focusing on sturdier stems, foliage color, larger and neater clumps, scent, ruffled edges, and a glitter look to the petals.

Each year the highest award that is given to a cultivar is the Stout Silver Medal in honor of Dr. Arlow Burdette Stout, the father of modern daylily breeding.

I have no idea if I have any award winning daylilys in my garden, they are all award winners to me when they present their new faces each day.

The last two are my newest additions, planted 3 years ago by the mailbox.  I hope the mailperson enjoys their beauty. They are huge flowers.  The last one is larger than my spread hand.

These beauties only last a short while like most perennials, but while they are here I certainly enjoy their outstanding color and appeal.  Do you have daylilys in your garden, why not? they are the perfect perennial.