arguably pink. (both me and my daylilies)

A late night conversation last night revealed I am predictable when given a choice of color.  I always choose pink.  And, as late night conversations go, this revelation sparked an internal discussion with myself about the color pink. 

I have always rebelled against the social notion of being a "girlie girl."  I think I rebel against it because it's what I'm supposed to be according to someone else.  But, for those of you who have known me from grade school and high school and college and post-college existence, know that I am a spoken paradox of bows, earrings, hearts, ruffles, flowers and fluff.  Thank goodness my only child is a son, who helps me channel my tomboyish ways.

Pink is a girlie color.  Without me really knowing, it has also become the prominent color in my daylilies.  (And for the record, my all-time favorite daylilies are not pink and my dream daylilies are not pink, either.  They are screaming-hot-orange and deep, sensual royal purple- hopefully both on the same flower.)

Baby ribbon pink, bubble gum pink, cake icing pink, frosted pink, hot pink, cotton candy pink, dusty pink, carnation pink...these descriptions all evoke a different visual of what pink is.  Pinks are all different, much like the girls who admire its place in the box of 64 Crayolas.  (my favorite is still 'Thistle' which was retired after almost 50 years in the box.)  The first daylily to be introduced and dedicated to me is pink. It is named H. 'Dyna Girl' and can be seen here. Cool flower hybridized by an even cooler guy.  Fitting that it is pink.  Yay!

Many-a-daylily-collector has tried to create a "pink garden."  Notice I say tried.  As much as I love pink, the hues cooperate with one another as well as a gaggle of girls in a small bathroom on prom night. 

Some pinks look blue.  Some look purple.  Some lean grey or red or even beige.  Putting them together in one garden tends to bring out those hidden tones in some not-so-complimentary ways.

Even looking at these four pictures, when viewed together, muddle our collective impression of pink.  One looks more lavender, one looks more salmon, and so forth.  And although beautiful indivisually (my new word - you heard it here first) they are not necessarily pleasing as a foursome.  Which is why we should be aware of the conflicting color energies when placing pinks next to each other in the garden.

According to some gemologists, the quality of energy in pink is determined by how much red is present. White is the potential for fullness, while red helps you to achieve that potential. Pink combines these energies.

Deep, huh? 

Other favorite pinks of mine:

- H. 'Spring Formal'  (a daylily introduction from Dan Trimmer at http://www.watermillgardens.com/

- H. 'Hotta Pinkie' (a daylily introduction from Paul Owen at http://www.slightlydifferentnursery.com/

- 'Hearts and Flowers' (above) found at http://www.daylilyworld.com/

- mostly any of the pinks found at http://www.daylily.com/ (an auction site dedicated to daylilies!)

So, if you are planning on buying me any daylilies for my birthday this Sunday, you know what color to buy. 

My Pick of Peck Daylilies

A recent discussion on the AHS E-Mail Robin was of Virginia Peck, and her contributions to the daylily.  Sydney Eddison's book, A Passion For Daylilies calls her "one of a kind."  I think that phrase describes her daylilies to a tee.  Eddison goes on to mention, "in almost every color category, there are distinguished Peck introductions."  I agree wholeheartedly.  Among the many, two Peck daylilies that I adore and would recommend are:

WIDE WIDE WORLD - a 7" raspberry fuchsia with a radiating peach throat. This one has wonderful foliage all year and multiplies fairly well. The branching for me is among the best in the garden and it is a beacon of "different" color with its tangerine-ish throat.  (and remember, its 7"+)

and


AS WE WERE - almost the same color combination as WWW, but on this one, the throat is a screaming orange. I have never seen another daylily with this orange of a throat. All six tepals are also tightly and pleasantly recurved, showing off the bright orange throat. I first saw this one at Iron Gate Gardens following the Carolina National.

I like these two because they have a characteristic that set them apart from other cultivars. I have limited space here in my city garden, and as I have said before, each one I put in has to earn its real estate. These two do just that. Both for their truly unique coloring (if you know of others with orange throats...let me know) and one for its tightly recurved form.


Remembering that trip to Iron Gate brings back some wonderful memories. Gloria Hite and I were traveling together and on our way to the airport decided to "pop by" Vic and Van's. Well, if you have ever been there, you know you dont "pop by" at all. It was the first time both of us had the pleasure of visiting there. It was quite a treat to see Grace there, too, helping check out customers and bag plants. What a neat, neat place. Needless to say, both of us almost missed our flights, and the plane staff was not too pleased with our big, black garbage bags full of foliage knocking through the aisles of the full plane.


I did end up missing my connection in DC, and sat in the terminal with this suspect garbage bag for almost 8 hours waiting on another plane. Boy, did I get some stares. But, I did get to be a daylily ambassador to many folks who had no idea about the hybrid daylily. I was happy to yank a division out of the bag to show that indeed they do not grow from bulbs and do an impromptu lesson on dividing. I had quite a crowd standing around listening to me chat about daylilies.


You never know where you'll find a new daylily nut.

Daylily Haiku Thursday

breaking dawn, bursting

open in moments of light,

shining until (only) dusk.

H. 'Her Majestys Wizard' and my beloved Bird Girl

Daylily Haiku Thursday

pink has energy

(loudly) proclaiming its joy

quietly smiling

H. 'Calypso Bay'

[No]thing Is Free

I must depart from my normal daylily-doings to share a story I was recently reminded of...another one of karma.

However obvious the inference is in the phrase "Nothing is free," somethings you need to hear things twice before you internalize their meaning.

And sometimes you need to break out in the most horrible poison sumac on the face of the earth and be told by the doctor you could lose some skin before it sinks in.

I present to you hymenocallis occidentalis, otherwise referred to in my vocabulary as the "poison lilies" or "the clearest lesson I ever learned."

hymenocallis occidentalis

This photo was taken 15 years ago in the woods of Montgomery Bell State Park in Tennessee.  While hiking along a bubbling creek, I came across this very clump of beauties growing in the woods.  This is the photo I took that day.  I was young.  I was naive.  And I wanted these in my own yard.  I can only admit this because I know many of you reading have wielded your spade in more than one semi-illegal place, pilfering bulbs, cuttings, roots and shoots for your own gardens.  This is such a story.

The ground was soft and workable.  I dug two bulbs out easily with my bare hands, carefully packed them in my backpack and went on my muddy way after washing my hands in the rushing creek nearby.  This was the last day of the trip, and after we emerged from this hike, we piled in the car to head home.

In the car heading home (about a five hour drive), I develop a crazy itch between my fingers - all of my fingers.  No rash to be found, just itchy, itchy, itchy.  I didnt think much more of it until about nine hours later, when I awoke to stinging pain and this all over my hands.

I could see it crawling up my forearms.  I could see the blisters forming full of yellow liquid.  I could also see the writing on the wall - I should not have messed with mother nature.  It was clear that everywhere I had dirt on my hands from digging in the woods, I now had a horrible rash.  Feel sorry for me yet?  You shouldn't.

Long story short, after I mulled over the punishment for stealing plants from a state park and then carrying said plants over three state lines, I went to the ER and was told it was the worst case of poison sumac they had ever seen.  The blisters between my fingers were so bad I looked like I had webbed hands.  It was one of the most horrible self-inflicted situations I had ever caused for myself and it landed me with two saran-wrapped forearms for a week.  I couldnt work, shower or use my hands at all (don't spend too much time imagining all I couldn't do...)

I have since returned to those rolling hills in Montgomery Bell and with subterfuge, planted 50 naturalizing daffodils in the same woods where I stole the poison lilies.  I have also donated heavily to their conservancy fund.  I have also experienced theft from my own home garden this year and thought of this story.  When I realized plants from my garden had been stolen under the cover of night this summer, I shook my head at myself and told me again that I shouldn't have stolen those plants. 15+ years later, it haunts me.  Now that I know more about gardening, the gardening world, and the larger system that is my karmic world, I still can't believe I dug those bulbs.

It's not nice to (try to) fool mother nature.

Daylily Haiku Thursday

This week's haiku features my second favorite form of daylilies, doubles.  They are intricate, messy, complicated and fun - just like me.  You either love 'em or hate 'em, also just like me. 

There are many hybridizers who focus on this form solely, and I encourage you to check out their websites below.  Tell them I sent you!

Daylily World - home of The David Kirchhoff, considered by most to be the king of doubles.

Bob Scott Nursery - home of the "Top Guns" doubles.

Don Eller Daylilies - home of Don and Nancy Eller, who are really doing some wonderful new things.

The Daylily Auction - an online auction of just daylilies!  This link takes you to all doubles currently offered.

As a special bonus on this Daylily Haiku Thursday, here are a few doubles which bloomed in my garden in 2009.

              H. 'Topguns Lola Scott'                           H. 'Calico Print'

                  H. 'All About Eve'                           H. 'Topguns Anita Causey'