A Few Good Stats for 2010...

Daylily folks are an evolving group. Tastes, interests and trends change with the wind, and my daylily collection is no exception.  Last year I had about 40% turnover, which means that I replaced almost half of the daylilies I grew with new ones.  This summer I will see bloom on those for the first time, and I will remember why I chose to purchase those in the winter of 2008...it is a great time of renewal and rejuvenation.  My kind of therapy, for sure.

Three daylilies I really wanted, but chose to not buy this year...yes, I do have some restraint.
(L-R: H.'Greek Effect,'  H.'Almost Indecent,' and H.'What Nerve.')

One of the items from my "Winter List" of things to do is make tags for my incoming plants and update my Flower Software database of daylilies.  (this software purchase is the best $30 I have spent in my life, by the way)  While making the tags, I took note of a few statistics.  I like to identify behavioral patterns in many settings (blame my political science background for that) and turning the microscope on my own daylily spending habits was fun.

• # of New Daylily Cultivars Purchased for Spring 2010 = 29

• # of Daylily Cultivars Sold or Traded Out of my Garden = 6 (no comment)

• # of 2010 Registrations purchased in 2010 = 4

• Average Year of Introduction of new purchases = 2004

• Oldest Daylily purchased in 2010- 28 years old - H. 'Double River Wye' (Kropf 1982)

• Highest Price paid for a single plant in 2010 = $125.00 (again, no comment)

• # of new hybridizers added to my collection in 2010 = 6
(Blaney, Tassin, C. Dye, MJ Meadows, Heidi Douglas and G. Tanner)

• Most Anticipated Additions - H. 'Tempest In A Tutu' and H. 'Hippie Crash Pad' (seen below; images from Slightly Different Nursery and AHS Region 13)

Tempest is a small flower form, with gorgeous patterned sepals that make me happy.  "Tempest in a tutu" also happens to be the nickname a cherished mentor of mine in high school had for me.  It also doesn't hurt that a fabulous man named Paul Owen hybridized this 2010 daylily.

• Expected Goals to be achieved with new purchases = add size and substance, add new color combinations on flowers that don’t already exist in my collection, win the Extra large section of an AHS accredited show in the near future!

• Most 'Fun' Additions = H. 'Iron Man' added for my triathlete husband and H. 'Perseus Sandals' added because it is registered at 10" and is not an Unusual Form or a Spider.  Both images seen below from Ladybug Daylilies, where I also purchased them.

Note the one statistic I did not provide was the total dollar amount spent.  I wouldn't put that number in writing for my husband to see even if you begged me to...  I am sure my total dollar spent is miniscule in comparison to what some spend each year, but in my opinion is it a relative number.

This analysis also caused me to modify my spending behavior (i.e. HALT IT ALTOGETHER.)  I have no idea where I will put 30 new plants when only 6 are moving out.  It is time for an intervention, no, it's past time for an intervention as the space in my yard is admittedly at full capacity.  There is no more sod to be removed, no more beds to be slightly expanded, and no more new beds to build.  I could start to take over the vacant lot next to my house, but there are so many cons to that it supercedes my desire to grow hundreds more daylilies.  With a relentless shovel, as spring gets a bit closer, I shall choose at least 15 others in my current collection to sell, trade or share with others.  As seen below in two of my borders, I already need a crowbar to fit new stuff in. 

What did you buy for delivery this year?  Who are you buying from?  What purchase are you most looking forward to?  Where does your local support group meet for gardening interventions?