Spontaneous haiku and spring smiles...

a two lawn bag day.

Hooray, Hooray and Hooray!

working outside YAY!

Gardening season is finally here!  I cleared out one large border bed in the front of the house last week while my son and husband were each off doing their own thing.  If you remember from last year, I tend to measure the success of a day spent spring cleaning by how many lawn bags I fill with debris.  Last week it was two, and this past weekend I added two more.  Now I need somewhere inconspicuous to stack them, as the city doesnt start picking them up until May 1.  Oh, no.

I straightened plant markers, removed debris, took mental inventory of what wonderful daylilies I had forgotten I'd bought last fall.  It was glorious not wondering if anyone was fed or bored or sleepy or sad.  It was just me and the garden. 

I forgot about this gorgeous seedling from Dan Hansen in this front bed.  I smiled from ear to ear remembering standing in the pouring rain last year at the Nationals watching the rain just slide off this large, wet, banana cream pie colored bloom.  He mentioned that if we liked anything in the seedling bed to let him know and so when I placed my order last fall, I sent him this picture and told him how much I liked it.  He sent a piece with my order to test here in Michigan.  Hopefully it is just as gorgeous here as it was there.

The husband started a major fence construction/relocation project over the weekend, too, but its completion is far off...  It's never good when you are knee deep in a project that you dont have the proper tools to finish it or the funds to buy or rent the tools.  The fence and gate have been disassembled and the ground is a muddy mess.  No one but the eager Golden Retriever likes the look of it, but it is what it is.  Much like many other things in a state of change.  They are what they are until someone takes responsibility to make it something else.

Home Depot, I'm on my way.

Daylily Haiku Thursday - and Exhibition BONUS thought!

working her magic

mother nature stirs awake

my heart is open

H. 'Etched Eyes'

Incidentally, that unknown scape shown on the right in the background of this image is, in my opinion, a great example of the kind of scape you would NOT consider taking to an exhibition on-scape show.   First, there are too many bloom scars to clean up. 

Remember: grooming is very important, and taking the time to shave off those scars with scalpel-like precision will do nothing for your nerves on show morning.  There are also too many brown bracts, and the branching is very scant and top-heavy.  Scapes that are past their peak, meaning that they have bloomed out more buds than they have remaining, are generally considered inferior to scapes that are still in their prime or on first bloom.  Take careful note of the whole scape before you cut it off at the base and take it in to the show.  You may be better off leaving it in the garden and enjoying the last blooms there...

P.S.  H. 'Etched Eyes' did not like it here in Michigan at all.  I bought it once.  It died.  Bought it two more times because I just love its delicate substance and neon eye color, but it did not survive our winters either of those times, either.  I did give up on growing it, but still enjoy my photos immensely.

Like-Mindedness = Awesomeness

Although 2010 is just starting to unfurl, I have already attended three daylily events that got my gardening juices flowing.  Most recently, I spoke at the Midwest Hybridizer's Meeting (aka "The Shirley Farmer Meeting") and boy, oh boy...a whole day of sitting in an auditorium listening to like-minded folks always gets me going.

First, I picked up some potted daylilies from Kimberly McCutcheon - all spiders and unusual forms.  She is located at River Bend Gardens in Bellbrook, Ohio.  The picture on the right was taken by me during Northern Mecca last summer.  

Kimberly's daylilies must be unique ones if I picked them up...I don't do those forms, remember?  H. 'Banana Nut Bread,' H. 'Tornado Chaser' and H. 'Purple Eyed Pirate' are now waiting to be planted in my garden.  (Did I ask you to check out her intros yet?)   Below is my picture of H. 'Purple Eyed Pirate' last summer.  It is a very distinct, icy purple with a frosted grey eye.  The picture doesn't do it justice.

Second, I learned about an amazing free Microsoft program called "Photo Story 3" from The Daylily Addict, Charles Dorsey.

How did I not know about this before? 

As he was showing his pre-recorded training of how to use the programs basic features, I know the people around me were annoyed at my gasps and giggles. 

Seriously, how did I not know about this program before?

I'm currently busy making several video-style presentations with my photos and will post some soon for you to enjoy. He produces some amazing pieces of art with this program and I'm thrilled that Charles shared it with us.  You can google it and download it for free.  That makes it even cooler.

Speaking of Charles, you must subscribe to The Daylily Addict DVD-zine.  I have never seen anything like it.  Over the years, many have ventured into capturing and selling daylily related materials on DVD or VHS, but never have I seen such care and quality in a piece of work.  Watching the first edition of The Daylily Addict was like tuning in to a PBS-produced special report.  There are several samples of his work on his website.  Access them by clicking this link.

Last piece of cool information I'll share today is that in just four weeks (Saturday, April 17) THE David Kirchhoff is our Keynote Speaker at the annual Southern Michigan Daylily Society Spring Banquet.  This is a gala event, not exclusive to members, and boasts one of the coolest raffles and exciting club auctions I attend each year.  Tickets are still available.  Attendance is usually over 100, and you will surely enjoy yourself. 

So, although this post resembles an infomercial for SMDS, Kimberly and Charles, I was not coerced into telling you about any of them.  I just figure its good karma to share good nuggets of information with like-minded folks. 

Maybe you'll do the same for me someday.

In the meantime, here is my ultimate favorite photo from Mike and Sandy Holmes place at River Bend Gardens during Northern Mecca picnic 2009...hopefully Sandy, Kimberly and/or Mike may comment and tell us about this seedling!

Enjoy today!

Daylily Haiku Thursday - C'mon Spring

trying to break through-

winter holds on with cold hands...

its time for a change.

 

(L-R) The daylilies still under an ironically warm blanket of snow just last month, and H. 'Bella Sera.'

Yesterday the thermometer read 70 degrees.  The sun sparkled in the sky and I dug in the garden for the first time in 2010.  I took my computer out on the deck, poured a glass of sweet tea and exhaled.  My hands got dirty but my winter blues were wiped clean.  Aaaaaah.

Singer/Songwriters...Enthusiasts/Hybiridzers

It's spring fever.

That is what the name of it is.

And when you've got it, you want - oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so! 

-Mark Twain

H. 'Pick of the Litter' (Douglas 2003)

According to the calendar, spring arrives on Saturday. The snow has melted (for now) here in Michigan, and I'm looking forward to turning grandiose gardening plans into reality very soon. The boxes of fresh plants should start to arrive in a month or so, and I'll start my annual game of Gardening Chess.

I. Can't. Wait.

The first quarter of the year is always daylily-filled. Yes, it's winter, but several events pop-up to help ease my winter blues. I usually take the opportunity on these solo-road trips to enjoy the voices in my head. This past weekend was no exception. I drove to the Dayton, Ohio area to join the Midwest Hybridizer's Group for their bi-annual meeting. Pretty Petals garden owner Kimberly McCutcheon (check out her daylily introductions of JAGUAR SMILE and TORNADO CHASER) was my host for the night and we had a grand time catching up and sharing stories of life in and out of daylilies. (I also got a quick, lucky stroll through the River Bend Gardens greenhouse and had fun getting my shoes dirty in the process.)

  

(L-R) H. 'Fresh Start' (Joiner '91) and H. 'Fashion District' (Santa Lucia '96)

When you are an exhibitor and overall enthusiast of daylilies, you amass quite a collection of hybrids. (can I get an amen?) Some people grow 20 different daylilies, some grow 1000's. As I have mentioned before, I garden in the city, so my space is limited. I grow close to 250 different daylilies now, and each year when the colorful catalogs start coming in and new price lists are released, I plan my purchases.  It is hard to decide where to spend the dollars budgeted for new plants. There are hundreds of options. Do I buy direct from the hybridizer? Do I take advantage of secondary market deals on the Lily Auction? Do I buy from nurseries that specialize in daylilies?

I did all of the above this year, and I don’t spend my daylily money lightly.

I probably over think it, but if I'm sending someone a few hundred dollars for daylilies, I better feel good about it.

As the 150+ highway miles ticked by on my way home from the daylily  meeting last weekend, the radio was my only company. My mind drifted to singers/bands I like, and I noted that I tend to connect more with singer/songwriters than I do other musicians. Dave Matthews, Rob Thomas, Counting Crows, Jeff Buckley, Peter Gabriel, Beth Hart…the list of great examples could go on for days. I connect with them because I believe the words they are saying – as opposed to those who sing the songs of others with practiced emotion.

Are they still great singers if they don’t write their own stuff? Absolutely! I just don’t tend to believe them as much.

A singer/songwriter has a daylily parallel to a hybridizer/enthusiast. I think you can be one without being the other.

As a daylily hybridizer, you move the pollen around using tools you have been given by God – a skill you have either learned or honed over time, much like a singer.

As a daylily enthusiast, you are inspired by the secret folds and tucks of a petal, or the way water collects in the pleated edge of a seedling in the field. You notice intricacies of color. Your insides smile at a dew covered first bloom on a warm summer morning. You see the daylilies as they are – a single, important element in a greater tapestry of gardening joy. Your passion oozes out of the daylilies you grow and create. On the other hand, there are many commercial-minded folks who are in it solely for money, fame and/or notoriety. And many of us can smell the counterfeit emotion a mile away.

I connect with the hybridizer/enthusiast. Looking through the list of hybridizers represented in my collection, it is clear that I favor some over others.  To be clear, it isn't about "being friends" with someone.  Two of the most represented hybridizers in my collection I have never met or even emailed.  I connect with someone who introduces daylilies that sing, daylilies that are diverse, daylilies that tell stories with their names, daylilies that are well thought through, daylilies that add something to my garden that others do not. 

But, as always, that’s just me. Me and my place in this big, green, gardening universe with my big, green heart swelling at the thought of another season of visitors, tours, sunrises, bonfires, laughter, dirt (of all kinds) and new daylily discoveries.

C'mon Spring.  We are waiting for you.

One of the beautiful vistas seen at Daylily World in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky

Live daringly, boldy and fearlessly!

glowing. showing off - 

the best ones which shine brightly,

winning best in show.

I have said it before and I'll say it again, I'm an exhibitionist.  I love to exhibit daylilies. On scape, off scape, in arrangements and in my garden.  In daylily exhibitions and in life in general, I live daringly, boldly and fearlessly.  I exhibit flowers no one else would dream of taking.  I try new grooming methods that would make some exhibition-purists cringe.  I travel hours to show flowers.  I have a helmet with a light on it because sometimes I have to select scapes to take to the show before the sun comes up.  You think I'm kidding.  I wish I were.

My winning exhibit of H. 'Charming Ethel Smith' (Terry 1991)- a daylily not widely distributed and introduced by hybridizer not widely known.

 

H. ' Big Bill' (Douglas 2006) winning a blue ribbon and a line of containers ready for exhibitors to use for their entries at the SMDS 2008 Exhibition Show.

I had an e-mail request this week from someone who is planning to exhibit daylilies for the first time this year, and she asked me for my "Top 10 Tips" for new exhibitors.  She said she realized there was a lot to learn about it, and was sure she wouldn't get it all the first year, but she wanted a list of a few things she should absolutely do if she was to throw everything else out with the bathwater.

The "Head Table" where the winners of each of the sections come to compete for Best In Show.

What would I tell an exhibitor who is entering for the first time?

1.)  Get a copy of the Judging Daylilies handbook FREE from the American Hemerocallis Society website.  This book contains the materials that judges use to become judges.  This book gives you the map by which your flowers should be judged.  If you understand what the judges are trained to look for, the battle is half won.  Download it here.

2.)  Get a copy of the Show Schedule as soon as possible and study it.  This is a small booklet that is a requirement of every show.  In it you can see the sections of the show, local awards, timing and judging guidelines.  It is considered the law of the show.

3.)  Understand the AHS Standard Point Scale for on scape exhibits.  This means understand that the flower face is worth this many points, the scape is worth this many points, the grooming is worth this many points, etc.  Here is the Point Scale for on scape exhibits, shown in the first column below:

For example, it is important for you to know that 50 points of 100 possible are allotted to the actual flower, with the five elements (color, form, texture, substance and size) equally weighted.  Judges typically start with 100 points and subtract as they note faults.  Purple ribbons are awarded to those exhibits scoring 95 or more, blues awarded to those scoring 90 or more, reds awarded to those scoring 85 or more and yellows awarded to those scoring 80 or more.  In a nutshell, all the purple ribbon winners from each section compete against each other to see which one goes to the "head table."  The winning exhibit from each section then competes for Best In Show.

4.)  Grooming is quite often the hardest hit area of the scale of points.  Some judges look at this first.  Some judges do not consider grooming at all - and neither do some exhibitors.  If you have not groomed, or done a poor job of it, some judges immediately subtract all 15 points allowed for grooming.  How to get around this?  Select scapes that need little to no grooming.  Leave the crooked, bug damaged, thin scapes in the yard.

5.)  Know which section of the show your exhibits will be shown before you get to the show and know that section 2 - large flowers, is usually the section with the most entries.  Use a bit of strategy and select scapes from your yard that are outside section 2.  There are typically 12 or 13 sections in a show - lots of other sections than just the one for flowers that are 4.5" to 7" in diameter.  Also, look for flowers you have that someone else may not.  Remember that only one exhibit per name class may win a blue or purple ribbon, so if five of us bring H. 'Strawberry Candy' to the show, only one of us is going home with a blue ribbon (if merited.)

6.)  Walk your yard the week before the show and tie some bright colored ribbon around the scapes that look really straight, proportionate and clean.  You will thank yourself on show morning when you are frantically out there in your nightshirt and slippers cutting scapes like a madperson.

7.)  With that said, only take what you can groom and enter with little stress.   Just because you have 55 perfect scapes in the yard on show morning, dont cut them shove them all in the car if you do not believe you can groom and enter them with time to spare.

8.)  Add cotton balls to your show day kit.  Cotton balls, or small wedges of soft foam (i.e. make up wedges) do wonders stuffed in the rim of the display vase to straighten up a scape or allow it to be displayed just so.  Remember, nothing below the rim of the show container is judged.

9.)  Talk to the judges after the show is over. DO NOT BE SHY to seek them out.  Ask them to talk you through some of your exhibits.  It is part of their job to educate and mentor exhibitors, so ask them for a moment of their time.

10.)  Don't be shocked at the ultra-competitveness and of other exhibitors.  Just like dog shows, cooking competitions, and triathlons (among other events) there are some who live to compete and don't mind stepping on you to do it.  That is part of the game, and is rare, but remember...YOU DESERVE TO BE IN THE GAME.

My overarching comment is to have fun. I said, HAVE FUN.

I could not put it better than George Leonard:

"Competition is the spice of sports; but if you make spice the whole meal you'll be sick."

P.S.: A great way to get your feet wet exhibiting is to compete in the "off-scape" division of the show.  Only the bloom is exhibited here, and there is no detailed grooming necessary for these types of exhibits.  Our local club offers very desirable prizes for both the off-scape and on-scape divisions, although the off-scape is judged by visitors to the show and the on-scape is judged by accredited AHS judges.

Daylily Haiku Thursday - and more symposium summary

a jewel in a crown.

(as heavy as it may be)

most things are worthwhile.

H. 'Dyna Girl' (Owen, P. 2010) 28" 5.25" Image from Slightly Different Nursery

Yesterday I spent about 2000 words spinning my version of the past weekend in Cincinnati for the Region 2 Winter Symposium. I could have included 2000 more, but chose to leave some of my most cherished highlights for today's post (that's not to say that all the experiences of the weekend were not cherished, just some stood out in a particular way...)

Steve Horan's presentation on Ornamental Grasses was unbelievable. The seasonal photos, the botanical names, the depth of knowledge and the eagerness of the audience to internalize it all was very inspirational. I'm not sure I heard as many questions from the audience for any other speaker. I had not heard him speak before, nor did I get to see his garden during the Minnesota National a few years ago, but you can bet I will not be absent from the tour when it returns to his garden in a few years. Pens were feverishly capturing bits and bites from his presentation. Not only did he provide many photos, he also provided culture information and answered all the questions from the audience with the calm precision of a master speaker. It was refreshing to hear "something other than daylilies" from someone who understands the mind of a daylily addict. Thank you, Steve, for an enlightening presentation.

His passionate gardening photos reminded me of ones I took at the now famous "Faded Flamingo" gardens at the AHS National Convention in 2003. Although they don’t directly relate to this weekends symposium, here are some shots…

Sorry for the digression, I had to let you see those photos!

Back to the symposium, Wanda Evans and Lisa Klette teamed up to take the audience on a daylily tour of the internet. I believe this is the first time this presentation was given in "prime time" and they covered everything from the Lily Auction to the Region 2 website to the PlantStep program. It was nice touch to have a live connection to the internet to see Tinker's, Dave's, mydaylilies.com, and more come to life before our eyes.

And then there was a presentation of a "slightly different" kind. Paul Owen took us on a tour of his daylily life in North Carolina. Now, although some of us yankees consider "the Carolinas" the south, Paul's hybridizing efforts are proven in the north. He took the microphone and we were off on a journey of super fun proportions. Photos of his travels, of his rolling property, of his challenges with weather, of his garden parties and events, of his charity work, and of his daylily introductions. My first big daylily order of recent introductions for 2010 was made with Paul. I ordered several of his beauties to add to my collection. In these economic times, when I am writing a check for a few hundred dollars for daylilies, I am discerning. Its not easy to write those checks, but it is easier when you know you are appreciated as a customer and your order will be just as expected- and more. He communicates with his customers more than any other vendor I have used in 15 years of ordering daylilies. His website sent me a thank you. His newsletter is fun and super informative. His daylily names have story, history and meaning; he told us of many during his presentation. If you like big, full, saturated, northern hardy plants, check out his website. If your club is looking for a speaker for a general meeting, banquet, summer meeting, or other event, Paul needs to be your first call. I may be partial, but his DYNA GIRL is a jewel.

DYNA GIRL was dedicated to me. Anyone who knows me well knows that I am never one to toot my own horn; I'd rather toot someone else's. But, this is the first flower to be associated with me or my name. I was speechless when Paul asked if I minded if he named a flower for me. DO I MIND? Are you crazy? To be honored in this way is almost beyond comprehension. Its like being named in the dedication of a book, or named in an Oscar thank-you speech. DYNA GIRL happens to also be in my favorite color- pink. He sent a small clump to me last year before its introduction. It grew here in Michigan all summer last year, and when the first snows fell, it had already multiplied to 8 big fans with lots of smaller ones and it is among the most anticipated blooms of 2010. I won't divide it this year, but my mom already wants a piece of it in her garden in southern Illinois. I hope to take it to the show for exhibition. You may still be able to get DYNA GIRL for spring delivery.  He says its a winner. I think he's a winner, too.  

Come to think of it, the whole weekend was a winner. The feedback forms returned to me showed that most of the attendees thought Dan and JR, along with their team of planners put on another one-heck-of-an-event.  I can say that if you have thought about attending one of these winter events, stop thinking and make plans to go.  You wont be sorry.

Thank you to everyone who supported region 2 with their time, efforts and funds last weekend. It was the best way to kick off another year of "doing daylilies."

For a closing image, here is what you can do with that old box spring...as seen at the Faded Flamingo Gardens in the Carolinas!

2010 Region 2 Daylily Symposium Recap...Long post, mostly words...

The 2010 Region 2 Winter Symposium is over. It seems as though I prepared for the event for months to have it be over so quickly, but that is how it goes with worthwhile events. The bad ones crawl by, and you hold on to the good ones with the tips of your fingers for as long as you can.

Before I get started with my story, if anyone has any photos of me at the event, please send them on to my email.  Thank you in advance!  (and thanks to Charlie and Teresa who already sent some)

The presentations at the symposium were interesting, varied and relevant. Some speakers I heard for the first time – Heidi Douglas, Tom Polston, Bryan Culver, Nate Bremer, Dr. Robert Grant and Bill Schardien – to name a few. The overwhelming feeling I got from the presenters is that they are forging their own ways, following their own hearts and feeling positive about the direction they are each heading. It was not a parade of future introductions. Each speaker had their own perspective about being a hybridizer and a daylily lover. I saw many people taking notes on interesting possible parents for new daylilies. I saw many people noting H. 'True to Whim' and H. 'Leslie Renee' to use in their hybridizing efforts. Many hybridizers talked about using material that not everyone else was using, and not using the hottest, newest genetics on the market. There are thousands of great daylilies with still-to-be-discovered genetics that are five, ten and even twenty years old. I heard the advice to not use what "everyone else is using" more than once.

The first organized presentation of the weekend was billed as a "Hybridizer's Forum" and about 50 people gathered in the ballroom to discuss many different topics. It was a very interesting discussion to hear people talk about new forms being proposed by various AHS committees, registration frustrations and upcoming remedies, seed planting thoughts and many other topics. It was an hour well spent and an activity that will be planned again at future events. This is the kind of interactive education we need more of – an opportunity to ask questions and give answers in an open, safe forum. I lurked and soaked up the exchange of information. Sometimes it is more obvious to me that I am certainly on the periphery of the science of this hobby. It is during these times that I take solace in my creative side, knowing that my place in the daylily community is more social and artistic. No one is going to come to me to hear about my hybridizing breakthroughs or discoveries, but I'm okay with that. I'm inspired and intrigued by it all.

The live auction action was slow on Friday night, but the fast and furious bidding on Saturday nights live auction made up for it. We had eight different auctioneers which made the nights go by fast. If my memory serves me right, the weekend's top seller was Shirley Farmer's only introduction, H. 'Shabby Chic' followed by Richard Norris' H. 'Sam Abell' and Larry Grace's H. 'Angels Gather Around.' There were daylilies for everyones taste and wallet size in the auction. Some folks got 2010 intros for $40 and some got collections of 3 or 4 daylilies for $60. Overall, the live and silent auction provided the necessary funds to keep our three-times-a-year, award-winning newsletter going for at least another year or so.

The new addition to the symposium this year was The Birdhouse Contest. I have to admit that at first I was skeptical about this addition. We were asking attendees to make a functional birdhouse and donate it to the region. The entries in the contest were then to be auctioned off in the live auction. The region also offered great prizes for the top three birdhouses, as decided by a secret panel of judges. I was worried. I was worried we wouldn’t get enough entries to make the three prizes. But I was wrong. We had 14 amazing entries, mine was among them. I spent two weeks designing and painting my birdhouse as a tribute to the New Orleans "Musician's Village" neighborhood. This neighborhood is often called the "easter basket" neighborhood due to the bright, pastel colors of the new houses being built there. I saw it on a recent trip to New Orleans during a tour of the still-recovering, post-Katrina lower 9th ward. It inspired me and I felt moved to make a tribute. So, I spent weeks designing a triplet set of birdhouses, painted in spring colors. The entire time I spent painting the birdhouses I felt as though I was making it for myself, for my garden, for my feelings toward New Orleans and the recovery efforts there. I enjoyed the final product very much and thought about not entering it and keeping it more than once. But I did enter it, and talked to my husband about me just buying it back from the auction when it went up for bid. He agreed that was a good way to participate, both in the contest and in supporting the region financially. So that was my plan, until my birdhouse was selected as the 2nd prize winner of the contest!! For my win, I was awarded a paid-registration to the 2011 Region 2 Symposium, which I decided to donate to the only youth member in attendance at the event. She was thrilled and I was honored that my real, heartfelt efforts were noticed. But then it came time to auction off the winning birdhouses. We saved the top three finishers for the last night of the auction and up to that point, bidding was high on the previous 11 offered at auction. I was worried again. I really wanted to buy it back. I happened to be the auctioneer when mine came up for bid, which made the situation even more bittersweet. Bidding was hot. I didn’t win. I actually could not have afforded to buy back my own birdhouse, which was kind of a great honor, since it went to someone who I care about a lot, and I am honored to know it will be in their garden where it will be enjoyed by hundreds of visitors each year. My son watched me create that birdhouse over the weeks it took to finish, he even made a couple of his own along the way. He asked why I was doing it and told me I was doing a good job. That felt good. He even said he was proud of me when I called home to tell them I had come in second. Pretty cool for a four year old.

(SIDEBAR: Two people have asked if I can make another one for them, and I haven’t decided if I will or not yet. Maybe after I make one for myself I will decide if I want to make more…who knows, maybe you will see them in the boutique this summer at the Region 2 Summer Meeting.)

I picked up a copy of Curt Hanson's 2010 catalog, and as usual, was amazed. He is blazing a new trail again. I wont spoil the surprise for those of you who haven’t seen it yet, but he is moving forward full-force with a new form that will leave you speechless – no matter how you feel about it.

Charles Dorsey, of Daylily Addict fame, showed two more of his creations. His "An Inconvenient Tooth" video was one of the coolest things I had seen in a while. The integration of sound, music, photos and technology is awesome. If you have not checked out "Daylily Addict" yet, you must subscribe. I received my first DVD, and it is so much more than just a tour of great daylily photos. These are real interviews with real people about real daylily issues. It's like a little daylily symposium all in its own. Get yours. Seriously.

Donna Blanton donated an amazing painting of daylilies in a vase that was raffled off. She and JR also offered adorable tea-cup birdfeeders that I couldn’t pass up.

Duane and Barbara Nickel had their booth in the boutique and offered the coolest candle stakes I had ever seen- made from spoons. Unfortunately I was too busy to pick up a few, but I won't make that mistake again if they set up shop in Ohio this summer at the Regional meeting.

Alan and Joyce Hersh tempted us again with Alan's gorgeous jewelry baubles.

Dan and Jackie Bachman had a booth as well, filled with unique items, including cards made to look like shirts with daylilies on them. HOW CUTE!

Tom Polston got a new nickname- 'The Dentist.' How fitting.

Dan Bachman did not wear the Chicken Suit, but promises he will again soon.

Our one youth member in attendance got involved with the auction and entered a birdhouse in the contest. HOW. COOL. I wish I would have had a gardening mentor when I was her age. Priceless – and kudos to you, Aunt Sue for bringing her along.

Bill Schardien showed us his amazing swimming pool size Koi pond. W.O.W. Wow. Wow. I hope I can get there to see it this summer.

I learned that on other areas of Earth they don't necessarily prefer the large, full-formed daylilies (gasp) – they like thin-scaped, floating "butterfly" blooms to fit into their compact landscape tapestries. An Oxford professor/scientist told me so during his presentation. He said a lot of other impressive stuff that was way above my pay grade, but it proves to me once again that daylilies have something to offer every educational, financial, social and physical capacities. His presentation was SUPER and everyone was glued to their seats for it. He could have presented for a whole day and I don’t think many would have minded.

Bob Faulkner picked up a paintbrush for the first time in 30 years and created a piece of art for the live auction that now will hang at Slightly Different Nursery (Paul Owen was the high bidder on that one, and he had to fight off many other bidders to win it!)

The after-hours hospitality suites did not disappoint. I think there are more deals made in these rooms than in any other part of the symposium. I know many folks did not get to bed before 1am either night…they were burning the midnight oil on topics of all types! What a great opportunity to hob nob. The suites were on the first floor, and easy to find, so everyone felt a part of the fun and most took part in it. They were well-stocked with donated foods and beverages of all kinds. Even Kimberly and my oxymoronic "French vodka" (thanks, Mike) was discussed at length!

I think I handled everyone's issues and requests…if I haven’t, please email me. It was a very busy weekend and I have my trusty notes intact, transcribed and in process, but you never know if I missed something. The missing auction cards are on their way, and my thank you notes are in process.

The generosity of daylily folks never ceases to amaze me. Generosity with money, time, talent, product, effort, knowledge and thoughtfulness was overflowing. When there is a true circle of trust and caring, there seems to be no end to what can be accomplished. Most egos were checked at the door and I think most attendees left with "more" than they came with. I know my brain was full when I headed home, and so was my heart.

Thanks to everyone for their participation, in whatever capacity!

C'mon Spring!