(Surprise!) Color Me Happy | Daylily Blog

(from left: H. 'Abilene Crab Claws' (Maddox), H. 'Arnie Oseland' (Kulpa), and H. 'Andrew Christian' (Harris-Benz)

I spent some time getting lost in my digital photos this weekend and found a few that brought some good memories to mind.  Some wonderful splashes of color brightened my chilly birthday weekend and some surprisingly super bloomers this year are shown above, and not all for the same reasons. 

H.'Abilene Crab Claws' was moved in early spring and proceeded to double in fan count and rebloom.  I love the pale tangerine and wild-formed blooms.  Look at the sepals in this photo.  Now you see where it gets its quirky name.

The middle photo, H. 'Arnie Oseland,' was a new purchase in the spring of this year.  I got it as five potted fans at the SMDS March Banquet.  They always have an amazing silent auction and this rare offering from John Kulpa was up for bid.  I hovered over that silent auction bid sheet until the end of the auction to make sure I got my hands on this one.  When you can get a John Kulpa intro, you should grab it.  On paper, this is not a flower I would think to purchase.  I don't normally drool over bicolors and the color description doesn't immediately whet my whistle.  But holy crackers in person it was stunning.  Crisp color and substance all day.  It is spectacular.  And toothy, too!  Consistently toothy here in the north. 

H. 'Andrew Christian' is a perennial favorite.  I have said it before and I repeat now- this is the best yellow daylily I grow.  The best.  If it were introduced today at $200, I would buy it if I saw it in person- its that good.