2012 National Daylily Convention Recap | Deep Ditch Gardens

Near six weeks later, I am still really enjoying my pics from the 2012 AHS National Convention.  My season was near dried up when I left for Columbus, so these are really the last great daylilies I saw before we put the 2012 daylily season in the history books.  The seventh garden we visited was the five-acre home garden of Donna Kowalczyk, coolly named "Deep Ditch Gardens."

Before we go on, you can read the recaps of the other six gardens here...

First of all, this is Donna's front porch.  How yummy is this?!  Perfect white pillars, perfect deck rail boxes and perfect hummingbirds fluttering all about it...  I love the darker foliage accents in the front planting.  Its echoed in the deckrail boxes, which brings the eye up and extends the garden "backside."

It is no secret that daylily people can eat, and will eat you alive if your refreshments aren't up to expectations.  Over the years, I have collected quite a sampling of photos of food tables at garden homes.  

Donna had a great selection of healthy, fresh, fun snacks to eat, and a the most awesome congregating area in which to enjoy the refreshments.  Here is Nan Ripley enjoying the great skewers.  Skewers are the best garden food implement there is!  Maybe Ill try to find a cookbook or website dedicated to cold skewer appetizers for my own garden parties next summer.  

Here is Donna, the second red shirt from the left in the picture below.  She is hanging out in the snack area, among the macaws, loving cats, children, neat seating solutions and the most delicious beverage served on the National Tour.  (See that punch bowl in the back of this photo below?  That's it!  It was a coffee-chocolate-ice cream-mocha-whipped cream concoction that required its own security guard!)

One of the best parts of this visit were the vignettes of places to enjoy the space.  Here is one of the most ingenious seating ideas I have ever seen.  Bales of hay, covered with a bit of muslin, tied with jute.  Adorable, functional and fun.  I am so stealing this idea.  You could have seating for 12 for less than $50 at your next bonfire...

Like in most daylily gardens, there was an area of "all blue" where Donna had artfully placed several brightly colored accents in another great seating spot.  This small bottle tree caught my interest and may be just the size I need for one of my own.  I love the idea of the blue bottle tree, whose origins are apparently rooted in warding off negative energy in the garden.  I just cant seem to find a version for me that fits my style.  This one was "just enough." 

Here is a great article on these from Felder Rushing if you are interested in why in the world we might have started adding these things to our gardens anyway...  You can click here for a Google Image search on blue bottle trees.  Get your eyes ready for some serious visual overload and inspiration!  Don't click there unless you are prepared to spend about 30 minutes drooling.

But I digress.  Of course there were daylilies at Donna's, too!  She grows about 1000 cultivars, and I especially enjoyed H. 'Marietta Dazzler' with its tiny petal connections in the throat.  Notice where the petal segments attach together in the throat.  That tight little yellow throat sets off the dark self well.  Not a highly decorated daylily, but one that has sass.  Donna also had a neat collection of diverse bird houses on posts dotted all over.  I enjoyed this arrangement on the side of her house.

H. 'Nowhere to Hide' was here, mocking me as usual.  This daylily has escaped my grasp for years.  I have tried to buy it many times, and it is always sold out.  I did get it once, but when my auction purchase arrived it was a tiny pencil of a fan and it didn't survive.  FINALLY I have it on the way from a grower in my area who knows what she is doing, so I hope to have it once and for all.  This one does crazy things on the show table, the indoor lighting really sets off the veining and puts on an unmistakable show.  I cant wait to show this one!

Much like the Hensley and Lucius gardens, I just plain had fun here.  I meandered a lot, which is what I expect Donna wanted us to do.  Long, shady paths beckoned to be discovered, and they seemed to go on forever.  Long, first-time conversations were had here, too.  I got to chat for the first time with Paulette Miller, who is a super interesting lady with a cool vibe.

I also spent time chatting with the bird handler, a few folks who didn't know much about the Stout Medal voting process, and I also spent time alone, enjoying the pond, waterfall, gazebo, the miniature fairy gardens, the Curt Hanson bed, and surprising pieces of art stashed all around the garden.  I shared the story of the grossest moment in my life (I'm not sure WHY) with two folks who won't forget the tale, and I laughed hysterically with old friends who are always in my gardening thoughts, even when we are not together.

bottom row: H. 'Victorian Lace' and H. 'Inca Puzzle'

In this garden, as visitors we were connected and distant.  There was enough room for us to spread out and enjoy it in our own way, and in the same breath, Donna created spaces where we congregated together over stuff "to do."  If you are ever on a garden tour, I would suggest something for your visitors "to do."  We swung in hammocks, ate good food, held a huge parrot and enjoyed a well-thought out daylily collection.  

It was a grand visit to Deep Ditch, and it was great to finally see where Donna does her thing.  I was inspired when I left it, and that is the ultimate indicator of a good visit to another's garden.  I wrote this haiku as our buses pulled away from Deep Ditch that day...

taking time to look

at green spaces of others

inspires me deeply!

Thanks for the inspiration, Donna!!

H. 'Stargate Portal'

SEE THE RECAPS OF THE OTHER GARDENS HERE!

I learned something new! | Daylily Blog on Bud Blasting

Don't freak out.  

This shot is not from this week in my gardens.  This was taken in early June, and I miss these lush, green hazy-lazy days.  I miss the colors and the supple petals.  I miss seeing something new blooming everyday and I actually miss deadheading at night.  

Those things have been replaced with every shade of desert-tan you can imagine, complemented with dry, cracked Earth.  The daylily season finished just as the drought really kicked in, so my bloom season was not crushed by the heat reported from my part of the country.  We were blessed with the best blooms ever seen in our care, and are thankful for so much this year.

remembering green,

so poised to spring forth and grow

now waiting for snow.

One thing I am thankful for in 2012 was the opportunity to take Garden Judges II in another region.  My 5-year term was up last year and it was time to reapply to be a Garden Judge.  I signed up for this class at the Region 11 Summer Meeting - just 4 hours west of me in Kansas City, Missouri.  The meeting was in early June and was a great experience.  During this Garden Judges II training, I learned many new things about daylilies.  (I also learned that many people think they know everything about daylilies.  How sad.)  I also confirmed some things that I assumed to be true prior to this class.  But.  I digress.

One of our instructors was Linda, the fabulous Publicity Director from Region 11.  At one point in our stroll around the garden, she says, "This.  Now this is bud blasting.  Look at this, everyone."

I looked.

I raised my eyebrows!  So, THAT'S what it is!

Linda said, "Bud blasting."

Look at those deformed buds on otherwise healthy scapes.  Some commented that it was caused by the Tarnished plant bug (Lygus rugulipennis), some the extreme heat, some thrip, some gall midge, some thought the early bud formation then frost caused it, some suggested over-watering, and others thought it was just genetic predisposition.  If you know something definitive about it, or have other photos or ideas, please let me know by emailing me here.

The above are images on a registered cultivar in my garden in Michigan last year.  I took snapshots because I didn't know what was going on.    This cultivar had buds on every scape aborting, seen in the above photo. I thought it was a plant-specific problem since no other plants in the area were doing it.  I just filed the pics away and kind of forgot about the issue.

But then this year, more cultivars started doing this in my new Illinois garden (seen on the left).  Maybe about a dozen exhibited this "bud-blasting."  Note this scape on the left has blasted most of its buds.

The moral of this story is that although the AHS Dictionary of Daylily Terms does not mention "bud blasting," and over an hour of searching the reputable forums I know of turned up no clear photos or explanations of "bud blasting", I will begin to use this term to describe what I see in these pictures.  This site has some thoughts about "bud drop" and so does this one.  I learned something new.  HOORAY!

I'm not going to hold any of my daylilies responsible for their performance (good or bad) this year.  We had over 20 100-degree days, very little rain and a very early spring.  Some daylilies bloomed like royalty and others suffered a bit.  There is more rebloom than I have ever seen, but I also had six that didn't bloom at all.  Considering I just planted all of these cultivars last fall, I expected a lot more no-shows.  A few deeply southern, intricately patterned ones did not even show a scape, and several northern born, previously perfect ones never had a single flower.  All but one of the no-shows have nice foliage, so I expect some bloom out of them next year.

I'll give them all another year to shine like the newly-planted, very saturated, slightly carved, sunfast, 6.5" H. 'Bulletproof' from Nicole DeVito...  I love the spray-effect at the tip of the eyezone on the midrib.  Neat punctuation!

2012 National Daylily Convention Recap | MarLee Farms

MarLee Farms is a forest wonderland, covered in towering trees and lush foliage. When our bus pulled on to the property, we could feel the years of history and growth sprouting up around us.
This is a 120-acre working farm, and Lee and Marvin feature over 800 daylilies and thousands of hosta here.  The owners have lived here for decades, cultivating a business and a home in the trees.  They have hundreds of hosta for sale and I learned they host quite the Hosta Walk here.  In this picture, you can see Im enjoying the summer colors, with my umbrella closed.  The rain from an hour ago had stopped; the overcast sky and cooler temperatures made our visit to this woody paradise wonderful.  My camera was ready to soak up the sights!  

As I was getting this picture taken by this sunflower (I LOVE sunflowers) someone asked me to guess what this daylily was from where I was standing.  My first guess was H. 'Highland Pinched Fingers.'  

Sure enough, it was!  Here it is close-up:  

This daylily is on the most recent Popularity Poll for Region 2 and I'm starting to see it featured in more gardens!  I only recently saw it in person, and it is a real standout.  

I was most excited about seeing the Region 2 Englerth Bed here, which features a contest of entered seedlings and allows each tour guest to vote on their favorite.  It is a tradition in region 2 at our summer meetings, but this year it was extra-special because our summer meeting is eclipsed by our region hosting the national convention!  This means all national attendees get to vote and evaluate region 2 seedlings.  

That is exciting!

Lee's layout and placement of this bed made it easy for voters to evaluate the contestants.  Lots of "talking space" around the edge, and pathways through to allow for close-up looks.  People lingered here, discussing their choices, using their garden judges training, and sharing evaluating procedures with new eyes.  This was a great teaching/learning moment for those who evaluate seedlings.  The rest of the story and the contest results can be read here - with photos of the winners.

In this picture I can see Dave Niswonger, Dan Trimmer, Jim Murphy, and so many other cool folks.  

What a treat to be able to listen to Margo Reed evaluate a seeding in conversation.  And what a treat to have so many passionate daylily folks evaluate Region 2 seedlings.

I took a walk, grabbing the chance to explore the shade and hear some nature sounds. I saw a lot of green and tried to identify some of the trees.  Im not too good at that, and have been actively trying to study some native Midwest trees to be able to spot more on sight.   The silence of the trees gave my brain a rest and allowed me to recharge a little.

By this time in the trip, I have been away from home for five days with less than 15 hours of sleep and I am at the sixth fabulous garden in the last 24 hours. It's important to let it all happen and enjoy each space consciously.  Doesn't sound like a hard thing to do, but daylily overload is easy to get.  It's that point in the tour when you cant remember where you are, how many gardens you've seen or if you have had lunch yet.  That swirling, Mel Brooks moment when all the gardens look the same - still beautiful - but the same.  This garden shook me back to the moment and my brain was thankful for the refreshing respite.Our sweet, sacred summers used to linger forever and now they seem like a blur of humidity and hot flashes.  

There was a really wide wooden bridge that linked the garden to the woods, and I spent a few minutes there, looking back into the gardens, listening to the laughter and the chatter from my daylily friends.

   

I consciously stamped this photo in my mind.  I wanted to save it for when a "happy place" is needed later.  Apparently a part of your brain, called the amygdala, is in charge of generating and saving memories in your mind.  When the amygdala becomes scared and more active- thus laying down an extra set of memories, to go along with those normally taken care of by other parts of your brain.

Still with me?  Good.

We all feel like as we grow older, time speeds up (just ask any mother of a teenager, a terminally ill patient, or any high school football has-been.)    NEWS FLASH: Time really doesn’t speed up.  Baylor research says that its just as we get older, we pay less attention to the events, as we have probably already lived them, thus physiologically laying down less memory in our minds. 

H. 'Changing Seasons'

H. 'Unfolding Paradox'

Can't I choose to lay down more memories?  Why, yes I can!  

I can write about how I feel on a certain day to remember later.  I can use my camera to capture moments.  I can take 15 extra seconds to watch a monarch butterfly dance among the garden or watch a flock of Canada Geese gracefully glide across the winter sky.

We've already inhaled the intoxicating smell of rain on a spring day. 

We've already ran barefoot through a dewy field. 

We've already jumped the railroad tracks and caught air in an old VW Bug late on a Friday night.

We've already seen Santa Claus – real or otherwise.

We've already stayed up and out all night on the beach.

We've already had our hearts broken.

We've already had them healed.

Today's haiku:

Yes!  I can stop time! 

I can relive those moments.  

My amygdala says so. 

Thank you to MarLee Farms, for such a wonderful, relaxing visit!!

2012 Englerth Award Winners - Region 2 | Daylily Haiku Thursday

Each year, Region 2 hybridizers send seedlings to specified gardens to compete for the prestigious Englerth Award.  The seedlings are grown in a Region 2 Tour Garden, and visitors to the garden during the meeting can vote on which seedling they believe to be the most worthy of the award.

This year Region 2 hosted the AHS National Convention, so we were blessed to give all 600 attendees to this meeting the chance to vote on our regional seedlings!  The bed was hosted by MarLee Farms and boasted over 55 entries!

Since 1987, Region 2 hybridizers have competed for the Englerth Award for Hybridizing Excellence. The purpose of this award is to encourage and promote Region 2 hybridizers. The award is named in memory of Lawrence and Winifred Englerth of Hopkins, MI. Winifred was known for introducing daylilies with high bud count such as 'Mini Minx', 'Skippy Skeezix' and 'Pinkie Pinkerton'. 

Everyone took their vote seriously and I took the time to eavesdrop on some of the conversations.  Below are David Hoffmann of Missouri and Joel Park of Michigan (two cool dudes!) discussing the merits of some of the seedlings.

The seedlings in this bed were laid out with care, and even though we are experiencing record drought and temperatures, many were blooming wonderfully.  The convention tour-goers spent most of their visit to this garden evaluating what they saw, and making a choice for the winner.

Even though some (most) of the entries had already bloomed out, voters even took the time to evaluate the spent scapes of the clumps that were not showing any bloom!  

The award medallions have been donated by John and Geraldine Couturier, who now reside in Region 10. Each medallion is engraved with the winner's name and at the Saturday Night AHS Awards and Honors Banquet, I was pleased to announce this year's winner- Steve Williams of the Metropolitan Columbus Daylily Society and O'Bannon Springs Daylilies!  

His winning seedling is the one featured in the opening photo of this post, and also seen below, in this gorgeous photo from my friend Susan Okrasinski.

Congratulations, Steve!

On our tour day, this clump must have had 25 blooms open.  I especially enjoyed the reverse of the flower and the abundance of blooms.  We were there in the heat of the day, after a rain, and as you can see from the photo (taken by someone on my bus), it did not melt or slick in the rain.

Only 4 votes separated the 1st and 2nd place winners; it was a tight race and every vote counted!

Here are the second and third place winners, a double from Dottie Warrell (seedling 7WPCD) and another beauty from Steve Williams (seedling 813.1076)!

This double had a few blooms open, they were all double and the branching was very nice.  The scapes held up the large blooms and I thought the colors were nice and saturated.  

The eye brought some distinction I enjoyed.  This double is a daylily I would spend money to own...I hope Dottie decides to register it and offer it for sale.

The third place daylily was (in my own words) a tall, stippled, reverse bitone.  It towered over some of its neighbors and was very photogenic.  This one was also entered by the winner of this years competition, Steve Williams.

These three were my top three as well.  I actually had some entries in this seedling bed (they had already all bloomed out and I was bummed) but the spent scapes looked good and I heard some nice discussion about the foliage condition despite the weather.    This was the first year I entered this competition, and will certainly do so again.  

I encourage any hybridizer in region 2 to send a few fans (the more the better) to the 2013 and 2014 Englerth beds.  In 2013, the bed will be hosted by Gail Braunstein from Ohio and in 2014 it will be hosted by Mark Jankowski from Wisconsin.

You could go to your seedling beds right now and ship several fans to these two hosts.  The more fans, the better.  In order to win, you want more fans to increase your chance to have it blooming on tour day.  You also might not pick those seedlings which bloom early.  They might be bloomed out by tour time.

Here are the addresses of who to ship your seedlings to if you choose to enter this competition for the next two years:

2013- 

Gail and Dick Braunstein

3010 McIntire Road

Morrow, Ohio  45152

email her here

2014-

Mark Jankowski

4297 Deprey Road

Abrams, Wisconsin 54101

email him here

Congratualtions again to Steve Williams of O'Bannon Springs Daylilies on his win!  I know he has been a contender in past years, too.  I hope to make it to his garden someday to see what is going on in person.  Many people visited after the recent National Convention and I hope they enjoyed the visit!  

You can visit his website here.

BONUS: My brain is finally free of summer's grasp to flow a haiku.  Welcome back to Daylily Haiku Thursday, friends.  Thanks for three years of creating 5-7-5 prose about our favorite flower...

dark as cold midnight,

in the unrelenting sun.

not melting.  stunning!