Sometimes I feel like I live inside the gazing ball - looking out at everyone else's straightened life while mine is a swirl of tilted views and skewed landscapes. I'm visiting Michigan this week for work, a place that was my home for the almost 13 years, and my brain is struggling to remember what it was like to live here.
There I am on the surface of this gazing ball, Auntie Em- and we ARE IN KANSAS!
In June I was invited to attend the Region 11 Summer Meeting on the Missouri/Kansas border. I was very excited to attend and help them with their auction. I also have seen very few daylily gardens west of St Louis, so it was looking to be an exciting trip.
One of the two great gardens I was able to see on their tour was the home garden of the Hart's (Lois Hart- Region 11's treasurer and director-elect.) Their "Thin Wallet Ranch" reflected their fun and casual aura. Even the name cracks me up! I can totally relate. We deboarded the bus and enjoyed a long walk up their long, shaded driveway. Neat art projects dotted the way until we reached the end and the garden spilled out before us. Lois had the daylilies from Region 11 hybridizers prominently marked and I saw many that I immediately needed to add to my wish list. A star performer in two gardens I saw was H. 'Catspaw Sunrise Sunset', shown in the first photo below. It was the clump award winner for their meeting and I understand why. In the two gardens I saw it in, the clumps were LOADED with well-branched and heavily-budded scapes. The little flowers were perfectly formed. I will certainly be seeking this one out in the spring.
Here is the registration information: Catspaw Sunrise Sunset (Plahn-D., 2007) height 20", bloom 3.5", season MLa, Dormant, Diploid, 28 buds, 3 branches, Red yellow bitone above green throat. (Siloam Paul Watts × Spell Fire) I think there are some neat hybridizing opportunities here.
H. 'Catspaw Sunrise Sunset' and H. 'Color Me There' (a R2 hybridizer)
H. 'Music Please' and H. 'Raj'
Lois' sense of humor was found in many of the art pieces accenting the garden. Their house loomed above these art glass spikes; the dreamy, full wrap-around porch overlooking all this beauty.
shining in the light
stretching to find a sparkle
in the summer sun
I love glass in the garden. Something about the refinement of glittering glass outside screams confident whimsy.
In my own garden, I have featured a glass collection. This collection is on my patio and is partially protected from the open elements by two house walls.
I have been collecting this type of glass for about 20 years; I always seem to find another piece in a random roadside flea market - and rarely have I seen two alike. I like the way they defy the ruggedness of the garden and bring the inside out in a fun way. Many were broken in the move last year, and I gave many away before I packed my favorites. This is all that remains of my collection now. I took this picture this morning. Sometimes I fill them with water and put different blooms in them each day during the bloom season. Some are filled with marbles from my dad's childhood and others hold tiny bog plants not afraid of a little soaking. They are fun, colorful, and like Lois' garden, they add a bit of happiness to my green days outside. One of the first thing first-time visitors ask about the glass is "do you leave that outside all year?!" And the answer is no. I bring it in after Thanksgiving and put it out sometime in March and I have never lost a single piece to the weather elements like wind, snow or rain. Like my infamous super ball collection, friends have taken to picking these up for me when they find them on the road. Im happy to reimburse them when they present me with the cool finds!!
But, I digress. Back to Lois'...
This is a double from Kropf...H. 'Scarlet Marie.' I love the infusion of color. I traded for a big clump of this one, so next year I will enjoy it in my own garden.
And this is a shot of the cool garden railroad set up on one of her patios. I got some background on the pieces and just had a hoot learning more about it. Look at those cars. They are "bug themed" and perfect for a garden train adventure. I bet if my son saw this he would immediately want one in our own yard. Maybe that is a thought...Lois' husband said he had a hard time finding all these matching cars, but I have never been one to back down from an internet shopping scavenger hunt! ebay and etsy here I come!
The garden was on all four sides of their house, anchored in the middle by the pool. I love the long beds, easily accessed from both sides.
You can see in this picture below where she has marked all the Region 11 hybridizers with blue flags. It was a treat to see them featured.
There were so many stunning views in her garden - even in the shade I found some great pictures!
The bus boarded and we were off to find more treasures along the Kansas/Missouri central border!
I just love the colors of the midwest...
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One of the two great gardens I was able to see on their tour was the home garden of the Hart's (Lois Hart- Region 11's treasurer and director-elect.) Their "Thin Wallet Ranch" reflected their fun and casual aura. Even the name cracks me up! I can totally relate. We deboarded the bus and enjoyed a long walk up their long, shaded driveway. Neat art projects dotted the way until we reached the end and the garden spilled out before us. Lois had the daylilies from Region 11 hybridizers prominently marked and I saw many that I immediately needed to add to my wish list. A star performer in two gardens I saw was H. 'Catspaw Sunrise Sunset', shown in the first photo below. It was the clump award winner for their meeting and I understand why. In the two gardens I saw it in, the clumps were LOADED with well-branched and heavily-budded scapes. The little flowers were perfectly formed. I will certainly be seeking this one out in the spring. 
I have been collecting this type of glass for about 20 years; I always seem to find another piece in a random roadside flea market - and rarely have I seen two alike. I like the way they defy the ruggedness of the garden and bring the inside out in a fun way. Many were broken in the move last year, and I gave many away before I packed my favorites. This is all that remains of my collection now. I took this picture this morning. Sometimes I fill them with water and put different blooms in them each day during the bloom season. Some are filled with marbles from my dad's childhood and others hold tiny bog plants not afraid of a little soaking. They are fun, colorful, and like Lois' garden, they add a bit of happiness to my green days outside. One of the first thing first-time visitors ask about the glass is "do you leave that outside all year?!" And the answer is no. I bring it in after Thanksgiving and put it out sometime in March and I have never lost a single piece to the weather elements like wind, snow or rain. Like my infamous super ball collection, friends have taken to picking these up for me when they find them on the road. Im happy to reimburse them when they present me with the cool finds!!
