Thankful | Daylily Blog about things that matter...

I keep a traditional pen-and-paper journal in my garden toolkit and I find myself writing in it many times throughout the year when a thought hits me in the garden.  I love doodling, I love handwriting, and I love the memories it will evoke when I read it sometime in the future.  I paged through that journal this weekend, looking for a list I made of soil amendments for a new raised bed.  I found the list, and found other inspiration, too.

As an ode to Thanksgiving, here are some things inspired by my journal for which I am thankful...

ONE | Diversity.  What brought me to daylilies was the rich diversity of form, size, shape and color.  I found once I got to "daylilydom" that the people who love them are just as diverse.  This mix always provides great conversation starters!  I'm thankful that there are always choices, and if we don't like the path we are currently on - we can choose to change.  

TWO | Hybridizers. The people who choose to focus full-time on bringing us new daylily hybrids are the oil in our engine.  Their imaginations, innovations and instinct propel our hobby to new places each year.  New catalogs are starting to arrive and websites are getting 2013 updates.  My wallet has never been thinner.  If you are curious on "who" these people are, please check out this link for a real comprehensive list (by person).  

 Nicole Harry's H. 'Dust and Gravity'

THREE | Learning new stuff. Every day there is something new to learn in daylilies.  There are lots of good discussions now on e-robins, Facebook group pages and other blogs.  Right now two hot topics I'm learning more about are raised bed edging options (all of the beds in my new gardens are raised) and cheating with Photoshop to either become a better photographer or hybridizer.   Regardless of what side of the debate I am on, I enjoy the opportunity to contribute to an intelligent discussion with other passionate people.  (that last sentence was a great mix of sincerity and sarcasm...LOL!)

FOUR | Real Books.  For as much as I love my Kindle Fire HD and other gadgets, I love real, paper books.  Above is a shot of some of my recent reads.  There are so many good books about daylilies out there to chew up this cold season.  Every winter I seem to re-read Sydney Eddison's A Passion For Daylilies.  That never gets old.  Buy a copy for some of your daylily friends.  It is an enthralling and colorful story of ALL our lives.  Here is a search on Amazon showing more daylily-related books you might want to check out.

Mort Morss' H. 'Curtis Montgomery'

FIVE | Committees.  Yep, committees.  This time of year the AHS organizes its many committees for the coming year and I am excited to be a part of a few again in 2013.  I am a firm believer that if you have a beef, the best way to get some resolution is to follow the proper protocol, even if you do not believe in the politics behind the protocol.  I always try to keep skin in the game.  I join committees not because I have scads of free time for meetings and more email, but because I believe in improvement.  I'm thankful for rational, kind minds that lack ulterior motives. 

 Ted Petit's H. 'Bella Isabella'

SIX | You.  A Girl and Her Garden grows because of you.  I'm thankful right now to be surrounded by those whose lives touch me more than they will ever know.  Every time I have a crazy adventure in the garden, I think of how I will share it with you.  Every photo I shoot that takes my breath away, I race to share with you.  Because of you I strive to be a better writer, better photographer, better grower and a better gardening steward.

H. 'Carolina Pink Pinwheel' from Gene Tanner at Browns Ferry Gardens 

Click here to see the fabulous Browns Ferry website.

FYI: this was the best pink and best branched daylily in my garden for 2012.  I have never seen true 5 and 6-way branching in my garden before (Michigan or Illinois) and this one had it in spades. Registered as an evergreen, it is not phased by cold winters in my experience.  Although it comes from two parents that have not done well for me despite several tries, this daylily is amazing.   

Click here to read a haiku about pink.  And here for more pink.

And click here for another post on pink.

2013 has some wonderful things in store for this little place in the blogosphere, and I hope you will continue on this journey with me.  Thanks for sticking with me 4 years and hundreds of stories!