Above is Martin Kamensky's H. 'Picotee Magic.' The saturation of pink at the edges of these petals really gets my heart racing. The midribs are so white. And so carved. Its not a surprise that this one is a former Englerth Winner in Region 2.
Below is Karol Emmerich's H. 'Woman at the Well.' I still remember the first time I saw this flower in a slide show many years ago. SO DISTINCT! SUCH MOVEMENT! The shading and gradient of color in the throat gives the bloom such depth. I just love it, Karol! Have you seen Karol's website lately? Here were her 2013 intros. WOW.
.JPG)
Here are some things Im starting to do now. The good news is they are all fun and require little soap - if any.
2. Jot down two things you always wish you would have done early in the Spring. Make it a priority to do those things as soon as you can get outside. These tasks quite often do not get done because they aren't the most fun ones to do. So, make a commitment that you will do those most unpleasant, but quick tasks first so you aren't kicking yourself later in the season. Remember THIS IS THE YEAR OF JOY. Little and big joy.
.JPG)
3. Think about those waning days of Fall, where you find yourself reflecting in the garden about what "could have been." What is the one goal you want your garden to meet this year? Is it to get all your roses pruned just right? Do you always wish you would have shared more or culled more or taken more photographs or invited more people over to enjoy your daylilies? Consider that your BIG GOAL this year. Be conscious not to let this garden season pass with any regrets. My big goal is to significantly bolster the butterfly-beneficial plants in my garden, and find ones that play well with the daylilies. I also want to add more fragrance to the garden. Those are two goals Ill be working toward this year.
4. Pick out some daylilies from your collection to donate as door prizes for guests or new members at your next local club meeting. Pick out two or three GOOD ONES and just unexpectedly show up with them at the first spring meeting. You can certainly use to cull a few and there are certainly some new growers who will not forget your hospitality. I dig clumps very early int he spring and plant 1-gallon pots. By the time a plant sale rolls around in late June, these pots have healthy, probably-scaping fans that sell themselves.
.JPG)
5. Plant a miniature garden that reflects your other hobbies. This will be a great addition to your garden outside when the weather breaks. I did one with a Halloween theme that I might keep up all year round now! I also have a Birthday Party garden, and one that is overrun with Smurfs and vintage Smurf mushroom houses!
.JPG)
.JPG)
6. Update your databases and garden maps. I'm still using PlantStep and I cant say enough amazing things about what it does for my enjoyment of the daylilies in my garden. Read this past post where I gushed on it...
7. Write some thank you notes. Not emails. Not Facebook messages. Get out an ink pen and use your cursive skills to thank some of your daylily friends for their support, their creations, their efforts or for just being who they are. You might even write a note to a hybridizer you don't know personally, but you admire their daylilies. Drop them a line to tell them you appreciate what they do. Send some hand-written happiness to your local club president or neighborhood kid that cuts your grass in the summer. Make the mailbox a happy place for some unsuspecting daylily friends or fans today.
8. Join a new Facebook group called "Monday Night Lights." Daylily enthusiasts from all over the world come together on Monday nights at 7PM (eastern standard time) to enjoy a live presentation by a daylily-specific person. Each night features two, sometimes three presenters. It is an innovative use of Facebook I just ADORE and its worth checking it out. (P.S. I am scheduled to present on April 21.)
And a bonus something-to-do-when-you-should-be-doing-something-else, Revisit these fun posts from my archives:
