Blog Archives

she's got legs

9/26/2021

'She's Got Legs' is a great late-season northern daylily. This year she was my very last bloomer, starting the first week in August. I am always happy to see her cheerful face, but sad at the same time because it means daylily season is almost over.

This gorgeous peach blend was hybridized by Reckamp-Klehm and introduced in 2003. She grows between 37 to 40 inches tall and the flowers are 6.5 inches in size. The blooms have thick substance and look great, rain or shine. Every flower is close to perfection. She's Got Legs is a dormant tetraploid that grows reliably and consistently in Wisconsin.

I have to add that the one other thing I love about this daylily is its name. Who doesn't love the blues, rock and boogie of ZZ Top?

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amazing marigolds

9/19/2021

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Here are a few photos of the fluorescent marigolds growing by our home. They literally glow in the sun. People don't believe us when we tell them that every single marigold they see has re-seeded itself from last year's flowers. I know it doesn't appear so, but we really did try to thin them out. They have been re-seeding like this for years. I originally bought three or four 6-packs of 'Bonanza Gold' 8-10" marigolds maybe five years ago. They are super hardy and pop up all over, so we relocated a few of the seedlings where we wanted them. We even rescued some seedlings from cracks in the sidewalk. These are some crazy, happy plants!

Tip: We planted marigolds in front of our daylilies so when Fall arrives all the daylily foliage is covered up completely.

Photos by Ange and Jade Anderson

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sandhill cranes

9/12/2021

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We have always seen Sandhill Cranes in our area marshlands as we live close to the Mississippi and Black Rivers. However, 2021 marks the first year that we have experienced a pair of cranes up close and personal all summer long. The cranes have been parading up and down our road and doing flybys just about every day. They have an impressive wingspan of over five feet. Soon they will be migrating south for the winter and I will miss hearing their daily calls. Sandhill Crane calls are seriously LOUD, in fact they woke me on up on more than one occasion as they flew past my bedroom window at daybreak.

Sandhill Cranes nest in small, isolated wetlands -- marshes, bogs, or swales, though occasionally on dry land—within about 300 yards of the edges of larger ones. They prefer areas with vegetation growing in standing water, but some nest on dry ground. Their food includes berries, small mammals, insects, snails, reptiles, and amphibians. Sandhill Cranes mate for life, choosing their partners based on dancing displays. Displaying birds stretch their wings, pump their heads, bow, and leap into the air. Predators include foxes, raccoons, coyotes, wolves, bobcats, crows, ravens, eagles, and owls.

Listen to this YouTube clip to hear what they sound like:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbn8yIq7_LM

Crane information from Cornell University:
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Sandhill_Crane/overview#

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carole's daylily dozen

9/5/2021

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Ruby Spider

After having my friends choose their favorite daylily dozen, it's only fair that I create my own list for my Wisconsin - Zone 4 garden. This was harder than I expected, as all the daylilies are my favorites on different days. But I do have a common theme here -- big, bold colors and/or large flowers.

'Carnival in Mexico' - A beautiful award winner that is a solid performer. The seven-inch blooms have great substance and during peak bloom it's not unusual for it to have 25-30 blooms in one day.
'Coleman Hawkins' - I bought this plant from the recommendation of another gardener. Boy was he right on! This big plant is just what I was looking for. I've always been partial to orange daylilies and the large eight-inch blooms are gorgeous. It never disappoints.
'Coral Majority' - I love this daylily because of its unusual, vibrant coral color. It's very bright and showy - another one of my dependable August daylilies that blooms like crazy.
'Fall Remembrances' - An uncelebrated daylily, but I love it dearly. One of my late bloomers that really puts on a show in August. It's tall, sturdy and prolific. The blooms start the morning as a rusty copper color and mellow to a warm gold as the day progresses.
'Holiday Party' - The photo pretty much spells out what I love about this plant. It's definitely a showstopper. I read about the attributes of this plant in another gardener's daylily blog and decided I had to have it in my garden too. Great decision!
'Jerry Hyatt' - What I love best about this plant is how it looks different depending on the weather conditions. I venture to say there's about six different faces that Jerry Hyatt puts forth. I especially like the leopard spots that it exhibits some days.
'Mister Lucky' - He's as old as the hills (1975), but still holds a prized spot next to my back door. Every bloom is perfect, the clump is well-behaved, has a nice foliage and the color is exquisite.
'Omomuki' - A fluorescent yellow daylily that is a beacon in my garden, in addition to being an early, prolific bloomer. This plant is one of my husband's favorites, as well. The original two fans came to my garden from a dear friend, so that makes this daylily even more special.
'Primal Scream' - A multiple award-winner that literally glows on sunny days. The unusual form 7.5" blooms are brilliant. Every northern gardener should grow this superior daylily.
'Ruby Spider' - The large, velvety nine-inch blooms are breathtaking. I had heard for years from other gardeners how wonderful this plant was, but it wasn't until I started growing it myself that I fully understood what they were talking about.
'Time Stopper' - The color combination is what I love most about this plant, not to mention its tall, vigorous nature and large blooms - a definite wow!
'Waxed Legs' - This daylily is not my biggest bloomer, nor is it the most prolific, but I'm obsessed with the beautiful 13" waxy, green blooms. I'm continually compelled to take photos of this one, despite the dozens I already have.