'Buckeye Barnstormer' is one of my awesome little overachievers. This 100% double daylily is such a show off that I have it planted by the back door so you can appreciate it every time you come in and out of the house or drive up the driveway. It makes a beautiful clump and the foliage is very nice.

Hybridized in Iowa by Ralph Haehn and introduced in 2000, this semi-evergreen diploid grows 26 inches tall. It is a perfect plant for in front of the border. Blooms are 4.5 inches in size. Buckeye Barnstormer bloomed from June 27 through August 1 last summer. It is very hardy and consistent in Wisconsin. One of the parents of Buckeye is the Stout Medal winner Siloam Double Classic. I have grown Siloam Double Classic and Buckeye definitely inherited the vigorous nature of its parent.

'Only Just Begun' has been with me on my daylily journey from the very beginning of my obsession. I have grown this cultivar for over 30 years and I am in love with it today just as much as the first day I saw it bloom. OJB is a 1976 Gilbert Wild daylily – you've no doubt heard of Gilbert Wild of Missouri, right? I'm pretty sure just about everyone in the daylily community started out with Gilbert Wild daylilies. I remember spending hours paging through their catalog, marveling at all of the different types and colors of daylilies that were available.

Only Just Begun is a dormant diploid daylily that is very hardy and consistent in Wisconsin. Although registered at 26 inches tall, my plant is so happy it typically grows up to 33 inches tall. The 5.5 inch waxy, cream–colored blooms have a slight tinge of pink. Dainty ruffles are an added bonus. Last summer, OJB bloomed from July 2 through August 4. This prolific superstar looks wonderful whether it's 60° or 100°. Rain, shine, wind, whatever, it always looks perfect. 

'Charles and Cynthia' is a gorgeous pink and purple combination with a vibrant yellow–green eye. It also has a delicate white edge that sports occasional shark teeth. Hybridized in North Carolina and introduced in 2012 by Paul Owen, this daylily was named to honor his good friends Charles and Cynthia Lucius.

C and C is a northern hardy dormant tetraploid that grows 27 inches tall with large 6 and 1/2 inch blooms. It's a vigorous midseason bloomer with a bud count of 21 to 25. Last summer it bloomed in my garden from July 4 through August 10. This tidy, well–behaved plant is planted by a tiered retaining wall and it never disappoints me. It is noteworthy to mention that one of its parents is the well-known award–winning daylily God Save the Queen.

I was so excited that my photo of 'Firestorm' was chosen as the cover girl of the Great Lakes Daylily Magazine for Winter 2022. The cover article was about favorite older cultivars. I have had this wonderful plant for many years and it will always have a place in my garden. Be sure to read the article on page 42; you will get lots of info about 'older' tried-and-true daylilies that you may want to grow.

If you love daylilies, click on the link below and read all the great information inside. I always look forward to getting this magazine, whether it is in digital or print form. I get this magazine as part of my membership with the American Daylily Society. Check it out!

http://www.adsregion2.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Great-Lakes-Daylily-Winter-2022-Digital-Version.pdf 

I am in love with orange daylilies and the big, bold 'Fiesta Latina' checks all the boxes for me. It is a beautiful vibrant orange, has a large bloom and is a consistent performer. Hybridized in North Carolina in 2007 by Bob Selman at Blue Ridge Daylilies, Fiesta Latina is a dormant tetraploid that grows 36 inches tall in my garden. Last summer it bloomed from July 3 through the first week in August.

I have this daylily planted in a very prominent spot by my backyard patio, so when I sit outside I can enjoy it up close. It is planted by dark purple, near white and red daylilies that bloom at the same time so that the bright orange pops.

Here is one of my blooming superstars, 'Custard Candy.' This daylily is hardy, prolific and reliable. I love the delicate yellow–gold edge around all of the petals. This plant earns its garden space and then some. It's a perfect daylily to grow at the front of your border. Hybridized by Patrick Stamile, this award–winning dormant tetraploid was registered in 1989.

Custard Candy grows 24 inches tall and has flowers that are 4.25 inches in size. Bloom time is early midseason in my garden, from June 22 to August 1. This daylily is one of my all-time keepers. 

AHS Awards:

• ​Stout Silver Medal: 1999 – The highest award a daylily can win
• Award of Merit: 1996
• Honorable Mention: 1993
  
• Annie T. Giles Award: 1996

My experience with Dormant, Semi–Evergreen and Evergreen daylilies in Zone 4
 
Although I grow all three foliage types of daylilies, my western Wisconsin garden is predominantly filled with dormants. Over the years the dormants have thrived the best in our northern climate. Nothing seems to faze them…even a polar vortex. I grow many semi-evergreens that do very well, but I have had much more difficulty growing evergreens. Of the daylilies I would lose each winter, most would be evergreens. So obviously, I am much more cautious when it comes to growing evergreens. With a little extra TLC, like protection by the house or a location by a warm sidewalk or rock border, my six evergreens grow wonderfully and I have had them for many years ––  they include J.T. Davis, Joan Senior, Lotus Position, Mister Lucky, Wings of Chance, and Waxed Legs.

​Foliage habit definitions from the American Daylily Society:

• Dormant/deciduous –In science, dormancy describes the temporary suspension of visible growth of any plant structure containing a meristem. The term “dormant” is not restricted to deciduous plants but also applies when plants that retain some, or all, of their foliage suspend growth and have dormant buds. All daylilies, regardless of registered foliage habit, suspend growth when it gets cold enough.
• Semi–evergreen – The foliage of semi-evergreen daylilies dies back nearly to the ground in very cold climates. Some green will be seen near the base. Generally, semi-evergreens wait until spring to resume growth.
• Evergreen – The foliage habit of daylilies that retain their foliage throughout the year. In cold winter climates, evergreen daylilies over-winter as a mound of frozen pale green foliage. Evergreens may resume growth during a mid-winter thaw in mild climates. Evergreen daylilies do not set resting buds.

Pictured is the dormant daylily Dean Corey

There's a serendipity story about this daylily. About nine years ago in August, Ange  and I attended the Annual Wisconsin Daylily Sale in Madison. Once inside the big daylily tent we both went our separate ways to find the plants on our list. About half-an-hour later we met up to compare notes. Although not on our wish list, each of us had picked up an 'Adorable Tiger' plant and put it in our individual baskets. So it was unanimous; we had no choice but to bring this beautiful daylily home with us and we have enjoyed it ever since!

Hybridized in 1998 by George Rasmussen from Farmingdale (Long Island), New  York, Adorable Tiger is a very showy dormant tetraploid that grows well in Wisconsin. It is  26" tall and  has 5" flowers (bud count:16-20). In my garden it bloomed from July 10 through August 10.

American Daylily Society Awards:

• Award of Merit: 2007 - This award signifies that a cultivar is not only distinctive and beautiful, but also performs well over a wide geographic area.
• Honorable Mention: 2004 - The first official “stamp of approval” by the ADS, where good performance goes beyond the regional level.
• Junior Citation: 1998 - This award was established to focus attention on new cultivars that appear to have outstanding qualities and distinction.
• Don C. Stevens Award: 2008 - The most outstanding eyed or banded daylily.
• President's Cup: 2006 - The most outstanding of all clumps observed by attendees of the National Convention tour gardens.

This sounds like a crazy topic when we're talking about daylilies. Over the years, 99% of my daylilies thrived and grew wonderfully with no pampering whatsoever. In fact, I have given away some beautiful daylilies for the simple fact that they grew *too* fast and it was annoying having to divide them year after year. But let's talk about that one percent of daylilies that no matter what you do will not grow. And I'm talking about daylilies that should successfully grow in your zone.

I visited an online forum and was relieved to see I was not the only person that had experienced  this problem. Some folks said they had bought the same plant three times because they knew people in their zone that grew it successfully. Others moved their plant around numerous times until it was happy. Some folks bought the same plant twice, but the second time they bought it from a different source and the second time the plant did wonderfully.

An issue of concern could be whether the plant is a division or has been tissue cultured. It is always better to purchase from a reliable source that you know are divisions. Tissue culture plants may grow well, but more than likely may not. Blog on tissue culture

Bottom line, with more than 95,000 daylily varieties available I wouldn’t put up with these problems for too long because it is easy enough to find another daylily that is more than willing to grow happily in your garden.

​Pictured: Mississippi Red Dragon, a dormant daylily that was very temperamental for me. I knew other gardeners that grew this plant in my zone with no problem whatsoever. My plant was definitely a division. Go figure?

'Cradle of Bethlehem' had been growing in my front garden for a few years. It was such a beautiful show-off that last fall we moved it up by the house so we could appreciate it more. With its vibrant yellow-green eye and dark purple edges, this daylily glowed in the sun. In a clump it is quite striking.

Hybridized by Elizabeth Shooter and introduced in 2007, this dainty diploid dormant is hardy in Wisconsin. Cradle of Bethlehem grows 26 inches tall with flowers that are 5.5 inches in size. It is a midseason-late bloomer. Last summer, in my garden, it bloomed from July 20 until mid-August when the deer ate all of the remaining flowers and scapes during a weeklong rain.

AHS Awards: Honorable Mention 2010 

Each season 'Chance Encounter' is one of my reliable and prolific bloomers. This lovely raspberry-rose blend really holds its own and earns every bit of its garden space. Chance Encounter was given to me by my friend Carol almost 20 years ago. Over the years I have shared divisions of this beautiful daylily with my friends as well. 

Hybridized by Patrick Stamile in 1994, this dormant tetraploid grows wonderfully in Wisconsin. Although registered at 25 inches tall, my plant grows between 27 and 28 inches. Flowers are 6 inches in size. Last summer, even though the season was shortened due to weather, my daylily bloomed from July 5 to August 6.

This popular daylily has 121 children on record in the daylily database!

American Daylily Society Awards:
Award of Merit: 2001
Honorable Mention: 1998
L. Earnest Plouf Award: 2000

Believe it or not, as of today there are 95,107 daylilies registered in the American Daylily Society database. This is the official registry site of daylilies. I use this database if I need information about a specific plant or hybridizer, all the details are right at my fingertips. Advanced search capabilities are available to save you time. Before I put plants on my wish list, I always verify the details here to make sure they are what I want. Plus I love seeing all the creative daylily names the hybridizers come up with! Check out the American Daylily Society database:  https://daylilies.org/DaylilyDB/

The second database I use is The National Gardening Association. There are 174,193 images of daylilies in this database.

What I like about this database:

• The wide variety of photos posted on each daylily's profile, taken by people in many different locations. Before I buy any daylilies, I make sure I check out the photos that home gardeners take instead of relying on one photo from a sales site. Believe me, a difference can exist! You can also get a sense of the plant's consistency.
• Comments from gardeners who already grow the daylily
• Links to view the registered parent daylily cultivars
• Links to view all the registered child daylily cultivars
• The ability to also search for a variety of perennials including daylilies, irises, roses, sempervivum, lilies, hostas, dahlias, peonies, and daffodils.

Check out the National Gardening Association database: https://garden.org/plants/group/daylilies/

'Profound Mystery' is one of my transforming daylilies. It starts the day as rosy cranberry with a cranberry-lavender watermark. In the afternoon the petal color fades and the sepals stay the same color as in the morning, becoming a reverse bitone. You can see from the photographs how it changes faces throughout the day. Blooms on this daylily are consistent and look great in all types of weather.

Hybridized in Minnesota by Karol Emmerich and introduced in 2009, this dormant tetraploid grows 28 inches tall with 5 inch blooms. I have my plant growing at the front of a border because the unique blooms are so showy and attractive. Profound Mystery is a no-fuss, hardy grower in Wisconsin. Last summer, in my garden, it bloomed from July 7 through August 13.

'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?

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.

1. '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.
2. '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.
3. '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.
4. '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.
5. '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!
6. '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.
7. '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.
8. '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.
9. '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.
10. '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.
11. '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!
12. '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.

I challenged my friend Mary to come up with a list of a dozen favorite daylilies from her garden. If you grow daylilies you know that a favorites list is very fluid, so this particular list is comprised of Mary's top 12 as of TODAY. You can bet that tomorrow's list may look a little different. We love all of our plants for different reasons and it's hard to pick favorites. Mary's list is alphabetical, so there's no preference for one plant over the other. Her garden is in Wisconsin-Zone 4 so these cultivars are all winter hardy plants that thrive in a northern climate. 

Mary's Guest Blog:
Wow, I can't believe how fast the summer has gone. The mosquitoes almost ate me alive at times while trying to garden and deadhead my daylilies. It's funny how, as we grow older, our same young self is still there inside of us. The realization that I work a bit slower nowadays doesn't get in the way of my gardening addiction. I'll never quit gardening as long as I'm able. I love coming home from work and strolling through my gardens for instant relaxation.

1. Carolina Octopus: Baxter - A gorgeous gal that came from my neighbor who was downsizing his daylily garden. This polymerous spider has huge 10" blooms.  She stands tall and shows off in my garden.  
2. Lies and Lipstick: Kinnebrew, J. - I love the mischievous name, of course. This one makes me smile when I work with it.  
3. Mynelle's Starfish: Hayward, M. - A very pleasant discovery, also from my neighbor, that turned out to be a short, but awesome polymerous. It really does look like a starfish, don't you think? I've never seen anything like it.  
   
4. Nu-Era Sure is Cool: (Kietzman/Johnson, BJ - unregistered) - The color of this daylily is so striking. It was a gift from a couple of daylily junkies. Of course I think of them when I see it. Thank you, my friends.
5. Persian Ruby: Trimmer - This beauty stole my heart the first time I saw it -- another one that gets noticed immediately by visitors in my garden.  
6. Rock Solid: Stamile  - This daylily stands by its name.  The plum, velvet eye is amazing. Love the color.  I seem to be partial to purple and pink in my garden.  
7. Rose F. Kennedy: Doorakian - Rose had been on my wish list for quite a few years. This last summer it finally became available at a daylily sale. Love it!
8. Siloam Plum Tree: Henry, P. - This daylily was one of the first in my garden. I've always loved the deep purple color; it reminds me of grapes.  
9. The Band Played On: Stamile - If this orchid-rose color doesn't steal your heart I don't know what will. I guess you could say it brings sweet music to my garden.  
10. Thorhalla: Mahieu - Another daylily surprise from my neighbor. I gave it a try and I haven't been disappointed. The violet-purple flower and neon lemon-lime eye can be seen easily from a distance, which I love. Tall, sturdy scapes support these beautiful midseason-late blooms.
    
11. Three Bad Pigs: Tanner, G. - When I think about how this daylily got its name, it always makes me smile.  That crayola purple eye is just gorgeous.  
12. Willow Dean Smith: Rice, J. - This ruffled light cream/pink daylily is a standout in my garden every year. The delicate, girly, pastel look can't be beat!
    

I challenged my friend Sally to come up with a top twelve list of favorite daylilies from her garden. I thought it would be fun for you to get someone else's take on what grows well in their yard. Sally’s garden is in Wisconsin-Zone 4 so, like me, she needs hardy daylilies that thrive in a northern climate.

Sally's Guest Blog
I am not oblivious to the wonderful attributes of award-winning daylilies that I have seen in other gardens or even grown myself. This group alone could fill up my top twelve. Instead, I wish to offer twelve solid favorites that I have grown for at least three bloom seasons. Some of them may be considered "off the beaten path," older award winners or are uncelebrated, but in my opinion worthy of a "shout out."

My list is in alphabetical order as it was difficult enough to narrow it down to twelve plants.  After all, isn't that why we are daylily collectors? We  love all of our daylily children...each for a different reason!

1. Black Falcon Ritual, Hanson, C. - I could go on and on about this one--lovely bloom shape, beautiful dark color-fast blooms on sturdy scapes...A must in my eyes!  
2. Ellis Powell, Carpenter, J. - The huge distinctive blooms of this ruffled gold-edged plant would be enough for me, but the thickness of the blooms is remarkable.  
3. Fountain of Life, Emmerich - This stunning rebloomer produces 64 days of bloom on average in my garden.  The scapes are sturdy and the flower, of course, is beautiful with a gold edge.  
4. Malcolm David Brooker, Senior, Brooker - What a striking performer this glow-in-the dark bloomer is. The teeth are incredible and it doesn't hang up when opening.  
5. New Series, Carpenter, K. - I can always count on this plant doing well with 50 plus bloom days in most years. The beautiful unique look it has is unmistakable.
6. Pork Barrel Spending, Bremer - My first attraction was to the humorous name of this hardy, overachieving plant.  Blooming all or more than the registered 8" bloom size and towering at 34+" (registered at 29"), other plants were being blocked so I moved it.  Relocation didn't faze it and the striking, huge unusual form blooms continued the next season.  
   
7. Schnickel Fritz, Kirchhoff, D. - This stunning double is a prolific bloomer/rebloomer.  It is one of my first and one of my last to bloom each year.  
8. Two to Tango, Stamile - A prolific bloomer of perfect double flowers.  Even though this is a smaller flower, it makes a huge impact in the garden and is easy to deadhead.
9. Vanilla Fluff, Joiner - This huge cream double will always be in my garden--actually I have two clumps.  It never flops over even at its towering 40" height in my garden and it has a wonderful fragrance.
10. Venus Flytrap, Gossard - I was first drawn to this one because of the name. The dark maroon flowers with a white toothy edge make it a standout.  My mature plant bloomed 66 days last year and only stopped because it froze in the fall despite my attempt at covering such a tall bloom.  I surround this one with light cultivars of similar height that really show off the beautiful edge:  Suzy Cream Cheese, Vanilla Fluff, and Wedding Band.
11. Wedding Band, Stamile -  My mature clump stands up perfectly at almost three feet and provides so much bloom in a color I love.  Truly deserving of the awards it has received.
12. White Eyes Pink Dragon, Gossard - I have not had this plant as long as the others on this list but it is a strong bloomer and the huge flowers, clear color and shape that I love make it a standout at the back of the border.  

Photos in this blog are all courtesy of Sally

Frances Joiner is a beautiful, delicate rose blend that is reminiscent of a tropical sunset. This reliable double is perfect for the front-of-the-garden border. The blooms are both consistent and prolific. Hybridized in Savannah, Georgia by Enman Joiner, Sr. and introduced in 1988, this award-winning daylily was named for his wife, Frances.

This dormant diploid daylily grows 24" tall and has 5.5 inch blooms. Frances is a midseason bloomer typically starting in early July and blooming into August. She is hardy in Wisconsin's northern climate. This daylily's genetics have been used to create 114 child plants that are registered in the American Daylily Society database.

American Daylily Society Awards: 

• Award of Merit: 1995 - This award is given to signify that a cultivar is not only distinctive and beautiful, but also performs well over a wide geographic area.
• Honorable Mention: 1992 - The first official “stamp of approval” by the American Daylily Society where good performance goes beyond the regional level.
• Junior Citation Award: 1988 -  An award given to new cultivars that appear to have outstanding qualities and distinction.
• Ida Munson Award: 1993 - A specialty award given annually for the best double flower.
• President's Cup: 1989 - The most outstanding clump seen in an ADS National Convention tour garden