It's that time of year...time to shuffle daylilies around my yard, while deciding what will stay and what will go. To complicate matters, last weekend I purchased more daylilies at the Wisconsin Daylily Society Sale in Madison. Their annual sale is one of the premier daylily events, not only in the state of Wisconsin, but in the entire nation. This year my friend Sally joined Ange and I so she could experience the adrenaline rush of  being in the huge tent, surrounded by 700+ different daylily cultivars. You have to fill what is on your list and make some quick decisions, because there are dozens of other daylily addicts on the exact same frenzied mission that you are. Plants disappear fast! And yes, time definitely stands still while you are rushing around the tent grappling for daylilies.

This year the sale was held at Olbrich Park, right next to scenic Lake  Monona and the weather was absolutely perfect. I bought some plants that were on my long-standing wish list and got some for friends and family, as well. Sally purchased some super daylilies for herself, her mom, and her sister who are also daylily aficionados. We enjoyed a delicious lunch at "Monty's Blue Plate Diner," one of our favorite places to eat when in Madison--it's a renovated gas station. And we managed to squeeze in a visit to "Penzey's" which is nearby East Towne Mall.  This was Christmas in August!

All told, the three of us had a most awesome day. More please :)

Wisconsin Daylily Society
Monty's Blue Plate Diner
Penzey's Spices

I vaguely recall seeing some dahlias in a garden last summer. They were pink and pretty. Beyond that I really knew nothing about them, other than I knew the tubers had to be dug up at the end of the season. Digging up plants at the end of the season didn't sound like fun to me, so my thoughts of dahlias ended right there.

A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to go to the Badger State Dahlia Society show at Olbrich Gardens in Madison. This really opened up my eyes to the world of dahlias. The flowers on show were gorgeous--a kaleidoscope of color. I had never seen the vast variety of size, color and variegation before. Some flowers were tiny and dainty and others were huge and impressive. The morning dew that remained on the blooms looked like glitter. One of my favorites was a dahlia named "Bryn Terfel" named after the Welsh opera and concert singer (the large red bloom pictured). I liked the wavy petals that would most likely sway in the breeze.

Presently there are approximately 57,000 registered cultivars. Dahlias can be as small as 2" or as large as 12" (commonly referred to as 'dinner plate'). They are hardy to Zone 8. In Wisconsin they are grown as annuals and the tuberous roots must be stored indoors in a cool place all winter. Dahlias are the national flower of Mexico and are native to Mexico, Central, and northern South America. Familiar relatives to the dahlia include the sunflower, daisy, chrysanthemum, and zinnia. They were named after Anders Dahl, a Swedish botanist who lived in the mid-to-late 1700's.

After seeing all of these beautiful dahlias, they may be worth the extra work of digging up the tubers and storing them over winter. I'll have to give them a try in the future.

I am compelled to buy more, newer, taller, shorter, different, unique (and did I say more?) daylilies. This girl doesn't want fancy clothes, fast cars or expensive jewelry... just a warm day, dirt and daylilies.

Before Ange and I went to the Wisconsin Daylily Society plant sale in Madison last Saturday, I made a firm commitment to myself that this year I really needed to exercise some self-restraint with my purchases. My goal was seven daylilies--no more than eight, right? Well, I came home with twelve; thirteen including my freebie. All told, the outcome *could have* been much, much worse. (Especially when there are between 600-700 cultivars to choose from!)  My new plants are potted up, sitting on the warm brick patio where they will remain for the next 3-4 weeks building up a root base. This gives me some time to decide where each one will get placed in the garden.

After the sale, Ange and I met up with our very good friends from Madison. We had a delicious lunch and had a chance to catch up. It is always great to see them.

Even with the oppressive heat, this day was as close to perfect as it gets!

Pictured: "Goldenzelle"

Christmas in August, that's what it is to me -- the annual Wisconsin Daylily Society sale at Olbrich Gardens in Madison, August 16 and 17. I look forward to this event all year. The list of available plants was posted online earlier in the week for those of us who like to do our homework. This year there were approximately 700 different cultivars to choose from of every size, shape and color. I had my "wish list" ready-to-go in addition to lists from my friends who also wanted some new daylilies.

Once let loose inside the huge daylily tent, you'd laugh at me (my husband does). I am on a mission to find daylilies, like a little kid on a sugar high gathering up candy. Little else matters; time is suspended until I have every last plant I want safely inside my basket.

Club members working at the sale are very knowledgeable and friendly. Besides the plants on my wish list, I always like to try a couple of new daylilies on a club member's recommendation.  I've purchased some super plants that way--ones I would have walked right by and missed out on. Another viewpoint is always valued. A huge thank you to Mark Jankowski (pictured with his lovely wife JoAnn) who always has the absolute best suggestions on what daylilies to purchase. Every daylily he has recommended to me has been "spot on." Mark and Joanne own "Angelic Acres" in Abrams, WI (20 miles north of Green Bay). They grow over 1300 different daylily cultivars and much more. Read more.

As of this morning all my new plants have been soaking overnight in a bucket, re-hydrating, since they've been packaged for about a week prior to the sale. Today I will pot them all up. The pots will sit on our warm brick patio and be "babied" for about a month while the plants develop good root systems. In mid- to late-September they will be planted in preparation for the first frost. I've had a 100% success rate with this method.

2014 Plant Sale......check
Winter coat, sweater and Gore-Tex hiking boots.....check
Dodged the rain.....check
Homes for all my plant babies.....check
Exhausted......check!

Despite the VERY cold, windy and rainy weather as of late, I was lucky to even have a plant sale! Fortunately, the few nice days that did come along, I happened to be off work so I was able to dig. (Thanks Ange for the helping hand!) The plants didn't look as big or lush as they usually do this time of year, but they'll come around.

I met lots of neat people and it was fun to hear how some of my former plants are doing that I have sold in years past. I hope, along the way, to create some new daylily converts.

My plant sale proceeds will go right back into daylily purchases when I attend the annual WI Daylily Society Sale in Madison. I'm looking forward to it -- my "wish list" is ready and waiting!

It's getting to be that time of year again--garage sales. Everyone has cabin fever and is anxious to get out and start treasure hunting. I'm one of them! I have my "I need" list all made out. This year I'm looking for 1 and/or 2 gallon plastic plant pots for my plant sale.  Does anyone have a bunch in their basement or garage?

To celebrate the upcoming season, here's a photo of me and my forever and always friend, Sandy, at one of our past garage sales. Even though it's a ton of work, we always manage to have lots of fun whether or not we make much $$. We're recycling!