"Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things."
                                                                                                                       - Robert Bault

Here are some photos of my dear friend Sharon's beautiful perennial garden. As you can see, she loves  the pink and purple color palettes. Daylilies are a predominant part of her garden, but she also has a wide variety of other perennials. Enjoy!

The days are getting longer, the birds are singing when I wake up in the morning and afternoon temperatures are nearing 60°. Spring is on the way. It's time to start thinking about what I will need to start gardening again. Here are a few things I like to have ready-to-go:

• Liquid fence – we like to start putting deer deterrent on our plants before they start growing. By doing this we can train the deer to stay away from our flowers before they actually come up. It's also nice not to have deer foot prints in the garden, especially if it's been raining, because they put big holes in my flower bed.
• Garden gloves – you can never have too many garden gloves.
• Kneepads – gardening can't happen without these!
• Garden tools – make sure your pruners are cleaned and oiled, your shovels and implements are in good repair and clean, and you have a sturdy wheel barrow ready for action.
• A new supply of mulch – I like to get an early start on weeding so that we can lay the mulch down as soon as possible. We usually order half a dump truck load and have it dumped close to the garden for easy access.

Let the fun begin!

Pictured above – 'August Wedding' in front with 'Bela Lugosi' in the background

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.

With spring right around the corner, I am already looking forward to seeing this beautiful mini iris. My friend Sally gave me a division of 'Captured Spirit' from her garden about ten years ago.  What a joy this delicate ruffled iris has been! It has reliably bloomed and happily multiplied year after year. Captured Spirit bridges the bloom gap between my daffodils and tall bearded irises.

Captured Spirit is a standard dwarf bearded (SDB) iris hybridized by Hooker Nichols (in Texas) and registered in 1980 as an early bloomer. Registered height for this variety is 13 inches, but mine rarely grows taller than six or seven inches. This may simply be the difference between growing in Texas as opposed to growing in Wisconsin.

If you make sure Captured Spirit gets six to eight hours of sun, has average, well-drained soil and some water it will reward you every spring. It is cold hardy to US Zone 3 (-40 °F to -35).

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

Ange wanted to share his favorite flowers with you. He likes them because there is  "no weeding, no deadheading, no fertilizing, no watering, the deer don't like them, and they are always in bloom."

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?

Look at the thoughtful Christmas gift I received from my grands, Jade and Blake! I was so surprised. What makes it so special is that Jade took all the photos to make this beautiful blanket. The blanket is very large, soft and cuddly... I love it! Who knew daylilies could keep you warm?

FYI –if you are interested, the blanket was ordered from Shutterfly.

'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 

Dusty Miller is one of my favorite annual companion plants. I love the fuzzy silvery-gray foliage that complements any color of annual or perennial it is planted next to. Occasionally it has reappeared in the same location it grew the year before, but only if our winter was very mild. Dusty Miller grows best where afternoon shade is available during the hottest months of summer. I plant mine in an eastern exposure and it does well. Dusty Miller care is minimal when the plant is established. It is adaptable to many soil types, from acidic clay to sandy loam. Dusty may need a midsummer trim if the plant becomes leggy. Best of all, the lacy leaves are resistant to deer, and rabbits dislike the fuzzy leaves as well, which is an added bonus!

In 2021 I learned patience and acceptance beyond any level I ever thought I would deal with. That being said, life is still about the little things.

• I had my Ancestry DNA done. I was glad I had visited the UK since a good bit of my DNA is from there.
• On the topic of the UK, I watched all the available seasons of ‘The Great British Baking Show.’ I learned a lot and really appreciated the feel-good vibe of the show.
• Does anyone else out there own an unruly Alexa? Ours talks whenever she wants to, doesn’t follow directions, says bizarre things, and shuts off randomly. I shudder at the thought of allowing her to control anything randomly important.
• Since I haven’t been able to garden, I mentioned that I really missed having my hands in the dirt. My seven-year-old grandson overheard and shortly thereafter brought me a bucket filled with dirt and said, ‘Here Grandma Carole, now you can put your hands in the dirt.’ How sweet is that?
• My 11-year-old granddaughter is taller than me. I suspect it won’t be long before she passes up her Mom as well.
• I often use voice-to-text on my laptop. If you use this feature on your computer, you know that it doesn’t always type exactly what you say. One day I was using voice-to-text and I had to stop and sneeze… my computer typed ‘bitch.’ Yikes!
• 2021 brought a multitude of kind and caring individuals who worked hard in my garden, made food for us, brought treats and gifts, helped with paperwork, and kept me in good spirits with frequent texts, emails, phone calls, and visits. I am so very grateful and humbled.

Pictured: A restaurant in Kensington, London

Since we no longer have a cat at home, I enjoy the ones that live in the barn across the road from us. Every year there’s a new litter of kitties to meet and greet. Pictured is my most recent favorite, a cute little calico girl who often comes over to visit.

Gardening is much more than just having your hard work reward you with beautiful flowers. It's also an intimate experience with nature that calms your mind and being. 

Here is what I enjoy about gardening and being outside:

• Breathing in the clean, fresh country air
• Having a cool breeze refresh you
• Feeling the warm sun on your back
• Pausing to hear birds singing
• Watching big, gentle bumblebees buzz around, tending to their business
• Smelling the dirt and getting your hands in it
• Looking  at the clouds, just like when you were little
• ​Getting dirty and grimy...really, really dirty and grimy
• Taking a break and appreciating a cool beverage on a hot day
• And finally, having your mind be nowhere else except in the here and now

Daylily pictured: 'My Friend Charlie'

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/

The daylily season in western Wisconsin was uncharacteristic this year. After weeks of very cold spring weather, bloom started about two weeks late in early July. At that point temperatures instantly turned tropical with 90+ degrees just about every day thereafter. Most of my daylilies bloomed in a heated rush lasting, on average, a little more than three weeks each - four weeks tops.

In a typical Wisconsin season most of my daylilies bloom for at least four to six weeks, many going even longer through August and early September as they are all sizable clumps. My local gardening friends had the same experience as me, which was so disappointing! We waited all year for bloom season and it was over before we knew it. I hope this is an isolated year and bloom returns to a more usual pattern in the future. 

My season came to a fitting end on August 13, after four days and nights of constant rain. Being unable to spray deer deterrent in between the pockets of rain, I woke up one morning to find that all the remaining daylily blooms and scapes had been eaten by deer.

How was your 2021 daylily experience?

Daylily pictured: 'Spanish Glow' with two companions