The best part about summer is seeing my new daylilies bloom for the first time. Do they look like their picture? Do they hold up well in the sun? Do they stand up to the acclaim they have received? Just because a plant is pretty in a picture, or someone else's garden doesn't necessarily mean it will look that way in my garden. There are several variants that affect how a daylily blooms (soil type, sun exposure, temperature, water levels, and fertilizer to name just a few).
When I purchase a daylily, I'm never sure exactly what I'll get until I experience the plant through the course of its bloom season. Even one bloom season isn't always enough! Some plants take a few years to really take hold and bloom to full potential. I'm always reminded of a saying a dear friend told me regarding perennials: "The first year they sleep, the second year they creep, and the third year they leap." So true!
Typically, I do my research before I purchase a plant. The American Hemerocallis Society is very helpful in this respect, because each year they publish a popularity poll from throughout the United States, broken down by regions. Wisconsin falls into Region #2. You are best to choose plants popular within your own region. If a plant consistently shows up on a popularity poll - voted there by hundreds of daylily growers - you can be quite sure the plant is a "sure thing." I've never once been disappointed by a plant I've purchased from the popularity poll.
Yet on occasion I take a slight departure and purchase a daylily on nothing more than a whim, which I did last year. I purchased a plant named "Sis Boom Bah" at the Wisconsin Daylily Society Sale in Madison 'cause, well...the picture was pretty. This daylily turned out to be a very pleasant surprise. Each bloom is consistent, always opening wide, even on the chilly mornings we've had this summer. It stands up to the elements very well and looks vibrant all day long. A definite keeper!!
Sis Boom Bah is a Wisconsin-bred daylily that was hybridized by Bill Powell of Epiphany Farms in Fort Atkinson. Hats off to Wisconsin hybridizers!
When I purchase a daylily, I'm never sure exactly what I'll get until I experience the plant through the course of its bloom season. Even one bloom season isn't always enough! Some plants take a few years to really take hold and bloom to full potential. I'm always reminded of a saying a dear friend told me regarding perennials: "The first year they sleep, the second year they creep, and the third year they leap." So true!
Typically, I do my research before I purchase a plant. The American Hemerocallis Society is very helpful in this respect, because each year they publish a popularity poll from throughout the United States, broken down by regions. Wisconsin falls into Region #2. You are best to choose plants popular within your own region. If a plant consistently shows up on a popularity poll - voted there by hundreds of daylily growers - you can be quite sure the plant is a "sure thing." I've never once been disappointed by a plant I've purchased from the popularity poll.
Yet on occasion I take a slight departure and purchase a daylily on nothing more than a whim, which I did last year. I purchased a plant named "Sis Boom Bah" at the Wisconsin Daylily Society Sale in Madison 'cause, well...the picture was pretty. This daylily turned out to be a very pleasant surprise. Each bloom is consistent, always opening wide, even on the chilly mornings we've had this summer. It stands up to the elements very well and looks vibrant all day long. A definite keeper!!
Sis Boom Bah is a Wisconsin-bred daylily that was hybridized by Bill Powell of Epiphany Farms in Fort Atkinson. Hats off to Wisconsin hybridizers!
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