startle

Startle is a striking late-season bloomer--this photo was taken yesterday.  Startle is an older daylily, but a very important one in the daylily realm. Hybridized by Belden in 1988, this tetraploid grows 26" tall and was one of the very first to show a gold ruffled, pie crust edge. You'll find Startle's genetics in many of today's cutting-edge daylilies. It is a very hardy dormant and grows very well for me with little or no attention.

I bought Startle in 2001 at the State Street Market in Madison. The Flower Factory had a vendor booth with lots of perennials for sale. When I saw one solitary Startle plant for sale I grabbed it fast. I have memories of carrying this once tiny little plant around Capital Square with me all morning while looking at all the other vendors' goods. As you can see, it was well worth it!

Two places to go if you've never been:
* The Saturday State Street Market around Capital Square in Madison - Interesting people, good food, music, awesome smells, and wonderful ambiance.  http://dcfm.org/
*The Flower Factory in Stoughton featuring the Midwest's largest selection of perennials, and much more. Plan to spend some time going through their numerous greenhouses. It's hard to walk out of there without buying something.  http://www.theflowerfactorynursery.com