Re: Re: OT St. Louis Botanical Gardens

Dear Kim -
I once agreed with you about day lilies, but I'm becoming a convert, putting
in about 200 varieties this year.
The Asiatic lily is a lifesaver, coming in at the end of iris bloom and
sustaining us with vivid reds, yellows and oranges(especially since the red
is not in the iris spectrum) acting as a color balance through the Japanese
Iris bloom.
Now that the JIs are fading, the day lilies are coming on strong, and I have
to admit they have many things to recommend them:
Extremely hardy
Can be dug and divided any time, ever during bloom, just trim back the
leaves and leave the spathes.
Again, a huge variety of color that compliment iris, due to a tendency to
produce hot colors, including bright red.
They extend the bloom season, and there are others than Stella de Oro that
bloom straight through the season. Stellas are the most over-used plants by
landscapers, which I discovered was the source of a lot of my distaste for
day lilies. Boring mall parking lots of gold.
The nice green foliage is attractive throughout the growing year. Next year
I intend to plant Asiatic and Oriental lilies in-between clumps of day
lilies so they will add some dimension to the garden and also so the day
lily foliage will cover the tendency of Asiatics to brown out from the
bottom up.
Prices aren't bad if you shop. I find G.H. Wild, Sarcoxie, MO., have a full
color catalog and many nice varieties available on special. Our iris growing
friends the Millers in Indiana also make wholesale prices available in
clumps of three, which if you split them carefully you can usually get 5-6
out of the clump.
Finally, if you don't like the flower you can eat it. The pods are lovely
deep fried, and for those of us too busy in the garden to cook, the petals
are yummy plucked right off the flower with just enough sugar to keep your
energy level up.
Because I don't really like day lilies, I can look at them dispassionately
and buy them based on what I think will sell to my garden visitors, and I
don't get emotionally involved with them like I do with my irises. None of
that squandering money for $50 new intros that I know will come down in
price in a couple years - well, I don't do that with too many day lilies....

James Brooks
comeback@usit.net
Jonesborough, TN

Kim Peterson wrote:

> --- In iris-talk@egroups.com, storylade@a... wrote:
>  Missouri Botanical Gardens
> > One of my favorite spots in the whole world, and I've not seen it
> for 20 years...
>
> > Betty in BG KY zone 6
>
> It still a great place!  I was there last weekend for the Lily
> Society show, and then walked around the daylily beds where they have
> several hundred varieties of daylilies.
>
> I'm not much of a daylily fan. Of all those daylilies at the Garden,
> I really only liked about 5 varities.  And then, I couldn't find them
> in my Roycraft catalog and I suspect ehy would be very, very
> expensive
> anyway.
>
> The Lily show was lovely, many nice entires, a great variety.  I
> am very fond of true liles, it's just those daylilies that aren't my
> favorites.
>
> I missed the iris show there this year but will watch for it next
> year.
>
> Kim in St. Louis
>
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Redecorating your house, but can't see to come up with the money?
Rate businesses in your area to win $5,000. HURRY--CONTEST ENDS 6/30
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