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The dance of the daylilies

Contributed by: Karen Schultz on 7/3/2006

July brings the dance of the daylilies. In the weeks ahead, gardens will come alive with a dizzying array of bloom forms and colors.

The opening act began in late May, and the finale won't happen until late summer. But in July, a mass of midseason bloomers muscle their way onto the scene, lifting the daylily performance to it's height and bringing joy to daylily lovers. In celebration, daylily tours, shows, and sales spring up all over town.

Daylilies belong to the genus Hemerocallis, derived from the Greek words for beauty and day. Each daylily flower only lasts for a day, but a single plant can color the garden for weeks. They are believed to have been introduced to this country from East Asia in the early 19th century. In their native habitat in China, Japan, and Korea, they can be found in swamps, seaside meadows, and forest edges.

Their color may be a single shade of yellow, red, purple, pink, or near white, or the flower may wear a combination of colors and patterns. Blooms vary from miniature, 1 1/2 inch varieties to as large as seven inches. There are many different forms; singles,doubles, spiders, etc. There are tailored daylilies and ruffled daylilies, daylilies with contrasting eyezones and edges. There is truly a daylily for every taste.

Spring and Fall are the ideal time for daylily planting. For the best plants, select them at Daylily Society sales or from growers who specialize in daylilies.

*Choose an area of the garden that gets at least 6 hours of sunlight for the best blooms. Light shade during the hottest part of the day can be beneficial, especially for dark colors.

*Build a well draining bed of organically enriched soil. Daylilies love organic matter. They also like a moist soil, but good drainage is important. They will adapt to any soil, but prefer one that is neutral to slightly acidic.

* Plant taller daylilies at the back of the bed. If you can walk around the bed, plant the taller ones in the center and the shorter ones in front.

* To plant each one, dig a hole and make a mound of soil in the bottom. Spread the daylily roots over the mound, then cover with soil. Keep the crown of the plant close to ground level. Space the plants 18-24 inches apart so healthy clumps can develop.

*Group your companion plants according to type for the best show. A group of 3 to 5 makes a greater splash than a single plant.

* Mulch the planted bed, but keep the mulch away from daylily crowns to avoid rot.

* Water them regularly. Daylilies love water. They are very drought tolerant plants, but they are not xeric plants. In other words, daylilies can go through a period of drought without curling up and dying, but if you expect to grow them with only the moisture that Mother Nature provides, you will be very disappointed.

* Fertilize your daylilies twice a year. I suggest applying a balanced formula in March and September.

DAYLILY DAYS AND DAYS

It's nature's call: temperatures determine when daylilies bloom. But if you choose varieties from each of the "bloom season" categories, you could enjoy them from Spring to Fall.

Daylily Companions

Shasta Daisy
Rudbeckias
Echinacea (Coneflowers)
Scabiosa (Pincushion flower)
Platycodon (Chinese balloon flower)
Verbena
Salvia

Visit the American Hemerocallis Society website at www.daylilies.org and look for an AHS Display Garden near you.

The author has grown daylilies as a hobby for 20 years. Her garden, known as the Cat Lady's Garden is an American Hemerocallis Society Display Garden. The garden features more than 4,000 daylily varieties on 1 1/4 acres near I-70 and Chambers Road in Aurora. The garden will be open to the public on Saturday July 15th from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Come and get lost in the flowers.
15643 East 35th Place
303-366-9689


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CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Karen Schultz

Aurora , CO

Karen Schultz has posted 115 stories and 7 comments since joining on 6/14/2006. Karen Schultz 's average story rating is 4.98.
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