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In a recent interview with our very own “Badseed”, owner of Gemini Gardens, the talk came around to the best daylilies you must have in the garden. These daylilies have the pizzazz, size, and scapes to really make an impact in the flower bed.
In our most recent exchange, our own Michele Meyer said, “After growing daylilies for several years, I kind of hit a lull. I realized I had so many that were starting to look the same. That is when I had to take a hard look at the space and money available, as well as the time to tend to them, and see what I could change to put the excitement back. Daylily buyers seem to go in phases whether it be a certain hybridizer, form, color, name, or any other characteristic. That is when I started looking at more spiders and unusual forms. I guess that is my "phase" now--big and unusual. I don't only buy those forms, but they are what seem to catch my eye.”
It was those words that started me thinking about why we love daylilies. I remembered the wonderful flower beds being built at Gemini Gardens. I even remembered the long hunt to find the right place to locate Gemini Gardens. This was a daylily lover, turned seller, soon to be breeder that I had seen blossom right here on Dave’s Garden.In that spirit I asked Michele to give me her list of the top 10 daylilies.Well, she gave me eleven but that is a much shorter list than I could have come up with myself. So here they are, fellow Dave’s Garden member and daylily lover Michele Meyer’s top ten--I mean eleven--daylilies for your garden.
Ruby Spider – This is an early blooming, dormant, Tetraploid with huge, very showy, flowers. This plant was just introduced in 1991 but is already a garden standby. Thank you to BUFFY690 for the wonderful photo.
Gillian – This is an early blooming, evergreen, Tetraploid with an wonderful eye zone. The dual coloring and the play of light and dark is a stunning eye stopper in any garden. Thank you to Badseed for the wonderful photo.
Dragon’s Eye – This is a miniature daylily with smart-looking pink flowers. This is a late midseason bloomer, semi-evergreen, Diploid. Thank you to Badseed for the wonderful photo.
Desperado Love – This is a mid season bloomer with a habit of reblooming. It is a semi-evergreen Tetraploid. The play of yellow and purple in the flowers makes this one of the most stunning daylilies. It will surely stop the local walkers! Thank you to Linthicum for this wonderful photo.
Sabine Baur – With its ruffled edge, purple eye zone, and wonderful creamy, tan-colored petals, this is a daylily that would stand out in any garden. It is a early midseason, reblooming, semi-evergreen, Tetraploid that would love to make its home in your garden. Thank you to Doss for this wonderful photo.
Golden Compass – Another early midseason, reblooming, evergreen, Tetraploid that needs room in your garden! This wonderful, green throated, purple touched, and yellow petaled flower would look at home near a wonderful water feature. This compass always points to your hearts desire – itself! Thank you to Badseed for the wonderful photo.
Starman’s Quest – Looking for a midseason, dormant, Diploid? Look no farther then Starman’s Quest. With bold striping of colors all over the purple sphere and that wonderful chartreuse throat, this is a keeper. You could just see a clump of these sitting beside a cast iron bench in a quiet nook in the garden!Thank you to DaylilySPL for the wonderful photo.
August Flame – Need a very, very late blooming, dormant, Diploid to perk up that blah summer garden?When everything else is playing out and the real heat of summer is starting, August Flame will live up to its name. With the bright red and yellow flowers the neighbors might call the fire department when it is in bloom. Thank you to tbradley for the wondeful photo.
Sweet Stuff – It may be hard to wait for the first bloom of this small wonder in the garden---but just wait. Often it rewards you with wave after wave of blooms.It is an evergreen Tetraploid that, once you get it wound up, just keeps going and going. Thank you to mystic for the wonderful photo.
Red Ribbons – Who does not love ribbons on packages? This is the daylily to have that will add that finishing touch to the midseason garden. Being a Diploid and evergreen you know this will be a champion in your garden for years to come. Thank you to hemlady for the wonderful photo.
Larry Grace – The last on this list but by far the least, Larry Grace will be a show stopper in your garden for sure. This midseason, reblooming, semi-evergreen, Tetraploid has it all. From the chicken fat edges to the smooth clear, crisp, color this is the daylily that will complement and stand out at the same time in your garden. Thank you to Melissa_Ohio who added this photo, courtesy Christie Dixon, of Christie's Daylilies.
So while Michele is waiting for spring to come again and her busy shipping season to start, we can all take a little peak at the wonderful daylilies that are her top picks for the garden. Looking over this list makes me ask myself where I can add a few more daylilies in my garden!
About M Fitzgerald
I am a pentecostal preacher, gardener,husband, and a father. I love natives, daylilies, iris, and roses. I love teaching others, be they children or adults, about the garden and plants.
Posted by robcorreia (from San Diego, CA) on May 15, 2008 at 2:24 PM:
...between a diploid and a tetraploid? I understand it's a genetic component, but how does it differenciate the flower form itself?
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Posted by MitchF (from Oklahoma City, OK) on May 16, 2008 at 8:31 AM:
It is the number of genes in the plant - Tets are said to have bigger and be stronger plants, but many of my favs are Dips.
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Posted by robcorreia (from San Diego, CA) on May 16, 2008 at 12:05 PM:
Mitch, are they stronger plants in general or does that mean the blooms are bigger too?
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Posted by MitchF (from Oklahoma City, OK) on May 19, 2008 at 8:19 AM:
That is the claim - and most of the time very true.
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Posted by robcorreia (from San Diego, CA) on May 19, 2008 at 12:36 PM:
Thanks!
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Subject: Worm castings
Posted by mymick (from Alto, TX) on January 14, 2008 at 7:08 PM:
I was wondering about worm castings. Does anyone use them in place of fertilizer? I'm thinking of trying them with my daylilies.
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Subject: Where to find them?
Posted by rachierabbit (from Olympia, WA) on January 14, 2008 at 1:21 PM:
Mitch,
Loved the article! I to am a daylily addict. Now that you have teased us with this great top 10 list can you help me find a place that sells Desperado Love and Sweet Stuff? I first went to Gemini's website and no luck on either of them. I then went to Plant Scout, no luck. I even did an internet search and no luck. Did you buy them all up? :0) If you find them will you let me know. Thanks again for the lovely, tempting article!
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Posted by leababy (from Decatur, GA) on January 14, 2008 at 3:51 PM:
Try Alcovy Daylily Farm. They have Desperado Love, but it sure isn't cheap! I'll be saving up for that beauty. I have bought from them in the past. Most of what I bought last spring suffered in our horrible drought, but I'm sure w/some TLC, they'll thrive this coming summer.
Posted by rachierabbit (from Olympia, WA) on January 14, 2008 at 4:50 PM:
Thanks! I will be saving my pennies as well! Rachel
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Posted by MitchF (from Oklahoma City, OK) on January 14, 2008 at 6:19 PM:
send a dmail to Badseed, I would wager that she would have them ready just not on the site.
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Posted by rachierabbit (from Olympia, WA) on January 15, 2008 at 12:23 AM:
Thanks Mitch, will do. Rachel
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Posted by Badseed (from Lynchburg, OH) on February 23, 2008 at 4:19 PM:
rachierabbit,
I'm sorry I did not see this sooner. I just sent you a dmail that should answer some of your questions.
Michele
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Subject: Fragrant daylilies?
Posted by Seandor (from Springfield, MA) on January 9, 2008 at 2:23 PM:
total newbie here - is there such a thing as a top 10 list of fragrant daylilies?
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Posted by MitchF (from Oklahoma City, OK) on January 9, 2008 at 3:07 PM:
Sure there is! And that article is coming...
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Posted by Seandor (from Springfield, MA) on January 9, 2008 at 5:27 PM:
Wow! that is excellent! I have gardens specifically for fragrance . . . looking forward to the article :-)
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Posted by MitchF (from Oklahoma City, OK) on January 9, 2008 at 5:29 PM:
Keep watching!
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Posted by robcorreia (from San Diego, CA) on May 15, 2008 at 2:21 PM:
I would love to see that too!
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Subject: Gorgeous article Mitch.
Posted by frostweed (from Arlington, TX) on January 9, 2008 at 9:08 AM:
I can see why people love Daylilies!!!!
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Posted by MitchF (from Oklahoma City, OK) on January 9, 2008 at 9:10 AM:
right - they are stunning flowers
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on January 9, 2008 at 11:53 AM:
Wow! Many thanks to you and to Badseed for a fabulous article. I love the range of colors and forms in her suggestions, and all of them are stunning! Your descriptions are wonderful, and you found some gorgeous photos to convince me that all of these varieties belong on my wish list. :-)
'Dragon's Eye' is a favorite in my garden, also, but you left out my all time favorite, the ever-blooming 'Happy Returns' (blooms almost as constantly as the omnipresent 'Stella d'Oro', but it has clear lemon yellow blooms, like summer daffodils). I have to admit, it's not as striking as the daylilies on this list... but it's very faithful.
Thanks again for a great article with lots of lovely eye candy!
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Posted by MitchF (from Oklahoma City, OK) on January 9, 2008 at 1:28 PM:
Thank you - Badseed really did it - she kept giving me sooo many wonderful dayliles to work with it was easy!
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Posted by Wvdaisy (from Buffalo, WV) on January 9, 2008 at 2:24 PM:
Thanks for the great article, Mitch. You too, Chele :) Y'all should check out Badseed's website, she will have some great plants this year I'm sure...last year's were awesome!
Lana
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Posted by Indy (from Alexandria, IN) on January 9, 2008 at 2:55 PM:
Daylillies are so hardy and multipling. I particularly like purple, rose, and red ones. I don't know the variety name, but I have a huge deep red one that is tops in my book.
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Posted by MitchF (from Oklahoma City, OK) on January 9, 2008 at 3:08 PM:
That she does - and WOW the prices for the size are wonderful!
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Posted by dryad57 (from Indianapolis, IN) on January 9, 2008 at 4:19 PM:
Great read!!! I've been watching the DL forum and the posts of "favorite reds", etc. - I love the list here as it runs the gamut in size and color.
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Posted by Islandshari (from Kwajalein
(Marshall Islands)) on January 9, 2008 at 10:36 PM:
Mitch, you've done it again! How am I supposed to find room for all the gorgeous plants you keep showing me???? Beautifully done!
Yokwe,
Shari
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Posted by MitchF (from Oklahoma City, OK) on January 9, 2008 at 10:41 PM:
Thank you - you see why I am hooked on DLs?
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Posted by Islandshari (from Kwajalein
(Marshall Islands)) on January 9, 2008 at 10:43 PM:
Of course! Still want that Plumeria?
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Posted by MitchF (from Oklahoma City, OK) on January 9, 2008 at 10:44 PM:
Oh yes that I do.
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Posted by Aunt_A (from Tulsa, OK) on January 15, 2008 at 2:43 AM:
Mitch,
Beautiful pics and article. You did a great job! This is just awesome...
Aunt_A
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Posted by MitchF (from Oklahoma City, OK) on January 15, 2008 at 9:10 AM:
Thank you :-)
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Posted by nanny_56 (from Putnam County, IN) on January 16, 2008 at 7:38 PM:
Great article, Mitch! Thanks to Badseed also!
Ruby Spider is on my want list and I have Dragon's Eye(surprised me I had one on the list!)
