Despite the cool weather........let me rephrase that......despite the cold weather we have been experiencing in Michigan this July the day lilies are blooming.
I like day lilies. They are so reliable. I have never lost a transplanted day lily and day lilies are fairly bug resistant. About the only insects that have harmed any of my day lilies are the ants. The ants built an ant hill on top of the plant and this causes the leaves to die but I bet it will come back next year.
I've tried to keep my day lily buying limited to pinks, purples, reds, and whites. This spring I transplanted a day lily of unknown color from the Torrey Road house to the Grand Blanc house. The plant never bloomed because it was planted in heavy shade. This past week it bloomed. Once I saw the bloom it jogged my memory and I remember buying it. I have no idea the name but I purchased it because it was a very very dark purple....almost black.
The next day lilies are called Little Grapette. They are short like me.
These are kind of red and kind of burgundy. Pardon Me is the name.
I think the next day lily is called Prairie Blue Eyes.
I have no idea what the name is of this cream color day lily. More than likely it was labeled 'white' but I think it is more of a cream color than white.
When it comes to day lilies I prefer mine to be tetraploids.
According to
Daylilies.org
Tetraploid daylilies are heralded by some growers as having a number of advantages over diploids. In the tetraploid: -
Flowers tend to be larger.
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Colors of the flower tend to be more intense.
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Scapes tend to be sturdier and stronger.
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Substance of both flower and foliage tend to be heavier.
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Vegetative vigor in leaf, stem, and flower tend to be greater.
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Breeding possibilities tend to be greater because of an increased number of chromosomes
- Diploid
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Diploid daylilies continue to charm growers with their exquisite flower form, grace, and color. - Good pink daylilies are still more prevalent in the diploid ranks.
- Spider and double daylilies are still more prevalent in the diploid ranks.
- Diploid daylilies are easier to cross than tetraploids.
- Many diploid daylilies have been converted to tetraploids, thus advancing the tetraploid lines.
- There are more diploids than tetraploids.
- I like tetraploids because the petals are thicker.
- The fact that I can just cut them down to the ground in the fall and that's it is another big advantage of day lilies. Another plus is that when they need dividing you can just cut them in half with a shovel, throw the divided plant into a hole and viola......new plant.
I promised you an updated photo of the Monarda (bee balm) plant. Guess what???? Last year I must of purchased multiple colors because I have flowers that are red, burgundy, pink, and light lavender.
Here are a couple of light pink lilies that sprouted up in the middle of my white lilies.
My cone flowers are in full bloom.
And before you think that I have forsaken my hostas, here is a photo of Blue Mouse Ears in bloom. Isn't it just adorable. The entire clump is about the size of my hand.
I bought 6 each of these two types of miniature day lilies. The yellow variety is eenie meenie and the other variety is eenie allegro. They only grow to 12 inches tall. We decided to use hot bright colors in the outside fence row planting area. Our reasoning was that as people speed by at 55 mph they will be able to see bright flowers easier than plants with flowers of subdued color like pale pink.
I can also add in all the orange/dark rust color day lilies I have in the back yard.
