Day Lilies for Decades

Summer greetings to you all! We recently returned well-rested from vacation only to be greeted by some of the most tenacious weeds on record. I swear some of them were rooted in cement! However, along with those darn weeds, my first (and we all know Jersey are the best!) tomatoes were ripe and ready to pop in my mouth. Yum! The grape and cherry varieties sometimes don't make it out of our garden as I gobble them by the handful as I weed. They provide the perfect reward for all that labor.

Besides the tomatoes and weeds, our day lily beds were just about in full bloom which I met with anticipation since we grew many varieties this year that I hadn't seen outside a catalog.

Little Heavenly Angel

Sassy with Mini Stella

Most of you are familiar with the orange day lilies that grace country roads far and wide at this time of year but may not be aware that like iris and peony plants the number of varieties of daylilies is mind boggling. With sizes ranging from the petite such as 10" Mini Stella and Little Heavenly Angel at 16" to the stately 40" Hyperion, a rainbow of colors well beyond orange, and flowers that resemble party ribbons or fancy lingerie, day lilies are a beautiful addition to any garden.

Red Ribbons

Spiritual Corridor

Most varieties fare well in full sun to partial shade with minimal care once they are planted and in most cases do well with benign neglect. John and I planted some divisions of the orange species from a friend over 30 years ago along our property line, they are still going like gangbusters and we haven't touched the majority of them since planting. Their individual blossoms may last only days, but the plant's life in your garden will probably outlast the time most of you own your homes!