Handsomely sculptured, flaring, golden trumpets, held high above fountaining clumps of coarse, narrow foliage… yes, daylilies are striking in any flower garden. But they have, also, two other virtues: their adaptability to all kinds of soil, climate and exposure and their ability to take care of themselves. Plant a daylily and it will live and flower year after year, needing only to be divided and given a little fertilizer. Here are some time tested daylily gardening tips.

PLACE IN THE LANDSCAPE
Day lilies, or hemerocallis (as they are known botanically), grow almost any place; in fact only very dense shade or very poorly drained soil deter them. But for the most effective display plant them in the bays of a shrub border: in informal masses by a pool or stream; in the herbaceous border, with stately delphinium, feathery astilbe or dainty babys-breath; or on a sunny, steep slope, where the roots of the vigorous clumps will hold the soil.

BUYING GUIDE

Throughout the United States there are specialists who have a good selection of day lily plants and seeds for sale. Their peak shipping seasons are spring and late summer, when the day lily is best planted.

Before you buy scan the pages of a specialist’s catalog and discover the great range of modern daylilies: in the flowers, from 2 inches to 8 inches across, patterned or in solid colors from palest yellow, to the vibrant blue and purple, to the deepest red, with petals smooth, crimped or curled: in length of bloom, some lasting but a day (though the plant is colorful for weeks, as one by one the buds open) and some staying open well into evening; in height, from 11/2 to 4 feet, in foliage, some being evergreen and some deciduous.

Then make your selection of plants or bulbs, choosing a combination that will provide color from early summer until fall. A few outstanding varieties are:

Early-blooming: BROCADE, COSETTE, PARTY GOWN
Mid-season: EVELYN CLAAR, HIGH NOON, PRIMA DONNA;
Late-blooming: BAGGETTE, SUSAN TREADWELL, AUGUST ORANGE.

PLANTING
Plant singly 2 feet apart, or group three of a kind, spacing them 1 foot apart. Prepare the soil deeply and add fertilizer. Place the plant, spreading out the fibrous roots, and cover the crown with I inch of soil. Water thoroughly.

LATER DAYLILY CARE
To make the clumps thrive rather than merely exist, water daylily gardens frequently and fertilize in spring and fall. If thrips should attack the flowers, kill them speedily. If flowering becomes sparse, divide, replant and fertilize the clumps.

FASCINATING SIDELIGHTS
Join in the fun and excitement of breeding daylilies. Perhaps a "good white" or a "good green," two long-awaited colors in day lilies, will be produced in your garden!

 

Caring For Day Lilies

 

More Helpful Info

How To Identify A Daylily Bloom In A Garden

This is a primer on how to identify a daylily from other garden flowers. Hemerocallis have basic plant parts and specific characteristics to set daylily blooms apart.

THE GREEN MAN: ‘LADY ELIZABETH’ WHITE REBLOOMING DAY LILY

‘LADY ELIZABETH’ WHITE REBLOOMING DAYLILY FOR FORMAL GARDENS. One of the stars of the Lovely Lady™ series, this elegant snowy white flower seem all the more pure as it contrasts with a rich green throat.

(Day lily) Angels Among Us

There are lots of angels among us, but they are especially present in the daylily community. Sharing ideas, time, sweat, pollen, plants, and laughter is part of what keeps us coming back to daylilies.

Hardy and Beautiful Daylilies: Hemerocallis, the Cheerful Plant

It’s a tough, showy perennial and its easy nature makes it a favorite of garden enthusiasts all over the world.

Night Blooming Daylily Flowers: Nocturnal Hemerocallis Plant Ideas

Nocturnal Hemerocallis flowers are large, fragrant and in colors to light up a patio. Night blooming daylily ideas are appreciated planted in evening gardens.

Planting Day Lily Bulbs

I may have planted day lily bulbs that already had roots too deep in ground. What should I do? Its been about 2 weeks since planting and I still haven’t seen any growth.

Greenish Thumb: Growing, Buying, Cooking Day Lily

The cheerful daylily is a cornerstone in many perennial gardens. Its virtual summer to frost profusion of blooms, bright color, and ease of care are attractive to any gardener.

My Nice Garden: My Yellow Daylily and The Edible Golden Needle Flower

Ever since joining Blotanical, I had always admired the gorgeous daylilies that Lynn of Best In Bloom Today blog grows in her garden. There are so many varieties of hybrids and colours and mix of colours.

Hemerocallis

Daylily, a wonderful perennial available in many colors, establish as an anchor of your flower gardern border.

10 Worthwhile And Handy Flower Gardening Tips!

(3) There are many flower gardening tips regarding soil requirements. Soil is an odd combination of rocks, silt, minerals, sand, loam, clay and organic matter. It may well have different pH levels at various loctions.

 

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Fall Flower And Gardening Checklist – Part 1 

When Autumn comes, you have a hundred ways, to improve your garden… its looks, health, its prospects for next spring. Cool weather makes it easy to get things done: there is less rush than when you are are doing spring chores. Proper care now makes everthing easier in the spring. Here is a checklist of all gardening ideas to make it easy to be sure that everything is done. Take out your pen or pencil and mark the ideas that fit your garden, just as you make a list of things to order for fall planting.

THE LATE FLOWERS
Dahlias, chrysanthemums and roses need water now, but no fertilizer. Overfeeding may result in soft plants that may be injured by winter freezing. Dahlia roots may become too soft for storage. Dust them or spray with sulphur or an all purpose chemical to prevent mildew. Stake and tie tall plants against September winds.

LILIES
Madonna, canadense, martagon, superbum and the Washington lily, all known as base rooting, are planted in early autumn. The other, or stem-rooting kinds, are planted either in late autumn or early spring. Base rooting kinds start growing immediately. Cover the bulb top with no more than 3 inches of soil. The soil must be well drained.

PEONIES, IRIS, OTHER PERENNIALS
Peonies are also lifted, divided and replanted in autumn. The whole plant is carefully raised, the soil washed out from the roots and the plant separated into sections… each section or piece with no less than three eyes (buds); five to seven are better for there is more chance of flowering the next year. Peonies planted in fall get a good spring start.

Peonies need a rich deep soil. They should last for 25 years. Dried cattle manure, 4 parts, mixed with 1 part bone meal and worked in before planting will help, if the regular rotted manure is not available. When planting bury the buds no more than 1 inch deep. Peonies must have full sunshine for best results.

Roots of bleedingheart are handled similarly. Exceptionally brittle, they are more easily separated if allowed to dry somewhat in the sun.

Iris clumps can be, separated too, at this time. If the sections are not too small, three to four roots (rhizomes), they will flower next year.

Perennials of all kinds can be lifted, divided and replanted October to early November. Prepare the soil and incorporate manure or compost with bone meal and superphosphate before replanting.

THE HARVEST: BULBS AND ROOTS
Cut the tops of dahlias, cannas, and tuberous begonias soon after the first frost. Leave 6 inches of a stub for handling dahlias. Begonias and cannas are stored with all possible soil on the roots to keep them from drying out. Ordinary cellar conditions are suitable.

Dahlia roots must dry slowly. Leave in a place out of the sun. When the soil dries on the roots, clean them off, reduce the old stem stub still more and store in peatmoss, ashes, or sawdust in a cool cellar or garage where they will not freeze.

Gladiolus can be lifted before frost, or as soon as the leaves turn brown. Dig with the leaves attached. Dry as soon as possible, then cut off the leaves, remove the paper-like covering from around the bulbs (corms) and, before storing, dust with an organic dust. Discard spotted and diseased corms, and the old shrivelled corms. Store in shallow boxes or mesh onion bags. Old nylon stockings do well too.

Fall Activities For Your Garden

 

Gardening In The Fall

Frankie’s Early Fall Gardening

Garden mum – treat as annual. Fall is the time to spring into gardening!! Seriously most think spring is the best time to garden but fall is just as good and in my mind a better time to garden.

Fall Gardening Tips

Fall Gardening Tips. Here are a few garden tips I’ve found online…I’m not really very good at gardening (inside or out!), so I can use all the hints I can get! Bring in your houseplants that have summered outdoors.

Any Southerners Doing A Fall Garden?

I am! I have seeds started for Mustard Greens, Collard Greens, Carrots, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Onions, Peppers, and Tomatoes.

Fall Gardening Tips

I’m always looking for new ways and ideas to extend the garden season. So I asked Willi if she would be willing to write a guest post on my blog on fall gardening tips.

Fall Garden Clean-Up

I know a lot of people pack their gardening gloves away at the end of summer. Our attention turns toward the holiday season and then the long haul of winter. But I love gardening in the fall.

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