Blooms, April 15, 2012

Blooms in the greenhouse, April 15, 2012

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If you haven't done so, please change my email address from leepickles@epbfi.com to LeePickles15@gmail.com 

Yesterday was our Tennessee Valley Daylily Society club meeting with Jeff & Elizabeth Salter as our guests and speakers. It was the best attended meeting that we have had in a couple years with approximately 50 members in attendance. Jeff showed his 2011 and 2012 introductions as well as some of his fabulous seedlings. Jeff hybridizes for large flowers of clear, clean colors with great scapes. WOW, he has some great things coming likes of which I have never seen. Elizabeth showed her 2011 and 2012 introductions and seedlings. Elizabeth does the small and mini flowers with patterns that have never been  previously seen in daylilies. She has been doing patterned daylilies for longer than most of us have been hybridizing. It was a great meeting and we had a very competitive auction for some of the Salter's plants.

I was not able to get to the greenhouse on Friday because of a day full of doctor appointments and Saturday because of the Salter visit and our club meeting. This morning (Sunday) saw the temperatures outside back near 60º so the temps in the greenhouse were around 67º which allowed the blooms to open better than the few previous days when temps were lower.

I can remember visiting Bob Carr in Florida during hybridizing time. I remember sitting out in the hybridizing area with Bob where he had a big thermometer tacked to his work bench. He would watch the thermometer until the temperature hit 60º, then he would jump into hybridizing with full force saying "Pods would not set until the temp was over 60º". On one visit, maybe back around 2004, I asked Bob if I could have my picture taken with him and we took this picture.

I asked Bob, "Why do I have to turn my back?" His reply, "I don't want anyone to know that I am friends with you". That was Bob's special humor.

Now to the flowers this morning (Sunday).

My eyes immediately went to this 9-month seedling blooming for the first time. It is Seedling No. 2008, and is a cross of [(Santa's Little Helper X Running Hot) X Home Of The Free]. The pod parent is a seedling that Bill Waldrop gave me 2 or 3 years ago and H. 'Home of the Free' is a new 2012 introduction from Larry Grace. I gave it a WOW!!!

 One of the named cultivars blooming this morning was Mort Morss' fabulous H. 'Marilyn Morss Johnson' (2007) Named for his twin sister who unexpectedly passed away a couple years ago. The problem is that I don't have anything to use it with.

Another named cultivar blooming this morning is my H. 'Rockets Bursting In Air' (2011). A nice clear, saturated red both pod and pollen fertile.




There are a lot of scapes showin on the 9-month seedlings and I am hoping more will begin blooming soon.

 Hope you enjoyed the show.

Life is very, very good

Lee