More Excitement

The new seedlings in the greenhouse are running a little late this year for some reason. Many have not even scaped yet. However, there have been a few that are on the "save and watch" list.

Pollen Parent
Seedling 4025
(Rockets Bursting in Air X (Camelot Red X Doug's Caress) X 
(Waldrop Red Seedling X Home of the Free)]

Pod Parent
[Rockets Bursting in Air X (Camelot Red X Doug's Caress)]

Seedling 5017

I like the color saturation, the watermark and the green throat.

Pollen Parent 
H. 'Camelot Red'
(Salter 2010)

Pod Parent
H. 'Blazing Canons'
(Waldrop 2013)

Seedling 5025

Great color, watermark and white edge, green throat.

Pollen Parent
[Rockets Bursting in Air X (Camelot Red X Doug's Caress)]

Pod Parent
H. 'Sister Valerie'
(Kirchhoff 2012)

Seedling 5033

Great form, saturated color, watermark and green throat.








And the last seedling for today.

Seedling 5027

(Bluegrass Memories X Waldrop Seedling 2-466








That is it for now. Hope you enjoy the images.

Life is very, very good.

Lee

Absolutely beautiful

The love of my life.

May 24th will be the 61st anniversary of the first date with my wife, Jean. I remember the day we met vividly. It was about 2 weeks earlier. Her grandparents lived in my home town and her family visited often. Just happened that on that Sunday she was with a classmate of mine in downtown Colfax. Now, you have to know that downtown Colfax is a whopping 2 blocks long, and if you stretch it, maybe 2 ½ blocks. They were sitting on the steps of the Presbyterian Church and I happened to drive by and spotted her. I drove around a couple more times (remember, it is only 2 blocks long) and they finally got up and began walking toward Werrick's Drug Store in the middle of town for a cold drink. I quickly found a place to park (not difficult in Colfax either) and went into the drug store where we were introduced. On that day, I lost my heart in Colfax.

Our first date on May 24th was right after my high school graduation night. We double dated with my cousin who was dating a classmate of mine. We drove to Des Moines, IA where we went to a pizza restaurant, if I remember correctly, it was Mama's Pizza Restaurant. This was our first introduction to pizza and neither of us liked it (unlike now). 

Jean was a rising Senior in HS. We dated for a year, then I asked her to marry me. If I remember correctly, she said "Yes"! She graduated from HS and then went to (at that time) Iowa State Teachers College and got her 2-year degree to teach. She graduated in June and we were married on August 17, 1957. The smartest thing I have ever done in my life.

Here is a picture of us taken by Deb Monbeck at the 2015 MWS which was printed in the Region 10 newsletter, The Daylily Appeal.

I look at this picture and still see the young 17 year girl old that I met in early May of 1954. My life began when she said "I do."

Life is very, very good

Lee

New Seedlings in the Greenhouse

The greenhouse named varieties and previous year's seedlings are just about through and the 2015 seedlings are beginning to bloom. How exciting!

I have just about decided that I have more than enough seeds to plant later this summer so will probably not do too much more hybridizing . . . so I say! It is hard to walk in and see all those beautiful blooms just hollering to be come parents. How can you resist!

Bill Waldrop has been trying to convert H. 'Choo Choo Caboose' for me. I was excited to see that it was going to bloom this morning. However, when I examined the bloom and plant, it appears that it is still diploid. I tried some of the pollen so will see what happens. Below is a picture of H. 'Choo Choo Caboose'. It has wonderful, saturated color, great branching and bud count and good plant habit, and wonderful green throat, so you can see why I would like to get it converted.

H. 'Choo Choo Caboose' (Pickles 1995)

H. 'Kacie Boy' (Durio 1983) 
X H. 'Bonbini' (Pickles 1995)






Reds have become my passion. I would estimate that 80% of my crosses this year have been with red flowers, mostly seedlings. The other 20% would be 15% in the purples and 5% in toothy flowers. One toothy named variety new to me that excited me this year was Jeff Salter's H. 'The Incredible Earl Watts'.

Pollen Parent

Seedling 2042 [(Rockets Bursting in Air X (Camelot Red) X Doug's Caress]

Pod Parent

H. 'Barbara Mandrell' 
(Kirchhoff 2009)

Seedling 5006

Seedling 5023

Seedling 2042 ( picture above) X

H. 'Scarlet Angel' (Petit 2010) (no picture available)

Pollen Parent

Waldrop seedling W2-466 

[(Shirley Anne McCord X Marietta Heartbeat) X Gnashing of Teeth]

Pod Parent

H. 'Bluegrass Memories'

(Preuss 2006)

Seedling 5020

I guess that is all for today boys and girls.

Life is very, very good

Lee

2015 Seedlings Blooming in Greehouse

The 2015 seedlings are beginning to bloom in the greenhouse. For me, this is the most exciting time of the year. Here are three that I have numbered so far.

 Seedling 5013 Lee's Blue Bayou X W2-466 [Shirley Anne McCord X Marietta Heartbeat) X Gnashing of Teeth]

W2-466 is a seedling I acquired from Bill Waldrop

Seedling 5005 [(Marilyn Morss Johnson X Seedling) X Lee's Blue Bayou]

Seedling 5005 (Seedling 2041 [(Camelot Red X Doug's Caress) X Barbara Mandrell]

Life is very, very good.

Lee

Jessie's Birthday

Sara Jessie's 2nd birthday was on Tuesday, April 29. She had a very eventful day. It began by delivering birthday cupcakes to the vet's office where she goes when needed. The staff loves Jessie.

In the afternoon, Jessie got to go to the doggy park for running and play with other dogs. There were probably 8 to 10 dogs there and all came up and gave her a smell and wished her Happy Birthday. One downside, she did lose her ball to one of the other dogs.

Finally, when Jessie came home, she had her cupcake. At first (picture 1) she didn't know what to think of it. After it was quartered (picture 2)  she didn't have a problem gulping it down. Spikey, our little mixed breed, got to celebrate with her and had his own cupcake. He knew exactly what to do with it.

Jessie sitting at the patio table with her cupcake. It should have had 2 candles, but that may have confused her more.

Here she is eyeing the quartered cupcake. When told she could eat it, she gobbled it down. Look at that stare!

Here are some things blooming in the greenhouse this morning.

Seedling 2065 (Desire of Nations X Bluegrass Memories)

Seedling 2081 (Bluegrass Memories X Desire of Nations)

 

Also blooming, our 2014 introduction H. 'Lee's Blue Bayou' 

(t. Lavender Bluebaby X Bluegrass Memories)

Life is very, very good.

 

Lee