Blooms, April 11, 2012

Blooms in the greenhouse, April 11, 2012

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After all of the above normal temperature days we had in March, here it is April 11 and we are expecting some frost tonight. If we do get some, I don't think the temps are going to be low enough here to hurt any of the daylilies or other plant material. Today, I will show you four seedlings that were blooming in the greenhouse.

Yes, another yellow, a sib to the yellow seedling I showed on April 8. Again, until I have time to look up the parentage, this will be Seedling No. 2006 (Seedling X Seedling). If you remember correctly, the previous seedling had 5-way branching. Seedling 2006 only has 4-way branching but is a little taller than it's sib.

Seedling No. 2005 (Rock Solid X Red Sapphire). I like Rock Solid as a parent, because it is dormant and produces a lot of dormant kids. I like the exploding eye of Red Sapphire and it seem to pass it on to its kids.

WOW, this one knocked my socks off. All of ruffling and I have not seen it hang up. Seedling No. 1102 (Singular Sensation X Priscilla's Smile. It does have some green in the petal edges and has a nice green throat as well. Using in in my green program.

This is one of my favorite fringed seedlings. No. 9080 (Fringe Benefit X Horny Devil. I have used this a lot in my program for teeth and fringes. It works well with eyed and edged cultivars as well.


Thanks for looking


Life is very, very good.

Lee

Blooms, April 9, 2012

Blooms in the greenhouse, April 8, 2012

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Today's bloom will surprise a lot of people. Most of you know that I am a "bagel" person, always have been, always will be. HOWEVER, there is one other form that I do like, it is the unusual cascading form. I love Pat Stamile's H. 'Free Wheelin' (2004). I like the form and I like the bold color. One thing that disappoints me is that it is not pod fertile. I have tried for 3 years and have yet to set a pod. So I have been using it some as a pollen parent. Here are some of the blossoms in the greenhouse this morning from 9 month old seedlings.

These first two seedlings are Seedling No. 2001 and No. 2002, [(Edge Of Heaven X Horny Devil) X Free Wheelin'). The Edge of Heaven seedling is eyed and edged, plus it has teeth all over. I was hoping that I would get some inkling of teeth, but alas, it was not to be. FW

must be a pretty dominate parent from the appearance of the seedlings. I do like them both and have used pollen on them to see if they are pod fertile. If not, they will 
probably hit the compost pile.

The 3rd seedling this morning is Seedling No. 2003 (Aslan X Free Wheelin'). I really prefer this color to the tow seedlings above, but I am not as crazy about the form.

H. 'Diamond Cutter' (Holley 2009) One of my favorite toothy red parents from my friend, Stan Holley in California. Left click on this image and just look at those teeth.

This is H. 'Heman' (Gossard 2007) One of the cultivars that I am using to try and get narrow petals with teeth.

H. 'Dangerous Expedtations' (Gossard 2007) I like the color a lot better on this narrow petaled toothy cultivar.

H. 'Some Sweet Day' (Stamile 2006) This has been one of my favorite parents and I have saved several seedlings from it. However, this year I have noticed that it has a pretty green edge that I had not seen before. Another way that I can take this cultivar is to things with a green edge. Like it!


Well, that is it for today. Hope that tomorrow brings more new things.


Life is very, very good.

Lee

Blooms, April 8, 2012

Blooms in the greenhouse, April 8, 2012

Left click on image for a larger picture.


Another great day in the greenhouse. Lots of blooms from many different cultivars. When I walked into the greenhouse this morning, the temperature was 51º, a little too cold to hybridize so I dead headed and did some general cleanup. The sun came out and the greenhouse quickly warmed to 65º, which is just great for setting pods. I was looking around this morning and removing tags from crosses that did not take, which were not many. I would estimate that 85% to 90% of my crosses have resulted in pods being set. Not bad.

The first seedling from the greenhouse this morning is No. 9058 (Judy Farquar X Belle Cook) which I believe will be released next year with the name H. 'Puttin' On The Ritz' which I have reserved. Just a nice clean flower with a nicely etched eye.

Another seedling that bloomed for the first time this morning is simply (Seedling X Seedling) until I have the time to research the parentage. I know, another yellow, but this flower has a lot of green in it so I will use it in my green edge program. However, what makes it special is the branching. This is a nine month seedling, blooming for the first time, and it has 5-way branching. See the image of the branching . . . you will have to enlarge this image.

One of the named cultivars to bloom this morning was Melanie Mason's H. 'Cherries Jubilee' (2009). It is a dark velvety red with a very nice green throat. As you can see, it is a bicolor. It is dormant, so I will be using it as a pod parent.

Each day when I leave the greenhouse, I look forward to my return the next morning to see what is blooming.

Life is very, very good.

Lee

Blooms, April 5, 2012

Blooms in the greenhouse, April 5, 2012

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WOW!

Today's WOW blossom when I walked into the greenhouse was David Kirchhoff's H. 'Barbara Mandrell'. This flower is one of the cleanest saturated reds that I have seen. The form is full and round, the petal edges are edged in gold and nicely ruffled. The white watermark accentuates the lime green throat.  So far, my favorite flower in the greenhouse. I am showing the flower in the largest size allowed by blogger. If you want to see it larger, left click on the image.

Another of the named varieties blooming was H. 'Chattaboogie', one of my 2010 introductions.  The scape is around 30" tall and I have seen the blossom up around 6". It is a polychrome of pale yellow with a pink tinge and a crimson eye and petal edge. Out in the garden, the teeth are more prominent than in the greenhouse.

Another red that I am quite fond of is my friend, Stan Holley's H. 'Doug's Caress', (2009). A deep saturated red with ruffled petal edges trimmed in gold. A white watermark leads to a green heart. Very striking and pod and pollen fertile.

The new seedling blooming today is Seedling No. 1106 (Singular Sensation X Wonder Of It All). Yes, another WOIA kid. This seedling is probably not an introduction, but I am using it a lot as a pod parent. It is a nice smooth flower or a clear color with a big green throat and green edge. I am hoping it will give me some nice green edged seedlings.

Well, that is it for today. As always, I look forward to the bloom tomorrow.

Life is very, very good

Lee

Blooms, April 3, 2012

Blooms in the greenhouse, April 3, 2012

Left click on image for a larger picture. 

Today I would like to share something different with you. Many times blossoms are the same whether the images are taken in the greenhouse or outside in the field. Then there are those that you wonder if it is the same cultivar. Below is the same cultivar, the top image taken in the greenhouse today, April 1, 2012, and the second image is the same cultivar taken outside in the field in 2011. There is a marked difference.

This is Seedling No. 0742 (Mandalay Bay Music X Wonders Never Cease) image taken in the greenhouse. Notice the sculpting, the big yellow throat leading to a green heart and the nicely ruffled petal edges.

This is Seedling No. 0742 (Mandalay Bay Music X Wonders Never Cease) image taken out in the field. The color is still there, only lighter. The sculpting is more prominent. The big yellow throat to green heart is still there. The petal edges are more pronounced and tighter, and they have added some fringes, making a striking difference in the seedling.


I took one picture today of a named cultivar, Jeff Salter's H. 'Cimarron Rose' (2005). I really like the color, size and form of this daylily. I am using it in my red breeding program.

Life is very, very good.

Lee

Blooms, April 2, 2012

Blooms in the greenhouse, April 1, 2012

Left click on image for a larger picture.

WOW!

When I walked into the greenhouse this morning, this is the first bloom I saw:

Seedling No. 1115 (Open My Eyes X Crazy Ivan) At just over 6", this is one of the most imposing blooms I have seen. The edge is at least ¾". The eye is huge. I will be using the pollen from this seedling heavily.

Seedling No. 9036 (tetra Lavender Blue Baby X Wonder Of It All) A WOIA kid that has taken the color of the pod parent while maintaining that impeccable form of WOIA.

Those WOIA kids just keep coming. Seedling No. 1103 (Wonder Of It All X Diana's Evening Gown). Wow, clear color showing lots of green.




Now some named varieties from this morning.

From our sculpted line, H. 'When Johnny Comes Marching Home'. (Pickles 2012) 28” EM SEv Re EMO Ext 5½”. 4-way branching, 18 buds. Petals 3½”, sepals 2”.
    This flower has the “relief” form of sculpting and is a pale peach with a rosy eye. A lemon-lime throat and a heavily ruffled rosy edge with a gold line provides the finishing touches. Opens like this every morning. Very heavy substance which holds well in the sun or rain. Second set of scapes emerge before first set is done blooming. Fertile. No. 9034 (Elisa Dallas X Wonder Of It All)

And from my friend, Jeff Corbett in California, H. 'Aslan' (2009) A cream peach with deep pink to red eye and edge with light gold to white picotee above bright green throat.



That's it for today's edition of Daylily Potpourri.

Life is very, very good.

Lee 

April Fool's Day, 2012

Blooms in the greenhouse, April 1, 2012

Left click on image for a larger picture.

Each day, there are more blooms in the greenhouse. What a lift it gives when I open the door and walk in to see what new is blooming. It is great to see the named cultivars I am using for hybridizing in bloom, but it is like Christmas to see the new seedlings bloom. When making a cross, I have visions in my head on what I would like to get. Sometimes I get close, most of the time, it is a slap in the face!

This morning Seedling No. 1037 was blooming. It is a cross of [Rock Solid X (Lone Wolf X Robert W. Carr)] I really like the cleanliness of the color and the round, full form. The flower was 6" on a 32" scape.

I know it is unbelievable to see something like this in MY greenhouse, but I like this flower (I really didn't say that). This is H. 'Free Wheelin' ' (Stamile 2004). I have used the pollen and have gotten a couple nice kids. The website says the FW is both pod and pollen fertile. I have never been able to set a pod on it in my greenhouse. If I can't set it here, it is likely that it won't set pods. I don't care for many of the spiders and UF's, but I do like the cascading form.

I will again show an image of Bob Carr's H. 'Wonder Of It All' as it bloomed this morning. I really like WOIA as a parent, but you have to be careful what you use it with.  This image this morning was right at 6". Taking a close look at the flower, it appears to me that it would be good used with some of the green edged things. WOIA has that wonderful green throat which, with the right green edged parent, may carry on to the edge of the seedlings. I am trying it, so we shall see. I have also seen WOIA used with H. 'Fringy' (Stamile 2008) with nice results. A few years ago, I had 15 pots of WOIA in the greenhouse with one to six fans per pot. I got to looking one day and I thought I had a lot of pods set on WOIA, so I counted, and there were 165 pods. Is that fertile, or what?


On our March trip to California to speak to the Bay Area Daylily Society, we stayed a few days longer and went to one of our favorite places, Wine Country. We were joined on our tastings by Curtis and Pat Montgomery of San Jose, CA. Here are the four of us, Lee, Jean, Pat and Curtis enjoying the wine and scenery of Sonoma Valley from Pezzi King Winery. Notice the yellow Labradors, so Jean was able to get her "fix" for the day.

Life is very, very good.

Lee