An unapologetic plant geek shares advice and opinions on gardening, the contrived and the natural landscape, as well as occasional topics from the other side of the gate.

June 19, 2016

A Morning in the Perennial Garden

     This morning I joined a co-worker in the Baker Perennial Garden at work. She was leading two daylily-centric "walk and talks" of the garden in conjunction with the Tidewater Daylily Society's annual show and sale. To make these plants look their best, we went through and deadheaded every daylily in the garden, which took the two of us about 90 minutes. After we were done I took advantage of the beautiful 70 degree weather, and grabbed some shots of the recently groomed photogenic beauties.

     Hemerocallis citrina
Hemerocallis citrina (2)

     'Cricket Call'
Hemerocallis 'Cricket Call' (2)

     'El Desperado'
Hemerocallis 'El Desperado'

     'All Things to All Men'
Hemerocallis 'All Things to All Men'

      'Green Inferno'
Blue Arbor with Hemerocalllis 'Green Inferno'

     This is 'VT Purple Passion', and it was bred and introduced by my former employer and local daylily enthusiast, Linda Pinkham. It compliments her 'VT Spirit', which has the school colors of Virgnia Tech. 
Hemerocallis 'VT Purple Passion'

     'Sundays with Vernon'
Hemerocallis 'Sundays with Vernon'
 
     'Summer Fireworks'
Hemerocallis 'Summer Fireworks' (2)

Hemerocallis 'Summer Fireworks' (3)

     'Premier Surprise'
Hemerocallis 'Premier Surprise'

     'Nona's Garnet Spider'
Hemerocallis 'Nona's Scarlet Spider' (2)

     'Lord of the Rings'
Hemerocallis 'Lord of the Rings'

     'Lime Peel'
Hemerocallis 'Lime Peel'

      'Land of Cotton'
Hemerocallis 'Land of Cotton'

     Although they were the reason I was there, daylilies were not the only things blooming. Rudbeckia maxima is probably becoming my favorite member of the genus.
Rudbeckia maxima (1)

Rudbeckia maxima (2)

     Lilium 'Holland Beauty'
Lillium 'Holland Beauty' (2)

Lillium 'Holland Beauty' (1)

     These hanging baskets have Elymus arenarius (whose color is a dead match for the arbor), 'Carita Cascade Purple' Angelonia, and 'Silver Falls' Dichondra
Hanging Baskets

     Verbena boanriensis with Filipendula rubra 'Venusta'
Verbena boanriensis with Filipendula rubra 'Venusta' (1)

Verbena boanriensis with Filipendula rubra 'Venusta' (2)

14 comments:

  1. I love it when you can match plants and paint!

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  2. Nice! They all look stunning, especially with the blue arbor as a backdrop. This post includes so many great examples of effective garden design!

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  3. Wow, 90 minutes of deadheading? No wonder your lilies are so perfectly gorgeous. I be your visitors were well impressed. We're having that weather in Maine and it's hard to work inside. You have the best job.

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  4. I love the flowers of daylilies but I'm always disappointed in the foliage, which at its best never looks great and is usually downright ratty after they bloom. Plus they need constant deadheading!

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  5. Daylilies are largely considered mere commercial parking lot color here, but they have many virtues. Enjoyed your beautiful photos.

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  6. Had to laugh at "All Things to All Men. Strikes me as the perfect name for an overbred flower! I like the smaller flowered varieties and no tetraploids.

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  7. Oh, I want some of that Rudbeckia maxima! Also, that 'Citrina' Daylily is fantastic - I love the shape of the flowers.

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  8. I find dead heading Day lilies to be very calming. 'Cricket Call' and the Canna behind it are a perfect match; probably not just a happy accident. What Canna variety is it?

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  9. Gorgeous! I have no idea what most of my daylilies are named. I need to get down there to see the gardens.

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  10. I have not a single daylily in my garden. But these sure look good after all that deadheading. I can remember doing that at the U.S. Nat'l Arboretum when I worked there, maybe that's why I don't have any. Love the combination of Filipendula with V. bonariensis.

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  11. Gorgeous stuff! Any problems with deer?

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  12. I am trying some of my own breeding of a few of my daylilies. A few seed pods were produced. Check back on my blog in a few years to view the results.
    Ray

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  13. Love the lillies. I really like the ones with the purple. Do you ever eat them ? I just have ordinary day lillies in my garden an will snap off a flower and walk 'round my garden munching on petals !

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