Daylily Delight

We have the colonists who settled the New World to thank for the daylily. The orange variety, commonly called the "ditch lily" and sometimes considered a weed, adds its bright orange color to the roadside landscape each July. However, the modern daylily, or Hemerocallis as it is known by its scientific name, has become sophisticated enough to reside in the finest of gardens. The color palette now includes not only yellow and orange, but also red, purple, pink, and almost white, and the size and shape of the bloom has many variations as well. Daylilies are easy to grow. They seem to adapt to almost any soil conditions and will grow in partial shade to full sun. What more could we ask! They do need water regularly, but mulching always helps conserve the moisture and control the weeds. The time to divide your established plants is early spring or late summer, but now while they are blooming is a good time to decided which ones you want to divide or move. Potted stock can be planted almost anytime as long as you water it adequately. Daylilies don't require a lot of care, but they do produce seed pods if the faded flowers are not removed. So to be sure that the plant puts its energy into producing good flowers for years to come, remove those faded blooms as needed. If you are interested in more information, check the American Hemerocallis Society website.