Winter time and inclement weather is the time I spend going through seedling pix and notes to see what to really watch this year. I'm happy to say there are many babies out there in the seedling patch worth a second (or third) look. Beyond the pretty pictures comes the more detailed scrutinizing of the plants. I feel I'm pretty strict when it comes to introducing a daylily. There's way too many out there that shouldn't have been put out there. I want mine to be around for a long time.
So, what do I look for? When the plants are in bloom I keep a yard stick handy to measure both the height of the stalks and the width of the flowers. I constantly count buds per stalk and average out the totals. Rebloom is almost a requirement (unless it is truly a new pattern, color combo or unusual form), meaning we want the plant to consistently send up new shoots as old stalks bloom. Disease resistance, strong vigor and floriferousness all are mandatory.So, here's just a few fun ones I hope will pan out this year. (Remember we have contests on our Facebook page when we need names!)...
Love your iris and learning about the different classes. I think I could do with some of the smaller ones. I planted them for the first time, last year, in my Texas garden. Of course they have grown so big I will be dividing them at the end of the year. I love your daylilies too having been given several by a friend who breeds them for fun. I particularly love the darker colors.
ReplyDeleteThanks! The median iris can struggle in warmer climates because many have the species 'pumila' in their family tree. Iris pumila is a dwarf iris from colder climates, but the medians seem to make it to Dallas more or less.
ReplyDeleteI love the dark lilies too and should have a few good enough to introduce soon. :)