More Daylilies Anyone?

The Stella D'Oro
Picture by Denise

Daylilies are a tough brood. They are one of the easiest bloomers for me to work with while giving back beauty 100 fold. Even though a bloom lasts only one day, a bed of daylilies will give plenty of blooms every day during their blooming season.

Better yet, they multiply very well. They are easy to divide to extend an existing bed or use in another.

The best time to divide is in early Spring or in the Fall after they have ceased blooming. I have divided them at different times of the year but they do best when divided as suggested. Either way, it will take a year for the transplants to become prolific bloomers as they are known to be.

Divide when clumbs start to show signs of becoming over crowded or their blooms are shy (less blooms). I've used different methods of dividing. When the ground is soft, I've used a fork by working around the entire clump to losen the soil from the roots. Then sink the fork under the clump and lift it out. You will loose more roots if you try this when the ground is hard.

The other method is using a spade to encircle the plant to a depth of about eight inches. Bear in mind that the roots extend several inches beyond the foliage. Once circled, shove the spade under the clump and lift out. This method is best if you plan to transfer the entire plant intact to another location. In my opinion, this is not really dividing, you're just moving them.

Dividing the clump can be done one of two ways. If the soil is lose around the clump, you can easily remove the soil by shaking- taking care not to destroy more roots than necessary. If the soil is compact and not wanting to release from the roots, use a water hose to wash away the soil leaving the roots exposed.

Separate the individual fans by gently teasing and tugging to separate their roots. Each new division should consist of a fan with attached roots. This method will produce many more lilies than cutting the clumps into quarters.

Once removed, trim away any dead growth. Replant the new divisions about eight inches apart in well prepared soil tilled to about eight inches deep. Mix in about two inches of organic matter and about two pounds of 10-0-10 fertilizer per 100 square feet of area. Use your favorite organic fertilizer if you are an organic gardener.

There you have it! Nothing to it. Right?

Til next time,

Poppy

For more info click on photo below.

My Latest Creation

Thrill'm, Fill'm, Spill'm

This was a fun job! Using a clay pot, potting soil, Variegated Flax Lily, Blue Mistral Delphinium, and "White Magic" trailing Verbena. The Flax Lily was not quite as tall as I wanted, so I placed it in a separate pot and elevated it slightly above the others.

The pots of blue delphinium contained three plants in each pot. I divided them up and placed them around the lily pot. The verbena was in a hanging basket that I separated and placed around the outside edge of the clay pot.

I added slow release fertilizer at two levels as the soil was placed- halfway and at top. I also made sure that there were no voids in the soil as the plants were placed. Air pockets around the roots can retard good root development. A thorough watering followed the completed job.

As I stood back to admire my creation, a major "boo boo" glared at me. Can you guess what it is? Take a good look at the picture and leave a comment as to what you think.

The "Pinot Gris"

Pictured here is one of the plants mentioned in the "Thriller, Filler, Spiller" post was the "Pinot Gris" that Lori used as a "spiller".

The spring foliage is bright ginger-orange with touches of blue and a silvery sheen. Plant Patent Applied For. One of the most spectacular color changes in all the colorful Heuchera family occurs on this exciting Thierry Delabroye introduction. Tolerant of heat, humidity, and sun, this native species is a fine choice for warm climates, and its remarkable color combinations make it essential for the border, containers, and accent plantings.The new spring foliage of this compact plant emerges a bright gingery shade of orange, with touches of bright blue and a silvery overlay. Unlike anything around it, it "pops" from the border, creating a sensation among garden visitors. Then, as the weather warms and summer approaches, the leaves become a rosy shade of pink, darkening to smoky intensity, the veins standing out nearly black. A pewter-like overlay of silver mutes the rosy tones, but the underside of each leaf is bright grape-purple. And the foliage remains this way through autumn!Creamy bell-shaped blooms arise on slender 20-inch stems from the center of the plant in early to midsummer, but the foliage is so lovely that you may just want to cut the blooms for use indoors to concentrate on the leaves. Reaching about 10 inches high (when out of bloom) and 14 inches wide, this plant achieves a layered look, thanks to the nearly horizontal hold of the foliage. Elegant!Truly a spectacular show, 'Pinot Gris' is one of French breeder Delabroye's most triumphant achievements. For more of his Heucheras, take a look at Tiramisu, Pistache, Encore, and Beaujolais. H. villosa is a native American species found from Virginia to Georgia. Compared to other Heucheras, it is larger and later to bloom, with rounded foliage reminiscent of maple leaves in shape and magnificent color changes. Evergreen and very well-branched, these plants tolerate our hot, humid summers better than other Heuchera species, and fare well in dappled shade. Add a few to your shade border this season and discover the carefree pleasure of these adaptable, vigorous perennials. Zones 4-9.