What’s Up Wednesday – Daylily Bloom Season has started – Update on the Direct Sow Seedlings – The Asian Lilies are Continuing to Bloom – Sedum Donuts – Update on the Bird Drop Currant

Happy Summer!

There’s a lot going on in the gardens right now.

Top of mind, the daylily bloom season has started in our townhome gardens.

Hello Yellow was the first daylily to bloom in the gardens this year.

It was such a wonderful few days to see that first cheerful Hello Yellow bloom again!

Hello Yellow is one of my own seedlings, harvested from seed from our daylilies. The seed was from the 2022 harvest, with a 2023 seedling and a 2024 first bloom. This is its third year of bloom.

Hello Yellow is an extended bloom daylily, so it begins to bloom in the late afternoon and blooms all the next day until evening when it starts to wind down. That means that we get to enjoy the full cycle of each bloom for two separate days. It also means that Hello Yellow has been challenging to work with for propagation. Hello Yellow only seems to want to be a pod parent, and it only seems to like Just Plum Happy pollen. Last year I had a successful cross that went to seed, and it looks like it has now gone to seedling. The seed would not germinate in a seedling pot, but one seems to have germinated in the ground. I am cautiously optimistic, but it does look kind of weak. I am watching it, but so far it is hanging in there. As encouragement, I have had seedlings die back but emerge the next year. We will see what happens.

Even though Hello Yellow is one of my seedlings, it is still a bit of a mystery as to parentage. My documentation during that time period was not what it is today. I was just getting started with crosses, had very little research into it, had many other irons in the fire, including rehabbing an old home on the north shore of Minnesota (Lake Superior) four hours away that we thought we would retire to, and I was also still working, full time, and had volunteer stuff going on. Yah. It amazes me that all was happening at once. By the grace of God, we got all of that sorted to what He had in mind for us longer-term, and we are in a much different time now. With many fruits from that time. One of them is the start of my daylily propagation work.

I may never be able to say for certain what Hello Yellow’s parentage is, but I only had five seedling pots going the year I planted those seedlings, and I have a few notes, so I am trying to replicate it with those clues. I have a 3-year seedling with first year scapes that may provide clues this year, and I am very excited about that. The most important thing, though, is how much we enjoy Hello Yellow. Hello Yellow has provided so much beauty and so much educational prompting. I am thankful for Hello Yellow.

On to a requested update –

Our beloved direct sow daylily seedlings are doing well. They are claiming spots in the gardens, and I am checking them daily. What a wonderful development, and a great new avenue to explore! I think there is also some sort off message in “1” this year. I have had multiple occasions where I had one seedling, thought that was it for the new variety, and then capped off those efforts by planting the one seedling with the dirt and seeds that were in the pots, only to find the seed preferred direct sow. I could expound on things like not every child has the same needs, each child makes their own path, sometimes you just need to try something new, patience is a virtue. All of that. And I definitely now have a renewed option that I had previously written off. But bottom line, I am not sure what’s going on with the “1” thing and the direct sow thing this year, but I’m listening, and I’ll follow the breadcrumbs and see where it takes the gardens, and me.

Let’s see. What else? The Asian lilies continue to have one of the best years in a while. This single looked like it was waning last year. Glad to have it back.

The Sundazzle sedum out from are starting to make donuts again this year. It makes me smile. I do love a good (real, yummy) donut. But, I know, the proper thing to do would be to divide the Sundazzle sedum and then transplant. Maybe. We’ll see how busy the fall gets.

Our little bird drop Currant has a lot of green, but no berries yet. It is starting to take up more and more space. We shall see if it stays there long term. I did weed the two others that popped up a few weeks ago. I love the thought – but one is enough, in the case of Currants in the daylily areas.

Wishing you a wonderful rest of the week!

Be Blessed!