The experts (the pollinators) have spoken. And they definitely have a “voice”. And bragging rights.

For example, Equal Opportunity (one of my own seedlings, but from South Seas self-seed) has three different looks from three different scapes this year. Last year was similar. The seedlings all come from the same year’s South Seas self-seed, yet the variety is amazing. And I didn’t do anything to get that variety, or the beauty per bloom. I just let the self-seed pods mature and then at harvest started my normal process.

Doing a cross between Equal Opportunity and Hello Yellow was on my list this year.

Hello Yellow is one of my own seedlings as well. It is an extended bloom, absolutely gorgeous, tetraploid (so no it is not a Stella De Oro) and it has been very stingy with pollen and very stubborn with being a pod parent. But it crossed with Equal Opportunity and has a pod. And another same cross pending results.

This morning I got to thinking. I really like what the pollinators accomplish. And I have a garden full of seedlings from new (intentional) crosses I did last year. Full. And the crosses I wanted to do this year are already done. And I don’t want to tax those daylilies with too much drain going into a volume of pods I really don’t “need”. I can be a good collaborator with the pollinators. I can stop getting in their way. And I can be done doing crosses for this year. One (week of crosses) and done.

I made the decision, even though today was crazy good for options, that enough is definitely enough, and I’m done doing crosses for 2026. Now I can sit back, watch the pollinators, enjoy the very full garden, and relax. Just do maintenance. Until harvest time. Crazy good thought 😉

Today is an exceptional day for the daylily blooms.

Enjoy!