Cariboo Gardening Guide 2003
* Dazzling Daylilies *
I demand quite a bit from the plants in my garden. My favorites have these qualities in common- hardy, low maintenance and drought tolerant. I also want them to have attractive foliage, a pleasing form and to bloom for an extended period of time. I don’t ask for much. The day lily fits all of these requirements. They are hardy to zone 2. They are perfect for the beginner or for the gardener with little time on their hands. They blend into a border beautifully, filling in the spaces with lush green foliage that is attractive all season. The smaller types make an excellent easy care ground cover. Then there are the flowers……
Hemerocallis is taken from the Greek words meaning ‘beauty for a day’. But don’t let that deter you away from this marvelous plant. The daylily flower stays open for one day;
possibly two in very cool weather but the plant can produce an abundance of flowers. Each individual scape (the stem supporting the flowers) can carry 40-60 buds and one plant may produce 10-20 scapes- work out the math! That equals a lot of flowers.
There are over 38,000 daylily varieties to date. A little overwhelming when trying to decide which ones are best for your garden? Some of the guess- work has been taken out by singling out some of the better varieties. There is a group of daylilies called TROPHY TAKERS. They have the following qualities:
 | In the first year of growing these plants will produce triple fans (a root division). |
| They bloom for 42 days, compared to the average daylily that blooms for 21 days. |
| Attractive foliage is retained until late fall. |
| Resistant to pests and disease. |
Some TROPHYTAKER selections include:
Strawberry Candy- this award winning daylily resembles a fresh cut strawberry. Ruffled 4" pink blooms with red eyes and a dark edging are striking on 26" scapes. Re-blooms early to mid-summer.
Tuscawilla Tigress- a roaring 7" glowing bright orange flower re-blooms on 25" scapes early to mid-summer.
Barbara Mitchell – this very popular daylily will also add a touch of fragrance to your garden. Ruffled, light pink lavender 6" flowers with a faint rose eye are produced on 20" scapes. Re-blooms mid-summer.
Ever-blooming Daylily –bloom from mid-summer to frost!
Happy Returns- this ever-blooming daylily is now the most sought after landscape daylily in the world. Flowers are lemon yellow, ruffled and 3" growing on 18" scapes. This fragrant little gem was hybridized from Stella de’Oro. An excellent low maintenance ground cover.
Quesnel’s Communities in Bloom Official Flower
Gold Strike – This daylily commands your attention. The re-blooming 6" gold flowers are majestic on 32" scapes. Local master gardener, Flora Murphy, said, " We chose a daylily because of its versatility- easy to grow in our Cariboo climate and soil and requires so little attention." She knew she had the perfect variety in Gold Strike after speaking with Pam Erikson of Erikson’s Daylily Gardens in Langley, B.C. Flora exclaimed, "I didn’t hesitate when I heard about Gold Strike’s sturdy, 6", ruffled flowers. The flowers have a dusting of gold sparkles with 40 – 45 blooms on each stem".
So Plant the Town Gold by planting one (or more) of these sought after beauties in your garden.
Growing Tips
| Daylilies prefer a sunny location with a minimum of 3-4 hours of sun. The darker colors –reds and purples prefer a little protection from hot after noon sun. |
| Regular watering keeps the foliage green and lush. |
| Plants benefit from an early spring top-dressing of compost and bone meal. Work this in around the base of the plant, don’t pile on top of the crown. |
| After removing dead foliage in fall mulch with shredded leaves. Don’t remove this mulch in the spring it will compost –providing nutrients to the soil and helps retain moisture in the ground. |
| Divide every 3-5 years in early spring or fall. |
| Under plant daylilies with spring bulbs. Enjoy the early spring colour and let the daylily foliage cover the unsightly bulb foliage once they have finished blooming. |
EASY LANDSCAPING COMBINATION – Sit in the shade and relax while you enjoy this patio garden of bright reds, oranges, gold and yellows in spring, summer and fall.
