Regina Sitko --Paul Owen sent me a generous division of this one.

Clarification --so nice this year (big flowers)
Ocean Spirit
Mohawk Chief in hospital bed . They are debating ending this garden, as they will not hire someone to help me.

Ruby Spider

Swedish Girl --so reliable
Native Reflection --looked good on an overcast day. Didn't notice bud count on this young plant.
Viva Pinata
Picture in Picture --low bud count, young plant, some earlier ones splotchy
Soft Summer Night

Blue Pink Beauty --really thriving this year, even though I divided it in spring.

Philistine Champion --newly lined out
Mexicali Blues --did nothing last year; startling this morning
hospital bed --years ago, Chris identified this old dip, but I forget
Worlds Collide

Ruby Spider wins for me today! Soft summer night is lovely, such a nice clump. Free Wheelin always catches my eye. Ending the garden? there has to be volunteers to help!

Sherry

Wow! There are lots here to scroll back and forth over. Clumps look so healthy. Ruby Spider and Soft Summer Night-really nice. Ethel Buccola is striking. Hospital bed-love the combo plants. I am sure it would be missed if no longer there. Have not seen Regina Sitko before. It looks large. Lots going on in this post. I enjoyed it.

Kate

Gorgeous blooms! A very nice collection with lots of eye-catching photos. Top picks include Free Wheelin, Elizabeth Trotter, Down Home, Clarification, and Swedish Girl. Also, what is the name of the small, dark red daylily to the right of Free Wheelin? It caught my eye as I was scrolling through. Hopefully the hospital bed will continue.

Lori

Aren't there any volunteer groups that will help a hospital out with this garden? Maybe the local garden club? I would hate to see it go to seed. It would make me sad for you after all your work.........I always liked Blue Pink Beauty. It has a lovely form....Mexicali Blues is another eye catcher since it actually looks bluish in the eye.....I think Bronze Eyed Beauty takes first prize this time because of it's unusual color. Nice...........Maryl

The small red flower is Santa's Little Helper. It usually reblooms. Have always had difficulty dealing with the hospital. It is not your neighborhood community hospital anymore, but part of a chain.

So many real beauties, a few I have not seen before. Wonderful clump shots always make me envious. I think Viva Pinata and Mexicali Blues really want to come live with me, so very pretty.

I have a friend, she likes flowers, but weeds drive her crazy and the fact that I have my plants too close together and disorganized. She like to see mulch. She just shakes her head at my garden. I do spend a lot of time weeding, believe it or not, but can never get ahead. Other people come and I honestly think they are like me, forget the weeds for the great flowers.

It would be such a shame for the hospital to let the garden go, I am sure patients and visitors really enjoy it. Good for the spirit. I hope they can find someone to help.

You have a lot of pretty one, Mantis. Worlds Collide is a beautiful bloom. Philistine Champion is looking really good. Swedish Girl is always very pretty, and you have so many beautiful clump shots. Very nice post, Mantis.

kay

Where to begin?! As always, you've shown us so many dazzling beauties! First, I wonder if the orange/yellow dip in the hospital bed is Wild One? Also, I can sympathize with the fibromyalgia.....I have it too, plus restless legs. It is awful to live with and weather aggravates mine too, especially humidity. Now for the flowers....it's hard, if not impossible, to pick favorites as they are all grown so well. I see some that I grow and are good for me here too.....like Ruby Spider and Swedish Girl.....just great daylilies. Regina Sitko looks huge! I love the purple Bachelor Party. Your Free Wheelin' looks better than mine. Mine has increased to only 3 fans (from 2) in all the years it's been here. I don't think it likes my climate but those big blooms are eye-catching so it's still here. Soft Summer Night is my pick for favorite because that clump is perfection.

Mantis,

I am blown away that you are near peak. I know that I am in Zone 5, but I only have LAVA FLOW consistently blooming. I have an occasional bloom on SCREEN PATTERN, THE TRIBBLE WITH BLUE, and LAVENDER BLUE BABY (super early scape, most likely left over from last year). It appears that I am about three weeks away from things really starting to bloom and this is about two weeks later than usual. I would concur with your comment about SWEDISH GIRL. It is a wonderful plant. It appears that PHILISTINE CHAMPION handles your weather rather well. Does anyone in Zone 5 grow PHILISTINE CHAMPION and can report on how it recovers from the winters?

David

So many and so lovely. Do you think Swedish Girl is a better plant than Susan Weber? They are different in color but similar as to edge-no eye. Bachelor Party, Ruby Spider, Free Wheelin', Regina Sitko and the clump shots do it for me. Do you take your pictures on cloudy days or when they are shaded, the colors never look bleached out. How blue is the blue eyezone on Mexicali Blue?

I've got to say the two hospital bed shots are my favorite photos. I love how you combine plants. The colors work so well together in both those pictures. Memphis looks so pretty! Yours was sheltered enough to bloom. Mine needs to come next to the house. Bachelor Party is my favorite of the daylilies. The colors are so pretty! Your Free Wheelin' shot is gorgeous. I was thinking about moving mine out until I saw your photo. Mine is recovering from being in deep shade this season. It has six fans, but only two sent up scapes, and one was very short. Clarification looks like one of your best clumps. Any possibility of a fall trade for that one?

Debra

I grow both SUSAN WEBER and SWEDISH GIRL and would say that SG is more vigorous plant.

David

The Mexicali picture is accurate. I try to take my pictures after 10 a.m. on an overcast day. Even on a partly sunny day, sun shots may work at that time. Also, there frequently are small periods of cloudiness. Picture taking can consume about two hours a day. There are many rejects.

Swedish Girl and Susan Weber are quite different in color to my eye--with SG being an edge/no eye cultivar. The edge coloration is not bright, but still provides contrast. Here is an overcast shot. The color can vary a bit under different conditions. Recent conditions have included lots of rain--optimal conditions.

Susan Weber can be temperamental, with not every flower good, and opening not as reliable as SG. Also, as David says, very slow grower. Here is Susan Weber, which I may still have a piece of. Later blooming.

Note that Mexicali Blues had no flowers last year. It is not heavily budded, but a lot here are not. The weather conditions, up until this heat wave, have produced superior flowers. Here is a paler MB.

The Memphis shot was taken at the estate. Lavishly beautiful.

The owner of the estate said that he especially liked Ruby Spider. He does not have expensive tastes in daylilies.

Another hospital garden shot. It is too much work for just me. Part of time and many plants are donated. Staff and patients love it. Hospital administration couldn't care less. Bees love it, with that butterfly weed, monarda, cone flowers.

The daylily in this picture is probably the old Wild cultivar Golden Chance.