Bob professes to hate Stella's Ruffled Fingers. He is just not a fan of pink especially this shade of pink. He also hates the name. However, you can't deny that it is a good bloomer. This is its second round of blooms. When we get rebloom, we might get a scape or two on a clump. On Stella's Ruffled Fingers, the second ones is as nice as the first. I wonder it will bloom a third time.

I worried that Titanic would not like our climate. So far, so good, although last winter was mild.

Here is Triple Cherries on rebloom. It's one of the best rebloomers in the garden.I

I guess the seedling Queen has to be this one. This seedling is somewhere between 6 and 7 months old. We don't breed much for doubles (it's very hard to work with double--they often don't have a pistil and the stamens are often fused with the petals), but this one is out of a single that sometimes double. It is Let's Dance Tonight X (Empire of Dawn and Dusk X Ruby Lipstick), a seedling of ours that is red and white. This is the second doubled bloom on this so I hope that is a consistent trait.

Here is one of our favorite seedlings. It has been selected for further evaluation. It is Ruffled Strawberry Parfait X (Horns X Sea of Cinders). The blue tape is used to mark those that are saved from a seedling bed. We marked a couple of its siblings.

That's all for today.

Nancy

Raggedy Man caught my attention of these. I love it when daylilies glow. I'm afraid I'm with Bob on that pink Stella. Not my color, though I do have Fairly Tale Pink that is nearly that color. I have almost gotten rid of it a couple of times, but it does bloom well in a not ideal spot so I end up keeping it.

Brad

Nancy, I’m a true fan of your seedling Queen, such an attractive double today, I too, hope it keeps doubling. How late does Ruffled Strawberry Parfait usually bloom???

Sherry

Lots of nice blooms, but I think my favorite is that last seedling. I agree about Stella's Ruffled Fingers. I have had it bloom 4 times in a season one year, and, as you said, rebloom is as good as 1st bloom. I much prefer it to Stella d'Oro.

Sherry, Ruffled Strawberry Parfait consistently is a late bloomer. We have a bed of late bloomers and it usually is in bloom with the rest of them--Cactus Blossom, Last Man Standing, Raggedy Man to name a few. However, this year, it started after Sandra Elizabeth and Autumn Minaret. Our weird spring weather (the frosts, I think) messed up blooming times on some of the daylilies. Two daylilies are just putting up scapes and neither is a late boomer. I appreciate the flowers whenever they make their appearance.

Ruffled Strawberry Parfait is so pretty in a cool way. I like those colors when heat is audacious! I like your queen seedling also although I don't have many doubles. I think the color got me on this one! Just a curiosity question-you indicated it was between 6 and 7 months old. Is that from seed germination to bloom? How long has it been in the ground? Curious because that just seems like a quick turnaround for a bloom-which seems like would be a good thing to see. I have some plants that are way older than that and haven't seen a bloom!!! :)

Kate

Kate, 6 to 7 months is quick for a bloom in our climate. And yes, it is from germination to bloom. We usually start planting seedlings in late January and I try to be done by the end of March. We have a greenhouse, but because of a lack of space there (it's crowded with tropical plants), we have been starting them under lights in the basement. They go outside as soon as possible, as soon as nighttime temperatures don't drop below the high 30's. We finished planting them in the ground by the end of June. So far, we are seeing about 5 scapes (out of about 1800). There probably will be more by fall.

We really don't want them to bloom that first year, but who can resist seeing what it will look like. If we see the scape just emerging, we often pinch it off, but if we see a well developed scape has formed, we just let it be. We figure that the plant has already put out the energy to make that scape, it might as well bloom. Some people say that the plant then reabsorbs the energy in the scape as it dies back.

There are a couple of factors that might contribute to the fast bloom. We don't generally use communal pots to grow the seedlings in. Each seed is planted in its own cell in those inserts that fit the standard nursery tray. We use the ones with 72 cells, So when we do plant them, there is very little disturbance of the roots. Separating the seedlings in the communal pot can cause a lot of root damage (especially as thick as we planted them).

Also we don't give our seedlings haircuts. This is a common practice among some growers, but doesn't make sense to me. I don't understand cutting off the food generating portion of the plant. We did cut off half of the foliage of the ones in communal pots when we disturbed their roots and planted them. And they are noticeable smaller than the ones we didn't.

Growing the seedlings continues to be a learning experience. We are constantly changing the process.

Thanks, Nancy, for the comprehensive answer. And yes, I was thinking of your climate when I asked the question although getting that kind of gorgeous bloom on such a young plant still amazes me! And yes, I would want to see that bloom, too!

Kate

My favorite registered ones are St. Louis Blues and Triple Cherries. I do like you red-eyed double seedling alot! The last seedling is nice too.

Debra

The first three are my favorite and from the seedlings the one that is your favorite, such a great edge. Although the double has some pretty colors.

Carnosaur is my favorite of the first ones, but those last two seedlings are really pretty. Since getting Daytime Drama and liking it so much, I am looking into some doubles so that double really caught my eye.

kay

Doubles may be hard work, but this one is a very nice one. I hope this doesn't end up in the cull bin. I'd like to see how it develops for you...........I too like Raggedy Man. Good form and the edge is very nice also. I like what I call those sunset colors ...........Maryl