Sherry - Thanks for posting another terrific garden shot! I love seeing your phloxes in your mixed plantings. I used to grow several years ago, but a three-year drought back in the early 2000s killed them all. Which ones do you have?

I have a bad habit of thinking all my seedlings have potential to be great. Most do not, and it's hard to cull them. I'll start with the ones that have the greatest potential and may someday be registered.

$exy Samantha X Bubblegum Delicious #1 - This is a semi-evergreen from that cross with the best bud count and reblooms. Last year, which was horrible, it had tall 27-inch scapes and 13 buds. In 2021 it had 17 buds. However, it is a slower multiplier. It is a lavender pink with a ruffly white edge.

Clump of the above seedling

This dormant has an 8-inch bloom on 26-inch scapes. I wish it had taller scapes since it has such a giant bloom. Parentage is questionable. In 2022 it had a scape with 18 buds and rebloomed. Last year the bud count was low - 9-10. Has multiplied slowly in the two-year drought. May have had the roots devoured by grubs.

Dancing Flamingo kid - Dormant that multiplies rapidly and had 18 buds on its maiden bloom in 2021. In the two subsequent drought years, it has only gotten a bud count of 10-13. Eight-inch bloom on 34-inch scapes.

Clump shot

I have two seedlings from Pink Extraordinaire X $exy Samantha that I think are special.

Pink Ex X SS #2 is an evergreen that multliplies fast. First blooms are 7+ inches, and in the first year it bloomed it had 28-inch scapes. So far it's had only 13 buds per scape. Reliable rebloomer. Here are some of its different looks:

With temps in the high 90s and no rain

Early group shot still showing a bit of thrip damage

Pink Ex X SS #4 - This one is shorter and has a six-inch bloom. It multiplies OK and always reblooms. The highest bud count so far is 12. It's an evergreen with super lavender purple colors.

I'm fond of several of my White Tooth seedlings. Most of them are terrific rebloomers.

White Tooth X Skater #4 is likely to be registered someday. It's a semi-evergreen with a 7-inch bloom on 34-inch scapes with three and four-way branching. Last year it had 14 buds. I have to think in a year with better rain, it would get more buds than that. Great multiplier and rebloomer. Extremely fertile. I think the patterned sepals make it distinctive among toothy daylilies.

Rebloom shot showing more teeth than early on.

Early picture showing darker color when temps were cool.

White Tooth X Skater #3 - This one has a six-inch bloom on 32-inch scapes. It got 18 buds on rebloom last year. A semi-evergreen, it's a very slow multiplier. but one that still looks good at the end of a 97-degree day. Very clear colors. Fertile both ways.

Early picture from when temps were cooler.

Late afternoon shot on a 97-degree day.

White Tooth X Skater #5 - This one is evergreen and has had short scapes both years it's bloomed in the drought. It likely had some trouble with grubs. It's a 7 inch bloom on 22-25 inch scapes so far. Burgundy purple in color with a velvet back eye and super white teeth. Great multiplier and rebloomer. Fertile both ways.

Group shot

Debra

I'll put our futures in this post. These are all lined out (except for one) and ready to be introduced in 2025 (if I get some decent stats) and if they prove that they will divide well. I won't talk about stats mostly because I don't have most of them recorded yet.

This seedling is one of our favorites. It is Lady Stephanie Victoria Redding X Rosy Spiketail. It is either mid-late or a late bloomer. I originally thought it was late, but last year it seemed to be more mid-late.

I really like the broad petals on All of My Love to You X Randy Stephens.

We told our daughter we were going to name a daylily to commemorate her honeymoon in the Bahamas. She requested a tropical colored one. I think this one fits that description. It is Apricot Symphony X Sea of Cinders.

Bob loves this one. It is Chomp X Happy Holidays to you.

This is actually our daughter's seedling. It is Dental Delight X Happy Teeth.

These next two are sibs and are easy to get mixed up. They are Pineapple Bites X Wandering Werribee. I don't know yet which one will be registered--maybe even both.

This is Ruffled Strawberry Parfait X Sonoran Desert Rose. Sonoran Desert Rose tends to give vigorous seedlings and this one is no exception. At three years old the scape was 50 inches. It lost a lot of height when we moved it, but it still is tall and well budded. It is also a late or maybe even very late bloomer.

We moved Strawberry Romance X Empire of Dawn and Dusk. We were shocked at how big the clump was when we moved it, which leads us to believe that a sibling might be mixed in with it. We lined it out in single fans so we can get any sibs taken out. It has a nice scape and good bud count.

This last one, as you might imagine, is very exciting for us. We love this flower. It is a bitone with ruffles and some teeth and a halo with slightyly sculpted throat--a lot going on in this flower. Sometimes the sepals don't curl much. Usually I don't like sepals that stick straight out, but I don't mind it on this flower. We already have a name picked out for this one.

We have quite a few earmarked for 2026 too. Many of these were crushed so we have to find them and line them out. I'll post a few of those later.

Nancy

Nan - Another great group of seedlings! Of course the purples with teeth are my favorites. Of the two, I think I like your daughter's seedling better because the teeth are larger and whiter. Lady Stephanie X Rosy S. is impressive two. That color looks good with the gold teeth. Of the two Pineapple Bites seedlings, I prefer the second with its darker color.

Debra

Debra, I like the Dancing Flamingo kid and $exy Samantha X Bubblegum Delicious #1. I hope they do well!

Nancy, I like Apricot Symphony X Sea of Cinders the best of yours.

Bombay Silk x Vintage Wine, 7", 36". bud count range from 12-24 2nd year [better bud count [24] the first year] multiplies very quickly.

Carmen Renee x the Last Melon, 7" 34", 23 & 34 buds. 2nd year, multiplies quickly.

VT Rose Rosy x North Wind Dancer, 7", 39", 36 buds, sometimes striped. First year

sibling to above, 7", 28", 12 buds, first year.

sibling to above, 15 buds, 7", 37", first year.

Wind Frills x VT rose rosy, 7", 15", 12 buds first year

Full Grown x Chance Encounter 2 scapes of each, 7", 25", 8-14 buds, 2nd year

Vintage Wine x ? 7", 32", 17 buds, first year

sibling to above, 9", 23-28", 8, 10, 11 buds, first year

There are a few others but I'll stop here.

Brad

Debra, I love your Dancing Flamingo seedling, great color and interesting shape. All of your seedlings with bubbly edges are soooo nice. Do they all open well for you? I have had a few of those that have hung up for me, wondering if its cooler temps here. All of my phlox are reseeded in my garden….I have no idea what to call them now. The phlox are filling spaces that used to have lilies……the squirrels etc. got the lilies.

Nan, your daughter hit the jackpot with the Dental Delight seedling, love those big white teeth. I love your bitone toothy seedling, such a great outcome! the Pineapple Bites seedlings are favorites.

Sherry

Debra, you are producing such lovely pinks. All of the $exy Samantha offspring are lovely. I also like the White Tooth X Skater seedlings especially the first one. The Dancing Flamingo kid is outstanding.

This next group of seedlings are futures for 2026. Many of these were in the 'crush zone' so we have to identify them and line them out this year.

This one is a Fulva offspring. It is (Fulva Korean X Empire of Dawn and Dusk) X Sonoran Desert Rose. It is tall with a nice sized flower. Many of the first generation of fulva have small flowers, but the size comes back in the second.

Who would think that you could get this color from crossing two dark reds with black eyes. This is Burgundy Eye Shadow X Heavenly Tiger Tails. It is a smallish flower--about 5 inches but quite the performer as you can see.

Bob really like this one. It is Wandering Werribee X But Wait, There's More. It blooms relatively late.

This is Munchy Crunchy X Sonoran Desert Rose. This is it blooming in August. I assume it is a late bloomer. I don't remember it blooming earlier.

Never Too Late X Mitch Lynd is another smallish late bloomer.

I was hoping to rregister this one for next year, but sadly, it is in the 'crush zone'.

Rocket Blast X Raggedy Man has interesting color.

Sea of Cinders X Happy Holidays to You will be registered whether or not we sell any of it. It has a petite plant habit like its pollen parent, but it is proving to be a good parent if you cross it with something tall and vigorous.

This one is Shores of Time X Wolverine. I think the color is an improvement on Wolverine's color, but unfortunately, we lost the teeth.

I'll post the last set later.

Nancy

Brad, you have some beauties. I love the color of Bombay Silk X Vintage Wine. It looks like it has some good stats too. The white seedling is very pretty, and I also like the VT Rose Rosy X Northwind Dancer seedling (the first one). It has some impressive stats!

Nancy

Here are my last ones.

I would love to register Chomp X Ruffled Strawberry Parfait, but I don't know if the stats are good enough. It is a very late bloomer in our garden.

So Beautiful to Me X Sonoran Desert Rose is in the 'crush zone'. There are two other siblings that are good growers. We need to decide which one is the best. The color differs on them--some more apricot and some more pink.

We are just waiting for this one to increase enough. It is Small World Fire in the Hole X Stoke the Fire. Last fall we had 8 fans.

This seedling is The Bride of Dracula X Absolute Ripper. In 2022 it bloomed three times, but I don't believe it did that in 2023.

This is Back Draft X Tet. Rose F. Kennedy. It too is in the 'crush zone.'

The next two are diploids. This is Little Lemon Twist X Mary Ethel Anderson. The whole cross was 'mud city', but if you get enough 'mud', you get brown. We need to watch this one more. It was tall--43 inches-- with anywhere from 25 to 60 buds. I am thinking it must be a bud builder.

This is Rosalind X Mary Ethel Anderson.

This one is a small tet. It is School Bus X Merry Moppet.

That's finally all for me.

Nancy

Brad - The next post is supposed to be for the first-year seedlings, so I'll just comment on your older ones. Bombay Silk X Vintage Wine is a winner in every way. Carmen Renee X The Last Melon has gorgeous color and excellent bud count. I like the Full Grown X Chance Enounter on the left side of the pair. To what do you attributed you super bud counts last year when most of us had daylilies with few buds?

Nan - I hope Chomp X Ruffled SP improves enough for you to register it. I love its look. One of my favorites of yours is Never Too Late X Mitch Lind - great colors and edge! Small World Fire in the Hole X Stoke the Fire is another one that stands out to me. It's too bad so many nice ones were in the crush zone.

Sherry - All the ones with the bubbly edges open well here - even last year when was cooler than usual. A lot of bubbly edge daylilies don't open well after cool nights (low 60s or the 50s).

Thanks to those of you who commented on my seedlings. I lost a long post this afternoon. If I have time tomorrow, I may try reposting.

Debra

Whew! You guys are impressive with these gorgeous seedlings! I have grown some from Celeste’s seeds and can’t even keep up with the crosses of those much less all the stats you guys process!

Debra- I like the Dancing Flamingo seedling but all those pinks and ruffles and edges make my heart sing! Of course the purples aren’t too shabby either.

Brad- your purples/lavenders have such pretty colors. The white seedling is nice as well. I like that form.

Nancy, it sounds like your crush zone contained some good seedlings! Your daughter’s seedling is very striking with those teeth. The Sea of Cinders seedling really glows in that clump. Never Too Late has a nice edge. Just like them all!

Brad, such good bud counts on those VT seedlings! are most of them late bloomers?

Sherry

Thanks for the feed back everyone.

Sherry, they are mid-lates to lates, but not as late as the VTs though with so many buds a couple of them are still blooming with the VTs for a while.

Debra, I didn't realize that first year seedlings would be the next post. I just picked ones that seem like they will be amazing. I think the great bud count thing is due in part to the heritage of the VTs. The VTs don't seem to care about adverse weather. Also it was a bit cooler even though dryer. I did water the seedlings some.

These are seedlings whose high bud count so far is 13. In a year with more rain and fewer grubs, or in a sunnier location, I think they could do better. They are all seedlings I will keep if possible.

Biltmore Style X Cool Hand Luke - Reblooming dormant 26 inches tall

Lace Sampler X Victorian Lace - dormant with 6 inch bloom on 27 inch scapes.

$exy Samantha X Bubblegum Delicious #2 - Evergreen with 6.5 inch bloom on 27 inch scapes. Fast multiplier and terrific pod setter.

Integrated Logistics X Sugar Magnolia 1 - Dormant bitone with 6.5 inch bloom on 34 inch scapes. Extraordinary color!

Carolina Paleface x Dearest Valentine - Dormant cream peach polychrome with 6 inch bloom on 27 inch scapes. Terrific multiplier.

It sometimes shows more of a peachy pink.

Grandma's Smile X Bubblegum Delicious is one of my favorite pink seedlings. It has a 6 inch bloom on 26 inch scapes and is a reliable rebloomer. This evergreen went from four fans last year to 11 fans right now. I should be able to get a nice clump shot of it this year.

Zuzu's Treasure X Dearest Valentine #1 - This dormant lavender usually has 12-14 buds and reliably reblooms.

Debra

These have shown high bud counts in at least one season. They may have been hit by grubs at some point, or perhaps they just don't cope well with drought conditions.

Zuzu's Treasure X Dearest Valentine #2 - The first year this dormant bloomed it had 24 buds and 32 inch scapes. In the years since, the height has varied wildy and bud counts have been 12-13. It has never rebloomed that I recall. Excellent pod setter.

Dancing Flamingo X UF #2 - This semi-evergreen had 15 buds the first year it bloomed in 2021. Since then it's shown only 9-12 buds per scape. It multiplied much slower than its two sibs. It has four fans while the sibs have 8 and 10. It has a 7 inch bloom on 29 inch scapes.

Skin of My Teeth X Midnight Castle had 15 buds its first year to bloom in 2021. I know for a fact it was hit by grubs that fall. It didn't bloom in 2022, and last year bloomed on very short scapes with only 6-8 buds per scape.

Carolina Cool Down X Seedling - This semi-evergreen likely got hit by grubs for a couple of years. In 2022 it had one scape that was 34 inches tall with 18 buds. Other than that most scapes have had 10-13 buds with about 30 inch scapes over the years. It has lovely, clear lavender color that holds well in high heat.

Debra

Debra, I hope the Skin of My Teeth seedling straightens up and blooms right this year. What a stunning bloom. I really like the SSxBubblegum Delicious #2. Seeing a clump really shows the edge. The color of Dancing Flamingo x UF#2 really stands out. I understand why Grandmas Smile seedling is a favorite.

Brad - Thanks for your comments. I keep hoping those two will have a few more buds this year.

Kate - The Skin of My Teeth seedling is the closest to a true purple daylily I've ever seen. I hope it does better this season. People have always liked the color of the Dancing Flamingo seedling. It's really pretty when temps are cool but fades a lot when the temps are above 93 degrees.

Brad and Kate - I'm glad you both like the $exy Samantha seedling. I'm going to put a couple of fans in a pot to see if it does better without other seedlings encroaching on three sides of it.

Debra

It's too bad that the Cool Hand Luke seedling doesn't have more buds, as it looks like a nice bitone. What is the parentage of the last one, Nan, earmarked for 2025. Lots of interesting 2025s.

Mantis, the parentage of the last one for 2025 is Susan Ruoff X Carrots Forever.

There are several good looking seedlings in this post.

Debra: I love that dormant red seedling and WHITE TOOTH x SKATER #4

Nan: ALL OF MY LOVE TO YOU x RANDY STEPHENS is really nice looking.

Brad: I love the rich color of BOMBAY SILK x VINTAGE WINE.

I lost the tag for this one but it is from seeds that I purchased from Ed Burton on the LA.

This one is a screamer. It is SOUTH SEAS x NEON FLAME. Not my usual color range to work with but this was a cross that I could not resist making.

This one is under evaluation: It is out of DESIRE OF NATIONS. I love the color of this one.

This is another seedling from seeds purchased from Ed Burton.

That is all from me.

David

David - The two seedlings from the Burton crosses are both nice. I prefer the darker one with the heavier edge. Your Desire of Nations kid is gorgeous!

Debra

David, I too love the rich color of the Desire of Nations kid!!!! South Seas x Neon Flame is nice and bright, the way I like oranges to be.

Brad

David, I love the seedlings in the last bunch. Both yellows are beautiful--such broad petals! The Desire of Nations seedlings is a beautiful color and I love the watermark. The South Seas seedlings is a really bright color!

Nancy

Beautiful garden shot, Sherry! Debra, the White Tooth seedlings always get me, always. I just love them, especially with Skater. Dancing Flamingo never puts out a dud.

Nancy, . That bitone is a heart stopper.
Sea of Cinders X Happy Holiday is a definite winner,

That gorgeous thing you wanted to register next year if too pretty to not register, crush zone or not.

David, am glad you did the SOUTH SEAS x NEON FLAME cross. love hot ones.

Brad t6hat last seedling, the white one? It is a beauty,

kay

Kay - I'm glad you like the White Tooth seedlings. So far I've been very lucky with Dancing Flamingo seedlings.

Debra

Those have always stood out to me Debra with every post you make.

kay