How exciting to see your first bloom coming on. We will all love to see it. I don't hybridize but admire those that do. We have some excellent breeders on the daylily forum that I'm sure will cheer your efforts on.........Maryl

It is always exciting when the fruits of your labor start to produce some kids. I did hybrizing years ago but not anymore. I just enjoy gardening at this stage of my life. . You have an exciting journey ahead with your seedlings.

Julia

So fun!!!

Anyone who has gardened for a while knows that it can be a slow burn. Especially if you are starting an area from scratch. Buying small plants and waiting years for them to fill out then viola! Overnight success. :o) But hand pollinating and lately doing some specific crosses and then waiting to see the results is a bit different. With plants I buy I kind of know what they're going to do, I just need to keep them alive and wait. With these you never know what you'll get (tempted to quote Forrest Gump) and that adds to the fun.

I already owe thanks to several posters here. No names or I'll forget someone, but know it's appreciated.

O, how exciting. I have never been tempted by hybridising - I have enough issues just keeping tabs on the seedlings I grow without keeping info on parentage. Eldest has done a bit.

I have Mauna Loa...a giftie from one of the offspring. I wasn't really certain what to do with it as I was kinda flabberghasted at both the size and intense orange of the blooms. I generally have much smaller flowered daylilies such as Golden Chimes, Citrina and such. I do like orange though, so swiftly allocated a bed to carry the orangeness to another level. Looks quite startling with geranium psilostemon, sphaeralcea, agastache and euphorbia ceratocarpa and santolina 'lemon fizz'. My neon bed.

There's nothing quite like the excitement of the first scape! Show us a photo when it blooms.

Nancy

Maybe it's just the power of suggestion, but Mauna Loa is appropriately named as it puts me in a Hawaiian state of mind. :o)

Um, my only Hawaiian reference is from Hawaii Five-0 but I agree, ML is definitely tropicalismo.

Waiting for the first bloom is always thrilling, but from a unique and surprising, brand new plant, it must be especially so. We are all waiting for the photos.

The bloom is in.

I think it's nice, but nothing great. It looks washed out. I am not sure who the Dad is, but I only have one with ruffles. It's NOID I call...Ruffles.

I can certainly see a bit of both Mauna and Ruffles in this flower.

Still fun to see the result of the seed collecting. Unfortunately I have a very bad Gall Midge problem and will probably not collect any more seed at least for now.

The gall midge is getting a bit worse each year despite my vigilant efforts to remove bad buds. It used to be only a few in the upper garden, but it has migrated to our lower fields as well.

May the midges never visit you.

A few others opened today, all Mauna Loa. I had forgotten, but Mauna has a bit of a ruffled edge, so who knows who dad is.

I like all of these better than yesterdays. Light and time of day also have a lot to do with how a pictures turns out.