This is a fun idea, Debra, wish I had more to contribute. maybe some more shots like this next season.

July 20

Same bed July 30

Sherry

Both of yours are so pretty Debra and Sherry. Debra: I can't help but notice Cherokee Star in anything you post. Mine is still limping along in a 6 inch pot, so maybe this year it will grow to an 8 inch.......Sherry: How wonderful is Tall Dark Stranger with Mary Todd. Good combo...............Maryl

Sherry - I especially like your second photo. Is the nice eyed clump in the back your Stone Palace daylily? I was just looking for a way to keep the pictures going. I sure enjoyed the alphabet posts and the seedling posts.

Maryl - I'm sorry your Cherokee Star is just limping along. Hope it does better this year.

Debra

Yes Debra, that clump in the distance is Stone Palace Divine. Gives you an idea how tall it is compared to others in my garden……daylilies rarely reach stats here.

Sherry

Sherry - It looks like Stone Palace Divine performs very well!

Debra

I tried to post at least 4 or 5 times yesterday. Like Kate, it wouldn't, just disappeared instantly. I will try again now:

Acquire the Fire and Joan Derifield with a Rocket City peaking in.

Elizabeth Salter and the gang.

Front bed mid season

Coral Majority and Webster's Pink Wonder

Maybe more below

Hooray, they posted. Thanks Debra--it is a good idea to do this.

More...

Hyperion, Art Gallery Expressionism, and Spiritual Corridor

Laura Harwood and Purple Riot

That's all.

Brad

Brad and Kate - I'm glad you both could finally post! Gorgeous photos!

Debra

Anybody plant daylilies in the general garden bed (mixed with other perennials)? I could use ideas for good combinations... =)

Roxanna - Here are some of my companion plants for daylilies:

Biennial rudbeckia and coreopsis

I also pair coneflowers with daylilies.

I also planted Shasta daisies and balloon flowers with dayllies, but I can't find any photos of those right now.

Debra

Roxanne: I use Phlox, Rubeckia, Penstemon, Coneflowers, Balloon Flowers, Crocosmia, Bee Balm, Hot Poker, Blanket Flowers, Lavender and some I can't remember the names. I have only 1 clematis so far. Two I would keep in check when planting is Rubeckia and Bee Balm as they can spread and can crowd out other plants. I do have some bulbs mixed in to give me some color in the spring when the other plants are just emerging. My husband knows when we go to the nursery i will come out with at least 4 more plants. My collection of daylilies is smaller now since I moved from NYS to WV. But I am starting to add more but then I need to add more garden space.

Julia

Here is a photo with balloon flowers, blueish blooms on the left. i have trouble with tall garden phlox in this bed, they need to be deadheaded or they will crowd out the daylilies. If you can keep the phlox under contol they look great in the beds. I have coreopsis growing in this bed and some martagon lilies.

Sherry

Sherry: good point about the balloon flowers.

Julia

I grew the tall species balloon flowers in multiple beds. They look so pretty with yellow, pink, peach or red daylilies.

Debra

Debra, I like the tall ballon flowers, I have ever tried them. Looks like a good alternative to the tall phlox that tried to take over here.

Sherry

I really like those large balloon flowers, Debra. Did you just get them at a garden center?

Brad

Those are all beautiful, Debra. That lovely purple that you sent me is doing so well. all of them are up and growing beautifully and I can't wait for blooms to begin.

kay

Brad - My tall balloon flowers came from some Mariesii Balloon Flowers I bought from Bluestone Perennials many years ago. They were supposed to be 20 inches tall, and they were the first two or three years. Then they grew taller - more than 30 inches each year. I'm not sure if the Mariesiis self-seeded and resulting plants were more like the species and took over, or if the Mariesiis actually reverted to a more species-like growth. Left at the very tall height of up to 36 inches, balloon flowers can be floppy and need staking. But if you cut them back by about one-third early in the growth season, you get massively budded plants that do not flop. I also grew some of the species plants from seeds I bought from Swallowtail seeds. Those were more purple than blue, but still provided a nice counterpoint to the daylilies. Balloon flowers are very long lived and hold their color in 100-degree temps. They are very easy to grow from seeds.

Debra

Thanks for the extra balloon flower info Debra!

Sherry

How many inches above ground when you trim the platycodon by a third

Debra: I think it was you who advised me last year on how much to cut back the balloon flowers so that they would not tower/flop over too much over the other plants. It worked and did not set back the flowering. I did cut mine when they were about 24 inches or so and had no loss of blooms.

Mantis - I never measured from the ground when I cut the platycodon back. What I would do is cut them back after they first started budding by 10-12 inches from the top. I would leave a few stems in the back uncut, and they would start blooming first without flopping since they had the rest of the stems for support. I would cut them back again after stems finished blooming to get rebloom in the fall.

Debra

Julia - I'm glad cutting back the balloon flowers worked for you. That's a beautiful photo!

Debra

I'm wondering now whether the campanula cutting back would work here. There is no rebloom here, and I am wary of cutting off buds.

Mantis - I learned about cutting back platycodon from someone who lived in New England. Even though you sacrifice the early buds, you end up getting at least five-10 times more total buds because of the branching the cutting promotes. And like I said, leave some stems with the original buds. That way you get an exceptionally long time of bloom. And about rebloom, my mom who lived in Indy always got some rebloom after cutting back her balloon flowers.

Debra

I have a ton of the shorter balloon flowers….if i have the patience and time to cut them back they do rebloom here.

sherry

Those are beautiful, Debra! And Kate, to just dig a hole where there is room and stick a plant in ...you have some really lovely combos. Brad, our photos are lovely. Sherry, you often post pictures with companion plants to your daylilies that look as if they should be painted with such good composition. I don't hit all that often and I am not a good planner, but I do like this one with Chicago Star, Muy Caliente and balloon flowers: I am sure there are others, but I am not that organized.

kay

Sherry - I never had as much luck with the shorter balloon flowers. The shorter ones sometimes rebloomed, but not as reliably as the taller ones. Also, I never got more than three years out of the short ones. But I grew my taller ones for more than 15 years.

Debra

Debra, you may have much better luck with the shorter balloon flowers in Indy. Mine have been here at least a decade and thrive.

Sherry