Where to plant
Sun:
The amount of blooms a daylily produces is proportional to the
amount of sun it gets. Daylilies will grow almost anywhere but
need sun to bloom. The more sun, the more flowers. A half day
of afternoon sun will produce a maximum number of blooms. Morning
sun generates weaker light and fewer blossoms. Daylilies will
not bloom well in the deep shade of trees. exception: Daylilies
on a shady side of a house may bloom very well in the indirect
light that is reflected off of the building.
Soil:
Daylilies are extremely adaptable; they will grow in soils ranging
from clay to sandy. However, the better (richer and moister)
the soil, the better the daylily will perform. Good soil will
be friable and humus rich with a balanced pH. Use compost to
improve soil. Lightly fertilize, at least every spring.
Drainage and water:
Daylilies thrive on water. They respond well to plentiful moisture.
In a dry year, watering well will encourage better bloom and
faster growth. We don't recommend daylilies for swampy conditions
however we have had established daylilies submerged underwater
in our field for several weeks with no ill effects. Dr Darrow
used to say that water was the best fertilizer for daylilies
and to a degree this is true. We have found that regular watering
produces faster growth, more blooms, and more reblooms on reblooming
daylilies.
Proximity to other plants:
Daylilies are good competitors and will grow well with other
perennials without being over whelmed. Keep in mind though that
many daylilies can grow to be quite large clumps and can crowd
out smaller less tenacious plants. When
to plant
Transplant daylilies any time of the growing season, in our
area late April through early October. Many people choose to
transplant during the spring or early fall, allowing the plants
ample time to establish themselves before the next blooming
season. Daylilies are able to withstand being divided during
the heat of summer. Be sure to water newly transplanted plants
every day for 7-10 days, until they are established.
Daylilies can be moved at any time during the growing season.
Consider planting them at the edge of your vegetable garden
for a season or two. The extra fertilizer and water will help
them quickly attain larger clump size. How
many to plant Measure your garden square footage. For permanent
plantings, space daylilies about two feet apart from center
(4 square feet for each plant). Those who want a fuller appearance
sooner, can plant up to a foot and a half apart (3 square feet
per plant). Plant in straight lines for a formal design, zig-zags
for a more naturalized look. How deep to plant them
Dig a hole large enough to accomodate the root mass, usually
about 6-8" deep. Once the hole is prepared, place the daylily
upright, without cramming it into the space. Holding it so the
crown (top of the roots) is about one inch below the surface
of the ground, loosley push soil over the roots until the hole
is nearly full. Press the soil down around the roots, without
covering any green of the plant. Leave a slight depression,
or water reservoir, around the plant, about 1/2" deep. How
to fertilize The fertilizer requirements of each soil is
different, so ideally you should have your soil tested to determine
the nutrients required. We feel safe recommending the inclusion
of good compost into the planting hole and a dose of 10-10-10
or such several weeks after planting. Overfertilizing can result
in large amounts of leaf growth with little or no bloom and
sometimes muddying of red flowered blooms. Remember a little
goes a long way! Why to weed 'Time consuming' and
'tiresome' are words often used to describe weeding. But far
better than chemical herbicide weed killers, hand weeding directly
leads to improved health of your garden. By churning in the
organic matter decaying at the top layer, nutrients are added
to the soil. By removing the 'weeds' by hand, wildflowers and
legumes can be selectively left to enhance the beauty and health
of the soil. How to mulch We are strong advocates
of mulch. Besides helping to keep weeds in check, mulch aids
in soil moisture retention and displays the plants nicely. We
mulch with a composted manure layer, and then add a top layer
of hay. The compost acts as a fertilizing soil ammendment, working
its way down to the roots of the plants.
Mulch as needed up to 3" deep, anytime during the growing season.
Be sure not to bury the crowns of the plants with mulch. Leave
a 2" mulch-free depression around the base of each plant for
breathing room. What to look out for Insects:
Daylilies are amazingly insect pest resistant. There are some
instances of aphid or spider mite infestations. These are usually
rare and are more unsightly than life threatening. Aphids can
be controlled with a pesticide (Pyrethrum or other botanical
is fine) and Spider Mites are easily eliminated with water sprayed
on the leaves and crown. Usually a week of regular spraying
is sufficient. Thrips can cause some blooms to be misshapen
but are relatively rare and not very persistent.
Diseases:
Some daylilies are susceptible to leaf streak, a minor leaf
disease which causes a little more yellowing on the leaf than
you would normally expect. However, some ordinary leaf streak
is found on virtually all daylilies. Keeping daylilies well
watered and fertilized will minimize any negative appearance
of leaf streak. A new disease has appeared on daylilies, known
as rust. It is unsightly but will not kill a daylily. There
is some evidence that cold New England winters will kill the
rust. We do not have rust here at Olallie, and no rust
has been reported in Vermont as of this writing. For more
information on rust go to www.
ncf.ca/~ah748/rust.html
FOLIAGE
The color, width and curve of a plant's foliage will define
and enhance a garden's look. Olallie Lass' foliage is narrow
and twisted, like corkscrews, enhancing their ornamental value.
Performance is evaluated on established clumps from our
field observations. Your garden performance may be different.
Please follow our planting and care instructions for best
results and remember, drought, shade, and transplanting can
all reduce the blooming season.
Planting in Threes Whenever possible, it is best to plant
in groups for best effect. Many landscape designers plan in
groups of odd numbers, such as three and five of one variety.
The odd number allows for a zig-zag or triangular arrangment.
DEER:
People often ask us how we keep the deer out of our fields.
It's easy with our four Border Collies. They have been trained
to keep the deer away, go around the garden beds. They love
to play frisbee with visitors in the summer.
To achieve a season of blooms, choose daylilies that begin
to bloom about two weeks apart, from early June, mid June,
late June, early July and so on.
- Think of daylilies as ornaments, that can be moved around
here or there to enhance the landscape.
- For gardens of limited size, try planting mini and dwarf
daylilies in containers. Make sure they have drainage holes,
and can adequately keep in the moisture. Your favorite piece
of pottery could become a home for a tiny garden. Line it
with a plastic nursery pot, add a little compost to the
potting soil for nutrients, top off with bark or coco mulch,
and don't forget to water!
FLOWER SHAPES:
Daylily flowers come in many shapes in addition to those
on this page, like round, star, flat, fluted, trumpet,
and recurved. Try an interesting shape as a focal point
in a garden bed.
- Plant a long stem cutting garden of annual flowers around
a circle of tall daylilies. If the daylilies are left uncut,
they will provide the backdrop of full color, enabling you
to cut the annuals regularly.
CHOOSE BY COLOR
Groupings of one color that span the season creates a
consistency from which to build a theme garden.
The Color Anchor A selection of yellow and gold daylilies
which bloom throughout the four month season, makes an
excellent color anchor. From this base, other colors and
foliage types can be added according to the design.
Pastel blossoms shimmer in the shade of an overcast
day, and then become subtle charms in the sun.
- crimson does looks great against a lemon yellow, but
its hard to go wrong by mixing up daylily colors.
- Plant in groups of three or more for the best effect.
Try combining reds with lemon yellow. Its dynamite!
- On a larger piece of property, groupings of daylilies
situated at various locations provide a certain unifying
theme to the property, creating a continuity throughout
the landscape.
TET vs. DIP
Many people think that tetraploid daylilies are better
than diploids. However, tets frequently lack the natural
wild charm that the thinner scapes and finer foliage dips
have. Think of tets as more of a sculpture or centerpiece,
to stand out, while dips blend and complement.
Back in the 1920's Dr. A.B. Stout began to work with
daylilies, hybridizing and identifying the species. Since
then daylilies have become nearly as popular as roses.
They are collected, grown and hybridized by people around
the world.
We grow about 50 different Iris cultivars in 8 species.
Come see them bloom, May thru July
- Would you like to spread your blooming season out even
longer? Plant in the warmer areas on your property, like
along south sides of buildings. Daylilies in these areas
will bloom earlier, gaining an early mini season.
The Stella D'Oro Story
Stella D'Oro (Jablonski, 1975) is probably the best known
daylily in the US, if not the world. Developed in the
early 1970's, Stella was considered a breakthrough in
daylily hybridizing because of its continuous bloom. Desirable
attributes of moderate size, simple color and repetetive
rebloom make it a daylily of choice for many landscape
plantings. Additionally, its small stature and excellent
performance make it an ideal candidate for container growing.
Stella won the coveted Stout Silver Medal in 1985. These
features have led to its ubiquitous appearance in America.
Since then, further developments have allowed newer daylilies
to come into the marketplace with similar bloom sequence
and variations in color and size. Though Stella was the
first, it is no longer alone in its class. We offer several
alternatives to Stella on this page.
- Good branching is desirable. Most daylily scapes branch
once or twice, each branch bearing a cluster of buds. A
well branched scape avoids bud-crowding, producing a better
overall distribution of blossoms and creating a well balanced
appearance.
- For improved performance, water daylilies every few days
during prolonged dry spells.
Ground bark mulch is excellent for display and permanenet
plantings, less useful in changing or annual gardens.
Grass clippings, hay and straw are good mulches for soils
that need improving. They will decay into the soil. These
are widely available and inexpensive. Ideally, seed-free
straw should be used. Coco mulch, crushed stone and thick
bark are decorative but will not easily break down, so
they are less beneficial to the soil. These mulches are
better for permanent plantings. Avoid wood chips and sawdust,
as they deplete the soil of nitrogen. Avoid peat moss,
it acts as a water shedding mat.
The Olallie and Vermont (VT) prefixes represent
daylilies from Dr. Darrow. Many were his hybrids, and some
he acquired from colleagues. These unique daylilies are exclusively
ours.
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Contact Information:
Olallie Daylily Gardens
129 Augur Hole Road
South Newfane, Vermont 05351
Driving directions
Telephone: (802)-348 6614
Fax: (802)-348 9881
E-mail: info@daylilygarden.com
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