The Franklin Conservatory Part III

One of my favorite parts of the park was the Daylily Garden. This was not just any old daylily garden though. This garden was laid out in beds and the daylilies were planted in those beds by the date the daylilies were introduced. Mr. Fix-it and I explored the beds and daylilies all the way from the 1800s to the present. It was pretty neat seeing just how daylilies have changed over the years. I kept thinking how perhaps one hundred years ago most daylilies were diploid whereas in the past hundred years or so hybridizers have developed daylilies that have triple and even quadruple the amount of chromosomes a normal daylily would have. This increase in chromosomes has enabled all sorts of enhancements to change the face of the daylily. Things like sparkles, frills, multiple colors and other facets have really made the daylily a favorite perennial of all.

I took several pictures of daylilies that caught my eye. It was great all of the daylilies were named and I also took pictures of the tags. Amid all of the daylilies I only recognized one without looking at the tag and that one was 'Primal Scream'; which I also grow in my garden. Coincidentally 'Primal Scream' was the recipient of the highest award a daylily can be given and that award is the Stout Silver Medal Award. If you want a good daylily, picking one that has won an award from the American Hemerocallis Society is a safe bet that you will get a good daylily. I recognized many of the names of the award list as daylilies that are still in vogue today and I even grow several of them in my daylily garden. The daylily above is called 'Bob Faulkner' and while it has not won the Stout Siver Medal, it is the recipient of a couple of awards as noted on the label.



How about this flashy daylily? 'Works For Me' had some nice edging matching the eye of the daylily. Gosh, I could go on all day with the daylilies but I think I'll keep the other pictures for myself. I did take snapshots of several cultivars I'd like to add to my growing collection at some point. When I select daylilies I first and foremost look for bud count. I want a long blooming perennial in my gardens and one that looks nice most of the season. Not all daylilies are created equal so be selective and look not just at colors and patterns, but also at bud count and growth pattern as well as bloom types. Daylilies can open early in the morning and throughout the day (diurnal), or late in the afternoon and stay open all night (nocturnal), or they can bloom for sixteen hours or more (extended). Both diurnal and nocturnal daylilies can be extended. It is important to know which one you have because daylily blooms last just a day-normally twelve hours or so if you are lucky. That is why they are called day-lilies.

It was really tough to leave the daylily gardens but on our way out there were many more gardens to see and enjoy. The park had some elevation changes so to take advantage of that change there were some terraces built into the landscape. Where there is a terrace there is an opportunity to make a garden. Here is a wonderful one I enjoyed.

The walls were beautiful as were the groupings of perennials.

Like all good gardens there was a lot of texture in these gardens and a good combination of evergreens and deciduous plants. In fact, there actually was a conifer collection near the daylily bed. It was pretty neat! Visiting gardens and parks like The Franklin Conservatory can really help a gardener to gain a better perspective on gardening and to increase her knowledge and I can honestly say I learned a lot at The Franklin Conservatory.

This big, fat, squirrel says hello and thanks for visiting....

in the garden...

Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden