Red Lane Gardens 2008
Design and photos
© Nancy Oakes
© Nancy Oakes
Bloom Seasons
Another wonderful aspect of Daylilies is the variety of bloom seasons. The earliest to bloom here is always 'Aztec Gold', often blooming in early May. By early June there are another dozen or so that reliably bloom in the early mid-season. While most of the earliest bloomers seem to be yellow, there are many to be found in other shades. 'Mendocino' and 'Olive Bailey Langdon' are two different shades of purple and 'Prairie Blossoms' is a lovely pink and yellow bicolour. 'In Strawberry Time' blooms when the strawberries start fruiting and is a good bridge plant between early-mid and mid-season
Most cultivars are geared to bloom in mid-summer, peak bloom...here that means mid-late July. The days leading up to it are probably the most exciting of the summer. Something new to look at each morning.
Extending the gardening season into the Fall is always a challenge. There are many cultivars registered as Late or Very Late, but how do they perform when night temperatures start dipping into the single digits? The few Very Lates that I have tried have been disappointing in their ability to open after cold nights. But the Mid-Lates and Lates have been much more rewarding.
The summer of 2007 was one of the best gardening seasons that I can remember. A bit of chill in late August gave way to an extended Indian Summer and by mid-September there was a mini peak bloom. Between the lates and the rebloomers there were 78 cultivars blooming well during the 3rd week of September. The race to the finish was a dead heat, on established cultivars, between 'Sears Tower', 'Autumn Blaze', 'Swallow Tail Kite', 'Chief Black Hand' and 'Suzy Cream Cheese'. Plants new to the garden last summer that were still blooming on Nov. 1 were 'Twisted Mint Julep'(rebloom) and 'Purple Grasshopper', a late from Ned Roberts.
So who needs a single variety that will bloom all summer, when you can have great bloom from Spring to Fall with lots of different Daylilies?!
Most cultivars are geared to bloom in mid-summer, peak bloom...here that means mid-late July. The days leading up to it are probably the most exciting of the summer. Something new to look at each morning.
Extending the gardening season into the Fall is always a challenge. There are many cultivars registered as Late or Very Late, but how do they perform when night temperatures start dipping into the single digits? The few Very Lates that I have tried have been disappointing in their ability to open after cold nights. But the Mid-Lates and Lates have been much more rewarding.
The summer of 2007 was one of the best gardening seasons that I can remember. A bit of chill in late August gave way to an extended Indian Summer and by mid-September there was a mini peak bloom. Between the lates and the rebloomers there were 78 cultivars blooming well during the 3rd week of September. The race to the finish was a dead heat, on established cultivars, between 'Sears Tower', 'Autumn Blaze', 'Swallow Tail Kite', 'Chief Black Hand' and 'Suzy Cream Cheese'. Plants new to the garden last summer that were still blooming on Nov. 1 were 'Twisted Mint Julep'(rebloom) and 'Purple Grasshopper', a late from Ned Roberts.
So who needs a single variety that will bloom all summer, when you can have great bloom from Spring to Fall with lots of different Daylilies?!