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Colour consistency in dark daylilies
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Posted by Snodge Outer Sydney (My Page) on Sat, Dec 6, 03 at 1:13
| I have daylilies Midnight Magic (close to black) and Seductor (red) (among others). I have found these two, but most particularly Seductor, are rather variable in the consistency of their colour across the flowers. Sometimes they're just downright ugly, with the colour all blotchy with white bits. Now Seductor does grow in one of the usually drier parts of the garden, and I've been persevering with it, and now it's quite a reasonable sized clump. This year it has had more water, and more flowers but it doesn't seem predictable whether the opening flower will be beautiful or not..No I'll rephrase that, you can predict that Seductor's flowers will be ugly most of the time, the nice flowers are the exception.
Midnight magic is newer, but it too, while mostly very nice, puts out the occassional flower that I just want to pull off straight away. What causes this? ....and Deryn, do you have that trouble with Vino de Notte?
I also grow Christmas Day, in one of the most difficult spots in the garden. CD doesn't get much attention, but every year, it comes up with a magnificent display of rich red flowers with a gold throat. Each and every flower a glorious perfection. When it is struggling for moisture, it's the leaves that do the asking for a drink not the flowers. I'm thinking I should chuck out Seductor and divide Christmas day ....just have perfection in both spots....(although CD is taller). But perhaps someone has advice that will stay my hand....
....my only other darker toned daylily, Gaugin, also does not suffer from this inconsistency in the flower colour, and it too is in a really tough spot with lots of root competition from the plum tree...... |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Colour consistency in dark daylilies
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| I have read that the dark colours are best grown in semi shade. Perhaps your plum tree is providing this? - Jan |
RE: Colour consistency in dark daylilies
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- Posted by Snodge Outer Sydney (My Page) on
Sat, Dec 6, 03 at 5:09
thanks Jan,
both Gaugin, which is near the plum tree and Christmas Day, are in positions that get the full heat of the sun in summer, but if I rip Seductor out, I might try a shadier position and see if it helps. The plum is a very upright one and doesn't cast much shade on the northern side. Also, I've moved Gaugin and Christmas Day between houses, and a couple of locations as the garden has been built (CD stayed in a pot for quite some time as I decided on a spot where it would be safe indefinitely), so they have certainly had a good test with full sun and heat.
The flowers on S and MM don't bleach in the sun, like some other daylilies, they're just not well coloured even before they're open.
As we're on the subject, anyone considering growing Little Wart it's one that bleaches in the sun...so that one is definitely one for some shade.
(...yes I bought Little Wart for the name..goes so well with the iris Baboon Bottom.....I notice another daylily in this year's catalogue called Daggy......lord, what were the namers thinking....or are there lots of strange folk like me...a niche in the market they're trying to exploit..) |
RE: Colour consistency in dark daylilies
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- Posted by Liatris FraserCoast,Qld (My Page) on
Sat, Dec 6, 03 at 16:17
| Some are colourfast, some are not - they may start the day looking absolutely glorious, yet look really washed-out by the end of the day. Then there are those whose colour literally 'runs' when they are wet - a light sprinkle of rain (or hose water) leaves them with bleached spots on the petals. If you have an infestation of thrips they can also leave tiny white dots on the blooms when they open. You could try moving it to where it will get more shade, as already suggested, and if that doesn't improve it be ruthless. Some plants are simply no good in particular climates. A good hybridiser will trial their plants in various parts of the country before even contemplating releasing it for sale, and if the flowers weren't reasonably consistent it would be consigned to the compost heap. Some are just plain dogs and will never be much good - it is often the case that pics on the web have been touched up, and actually bear little, if any, resemblance to the actual bloom. Pam |
RE: Colour consistency in dark daylilies
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- Posted by Daz2 NW TAS AUST (My Page) on
Wed, Dec 10, 03 at 3:08
| Why not just be flexible and learn to love them all, Snodge, ugly duckloids or no? Look at them all through dark glasses, perhaps, and marvel at the wonder of just being? Daz. |
RE: Colour consistency in dark daylilies
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- Posted by Mrs_B SA Aust (My Page) on
Sun, Dec 14, 03 at 18:49
| Dark one's always tend to do it, I have found though that once it settles into consistant heat that they start to bloom truer in my neck of the woods. My "dog" is Mandarins Coat. I have perservered with it for three years looking exactly like yours - this year with a wetter longer winter it's decided to bloom evenly. I think the apricots, yellows/creams, oranges, bright reds and most pinks are far better colour wise. Donna Mead a glorious deep dark red is in semi shade most of the day until about 3pm and it is always consistant in colour for me. If you hate the blotching, bin it and go for the one's that would compliment Christmas Day. There is some beautiful eyed ones around. Personally I love them to bits any colour and am even starting to like some of the spider and double varieties I'm on toward 500 and I want more :[ ?? |
RE: Colour consistency in dark daylilies
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- Posted by Snodge Outer Sydney (My Page) on
Tue, Dec 16, 03 at 14:08
Wow!! 500!!! That puts my little collection to shame! I have about 38, and add a few more most years.
I'll wait till the flowers finish and move Seduction over to a shadier area.
So with 500 to choose from do you have a favourite Mrs B?
I definitely have two...Christmas Day (as I said) and China Frost which (as you well may know) is a beautiful soft pink & cream blend. So tough and SO many flowers and buds you can hardly see the leaves this year.
Moroccan Summer is very good and vigourous too. Double Yellow.
I like some spiders (I think) I'm waiting on the first flowers to come on Ruby Spider.....any day now.....
I think my favourite mini so far is Moonlight Mist. What beautiful porcelain-like flowers!!
I don't much like the ones with big floppy form. I guess what nearly all of the ones I've selected have in common is a very neat, excellent form without that seer-sucker texture. I'm slowly getting learning to appreciate some eyed varieties - Piccadilly Princess has certainly performed well (a freebie with an order), but mostly have tended to prefer self, bicolours and blends without much of an eye. I've added Exotich Echo this year, Chinese Cloissone last year....and almost regret not parting with the outrageous amount of money necessary to acquire Blue Moon Rising.......so I guess my taste is changing... |
RE: Colour consistency in dark daylilies
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Having never even considered parting with an outrageous amount of money on a mere daylily, I have around 70 named ones and as many seedlings, with help from Mrs B, Liatris and others. They make excellent "companion plants" having nice green foliage most of the year, and I like the way they pop out a new bloom here and there, surprising me with something different every day.
I have always avoided the dormant ones because of my habit of accidentally planting other things on top of them, but since Barry Blyth's learning day in Creswick, I am inclined to give some a go. He assured us that there are a lot of colours and patterns not seen so commonly in the evergreen ones, and that the leaf forms tend to be more varied and interesting.
Cheers, Jan |
RE: Colour consistency in dark daylilies
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- Posted by Mrs_B SA Aust (My Page) on
Fri, Dec 26, 03 at 2:09
| I don't think I can name just one I love as my tastes change each time I see a new one out. I love Mary Helen (yellow) on pure flowering performance but then Merinda Honey bunch and Bahama Butterscotch are good as well (also gold/yellows). If I really had to pick at the moment Siloam Bo Peep, Cherry Chapeau, Chinese Cloisione, Lovers Concerto and the beautiful Elizabeth Salter are winners. LOL that means I've had to miss out Teahouse Geisha and all my new little eyed ones. I've found that seasonal variations make each one perform differently each year. Finally some that have been under the threat of axe have performed this year - we had a longer cooler winter. Jan I am also keeping a few dormants now (don't ask how many I've over planted). Munchkin Moonbeam cutie pie! Do you find that yours are dormant some years and not on other years?? Well i have found that - the longer and cooler my winter the more decide to go dormant or semi even when listed as non-dormants. Some spiders are ok Snodge but the only one I actually have is Harbour Blue. I'm not really into the curly twirly one's. I to have been a very happy beneficiary of plants from Sparaxis and Liatris plus a few other local like minded friends as well. So be careful Snodge or you to will soon have a population explosion. It's a wonderful contagious disease though :o) trust you had a wonderful xmas
cheers Teresa |
RE: Colour consistency in dark daylilies
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| Yes Teresa, I have been confused by a few that I thought were dormant, but didn't disappear. I thought perhaps that they had heard of my reputation and didn't trust me, so were just keeping their heads out of the soil for protection. |
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