AHS Daylily E-News
Volume 3 No. 4 August 2010
Daylily 'Chevron Spider'
photo of Hemerocallis 'Chevron Spider' (Hansen, 1992) by Tim Fehr

Greetings!

WELCOME TO DAYLILY E-NEWS, a free electronic newsletter brought to you by the American Hemerocallis Society, also known as AHS. Daylily E-News is for all who share an interest in daylilies, including members of the American Hemerocallis Society and other horticultural organizations, educators, garden writers, news media, and others who love to garden.

We have a great issue this month!  Our featured photographer is Tim Fehr.  Tim has been a member of the AHS since the early '90s and serves the Society as its Webmaster. He enjoys photography, teaching Photoshop techniques and hybridizing daylilies for fun. He lives in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
 
Check out the AHS Announcements section for several upcoming deadlines and opportunities.  Donna Peck, AHS Ombudsman, has another excellent column, this time answering questions about AHS Display Gardens.  Be sure to enjoy Nikki Schmith's musings as she takes a closer look at life on the edge.  
 
If you are not yet a Daylily E-News subscriber, sign up via the link at the AHS website:  Daylily E-News.   
 
For much more about daylilies and daylily events, visit the AHS website (see QUICK LINKS on the sidebar). A comprehensive Site Map is available on the site.

You may unsubscribe from Daylily E-News at any time by clicking on SafeUnsubscribe, which you will find in each issue.

We hope you enjoy Daylily E-News!


Elizabeth Trotter 
E-News Editor

********************
Special thanks to Kathleen Lamb, AHS Publicity and Media Relations Chair 
for her assistance with this issue of E-News
Our sponsor for this issue of E-News is Daylily World. Thank you for your support!
Daylily World eyed daylily

 Daylily World

Daylily World eyed daylily
The 2010 Daylily World Catalog is
now available.

Thank you to all our friends for making
 this a great daylily year!
 


Daylily World double daylily

1301 Gilbert
s Creek Road
Lawrenceburg KY 40342
Phone: 407.416.9119
AHS Announcements
 
Daylily 'Primal Scream'TIME TO VOTE! 
 
 
What do H. 'Primal Scream', 'Dorothy and Toto', 'All American Chief', 'Red Volunteer', 'Elva White Grow' and 'King Kahuna' have in common? They are among the tried and true daylilies, well-loved by our membership, that topped last year's Regional Popularity Polls.
 
 
The Pop Poll is a great way to help new daylily growers discover great daylilies that will grow and thrive in their regional growing conditions.
 
September 1 is the deadline for voting in the Pop Poll and you can vote online! Just go to www.daylilies.org and click on the Popularity Poll link. It's simple, just select your region and vote! If you want to mail in your selections, check your summer regional newsletter for the ballot.

Daylily 'Dorothy and Toto'

 
 

Photos of H. 'Primal Scream' (top) and H. 'Dorothy and Toto' (bottom) by Debbie Monbeck.  Used by permission.
 
ATTENTION GARDEN JUDGES 
 
AHS Garden Judges: Awards and Honors Ballots must be postmarked by September 1.  Mail your ballots to Julie Covington (address is on ballot).

The 2010 Awards Ballot may be downloaded in pdf. format from the AHS website here:  2010 AHS Garden Judge Ballot

 
 
AHS DISPLAY GARDENS 
 
Display Garden renewal forms will be going out soon. They are due back by October 1. For more information, contact Mary Lou Lundblade at Display Gardens Chair.
 
 

         AHS Announces Three New

                    Photography Awards
 
In 2010, the AHS Board of Directors established photography awards in three additional categories. These awards will be presented for the first time at the 2011 AHS Convention. Please note that as of 2010, the Board has discontinued the A.D. Roquemore Memorial Award for best photograph of a daylily clump.
 
                     
AHS ARTISTIC GARDEN IMAGE AWARD
 
Although any submitted images in this category should include all or part of a daylily bloom, this category may include, but is not limited to: images of bloom segments or parts of a bloom, profile shots of a bloom or blooms, garden art, garden critters and images taken around the garden.

AHS MULTI-BLOOM IMAGE AWARD
 
Images of two blooms (minimum) up to an entire clump shot are allowed in this category. Flower color and form must be true to cultivar.

 AHS YOUTH PHOTOGRAPHY AWARD
 
Established to stimulate youth participation and interest in daylily photography, this award is divided into two divisions by age. Each entrant may submit a total of ten entries selected from any of the following categories: single bloom, multi-bloom, landscape or artistic garden images.  
  
           Submission deadline is December 1 each year.

 
To see samples of photos suitable for these two new categories, see 
AHS Photo Awards Samplers.
 
For complete details about the AHS Photography Contest, see 
AHS Photo Awards.

 

 

WANTED: Participants in the International Seed Bank!
POSITIONS AVAILABLE: Donors and Recipients!

 
The AHS International Seed Bank (ISB) was created to help spread daylilies around the world. It's often difficult to ship plants across international borders without significant expense, plus a government inspection and a phytosanitary certificate are necessary for plants, but neither is required for the mailing of seeds. Because most interested daylily enthusiasts in foreign countries don't have ready access to the more popular daylily cultivars, receiving seeds is the next best thing. 
 
The ISB relies on the generosity of our North American members who send their extra crosses to me for distribution. As the seeds are received, the information provided is recorded in Excel format; then information such as parentage, the hybridizer and year of registration is taken from the AHS Cultivar Database and added to the Excel file. This file is available to any interested individuals living outside the U.S.A. and Canada. AHS membership is not required, and because this is an AHS outreach program, there is no charge for either the seeds or the postage.
 
When you're cleaning out your refrigerator's veggie bin, please send your extra seeds to me for this worthwhile project. When you run out of room to plant all those crosses from last season, the seed bank would love to receive your extras! If you have seeds that haven't sold on the auction, there is someone out there in a faraway land who would be thrilled to grow them. You spent real time making those crosses, so don't let them go to waste! Having parentages listed is a definite plus for quick adoption but all donations are gratefully accepted. Many thanks to those of you who always make a few extra crosses for this project-- I'm looking forward to receiving them!
 
To donate seeds, just put them in plastic baggies or coin envelopes in a padded envelope and mail them to me at 48 Lakeshore Drive, Stoney Creek, Ontario L8E 5C7 Canada.
 
To receive seeds, just drop me a line at [email protected].
 
 
Many thanks,
 
Maureen Strong,
AHS International Membership Chair
 
Order your AHS Publications today!
 
Judging Daylilies filler (filler only) can be purchased from AHS Publication Sales for $16.00 postage included. The filler is sized for a standard 3-ring binder.  Also The Cumulative Awards and Honors Booklet is NOW available for $10.00, postage included for shipment within the United States. International members billed slightly more to cover the cost of postage.
 
Each year the AHS publishes a membership brochure featuring beautiful new photos of the year's daylily award winners. Daylily clubs can order up to 100 brochures free of charge and pay only for shipping. Others can order 100 brochures for $12.00 (US funds; shipping within the USA included).

Other AHS publications are also available. The AHS Registration Checklists on CD-ROM has been updated with all the 2009 daylily registrations and pre-registrations. PC and Macintosh versions come on the same CD  $27.00 (US funds; shipping within the USA included). Visit the AHS Publications webpage for more information or contact:

American Hemerocallis Society
c/o Jimmy Jordan
276 Caldwell Drive
Jackson TN 38301
731-422-2208
AHS Publications Manager

Make all checks payable to the American Hemerocallis Society. U.S. orders are postage paid. International orders are welcome, but please remit U.S. funds and include additional postage to cover shipping.


Not yet a member of AHS? Join today and receive a valuable daylily voucher!

AHS membership includes the fabulous quarterly Daylily Journal-jam-packed with informative articles and colorful photos-plus a regional newsletter at no additional cost.

Daylily Journal Spring 2009If you join AHS as a new member before September 2010, you will receive a voucher worth $25 or more to use with a participating daylily vendor.

This popular program debuted in 2007, and vendors have agreed to continue for 2010. Current AHS members who upgrade their membership to a higher level will also qualify for a voucher.

Vendors may require a minimum purchase, and some vendors may offer a voucher of higher value than others. Members must pay shipping (and phyto certificates where applicable).
 

A member may receive a voucher one time only. Upon receipt of your membership application, the AHS E
xecutive Secretary will send you a voucher along with a list of participating vendors.

See details at AHS Membership or use the Quick Link.

Join AHS today and discover the exciting world of daylilies!

Ask the Ombudsman

Donna Peck has been the Ombudsman for the American Hemerocallis Society for the past three years. An Ombudsman "is an independent, neutral party who is able to look at problems that come up in an unbiased fashion." The Ombudsman also answers questions about Society rules and procedures. Donna has been writing Ombudsman columns for regional newsletters answering questions that AHS members have asked. In this series of columns, she will answer a question that may benefit not only the member who had the concern but others as well. If you have a problem, question or situation with which you need help, contact Donna at AHS Ombudsman
 
This question came from Kathy Figueroa,, who has applied to be a display garden in Region 4, Bancroft, Ontario. When she knew Donna was going to use her question, Kathy contacted other members to help make this column helpful to those who have display gardens. I think we found many good ideas and hope they help those of you with display gardens.  Any further questions should be addressed to Mary Lou Lundblade, who is chairman of Display gardens ([email protected]).

QUESTION:  I've heard members talk about "display gardens."  Can you explain just what a display garden is?
 
RESPONSE: According to the AHS website, this is the explanation. "An AHS Display Garden is established to display the very best daylily cultivars to the general public.  Its purpose is to educate the visitor about modern daylilies and how they can be used effectively in landscapes."
 
If it is an approved AHS Display Garden, it has to meet certain criteria.  Again, check the AHS website at www.daylilies.org for a complete list. But here are a few of the criteria:
�          The owner must be a member of AHS for at least 2 years
�          The garden must include a wide variety of daylilies
�          The garden must be well maintained
�          Plant markers should have the name of both cultivar and hybridizer
�          The garden should be open to the public
 
The RP of each region or a designated representative should visit each Display Garden in the region at least once every 2 years.
 
QUESTION:  Now that I have a display garden, are there any pointers that people could provide me with about what do with it?
 
RESPONSE:  Kathy Figueroa (who as this is written has applied to be a display garden, but hasn't received the final notice) holds a big annual open garden "flower festival" on the first long weekend in August. She is also hoping that her garden will be included in a local art studies tour where her photography, which, of course, features mainly daylilies, would be on display. Sometimes she provides her visitors with a small gift perennial in a 4-inch peat moss pot.  During this open garden, she sets out patio tables and chairs, has a musician or two at the garden and invites people to bring their cameras to photograph the flowers.  She also gives an informal talk on daylilies.  Her garden is "pet friendly." She offers water for the pets and the welcoming committee consists of three very sociable cats!  She is hoping to officially become a display garden soon.
 
Kathy d'Alessandro from Pennsylvania says she also has an open house and has a table on her covered patio with the following materials:  Daylily photo albums for anyone unable to walk about the large garden, AHS and local club pamphlets with membership information, and her business cards.  Providing food isn't necessary but is a nice gesture, and of course water is essential.
 
Elizabeth Trotter from Kentucky says "I love having an AHS Display Garden. Having an official sign out front designating our garden is a great incentive."  When she knows she is having visitors she has cold water, lemonade or tea, and some goodies like cookies or scones.  If someone visits who is totally new to daylilies, she sends them home with one. She says, "I usually have daylilies potted up for club events and perennials also so I can use those for gifts to visitors."  When Elizabeth was doing PR for the Blue Grass Hemerocallis Society last year, she gave the reporter a potted daylily as a thank you.  The Society got a front page spread in the Garden Section!  She also tries to promote the local club and AHS by showing visitors a copy of The Daylily Journal and The Daylily Appeal (Region 10 newsletter). Elizabeth says, "When I show visitors such quality, attractive publications, it's not hard to convince them to join."
 
Another comment from Judy in Mechanicville, Virginia was that she has an annual plant swap which draws over a hundred people (each bringing a minimum of 5 plants - most bring 10) who love to swap any type of plant. She provides lots of homemade refreshments and since her home was built in 1820, she gives a tour of her home as well as her gardens.  A local garden club also held their meeting during bloom season in her garden and her daughter catered a luncheon for them.  They paid $10.00 and Judy said "they certainly got their money's worth."  The other thing that Judy does is to put a sign beside her road during bloom season, just is case someone wants to drop by.
 
Rozanne Tuffnell, owner of the only display garden in New Mexico, has had a variety of experiences.  The local garden clubs love to meet in her garden, and then Rozanne gives a talk about daylilies, how to grow them and on various companion plants.  She, along with her husband, Alan, was part of a fund raising tour for local gardens.  She gets many
phone calls from a variety of people, who just want to come over, see the garden and "talk about daylilies."
 
If any of the rest of you have suggestions, let me know and I'll add them to the next "Ask the Ombudsman" column.  The next column will be about AHS Robins. If any of you have anything to say about your experiences, I'd love to hear about them. Email me at [email protected].
 
One bit of trivia.  Did you know that there are more than 330 AHS Display Gardens throughout the US and parts of Canada?
A Daylily "Edge-ucation"
 by Nikki Schmith
 

Daylily EdgeI walk on the edge. It is the best place to be if I have to evacuate quickly, but it is also the place with the best view. The edge is often breathtaking and dangerous and most often always beautiful. Out on the edge I can see all kinds of things that I cannot see from the safe center of life.

Edges in daylilies are not much different than the edges in life, and I thought I'd give you an "edge-ucation" on daylily edges. 

It's the fringe. 

It's the ruffle.

It's the undulating wave of interest on the edges of petals and sepals that draws you in for a closer look and sometimes even a touch.

The throat area first catches your attention, the eyezone keeps the viewer's attention and the edges finish off the look in amazing fashion.  Punctuating the visual experience is the elusive smell and the color saturation ... but the edge is what I have been remembering on strolls of late.

                    Daylily Edge       Daylily Edge
 
 
                    Daylily Edge       Daylily Edge
 
Take your visual daylily experience all the way to the edge of the petals and sepals and see what you find there.  After all, if you are not living on the edge, you are surely taking up too much room.
 
Stay on the edge, I say. ~~Nikki
 
To read more of Nikki's amazing blog entries, go to:  A Girl and Her Garden.
 
The American Hemerocallis Society, Inc., is a non-profit corporation organized exclusively for educational and scientific purposes, and especially to promote, encourage, and foster the development and improvement of the genus Hemerocallis and public interest therein.
Daylily E-News � 2010 by the American Hemerocallis Society, Inc.

Daylily 'Barbara Mandrell' 

Hemerocallis 'Barbara Mandrell'   (Kirchhoff, 2009). Click photo for larger image.


Thanks to Daylily World for sponsoring this issue of
Daylily E-News.

www.DaylilyWorld.com

In This Issue
Our Sponsor--Daylily World
AHS Announcements
Join AHS and Receive a Daylily Voucher
Ask the Ombudsman
A Daylily "Edge-ucation"
Spelling Lesson
Locate an AHS Group Near You!
AHS Media Library
Why You Should Join AHS
What is a Daylily?
How to Register a Daylily
Donations and Endowments
Order AHS Publications
DAYLILY E-NEWS Archives
QUICK LINKS
AHS Home Page

Join AHS

 
Daylily 'Velvet Ribbons' 
Hemerocallis
'Velvet Ribbons
' (Stamile, 2002).
 
Click photo for larger image.
SPELLING LESSON
How to spell
"daylily"
The word "daylily" is properly spelled as one word. Many of today's spellcheckers and media style books incorrectly use the old-fashioned spelling "day lily" instead. The single word has been the preferred spelling for decades.


Globe
Locate an AHS group near you!
The American Hemerocallis Society is all about daylilies and people.

AHS is organized into 15 Regions including USA, Canada, and International designations. Each offers a variety of regional and local club daylily activities.

When people join AHS, they also become a member of the AHS Region in which they live. AHS Regions do not charge additional dues. Each AHS region publishes its own newsletter and mails it to all regional members at no extra charge. Members often participate in events outside their own region.

To learn about daylily activities and events near you, visit the webpage:
AHS Regional Activities


Keyboard
The AHS Media Library
Easy programs for your club--

OR...

add your presentation to the Library!

By Nikki Schmith
AHS Media Librarian
AHS Region 2, Michigan


One benefit of your American Hemerocallis Society (AHS) membership is access to rental programs from the AHS Media Library for club presentations, public education events, and personal use.

Over the last decade or two, AHS collected and organized presentations on traditional slide media and made them available for rental to AHS members. Many members took advantage of this easy way to offer entertaining and educational programs to their clubs.

In recent years, we saw a decline in the rental of these traditional 35mm slide programs. In the interest of supporting our educational mission and providing more people access to these programs, a conversion to digital media began.

Today, rental programs are available on CD in Microsoft (MS) PowerPoint format. Each program has a $10 rental fee (unless indicated otherwise); return postage and insurance are not included.
 
For a listing of programs currently available, go to:
 
AHS Media Library
 

There are several great choices, but with an organization our size, we should have more: more to provide to outside, like-minded organizations to spread the news about daylilies; more to provide to local clubs to continue the excitement about daylilies; and finally, more to document where we've been, because we are headed into the future so fast.

With the exception of the classic Sarah Sikes presentation, "Gardening with Daylilies," all of the original 35mm slide programs have been archived and are not available for rental at this time. Some are being considered for digital conversion in the coming years, while others will reside in the AHS archive.

If you have developed any programs, please consider sending a copy to the AHS Media Librarian if you are willing to have it rented to members. You can allow such use without giving up your copyright to the images if that is a concern to you. A Deed of Gift form can be provided in that case, covering the use and disposition. No special formatting or programming is required. You could simply send in a CD of labeled images or a completely formatted and animated PowerPoint. You could send in a presentation you've done on hybridizing, dividing, planting or designing with daylilies. You could send in a presentation on conducting a daylily exhibition. The possibilities are endless!

If you are interested in the library in any way, such as donating, renting, and volunteering to help, or if you have questions, please contact the Media Librarian, Nikki Schmith at AHS Media Librarian, or call 248.739.9006.

We look forward to a deluge of presentation
s!



Daylily 'Can't Believe My Eyes'
Hemerocallis
 'Can't Believe My Eyes'
(Bell-T., 2009).  Click photo for larger image.
Why Join AHS?
Learn about daylilies.

Receive the quarterly publication, The Daylily Journal.


Receive a regional newsletter 2-3 times per year.


Meet daylily growers and hybridizers.


Vote for favorite daylilies in the Popularity Poll.


Participate in daylily exhibitions.


Become an AHS Exhibition Judge.


Become an AHS Garden Judge.


Have an AHS Daylily Display Garden and/or AHS Historic Daylily Display Garden.


Attend daylily symposiums, garden tours, meetings, conventions, and more.


Participate in on-line discussion groups.


Join special interest snail-mail groups.


Become a better gardener.


Form friendships for life!


AHS members belong to one of 15 U.S./Canadian regions. Those outside the U.S. and Canada may join as International members. Over 180 local clubs form the backbone of every region, and you may find that one of them is near you. If not, meet with local gardeners and form a daylily club of your own!

It's easy to become a member. Just use this link: Join AHS



Daylily 'Blue Hippo' 
 
Hemerocallis
'Blue Hippo' (Lambertson, 2005). Click photo for
larger image.

What is a Daylily?
A daylily is an herbaceous perennial that will return year after year in a suitable climate. Some are evergreen and will remain above ground throughout the year in a mild climate.

Daylilies may be hardy or tender, depending on genetics, so gardeners should choose cultivars based on their growing conditions.


Daylilies belong to the genus Hemerocallis, from the Greek meaning "beauty for a day." A typical daylily bloom lasts for one day, but an established clump will produce many flowering scapes with plentiful buds that will produce a fresh flush of blooms over many days.

Daylilies do not form bulbs (as do members of the genus Lilium, otherwise known as "true" lilies).

Due to the distinctive characteristics of Hemerocallis, taxonomists have removed daylilies from the family Liliaceae and placed them in their own family Hemerocallidaceae.

Daylilies form a crown, with fibrous roots below and foliage and flowering scapes above. The daylily crown is the essential growth center of the plant. Neither true daylily root structures nor daylily foliage will grow without a piece of the crown.

Some daylilies form rhizomes -- special underground structures with scales and internodes -- that can produce new plants. The species or "wild" types often have this trait. Many modern hybrids do not form rhizomes, although there are some that do.


For more daylily terms, see the AHS Daylily Dictionary.



Daylily Registrations

The AHS Registrar  handles all registrations of new daylily cultivars for AHS, which is the registering body for all Hemerocallis worldwide under rules for the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants (ICNCP).

Registrations may be made on line or by mail. For more information, see:

Daylily Cultivar Registration

Questions?
Contact:
Kevin P. Walek
9122 John Way
Fairfax Station, VA 22039-3042
703-798-5501(cell)
703-646-4904 (home-office)
OR
Send email to:
Registrar



Check Book

Donations

Donations to the American Hemerocallis Society are always appreciated. There are five different funds from which to choose, including an endowment fund, scientific studies fund, youth funds, and a scholarship fund.   

Donations may be made online or by mail. For more information, see:
 
 
 
Questions?
Contact:
Mary Lou Lundblade
511 W. Ness
Valley Center, KS 67147-4920
316-755-1964
 
from Dec. 1 to Apr. 1:
Unit 202
102 E. Pleasant Street
Avon Park, FL 33825
863-452-2612
 
OR:
Send email to:
Endowments Chair



Order AHS Daylily Books, CDs, and More
As an educational service, AHS publishes The Daylily Journal and a number of other items, available at or near cost. To order online, go to:

AHS Publications


For Previous Issues of DAYLILY E-NEWS Visit the Archives:
DAYLILY E-NEWS ARCHIVES