First daylily of spring
May is daylily month in Austin. When my children were younger, school let out earlier than it does now, and we frequently went on vacation in mid- to late May, missing the daylily show. But a later school schedule and maybe global warming ensure that I get to enjoy the display these days.
The daylilies I transplanted from my old garden are in bud, some of them anyway. But the earliest bloomer in my new garden is a leftover from the previous owners—this oxblood-and-golden-yellow one growing in the lower back garden. It’s not my favorite color combination, but any daylily is a good daylily, to my way of thinking.
This one surprised me by opening its first trumpet-shaped flowers during the final days of April, earlier than any daylily I’ve grown (my first daylily flower in 2008 appeared on May 4). If you’re new to Austin and want to grow daylilies, keep in mind that the evergreen varieties perform best here, and they’ll need afternoon shade and maybe a little extra watering in the depths of summer. Keep the aphids at bay during bloom season by blasting the plants with a jet of water from a hose; spraying with pesticide isn’t necessary. And every few years, after they’ve flowered, dig up a clump and divide it with a sharp spade, giving away some to your friends and replanting the rest.
All material © 2006-2009 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
Wow! It’s much better than yellow one that I have. Images are …. can I say mood-lifting?!
I love that color. I’m getting ready to post my daylilies too. They appeared yesterday but I notice the slugs have been chomping on the color.
What a nice gift from the previous owners. I do like that color combo, as you know, but mine are a bit darker red. You are definitely on target about the evergreen varieties. They should do much better for you all. Here they are iffy. Some of the evergreens do well. Some don’t like our flighty weather. The same with hard dormants. Most dormants do well, but the ones bred for super cold areas don’t like Oklahoma either. So pretty Pam.~~Dee
Pam, Only the Lemon Lily is blooming this early in my garden…(you might like it’s yellow and sweet lemon fragrance). I do prefer the trumpet look in daylilies to some ruffled varieties…and I don’t mind this color combination at all. It’s quite lovely and your photos make them look even better! gail
Hi Pam, what a beauty, and thanks to the previous homeowners for such a great gift. Sometimes bloom time is everything. This daylily reminds me of our Non-Stella, name self explanatory! 🙂
Frances
Wow – that color just jumps off the screen. Very pretty! In S. Indiana daylily foliage is up, but no spikes have initiated yet… they’re a mid-summer phenomenon here.
That is a beauty. I think I have one similar to it. It won’t be blooming so soon though. It is exciting to see that Daylily time is on its way.
I have one like it that just finished blooming -H. ‘Apple Tart’. It is so feisty, I love it – but then again I ADORE candy-corn color combos. Thanks for these pics … so cheerful!
Well, I have ‘Apple Tart’ too and love it. Doesn’t it have more green in the center? Or maybe I’ve just forgotten! At any rate, I do like this unknown daylily too and am glad to have inherited it. —Pam