Daylilies

After taking the granddaughter back to her home, my husband and I decided to spend another day in Winchester VA because of the rainy weather and people on the road rushing to get home to send their kids to school.  It seemed as if the summer was ending; there was the chilly rain and the green deciduous trees had a slight yellowing reddish hue in their foliage.

Sunday came with more rain but there was no reason for us to stay cooped up in a motel room.  We made plans to go west but took a turn to the north on I-81 instead.  We  were on the road to wild and wonderful West Virginia.  As late summer tourists, we  were looking for things to do. We stopped at the Welcome Station to pick up information and begin our adventure.

Sandra Elizabeth

I was looking for a nursery or a garden center when I saw the brochure for Hillbilly Daylilies in Bunker Hill WV only a few miles up the road.  The Hillbilly Daylilies had a huge variety of lilies in such a variety of sizes and colors on an acre field.  The season for blooming daylilies has peaked but the cultivar named Sandra Elizabeth with her sunny yellow blooms was ready for transplanting.  This cultivar was hybridized by Don Stevens and registered in 1983 in Massachusetts.

Daylilies are low maintenance and relatively pest free perennials that prefer full sun.  They also do well in partial shade and are draught tolerant.  As the name suggests, most blooms last only one day but to keep the plants attractive while waiting for additional flowers to open, remove the spend blooms.

It is recommended that the daylilies be divided in spring or fall every three years to control growth.  Dig around the root clump and lift; however, established clumps may be thick and dense so a sharp ax may be required for division.

Sandra Elizabeth made the trip in a cramped car and needed some pruning to remove yellowing foliage.  The flower stalk should not be cut when transplanting.  I soaked the two daylilies overnight before planting in a hole that I had dug deep and wide enough to accommodate the root system.  I watered and mulched.

The Hillbilly Daylilies is an awesome place for field grown daylilies and their website is full of colorful lilies, information about planting and caring for the lilies.  Check out www.hillbillydaylilies.com and go to idyllic Bunker Hill in WV, explore some history and enjoy beautiful sites, and select your lilies.  They will be dug for you.  It may be difficult to decide what color and size to choose from so allow plenty of time.

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