Some Secrets

A next career?  A post retirement pursuit? 

I love day lilies, although I don't know that much about them.

A couple of weeks ago, I blogged about a visit to Grace Gardens near Penn Yan, New York.  Run by a couple, the Roods, we were greeted with great hospitality.

Too bad I hadn't read this article by Tom Rood  (the man who used to work blocks from where I live) before I visited.  It talks about things someone who wants to try to hybridize their own day lilies needs to keep in mind.

Hybridize their own day lilies?  Yes, it seems this is something within the reach of the average person.  Perhaps they won't create a show stopper that sells for hundreds of dollars, but if beauty is created, that is enough.

So, what are the secrets?

One of them is to "visit lots of gardens."  And, it is never too late for an old dog to, as the expression goes, learn new tricks.  Another piece of advice is to have a lot of focus - something I admit not to having more of.  I seem to have less focus as I age, too.

Why not?  Who knows, I might end up with some varieties with "your grandchildren's names" on them.

Although I have no grandchildren (yet - no pressure, dear son) there is something that appeals to me about being able to create and name a flower.  Look at daylily names if you are ever bored, and even if you aren't.  You'll be amazed. 

Which reminded me of one of the gardens I visited recently, and my problem with names.

I intended to show you day lilies photographed over the weekend at Cutler Botanic Gardens in Binghamton, New York.

The day lilies are identified by numbers next to the plant and you look on a list to identify them.

I love day lily names but something seems to have gone wrong.  It's probably me, but it's starting to get a little frustrating.  Should names matter?  They do matter, if you want to buy something and have to try to identify the plant.  And, I love daylily names.  They are so imaginative.  Some pay tribute to the hybridizer.  Others have their own reasons.

I really have to get better at matching numbers to names, apparently.

Here are some of my name fails:

Watchyl Dancing Spider - this name so intrigued me that I looked it up online and I don't think I identified it correctly (it should be red and yellow).  Nevertheless, whatever this is, is a beauty.

I had this one identified as Ann Taylor Hovey.  Nope.

All American Chief is for real.  One right!

But this isn't Cathy Cute Legs, although it is cute.

And as far as Top Guns, which is what this one was labeled - apparently there is an entire series of these, with the most intriguing of names.

So, shhh.  This may be what I am doing in retirement (I'm not retired yet, mind you).  Notice how skillfully I snuck pictures of daylilies onto my blog yet again.

Alas, daylily season will soon be over.

Who knows, one day you may be looking at the award winning daylily Ramblin' with AM.

Will I ever take the first step of that thousand mile journey?  I will leave that as a secret.

Day 25 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge #blogboost