One landscape plant that has become common in Georgia landscapes is daylilies. This is for a good reason.
Modern daylilies provide unbelievable beauty, while at the same time require little care. Another important trait of daylilies is their ability to withstand dry weather better than many other landscape plants.
Dawson County has many people who love to grow daylilies. One person is Suzanne Franklin. To visit her daylily garden is very much worthwhile. Another person is Burney Sullivan. Burney has not been growing daylilies as long as some others, but truly enjoys sharing his love of daylilies.
The following information was sent to me by Burney Sullivan - Modern Daylilies:
Have you considered daylilies in your garden? Or are you even aware of the large numbers of new types of daylilies that are on the market today?
Unlike the orange daylily that we see along the roadside in the spring, which is sterile and cannot be used for hybridizing, the lilies I am suggesting come in a vast array of colors, shapes and blossom sizes. The colors are from white to pink, yellows, reds, purples and all shades in between.
Some blooms are now 5 to 7 inches with deep ruffled gold edges, or bright red centers, etc. During the past few years, the newer daylilies have become the most popular perennial across the entire country. A large number of the hybridizers of these daylilies are located in central Florida, but can be found as far north as Canada, west to California, Oregon and Washington.
However, the state of Georgia has a great number of both hybridizers and commercial growers of these very colorful daylilies.
Daylilies can be grown in many types of soil, are relatively easy to care for, come back year after year and generally increase in size —ultimately making a nice clump.
A little fertilizer in the spring and water during some of our drier periods will keep your daylilies in excellent condition.
Like all other plants, the more attention they receive the better the end results.
Daylilies prefer full sunshine, but can be grown in filtered shade providing they receive two or three hours of sun or bright light daily.
If you are not familiar with the new types of daylilies available, I suggest you visit some of the commercial growers during the months of May through August who can be found in many locations throughout our state.
The Georgia Extension Office can assist in locating growers who would be delighted to show you their flowers. There are also a number of Daylily Societies, 15 throughout Georgia, which always have their doors open for visitors.
You can contact Burney Sullivan, North Georgia Daylily Society, (706) 864-7533 or visit their Web site: www.ngadaylilysociety.org for more information or to get meeting dates, which are almost monthly, at the Family Life Center, First Baptist Church, in Gainesville.
Clark Beusse is the Dawson County Extension agent.