2004 SPRING INTRODUCTIONS
*MARY'S BABY (seedling T01-71) (MARY LIGHTFINE X THUNDER AND LIGHTNING) SEV 4 1/2" M 27" TET We feel that this one is probably the finest flower we have introduced to date. The color is a distinct step forward from the wonderful parent, MARY LIGHTFINE. It is a deep velvet purple outlined by a rich white border on the petals and on the sepals. She easily passes along the velvet to her babies too! The recent results in the seedling beds indicate that MB will be a superb parent for rich deep purples especially for stark white edges. The contrast between the shade of purple and the white edge is a delight. We have received numerous glowing reports on the wonderful rich color of the parent, MARY LIGHTFINE. This child is a full step ahead in color. The color saturation is the best I have seen on any purple introduction from anywhere, period. Add in very good rain and sun resistance and you have a superb daylily. Fertile both ways, the pollen is powerful. Bud counts in the 20 to 25 range on well branched scapes. Feedback has been excellent from customers.
note: We just learned that MB’s parent, MARY LIGHTFINE just won an HM with votes from 10 AHS regions from Florida through the New England States and up into the upper Midwest. We have felt since the initial bloom of MARY’S BABY that she is even a finer purple that her wonderful parent. $80
We would like to thank Sharon Fitzpatrick for the image of MARY'S BABY above. Her new digital camera captured more of the bluish coloration in MB than we have been able to. It shows a little bit more than what my eyes see but the coloration is there.
*REGAL SHIELD (seedling T01-63) (seedling x CLARIFICATION) 5.25" M 28" DOR TET RE The first thing you see on this beauty is the gigantic eye. The dark purple eye complements the yellow petals with their lovely peach overtones. A matching purple edge goes all the way around the petals. The deep green heart and yellow throat with excellent rebloom complete the picture. A true standout in the gardens here. Scapes have 15 to 20 buds With rebloom REGAL SHIELD provides a long bloom season. Fertile both ways. $40
*NO BLUE OXFORDS (seedling T01-47) ( a cross of two sibs of CLARIFICATION) 5.5" EM 37" DOR RE TET The flower was selected in clump condition in the seedling patches. It stood out due to the way that it bristled with scapes. Upon inspection we found that virtually every fan had put up two scapes. With closer observation over the last several years we have learned that the second scape emerges just as the first is beginning to bloom with overlapping bloom periods later (instant rebloom). We counted the buds on scapes arising from three random fans. The counts were 28, 33, and 33. The second scapes had 17, 19 and 17 buds respectively. The blossoms are lavender pink with a purple eye and purple edge outlined in gold. A green to yellow throat makes NO BLUE OXFORDS a very pretty flower. Fertile both ways. . $40
note: We thank Dan Robarts for the use of the second image which shows the rebloom on NO BLUE OXFORDS. The first scape is only beginning to bloom as the second scape appears. You can imagine how long of a bloom season such a plant habit gives!
*JOAN HOOD (seedling T99-28) (sib x FLIGHT OF THE RAVEN) 4.5" M 30" SEV RE TET Clear peach with a bright purple eye, green heart to orange throat, and distinct ruffled purple edge. JOAN HOOD is a an easy, reliable grower. Both sets of scapes are in the upper teens in bud count. The blossoms are always perfectly formed and look good all day. The ‘04 bloom season revealed that JH is a much better breeder than we suspected, showing babies with very bright, large eyes, wide edges. Fertile both ways.
note: We just learned from a grower in Michigan that JH bloomed this year with three sets of scapes and that a fourth set was finally killed by frost. Coming from an area in which any rebloom is a notable exception, such rebloom is very remarkable to say the least. $35
*CORAL MAJORITY (seedling T99-31) (SOUTH SEAS X APACHE WAR DANCE) 4.5" L 33" DOR RE TET The rich coral with orange highlights has to be seen to be believed. The color simply glows in the garden. Combining the best of both parents, the color is a wonder. If that were not enough, the plants are very prolific rebloomers with well branched scapes averaging close to 20 buds each. This garden star comes on just as the season is winding down and is a flamboyant presence in the garden just when it is most needed. Garden visitors were constantly drawn to this one from all parts of the garden. The color acts as a beacon from a distance. Fertile both ways.
note: The near impossibility to photograph CORAL MAJORITY has lead some people to overlook it. CORAL MAJORITY will be one we will want to get into the line for AHS awards but it must be growing in more gardens for people to realize what a striking cultivar it is. $40
Our thanks to Charles Dorsey for the use of the above image of CORAL MAJORITY. We have tried to capture the beauty of this fine introduction but have found it impossible. The above image taken by Charles is the best we have yet seen. If we can find another image wich comes closer to capturing the look we will use it. In the meantime, CORAL MAJORITY simply must be seen to be fully appreciated.
*ASHWOOD STILL NIGHT (seedling T01-28) (EARTH MUSIC X EVENING ENCHANTMENT) 5.25" E 28" SEV RE TET This is a very deep and very rich purple blossom with a dramatic, triangular bright green throat and a tiny watermark. This is the one that all the early visitors zeroed in on. Scapes are exceptionally well branched and budded. The lowest bud count we could find was 33. The highest was 45. Lower 40’s were typical. There is a little rebloom to extend the season further. Fertile both ways $40
More and more people are expressing their appreciation for clump shots of introductions. There is such an advantage when a hybridizer provides both aspects of the cultivar. I must admit that I have to retrain myself to take more shots of the entire plant as the season progresses. I simply forget to do so. The shot of ASHWOOD STILL NIGHT above illustrates one of the reasons why we introduced it in the first place. While we all love to see a daylily close up I think we also want the entire plant to have an impact in teh garden.
*QUIET WYATT (seedling T00-49) (BILL NORRIS X ED BROWN) 5" EM 28" SEV RE EMO TET Named in honor of a fine southern gentleman of Forsyth fame, Wyatt LeFever, this introduction has a peach with yellow blossom that sports a rosy blush to the outside of the petals, constituting an edge without an eye. Light rose veining on the petals adds distinction. The beautiful rose edge is further accented by dramatic piecrust pleating. The green heart blending to a bright yellow throat enhances the bloom. QUIET WYATT is a fine, vigorous plant with well-budded scapes which display 20 to 25 buds followed by reliable rebloom, keeping the plant in bloom a very long time. A true EMO, QUIET WYATT is even more special.
Fertile both ways but it is not easily pod fertile $40
note: Wyatt reported to me that his namesake daylily was the longest blooming cultivar in his greenhouse this fall, reblooming repeatedly. While we have not seen that kind of rebloom here, it does rebloom well. We now suspect it will do quite well in warmer climates such as Wyatt’s North Carolina.
2003 SPRING TET INTRODUCTIONS
Please note All introductions are net which means that bonuses are not given with them.
*STURM UND DRANG (seedling T99-14) (RUFFLED ROYALTY X THUNDER AND LIGHTNING) 26" EM 6.25" SEV RE This is a large, rich and saturated rosy purple with a yellow edge and a lighter purple watermark. The blossom has a commanding presence with the added benefit of very reliable rebloom. STURM UND DRANG has as good an overall plant habit as any I grow. It has big husky foliage with deep green leaves. Establishes quickly, grows exceptionally well. Pod fertile but not easy, pollen is quite good. $25
ASHWOOD BLUE HIGHWAY (seedling T00-69) (ADMIRAL’S BRAID X FLIGHT OF THE RAVEN) 26" EM 6.5" SEV RE This is the cultivar that has given me hope of a truly blue eye and edge in my program. It is light raspberry with a very blue eye. This same shade of blue is also found on the edge along with purple and gold. We get reliable rebloom from this one, reflecting the FLIGHT OF THE RAVEN heritage. ABH clumps up fast and blooms and grows with vigor. Fertile both ways as is most in this line. $40
*RUBY REGALIA (seedling T93-1) (CHICAGO RUBY X ED MURRAY) 28" M 5" DOR This one was first introduced as a breeder’s flower. It is also an exemplary garden flower. RUBY REGALIA is the parent of our much anticipated ASHWOOD DARK SIDE The form is very old fashioned. The breeding results are not. RUBY REGALIA is narrow petaled but the children are not. I do not breed spiders but RR might be worth it for that. I am next to certain it would put sunfastness and color saturation into a tet spider program. RUBY REGALIA is a very deep velvet red which holds in the sun very well and is quite well budded and branched green throat Fertile both ways. $20
*RUTH PARISH (seedling T00-32) (GOLDEN TEARDROPS X ED BROWN) This is a beautiful flower introduced for its combination of beauty and performance. RUTH PARISH is a cream yellow with distinct pink overtones, very round and ruffled. RP has a bright gold edge and a fine green heart. Great branching and high bud counts keep RUTH PARISH in bloom for a long period of time. Very reliable rebloom extends the season here in Ohio well past almost everything else in the daylily garden. Fertile both ways 28" M 6" DOR RE $25
note: A recent report from Ontario, Canada brought us the information that RP was about the best performer in a customer’s ‘04 garden.
2003 FALL INTRODUCTION
*CLARIFICATION (seedling T98-12) (MASK OF TIME X CREATIVE EDGE) This is the best breeder for eyes and edges I have used by leaps and bounds. It is a hard dormant. The spring foliage is deep green, as pretty as any. The foliage characteristic is passed along to the kids. The blossom is pink with a lavender overlay and a purple eye and edge. Pod fertile with some difficulty but the pollen is powerful. 26" M 6" DOR RE $50
note: We have always been blown out of the water by the breeding ability of CLARIFICATION. We are coming to a new conclusion. CLARIFICATION is a wonderful breeder but far excels as a breeder of breeders. If you purchased C when it was introduced, do not hesitate to use the seedlings you are now blooming to further the line. They have a strong tendency to make quantum leaps forward in their babies. Pick the one that has the best plant habit even if it does not show a state of the art blossom. That baby of CLARIFICATION may very well give you another leap in breeding sophistication.
If you are breeding for eyes and edges, don’t pass CLARIFICATION up. If you haven’t seen my slide show or looked at the kids on the website, do yourself a favor and take a peek. CLARIFICATION SEEDLING PAGE
2003 SPRING DIPLOID INTRODUCTION
*SUBSTANTIAL EVIDENCE (seedling 00-6) [(LIGHTS OF DETROIT X WHEN I DREAM) X (LIGHTS OF DETROIT X WHEN I DREAM)] X SPECIAL INVITATION This diploid has the flat, flat face of LIGHTS OF DETROIT along with the greatest substance of any cultivar I have seen, including all tets. SE is a large yellow with an orange overlay, very popular with visitors. It is breeding the most distinctive kids you can imagine. The flat face is passed along to many of them due to the inbred pedigree. If you are not familiar with the ancestor, LOD, you may not visualize what I mean by flat. Many people introduce flowers that are "flat". SUBSTANTIAL EVIDENCE puts that description into an entirely different category. SE shows no trumpet at all. SE also can survive a driving rainstorm which shreds every other blossom in the garden. It has the ability to pass along sun and rain resistance to its progeny. The blossom is also an early morning opener of the highest order. Despite the early opening the pollen is almost always good. Fertile both ways but the pollen is easier. 33" M 6" DOR EMO $50
note: The ‘04 season revealed that SE may be one of the more important breeders here, ever. Take a look on the website at 04-11, a baby which shows a turquoise coloration. We have some 10 or more with the no-trumpet look which we are growing out for introduction in 2006. They have distinction in the absolute.
2005 note: Our enthusiasm for what SE can do is undiminished. In fact we are even more excited about what SUBSTANTIAL EVIDENCE is likely to do to our TET lines. We are looking forward to using the tet conversion in our greenhouse this coming winter. Tet SUBSTANTIAL EVIDENCE will put a new look in tetraploids which may open a new frontier in daylilies.
2002 INTRODUCTIONS
CLICK ON PICTURES TO ENLARGE
*MARY LIGHTFINE (seedling #T98-36) (complicated pedigree involving great grandparent, GLORIA HITE BEST, RUFFLED DUDE, and others.) 32" L 5.25" EV RE Until the blooming of MARY’S BABY, MARY LIGHTFINE has shown the best shade of blue-purple of any we have seen in daylilies. With the addition of a startling white edge on both the petals and sepals, MARY offers a flower of outstanding beauty. The scape is exceptional with more than 40 buds. She will rebloom here on occasion in Ohio. She has overwintered two winters in northern Maine, zone 3. Reports indicate that ML is even better when grown farther south and has become an important breeder in the programs of a number of hybridizers. Fertile both ways. Fine parent. $50
note: We are pleased that our very first nomination for an H.M., MARY LIGHTFINE, won the award in the first year of eligibility. Votes from 10 region indicate that ML grows and blooms well in a wide area. Dan Bachman conducted a poll as part of a presentation at the Midwest Hybridizer’s meeting a while back. His topic was future Stout medal winners. He asked the hybridizers present what cultivar is their pick for a Stout in the future. MARY LIGHTFINE received more votes that any other cultivar.
MARY LIGHTFINE is named after a former student who shared in the ‘99 Nobel prize as a member of Doctors Without Borders. Mary has done volunteer nursing in numerous crisis spots including Kosovo, Somalia, Honduras, and the Sudan. We would like to direct you to Mary’s website, http://marylightfine.com/ Mary now supports her work lecturing at universities around the world.
We just received a little more information on Mary and her work. Click here for that page of biographical information. MARY LIGHTFINE_BIO
*ASHWOOD HEARTH SIDE (T98-20) (TUPAC AMARU X SMUGGLER’S FIRE) 22" M 5.75" DOR RE HEARTH SIDE is a very wide, deep, glowing red with a strong yellow edge. It passes the edge along to the kids very easily. Budding is reasonable at around 20 to 22, but with rebloom, HEARTH SIDE will give a long season of performance. We have seen no other red like it. Fine parent for edges. Fertile both ways. $25
1999 INTRODUCTION
*FLIGHT OF THE RAVEN (MASK OF TIME X STRAWBERRY CANDY) 26" ML 5" SEV RE A very bright raspberry with purple shadings. The large eye is a dark black purple. There is a black purple edge to match. The edge completely encircles the petals and often takes the form of small black bubbles, even becoming hooks and knobs on occasion. Very good breeder. This plant breeds VERY strongly for rebloom here in Ohio. (example JOAN HOOD) Very fertile both ways. Bud count of 15 to 25. I received reports of rebloom from northern growers who get very little rebloom from other plants.
$15
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