You say Hemerocallis, and I say Daylily.

When I moved to Vancouver Island I noticed right away the change in the native plants. On the southern tip of the island it is drier than the mainland and you find species not found elsewhere. The tree lupines are one of the plants which grow here, so is Oceanspray(Holodisus discolor) which is like a tree-form Astilbe. I also noticed some plants in gardens which I had not seen anywhere else. These where not uncommon plants, just forms which seemed almost endemic here. These where likely brought long ago by people who moved to the area and then passed about as plants were. My mother was given pieces of Daylily and Iris from her mother and then the clumps are split when someone enthuses about how beautiful they are…. and the cycle repeats. This must  be what happened here to see so many places with Hemerocallis fulva ‘Kwanso’.

Hemerocallis fulva 'Kwanso' a very ancient triploid double flowering Daylily.

Here near Sidney I found little seaside cottages with gardens brimming with great big clumps of this unusual form of  the Tawny ‘Kwanso’ Daylily.

Hemerocallis fulva 'Kwanso' comes full circle having been recently replanted at the Sidney Information Center with it's period plantings.

It’s parent Hemeocallis fulva is not know in the wild, although it first appeared in China and Japan. It is a triploid and is self-sterile and has be reproduced by division of it’s rhizomes. It was brought here from Europe in the 17th century and it was so successful at this that it has become naturalized in parts of North America and Europe.

Hemerocallis fulva or the Tawny Daylily, which has spead in North America and Europe.

Another form of the Tawny Daylily is seen commonly as well. It is Hemerocallis fulva var. littorea which is native to Japan where is grows in the grass near the oceans on Western Honshu and Kyushu islands. It blooms in late October there.

Hemerocallis fulva var. littorea, the 'Tawny Lily' which is planted in Brentwood Bay.

Hemerocallis fulva var. littorea is said to be smaller in stature and the leaves appear to be a darker green. Here it is best seen in a planting in Brentwood Bay where it is used as a mass planting in the middle of the roundabout and is repeated at intervals in a perennial planting which runs along West Saanich Rd through the community. It has been interesting to see how this planting design has fared since it’s installation several years ago.

The 'Roundabout' in Brentwood Bay mass planted with Hemerocallis fulva var. littorea.

Anyone who loves Daylilies can understand the importance of this species in breeding of new varieties which there are now hundreds. All other known Hemerocallis are yellow toned to yellowy orange and pinkish. Breeding new colors only really began in the 1920′s with Dr. A.B. Stout who started a program to expand the color range. Since that time over 45,000 new hybrids have been introduced which range from nearly white through blood red to blackish purple.  The flowers themselves have changed to having broader petals to show off their extravagant colors. Many new plants have been breed to be shorter in  overall stature  and to have longer bloom periods.  More recently a new addition to the Hemerocallis fulva family has been seen; a variegated form of ‘Kwanso’ (H.f. var. Variegata) with white stripes running through it’s leaves.

The variegated Tawny 'Kwanso' Daylily in 2006 at Govenment House in Victoria.

Growing Daylilies is easy which is why they are such successful plants.  Tawny Daylilies need a bright sunny site with well drained, rich soil. They need a fairly large area as they can grow  into a 1m(3ft) by 1m(3ft) clump quickly. Daylilies make excellent subjects for mass planting and can make an attractive informal edging as the foliage is attractive, durable and does not get ratty looking during the late summer. Keep Daylilies tidy by removing the spent flowers stems when they are finished. Most forms are quite hardy and will easily withstand zone4 (-20c or -15f). Propagation of Hemerocallis fulva forms as well as all Daylilies is by division which is very easily done in the spring.

The broad foliage is an attractive foil to the fascinating Hemerocallis fulva 'Kwanso' blossoms.

Further information on Tawny Daylillies:

Paghat’s experience with the Tawny Daylily: 
http://www.paghat.com/daylily.html

Growing Daylilies; how to do it best: 
http://pss.uvm.edu/ppp/articles/daylily2.html

A more technical description of Hemerocallis fulva: 
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=200027676

Visit Brentwood Bay: 
http://www.vancouverisland.com/regions/towns/?townID=30

Until We Meet Again Later This Week…..

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The Dawn of a New Rose.

My mother’s parents lived on a farm in Surrey for most of my life.  As a child we came to visit every summer and went to the beach, the big city and if we were lucky eat fresh cherries off the tree.  Later I had a job near were my grandmother lived and would visit her often. it was during this time that we discussed her garden and i would help her with it.  It seemed every plant in her garden had a story, who she had received it from, how she learned about it and took care of it. Of all the plants she had collected in nearly 50 years living there, the roses where her favorites. She took particular pleasure in the big rambling rose which grew over the barn and bloomed once a year. It, she proudly told was Dr. Van Fleet and had the most beautiful blooms of all. She was right, it was beautiful and what is even better is it’s ‘sport’ the New Dawn Rose which was discovered in 1930.

The Rambling 'New Dawn' Rose.

Every year at this time I see new Dawn rose in all it’s glory at the Memorial Rose Garden next to the Sidney Library. I have enjoyed visiting the garden through the year and the roses there are kept in perfect heath and beauty. It is a formally laid out  rose garden. The arbor which the New Dawn Rose grows up was constructed the Town of Sidney Parks Department as a memorial to the late Robert(Bob) Jackson who developed the Memorial Rose Garden. It is not surprising that the ‘New Dawn’ Rose was selected to be featured as it was selected as the worlds most popular rose in 1997.

New Dawn Rose Growing Happily on the Arborr in the Sidney Memorial Rose Garden

Dr Walter Van Fleet (1857-1922) was the developer of the ‘New Dawn‘ Rose indirectly. He developed the very famous Dr. Van Fleet and released it in 1910. His intention was to create more hardy roses which would grow well in the colder North American climate where he lived.  Over time he selected Rosa wichuriana(the ‘Memorial Rose’), a white rose as one species to work with. This rose contributed it’s lax stem habit and lovely semi-evergreen disease resistance. The cross is (R.wichuriana x Safrano) x Souv. Du Pres. Carnot, the later two not in common cultivation anymore. ‘New Dawn’ Rose was a sport which shared most of the ‘Van Fleet’  attributes but is said to be re-blooming and be slightly less fragrant.

'New Dawn' Roses Are Semi-double Flowering.

A ‘sport’ is a change in the plant at a cellular level. Some are very stable and can be propagated easily and others are not strong enough or stable and disappear. Finding a branch or plant that has changed in this way has lead to the introduction of many new forms of plants particularly those with variegation or double flowers.  The ‘New Dawn’ Rose sport was more subtle and someone must have watched very carefully to have noticed the that it changed.

The Hotter the Weather the Paler the Pink Will be in 'New Dawn' Roses.

New Dawn Roses are vigorous and need to be placed carefully so they do not run over weaker growing plants. It grows 20-25ft(4-5m) and is perfect for growing over an ugly fence, up and old tree or in a more formal setting. It is a clean and healthy plant which tolerates less than perfect conditions. it takes poorer soil and more shade than many other roses. I be can planted on north facing  situations. It is rated at zones 5(-20c or -5f) through 9.  To promote re-blooming and healthy growth it is best to remove(deadhead) the spent blooms and give it a light pruning after it’s first flower flush. It makes a fine cut flowers with it’s long stems.

'New Dawn' Roses Hanging Down From the Arbor In Sidney.

To learn More About ‘New Dawn’ Roses :

All you need to know about ‘New Dawn’ Roses:
http://www.backyardgardener.com/plantname/pda_5428.html

Where to find the Memorial Rose Garden in Sidney, B.C. 
http://virtualvacationguide.com/guide.php?setpanorama=476

Van Fleet’s Roses:  
http://www.nytimes.com/1998/07/23/garden/garden-q-a.html

Plant ‘sports’ also known as chimeras:
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/tisscult/Chimeras/chimeralec/chimeras.html

Until We meet Again Later This Week…..

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