(Apologies, but I was desperate for something other than "More Daylilies, Vol. 50".)
Yes, it's time for another thrilling episode of "Daylilies of Our Lives"! (Cue the old-fashioned soap opera organ music.)
Will that pink ruffly one open fully, or will the petals hang up on their own ruffles yet again?
What is actually the difference between an "eye" and a "band" in daylily terminology?
How many photos can I take of the exact same daylily before getting bored?!
Learn the answer to all these questions and more (or maybe not) in this shocking installment of "Daylilies of Our Lives"!!!
...We open with two photos that I think are probably 'Midnight Magic' (but I didn't actually take a photo of the plant tag, so I make no guarantees)...
And then on to the bulk of the photos...
I'm interested in daylily terminology, but I have to admit that sometimes I find it difficult to know if I'm using it correctly. I just do my best.
For instance, would the faintness of the ring of darker purple in this daylily qualify it as a halo? I'm going to guess that it would.
This next daylily, I think, is classified as "bi-color", which means that the petals (here, they are partially salmon) are a completely different color than the sepals* (in this case, they're yellow).
*(Think of sepals as "secondary petals"; in non-double daylilies, they're the three that appear behind and in between the petals and are sometimes thinner and less showy than the petals.)
...Whereas this daylily looks like an example of a "bi-tone" daylily, because the petals are a darker tone of the same color as the sepals. (Apparently, if the sepals are darker than the petals, that makes it a reverse bi-tone!)
To go into even more detail, notice the edges of the petals? See how they're edged in darker violet and then what looks like either white or very pale yellow? I'm not sure, but I think that may qualify as something called a "wire edge". In any case, it's definitely a fancy edging. A narrow edging in a contrasting color is called a "picotee edge".
The next daylily has what I believe would be classed as a "band" (the dark purple ring around the center of the flower)-- but I'm really not positive about that.
As I understand it, the difference between an "eye" and a "band" is that with a band, the ring of color appears only on the petals, whereas an eye appears on both petals and sepals. While the contrasting colors are faintly present on the sepals in this flower, based on the definitions and examples I've seen, I don't think it's distinct enough to count as an eye. (I'm always second-guessing myself on eyes vs. bands!)
The eye-zone markings in next one would definitely be a halo. See how very faint it is?
Here's another bi-tone-- but there's something else interesting, too. Every daylily petal has a central line called a midrib (some more visible than others). In this flower, the midribs are a color that contrasts with the rest of the petal.
Maybe this is a stretch, but this next daylily has what might qualify as a watermark-- or at least a watermark halo. A watermark is an eye or band in a color that is lighter than the body of the flower. (Eyes and bands are generally-- always?-- darker than the petals.)
See it there, or am I imagining things? ;o)
The next flower is fairly simple and straightforward, without a lot of special markings or edgings. If we want to find a Daylily Vocabulary Term to apply to it, though, how about "throat"? This daylily has a chartreuse throat. The contrast of that bright yellow-green against the whisper-soft mauve of the petals and sepals makes for a much more visually interesting flower.
Below, more bands. The petals are also a bit unusual in form-- slightly twisted and curved.
Ah, it's our friend the Maybe-Watermark-Halo, again...
The petals of this one fold in on themselves slightly. I could've sworn I'd seen a term that fit this quirk, but I can't find it at the moment... (I'm sure someone's named it, though!)
This one's a little funky-looking... It has some splotches that are missing pigmentation, but that's not so unusual. What really stands out to me is the weird "warty" growths on one of the petals and one of the sepals. Believe it or not, some hybridizers actively encourage incredibly bumpy petals. The more "warts" the better. Of course, they don't call them warts. ;o) I believe they're classed as "cristate daylilies", and (imho) they look like they came from some alien greenhouse on another planet. Fascinating, but very strange.
This is one of the new (to me), named cultivars. I can't ever remember if it's 'Elizabeth Salter' or 'Fairy Tale Pink'! We have both, and I just can't help mixing them up. Even looking at photos online, I have a hard time saying which is which... (I'd guess 'Elizabeth Salter', if pushed.) Well, whichever it is, it's a fairly simple, classic daylily. Not a lot of contrast within the flower, but it's a lovely, soft color and has a beautiful, elegant form.
I make no promises, but I think this is 'Fairy Tale Pink'. (Good grief, they look a lot alike!!) There's more green in the throat, and there are deeper "veins" in the petals than in the one I tentatively identified as 'Elizabeth Salter', but they're pretty darn close. Again, a simple but elegant flower. (Just look at the ruffles on that petal! Amazing!)
This is what I love about daylilies! We go from understated elegance to something like this next one. Ooh, lots going on here! It's a bi-tone with a band... a slightly contrasting midrib... and a gently ruffled edge that I think would classify as a picotee wire edge. (Eh, something like that, anyway!)
Not even sure what to say about the sepals on this one. It may be a one-off (a quirk of temperature, water, or insect damage), but I like it! I also love the banding.
Hm. This might be a bit of an ugly duckling. It has a dull, almost weathered appearance, compared to many daylilies-- but it's interesting in its own way. It makes me think of denim. A pair of favorite old jeans that have faded over the years. Faded to perfection. ;o)
This one's fun! This is a "spider" daylily-- maybe also an "unusual form", since the petals and sepals are twisty and pinched. Spiders add a lot of interest and personality to the garden, and they seem to be pretty big, too, which makes them more visible over a distance.
(Did you notice that there's an actual spider on the sepal at the top of the photo?)
If I understand correctly, there are no truly white daylilies, but there are some described as "nearly white", and I think this one qualifies. It's the softest, lightest cream.
This last one has a dusting of freckles!
Well, that's it for tonight!
Tune in next time to learn the fate of "All of My Daylilies"-- oops, getting my soaps mixed up... ;o)
