My town, Ipswich, Massachusetts, is part of the Great Marsh which includes over 20,000 acres of fresh and salt water marshland, barrier beach, tidal river, estuary, mudflat, and upland islands. My small house and garden - Saltmarsh Gardens - is near the top of a glacial drumlin; a 75 foot high bump in the marsh called Great Neck. We are exposed to winter winds from the ocean so we tend to waver between zone 5 and 6.

When I bought my small house in 1988 the landscaping consisted of 5 ancient yews and 2 spindly hosta so slowly I began cutting perimeter beds, added a vegetable garden and eventually a water feature. My early inspiration was to attempt an Asian-style garden design although my dreams for a sparely-designed garden did not last long at all - maybe about 15 minutes. Although I appreciate simplicity and stark beauty you know what happens when you have the heart of a collector. Japanese maples, conifers and iris came first followed closely by hobby hybridizing Japanese iris. More beds were cut. Sedum came next along with hosta and daylilies. More iris were added, more daylilies, more garden beds. Soon the vegetable garden was overtaken with Japanese iris seedlings. Then I discovered how easy daylilies were to grow from seed thus beginning a 10 year experiment in daylily color and form... and lawn eradication.

For me, not much can compare to the excitement of seeing a good seedling bloom for the first time and I admit I am fascinated by watermarks, patterns, a twisty, funky unusual form, but I'm totally enthralled by saturated and clear colors. Diploids are my ploidy of choice. I grow seedlings under harsh conditions in amended clay soil so I know my plants will do well with little care in more northern climates. My garden is small so I produce only a few worthy of selection each season and since there’s scant room to line out so far there’s not enough to formally introduce. I have 2 daylily registrations to date and hope to register two more before the end of the year.

Most of the lawn has been transformed into gardens and seedling beds but there’s still a few grass paths remaining. Roughly 230 named daylily cultivars are squeezed in while only about 20 named iris remain. Because of my lack of garden space I joke about shoveling soil up onto the roof and planting seedlings there. Some of my seeds and seedlings are getting their start in other gardens in Massachusetts and Michigan as a result of the shared curiosity and kindness of good friends. I’ve sold daylily seeds on the Lily Auction under the name of Kivariver for 6 years and have met wonderful people from all over the world who share my focus. The crosses I sell are choices I would make for myself. Many seed buyers have sent me pictures of their seedlings so I am able to see the outcome of many crosses I haven’t room to grow here in my tiny garden.

Thank you Charlotte, for inviting me to take part in GOTW. My thanks to all the daylily people who have been kind enough to help me on my hybridizing journey including Pat Wessling, Mike and Julie Maher, John Rodgers, Bob Faulkner, Ellen Laprise, Phil Reilly, Dennis Tetreault, Deb Carriker, Doug Hyers, Saundra Dunn, Kathy Rinke and Linda Michaels. Forgive me if I have forgotten to mention anyone here. My daylily friends share the excitement when something good appears in the seedling bed and they bring me back to earth when I find a low budcount seedling with intense color and want to keep it. There’s always information to share and things to learn. I came for the flower and I stayed for the people.

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