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 Our new home had only basic landscaping when we arrived, with lots of green, green grass. I soon started working on reducing the amount of grass. But first, I enrolled in the Master Gardener program, to round out my learn-as-you-go garden expertise. That was a smart move. I also sought out and joined our local hosta appreciation group, The Black Swamp Hosta and Daylily Society (no, it does not have an affiliated Barbershop Quartet). I had developed an affection for hostas when we lived in England and wanted to immerse myself in growing them. At that time, I had very little knowledge of, nor interest in, daylilies.
For the first couple of years, I concentrated on creating a hosta garden on the side of the lake and in shaded areas around the house. I also got very interested in other perennials. Along the way, a hidden addiction of mine was revealed. I have an incurable case of CHAD. For those of you unfamiliar with this affliction, here’s a brief description:
'Compulsive Horticultural Acquisition Disorder (CHAD)'. Typical symptoms are 1.) impulse buying of any new plant encountered, 2.) buying it without having even the vaguest idea of where you are going to plant it, 3.) putting new plants in willy-nilly into the most convenient, available spot in the garden, 4.) eventually filling every available empty space, resulting in unmanageable overcrowding, and 5.) losing the lawn to 'bed creep', as beds are expanded in an attempt to relieve the overcrowding, while making space for new acquisitions. Other symptoms may include 'new plant envy', 'gardener's resentment', financial exhaustion, and a number of specific addictive behaviors, including hostaholicism, hemeroholicism. (Many thanks to Dr. Laura Deeter, Ohio State University, for apprising me of this common, but little recognized disease.)
Well, each year the beds grew 15 to 20% in size. I swore that each expansion was the last, even as the hosta population increased to over 500 cultivars. We might still have at least half of our lawn if I hadn’t stumbled onto daylilies. My curiosity was peaked eventually as I kept wondering what all the fuss was about them. I bought SILOAM DOUBLE CLASSIC on a whim one day, shelling out the $24 with some apprehension. I bought Petit and Peat’s Encyclopedia of Daylilies and was absolutely astounded at the incredible shapes, colors and sizes I saw. I was a goner! Three years later, our lawn has been reduced to narrow foot paths between the beds and I have over 700 cultivars of daylilies that greet me each summer morning. Sometimes I think I must have died and gone to heaven! And I’ve gotten some great new friends, to boot.
I decided early on that I did not have the space or interest to devote myself to hybridizing. I was a slave to my job for 31 years, and didn’t feel I needed a new cannon ball chained to my leg. I am delighted to enjoy the fruits of others passionate labors. I did succumb to the desire to have daylilies named for my Mom and Dad. I took advantage of Paul Owen’s offer to purchase the naming rights to two of his creations that weren’t quite good enough to register for sale. He and I registered them as BETTY J and THOMAS ALBERT. That worked out very well for me, my family and a few good friends.
We hope you enjoy these pictures of our little bit of paradise. Please stop by, if you plan on being in the neighborhood. Email us with any comments or questions at Charlesaharper@aol.com
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