Hemerocallis (Day Lily)
This is the story of my day lilies. Years ago, whenever we made a trip up or down "the mountain," we passed a large day lily bed in Miller's Creek, North Carolina. There was a sign on the side of the road, "Day Lilies 4 Sale," so one day when we had time to spare, we decided to stop. That is how I met Mrs. Dockery.
Mrs. Dockery was probably in her 70's at that time. She was a widow, lived alone, and tended her day lily bed and extensive perennial beds all by herself, and she was pretty good at it, too. She not only worked hard, but she knew the names of everything she grew and how to take care of them. She knew gardening was serious business, and it showed, and it was rare to pass her house and not see her outside tending her gardens.
I decided then and there that she was a kindred spirit, so when we stopped that summer day, I bought a few of her prized day lilies. I liked her day lilies, but the truth is, I liked her even more, so I ended up buying more day lilies than Iever wanted or had room for just so I could spend some time with her. Even after I had exhausted my need of new day lilies and her offerings, I still occasionally stopped by just to visit. The last time I saw Mrs. Dockery, she was in very frail health, and she died soon afterward. Sadly, her day lily bed has a new owner and a new purpose, and now it is rare to see even a stray day lily blooming there.
At the time Mrs. Dockery bought her day lilies, they were named, and if she told me their names when I bought them, they are long forgotten. I have chosen to name them "Dockery Day Lilies," and until photos are available, descriptions will have to suffice. Colors range from a rich, vibrant red (my favorite); a very pale lemon custard yellow; a yellow with a few drops of orange mixed in that reminds me of butterscotch or maybe a mango; a medium, happy yellow; a coral pink; a mauve with yellow in the center; and a darker pink. They are all single daylilies with large flowers, and stand about three feet tall. I think she would be happy to know that her daylilies are still going strong. I am now tinkering with crossing these colors to come up with my own day lily varieties and hope to offer those in the years to come.
A word about daylilies: The botanical name, Hemerocallis, comes from the Greek hemera (day) and kallos (beauty) because the beauty of each bloom only lasts a day, but I'll bet you already knew that.
Daylilies are not natives, although they might as well be, as they are so ubiquitous that they have become a natural part of the American landscape.
Mrs. Dockery was probably in her 70's at that time. She was a widow, lived alone, and tended her day lily bed and extensive perennial beds all by herself, and she was pretty good at it, too. She not only worked hard, but she knew the names of everything she grew and how to take care of them. She knew gardening was serious business, and it showed, and it was rare to pass her house and not see her outside tending her gardens.
I decided then and there that she was a kindred spirit, so when we stopped that summer day, I bought a few of her prized day lilies. I liked her day lilies, but the truth is, I liked her even more, so I ended up buying more day lilies than Iever wanted or had room for just so I could spend some time with her. Even after I had exhausted my need of new day lilies and her offerings, I still occasionally stopped by just to visit. The last time I saw Mrs. Dockery, she was in very frail health, and she died soon afterward. Sadly, her day lily bed has a new owner and a new purpose, and now it is rare to see even a stray day lily blooming there.
At the time Mrs. Dockery bought her day lilies, they were named, and if she told me their names when I bought them, they are long forgotten. I have chosen to name them "Dockery Day Lilies," and until photos are available, descriptions will have to suffice. Colors range from a rich, vibrant red (my favorite); a very pale lemon custard yellow; a yellow with a few drops of orange mixed in that reminds me of butterscotch or maybe a mango; a medium, happy yellow; a coral pink; a mauve with yellow in the center; and a darker pink. They are all single daylilies with large flowers, and stand about three feet tall. I think she would be happy to know that her daylilies are still going strong. I am now tinkering with crossing these colors to come up with my own day lily varieties and hope to offer those in the years to come.
A word about daylilies: The botanical name, Hemerocallis, comes from the Greek hemera (day) and kallos (beauty) because the beauty of each bloom only lasts a day, but I'll bet you already knew that.
Daylilies are not natives, although they might as well be, as they are so ubiquitous that they have become a natural part of the American landscape.
Dockery Alizarin Crimson
$
8.00
Dockery Alizarin Crimson is a vibrant, deep red, blooming in early summer. It even looks good in the shade, and its color stands out a mile. I'm always vigilant about deadheading this one to ensure as many blooms as I can possibly squeeze out of it.
Dockery Pale Yellow
$
8.00
A large-flowered, creamy lemon yellow. Very soothing for a yellow.
Dockery Yellow/Orange (Butterscotch? Mango?)
$
8.00
This is a yellow and orange that seems to have been mixed together in the day lily factory. It's a really nice color and blooms first.
Dockery Deep Pink
$
8.00
No suitable photo yet. Large flowered and as about as pretty in pink as they come.
Dockery Small Pink
$
8.00
Smaller flower, perhaps a double, dark pink. This one grows shorter than the rest.
Dockery Bi-color, Red and Yellow
$
8.00
Red and Yellow. I recall only that it's name had a "Christmas" ring to it, but it's long forgotten.
Little Grapette
$
8.00
This is the only day lily that is not from Mrs. Dockery's garden. This reddish purple day lily is smaller flowered but just as tall as the others. I have grown this daylily for many years, and it's always been one of my favorites for the color and for the name. It seems to be a favorite with everyone else, as well.