Saturday, March 27, 2010

I just like this seedling

Here is another I really like:

It has a clear color, average branching, bud count, and increase. There is nothing overly spectacularly about it, but I just like it. It is out of JOHN PEAT X ED BROWN. This summer will be the first year that any seedlings from it bloom.  I will be planting several crosses of it in a few weeks that should bloom next year, most notably with WONDER OF IT ALL. 

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

parent of the previous seedling and the blues

Well, I guess everyone will have to wait until this summer to get a picture of the other parent in the previous post cause I can't find one. I have gotten several good suggestions so keep them coming. I had a couple I wanted to stick out there that come from what I like to refer as my "blue" line although I think they are mostly just shades of lavender. These were a couple I didnt really find until late in the season so I dont really know much about them but they have moved and I look forward to getting a better look at them.


This cross if from two seedling of mine, TET EXOTIC ECHO X MILDRED MITCHELL, and the other parent is GERDA BROOKER X [(ADMIRAL'S BRAID X STRAWBERRY CANDY) X MILDRED MITCHELL)]

This is definately one of my longer cross. It incoporates three of my seedlings.

The second new seedling is from two named cultivers, SUSIE TEE X BLUE HIPPO, this picture was taken in the morning and the flower was in the shade.



Both of these are poking out of the ground and seem to have some decent increase. I am sure I will be writing about them again.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

First seedling of the season


This blogging thing is new to me so I really do not know how often I will post. My plan right now is at least once or twice a week to talk about a seedling. What I like about it, how I am using it, if it has kids that are blooming, etc. My lilies are probably a good two months from blooming so leading up to that moment I am go to review seedlings have been evaluating for the past few years.



The pictured seedling is one I am really excited about. The cross is FORESTLAKE RAGAMUFFIN X [(EDGE OF HEAVEN X CLOTHED IN GLORY) X (ARABIAN MAGIC X CLOTHED IN GLORY)] I have a picture of the seedling parent that I will probably discuss in another post. The thing I like most about this flower is the edge. One because it is tooty but mainly because it always looks that way. No heat necessary that edge is always there. In my garden in the middle of KY a lot of "toothy" plants are hit or miss, not this one. You cannot really tell from the picture but the edge is almost a double edge because the outer portion is yellow but the inner edge appears to have a strong greenish tinge to it.


It does of course have its flaws. From what I can tell the bud count is probably around 12 and at best it is an average increaser and the branching is not great. It is not very tall either with the bloom sitting right above the foliage. However one cross I am making this year is to a sib. The sib does not have this edge but improves on the plant in all the areas mentioned. It about twice as tall so my hope is to get a slightly taller better branched flower and retain the edge. I should have some seedlings from other crosses with this plant bloominh this summer so that should give me an idea if passes along that edge or not.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Spring is just around the corner. I saw an online timer that said it was 4 days away, you could have fooled me given the curent cold weather. I have spent the last few weeks categorizing, organizing, and planting seeds. I have claimed a space in our bathroom with a sunny southern exposure. My issue this year has been which seeds not to plant, I only have room for maybe 500 and I have well over that in my selections to plant group. I will probably have to do at least two groups.

Every year my crosses have gotten better but this year is especially exciting for two reasons. This is the first year that close to a majority of the seeds I will be planting have come from crosses I made and this year will be the largest group of seedlings from my own seedlings that will bloom for the first time. I am not sure how much I will post during the season but at the very least I will discussing one seedling per week.

One last tidbit before I go if you have not found it check out mydaylilies.com, it is an excellent site, lots of pics, and adding new members every day.