When we moved to Willow House, I left my old garden behind, including most of my daylily collection. This winter, I ordered a few daylilies for my new garden. When I came home from an appointment yesterday, I found a box that the mail-lady had left on my step for me: my daylily order!
When you open up a daylily order, a wonderful scent of soil and plants wafts out. Daylilies are shipped with bare roots and their tops clipped back. Plants are usually sold as double fans. That is, a clump with two shoots and their roots. These plants arrived safely from Hemerocallis Montfort in Quebec.
The plants have been cleaned up for packing and have spent a few days in transit. It’s a good idea to get them planted as soon as possible. Daylilies are sturdy individuals, though, and generally survive the ordeal in good shape.
Once the plants are settled in their new home, I water them well, and apply a layer of mulch around them. Daylilies may flower in their first year. It is sometimes recommended that any flower scapes be removed so that the first-year plants can devote their energy to getting settled. I have to admit I am too eager to see the new flowers for that and generally allow them to bloom if they are inclined to do so. Next year, they will put on a good display. New plants always remind me of firecrackers. They may look plain when you get them, but when their moment arrives, what a show they will put on!
Willow House Chronicles 