Choosing when to open to the public for the season, when it’s mainly about one kind of plant, is at best an educated guess. Sure, we also have a nice variety of potted perennials that are good companions for daylilies (and the blue veronicas are starting to bloom, the echinaceas not far behind), but really, most folks come for the main show. And the whims of Mother Nature determine when that show starts.
The planned opening date for this year was, well, today. By this time last year, there were 29 cultivars in bloom, not a huge number but showing enough variety to get started. This year’s different; although the spring rains have encouraged the growth of so many scapes and buds that we know the show will be spectacular, the cool temperatures have delayed the opening of those buds, and at present there are only 12 registered cultivars in bloom, most of them showing only one blossom so far.
So all week we’ve been on the fence; to open, or not? Imagine seeing a sign for daylilies, stopping in, and finding only a sea of foliage! Today’s forecast of thunderstorms finally tipped the scales; next Sunday will be the first official Open Day, and we’re sure to have a sea of blossoms by then.
BTW, that's a group of "Bubbly" at the top; the first one just opened this morning. (so yes, the photo's from last year!)
I hope it went well!
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