A look at daylilies and their possible companions

Daylilies have a long history on Shelter Island. Before Route 114 was widened, they were everywhere, on both sides of the road. Although they were certainly browsed by the deer, there were so many of them that it didn’t really matter. These days, there are few wild patches left, but they are near-ubiquitous in Island gardens. And for good reason.
The proper name for daylilies is hemerocallis, from the Greek for beautiful. They are not lilies but a large group of hardy, herbaceous perennial cultivars. They’re exceptionally easy to grow, pest-resistant, long-lived, and they multiply easily. Each flower only lasts a day, and since the flowers open over a long period of time, mass plantings will put on the best show. Because early, mid-season and late varieties are available, choosing some of each will provide a season-long display. Many nurseries sell collections. These are designed to accomplish exactly that end.
Formerly there were only orange and yellow varieties. Today, gardeners can choose red, pink, lavender, royal purple, white and even black, actually every color and shade but blue. In addition, there are various eyes, blotches, types of edges and what’s described as an illusion of glitter — diamond dust. Daylilies  prefer full sun, although they tolerate partial shade well. Once established, they are drought-tolerant but perform best with consistent moisture.
Most stems sport many buds. Though the individual flower opens at sunrise and withers at sunset, the likelihood is that another bud will open the next day. Although not recommended as cut flowers, wait until almost all the buds on a given stem have opened and been pinched off (yes, another housekeeping chore), leaving only a few. Then if the buds that are closed have some color, you can cut them and they will open in water.
The American Hemerocallis Society is a non-profit membership group with low-cost dues, that hosts opportunities to attend regional meetings and national conventions, garden tours, lectures, judges’ clinics, and gives members a chance to see the newest and best of today’s daylilies. According to its website, the society was organized exclusively for educational and scientific purposes and especially to promote, encourage and foster the development and improvement of the genus hemerocallis and public interest therein. The group also keeps track of the literally thousands of registered cultivars that appear each year.  New cultivars have sold for thousands of dollars, when they first appear (daylily enthusiasts are a passionate group) but such prolific introductions soon reach reasonable prices.
If you want to enjoy a lovely daylily border that was ravaged by deer for some years but is staging a significant comeback this year, have a look at Williette Piccozzi’s, on the right as you go down the hill onto Bridge Street. Here daylilies are combined, beautifully I might add, with lathyrus, otherwise known as sweet pea vine. This a good example of a perennial use, namely holding down a slope.
Another good daylily companion, and the one I chose for my perennial garden, is cranesbill or hardy geraniums. I have a two-plant-deep crescent of the daylily, Stella D’Oro, a bright and cheerful yellow, which blooms for several weeks in July, with the blue geraniums in front, lower in height, blooming at the same time (and longer).
Tip of the week: I repeat, because it’s really important, is your sprayer up and running? Ready for feeding, anti-fungal mixtures and insect killers? If not, get with it! Right now!  
c.galligan@sireporter.com