Flowerlover, your user name says it all. We are all flower lovers here.

Flowerlover!!!

HI Flowerlover
Welcome to the world of Daylilies
If you want to save some money and heartbreak you might want to stick with sellers in your zone.
The best way to find out if the southern beauties will thrive in your area is to see who in your zone has had success with them before you spend your money.
Check out the AHS and find out what region you are in and look at the popularity poll. that will give you a good idea of what should thrive for you.

The questions you will need to ask your self, TET, DIP, Bagel, Spider, UF, Double, Eyes, Eyes & Edges, Chicken fat, Teeth, and sorry for what I forgot, it does gets kind of expensive if you choose them all

When all is said and done and your still daylily addicted, you will want to hybridize your own, and that will be another thread entirely
PS, Good by vegetable garden, seedlings come first.

Flowrgirl

You have come to the right place, here at ATP. We are daylily addiction specialists!

Everyone who has commented so far has given great advice. Since we are in similar zones, although your temps are colder than mine, keep in mind that we have a much shorter growing season than most. Summer for Vermonters is July and a few weeks in August. Don't worry about snow cover. That's a wonderful insulator for your plants. They will drink in all that water in the Spring during the snow melt producing lovely flowering plants. Look for plants that have 'early to middle' (E/M) bloom dates. That will give your plants a longer bloom time during the warmest part of your summer…and encourage rebloom. As for types of plants, I grow all types, EV, SEV, Dormants etc. However, by the end of a long winter, most of my plants become dormant. Most of my daylilies are SEV (Semi-Evergreen) but I do have evergreens that also do very well here. I do grow a lot of southern plants with big edges, but I try to find those plants that have and E (early) open date.(By that I mean that first bloom begin in late June). Big edges, and, toothy edges need extended days of hot temps, and warmer nights.

Good luck on your journey with growing daylilies. They never disappoint. Don't forget to post your garden pictures here. Looking forward to seeing your grand daughter's miniature garden that you are creating for her

Flowergirl

thank you everyone for the advice and sharing of your knowledge!! making lists and checking them twice!! I have lots of homework to do!!

Jan, fyi. For Military theme check out Mick Morry. Karen Newman aka Possumhollow on the LA sell his plants. http://www.delanodaylilies.com...

Welcome FLOWERLOVER! I have a sister who lives in the Waterloo, IA area and grows lots of daylilies! For the most part, hers do better than mine do in zone 6, Kansas. I think it's because we have more freeze/thaw in the spring than you do up in northern IA. I think great advice has been given about checking with what people in your area are growing and what does well. Sounds like you are already doing that by visiting Gail Korn's and the Keasts. The Region 1 Regional is in your area this summer if you really want to see some great gardens and have lots of fun! There are bus tours, speakers, daylily auction, etc.

AHS Region One 2014 Summer Meeting and Tour–Hills of Dreams
South Sioux City, Nebraska/Sioux City, Iowa
July 11-13, 2014
Hosted by the Nebraska Daylily Society

Flowerlover! I know exactly how you feel about how obsessed you are about daylilies. I remember when I was just a newbie. Fun, fun, fun!!! I would get so carried away on the LA. I'm a lot pickier now, but I still collect after 12 years of starting my obsession. I have been slowly adding newer cultivars to my collection of over 1000 daylilies, and I'm going to be planting seeds this year, starting to hybridize.

For some cool dragon themed daylilies, here are some nice ones to get you started.

http://www.daylilies.org/Dayli...
http://www.daylilies.org/Dayli...
http://www.daylilies.org/Dayli...
http://www.daylilies.org/Dayli...
http://www.daylilies.org/Dayli...
http://www.daylilies.org/Dayli...
http://www.daylilies.org/Dayli...
http://www.daylilies.org/Dayli...
http://www.daylilies.org/Dayli...
http://www.daylilies.org/Dayli...
http://www.daylilies.org/Dayli...
http://www.daylilies.org/Dayli...
http://www.daylilies.org/Dayli...
http://www.daylilies.org/Dayli...
http://www.daylilies.org/Dayli...
http://www.daylilies.org/Dayli...
http://www.daylilies.org/Dayli...
http://www.daylilies.org/Dayli...

Anyhow, I tried not to include most of the newer ones, as those would be pricey. Don't know what your budget is like. I also did not include any that didn't have pics. I'm very visual, and won't buy a daylily on description alone. I have only two on that list, and that is Dragon King and White Dragon. You would have to Google these and see who sells them.

hi Karen - nice of you to post all of those for me!! you also answered a question I think...I was going to ask how to find certain daylilies for sale.
I saved some photos you all have posted that I think are beautiful!! but I did not know how to find them for sale...so I just google the daylily I am looking
for? wow 1000 daylilies that must be beautiful!!! do you have them all marked? I am very very fond of purple. I have never seen such ruffly
flowers so sure want to get some of them!! I think I am going to have to pick a theme so I have to vary my choices! thanks again everyone!!

Mike, I have several gorgeous ones from Mick via Possum Hollow

flowerlover,
Try the data base search engine for daylilies. The bloom may be beautiful, but does it re-bloom?
Did you expect the plant to be 18" and it is 4 feet. Did you want to see the bloom when you came home from work, but it bloomed at night? Is rust a problem in your area, does the plant resist it?
These are just some of the questions the data base can help to answer. I bought all cheap daylilies when starting out, thought a daylily was a daylily, just now learning that is not so.
It takes a little practice to do searches using the data base, but you can save them and modify them and cut the thousands of daylilies down to a hand full in a few short searches. Of course that is just the plants in the data base, I suppose there may be thousands that are not in there.

flowerlover,

I'm new here, too (just signed up).

This past winter I bought a couple of Emmerich's that are due to be sent this spring.

If they produce enough fans through the summer (pretty sure they will) I'll make you a gift of each variety.

Giving something is the best way I know to start off on the right foot in this forum.

I'm simply a hobbyist when it comes to daylilies, although, I've collected a few good ones over time.

I'm not a seller -I just piddle around in dirt and love to see things bloom.

And speaking of things that bloom -I've been haunting this forum for years before signing on today.

I've enjoyed the info, the lovely pictures, and the garden conversation.

Hello, to you all, btw!

And -flowerlover- provided you want them, I'll message you here, when the Emmerich plants have increased enough to send to you.

Welcome!
While most of Lambertson's newer intros won't survive your climate, some of his older ones will. ADA MAY MUSICK is one that grows and thrives in Canada, and Mick Morry has gotten some intros out of it.

Debra

Debra, what information do you have that indicate which climates Lambertson's new intros will not survive?
Who produced this information?

I really need to know since I ordered many Lambertson 2014 introductions.

MissMimie !!!
Such a giving spirit. Most of us just " piddle around in the dirt", also.
I have trade and given away some of my extras from time to time. It is amazing how it feels when you give something away and the friendship, love and appreciation you get in return.
I do have extra seeds from my own garden to share also.

MissMimie!!!