Larry, this is just a stunning, well-written article with a lot of gorgeous pictures to oooh and ahhh over. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Especially liked the explanations of the differences between the doubles.

Congratulations on 'Picotee Pumpkin'. I think it is a keeper!

WOW! Fantastic article & photos

Great article and photos one of the best I have seen.

Congrats on a well-written article, Larry, and thanks for all the eye candy!

Thank you for this wonderful article Larry. It needs to be printed and bound as a book

I agree. Very well done, Larry.

Excellent article, thanks!

Excellent, very well done.

Larry, that was very interesting. Thanks!!

Larry, could you please say which breeders are the most southern? Are there any in south Florida? I live where the minimum temps are above 60, US Virgin Islands, and would love to try growing daylilies.

Truly awesome! And super kudos for YOU taking the time to write this article! What a bewildering array.
Thanks!

Thanks again, everyone, for your enthusiastic comments and all the thumbs and acorns.

Melissa, below is a list of hybridizers who live in Florida. Stamile used to live there as well but has relocated to California. To access their websites, just go back to the end of my article and click on the names. Each of these websites has contact information. I urge you to contact some or all of these hybridizers and ask them if they think their daylilies would do well in the Virgin Islands. You might also ask which specific cultivars might do better than others.

Abajian
Devito
Harry
Kinnebrew
Lambertson
Petit
Salter
Stamile/Pierce (California)
Trimmer

Just saw this again in the random column on the right side of the ATP page and read it... again. Just as interesting as before, Larry. When this first came out, I had my first ever collected daylily seeds in the refrigerator waiting for spring so I could plant them. Now they are in the ground and I am hoping they are going to make it through the winter. I don't believe any of them will produce scapes in 2015, so I am realistically hoping for 2016 blooms. I also have some seedlings in my house that I started this year. Some from a trade and some of my own.

Reading your article again helps me keep things in perspective and helps me to realize that I may not get a beauty out of each and every one of these, but they are my babies and I am excited to be raising them just to see what they produce.

Each and every one will be a beauty to you!!!!!!

Says a hard core Adenium grower who just about can't let go of even one, tho' I have hundreds, and many hundreds of seedlings and more than 1,000 seeds, GROAN!!!

Oh my, Melissa! That is a lot of babies. I will have to look up Adenium. I have never heard of it, but that is a beautiful bloom!

Amazing. People can't read. Why do we have the bottom blurbs???? such as:
Vickie
May all your weeds be wildflowers. ~Author Unknown

Anyway, they have a tough time in your zone. Temps below 55 are nearly deadly. But some folks do keep them as house plants in the frigid north... Come look at this group here on ATP.

I'm glad you enjoyed the article, Vickie . . . again! I planted out the seedlings of my first real hybridizing effort this spring, knowing that I wouldn't see any bloom until next year. I was in for a shock. About two weeks ago, I found one of the seedlings was sporting a scape! Couldn't believe my eyes. Then the agonizing reality hit me. It will get killed by frost before I see it bloom. I'm torn now between leaving it in the ground or digging it up, potting it, and seeing if it blooms under lights in the basement. It's at moments like this that I really envy Florida growers who can go from seed to flower in as little as seven months.

Yes, that would be a dilemma. I hope you give digging it up a try. I would love to see it in bloom. Here is an article by @profesora about growing daylilies in winter: http://garden.org/ideas/view/p...

My first hybridizing effort was picking pods in 2013 and I have about 50 seedlings outside. Currently, I have about 40 seedlings growing in my kitchen from this year thanks to profesora who gave me some seeds and the confidence that I can do it. I have lost a few, but I am hoping the rest of them make it. This is my first try at growing daylilies in winter.

I even picked a pod and directly planted the seeds in pots and have about 7 of them growing in the kitchen. I did not refrigerate or do anything to prepare them, so I was happy they germinated.

I envy the Florida growers too!