Dana, so sorry to hear about what that creature did to your daylilies. I know exactly how you feel! I was supposed to have Wild Horses, Darla Anita, and Bas Relief growing out there, and now I only have one of them, and I still don't know which one it is, cause it's struggling.
Don't hang your head down on account of it, you were sick! After all that work you did in the old tree garden, they gotta try to undo it. But, don't let them take away your joy!
And thank you for confirming about the pepper flakes. I knew that was you talking about it before!
