Childhood memories on a small farm in Riverbank, California are where it all started for me. There was an old pine tree that soared up into the sky. Walking home from school, I always found myself in its branches overlooking the beautiful land scape. I remember our huge vegetable garden, fruit orchard, chickens and cows.
My dad, Larry Peterson, being a plant physiologist had great interest in horticulture. He tried to teach his children all the scientific names of flowers and plants while we backpacked the high Sierra Mountains. I must admit that I can't remember any of those long names. However I
find myself doing the same thing with my own kids. Try to say, 'metasequoia glyptostroboides' three times!
A family decision was made to start building a greenhouse on the California property. I remember walking around killing all the grass to make room for the greenhouse. My dad bought a greenhouse from a company that went out of business and left us without the money or greenhouse! My dad worked for Shell Development Company in the plant research lab when they sold to DuPont back east. We moved to Delaware my senior year which ended my early start in the nursery business.
However, that dream has never left me as I sometimes walk home picking seeds and clippings off of the neighbors’ plants. I did manage to grow some things in my bedroom under make shift lighting. The humidity was suffocating in Delaware so I moved away as soon as possible and moved to Utah where I have been ever since.
For years I lived and continued to expand my knowledge about landscaping and plant habit. We owned and operated a small bed and breakfast call 'My Little Cottage'. I even went as far as to bring in dirt to cover up three parking spaces for a vegetable garden located two blocks from the downtown city center of Salt Lake City, Utah.
We sold our property and moved to raise our three children and a gold fish. My goal was to create a space that would be different and unique. I started buying rare plants and unique flowers all over the country. I came across a daylily at my local hardware store and said "Wow, that's gorgeous!" I did not buy it because I thought it was too expensive at $20.00. Looking back, I have to laugh because the last daylily I bought cost me $300.00. Without any effort, I quickly found a new world of intrigue and beauty. Daylilies seem to be attached to my soul and the friends I have meet have been just as beautiful as the flowers I now grow.
I jumped head first into this addiction and purchased 100 daylilies and 200 seeds in the fall of 2008. I was able to divide fans and made enough money for a single fan of Bass Gibson. I added another 100 cultivars last spring and have started 300 seedlings to the mix. The excitement to see the outcome this year can only be shared by the daylily community and my family, especially my dad. As one who enjoys the outdoors, watching things grow completes who I am. I enjoy having projects to work on but daylilies have found a home in my heart.
My wife, Allison, has always understood and has supported me in everything I do. I love her dearly. I am so proud of her too. Allison has finished a children’s book, “I Want a New Mommy”. It’s about her real experiences with our children. Our three kids, Madison, Kate and Jared, are quick to help with the weed pulling and planting. But, for some reason I always seem to get the evil eye from Allison when I start bringing dirt into the kitchen. I wonder if that will ever change. My kids were well-trained around the daylilies until the day I showed them they were edible. Maybe I will have perfect kids next year.
I very much enjoy talking to others about their love and passion for daylilies. Searching the internet, I found myself f rustrated as a graphic designer and web developer with the limited resources that were available online to easily discuss and share photos of daylilies all in one place. I also wanted to give back somehow to all those people that shared daylilies and words of encouragement with me during my initial jump into the daylily world. I just wanted to do more. That is how and why Mydaylilies.com was born.
The unique nature of MyDaylilies.com is exciting to me and I hope to you too. Lifelong daylily friendships can be made. Hybridizers can post pictures of their seedlings that can be rated by their peers. This instant feedback is invaluable and I hope the knowledge and experience of 600+ members will make this site one of the best resources on the internet.
