Daylilies grown in professionally designed or maintained home display gardens are a lovely addition in any neighborhood or backyard sanctuary. There are many ways to arrange for informal or formal garden work to be done on a one-time or recurring basis. Having someone else dig, arrange, or tend to a daylily garden can make the difference for many people in being able to enjoy the beauty of a manicured garden - vacationers, dual-career home, larger-than-your-time landscapes, mobility challenges, snow birds, busy families, frequent fliers, etc. Some reports state that as many as 50% of all home-owners at some point in time rely upon outside or professional yard and garden care.
Organic lawn and garden services are a growing industry making it possible to choose anything from hybrid programs that combine chemical yard and organic garden maintenance to one-stop organic yard and garden designers who also offer maintenance. There are nationally franchised companies that offer one-time or extended maintenance programs. More and more chemically-based local services are beginning to offer organic alternatives, though they may not advertise it prominently or at all. An easy way to transition, then, is to see if a current provider can incorporate some or all organic practices for you, and to "test out" how well it performs in your own daylily beds. Most sources note that a trial period should last at least six months since organic methods may need time to get established and show full benefits.
If you are interested in more organic alternatives from daylily/landscape care providers, there are many sources to consider. Just a few are included here as samples and examples, not in any way a thorough representation or recommendation. They are easily found by searching the internet with a local area or zip code included in the search terms (for example: organic garden services, your city). If there is nothing available right in your own town, try your county name, or sample some of the nationally based chains. Yelp and Yellow Pages are also sources for many local services that also provide reviews.
Available Services or List of Providers in Most States:
http://www.lawndoctor.com/find...
https://iyp.scottslawnservice....
http://www.novativemedia.com/o...
http://www.greenpeople.org/Org...
An example of 50% reduction in chemical use for landscaping care in Atlanta:
http://www.weedpro.com/organic...
There are also many local organic landscape service providers who can tend your daylily garden in ways that are safe for kids, pets, and the earth. Here is a list with a few samples and examples from coast to coast - also not meant to be exhaustive or in any way recommended, just a quick list to whet the appetite:
http://garden.org/blogs/entry/...
Remember also that not all stated organic products, practices, or services are fully or actually approved as organic, so ask questions and seek direct and detailed answers if you want to understand better what is being sold. You can check the status of materials and goods at
http://www.omri.org/omri-lists and I'm working on compiling information on how to determine whether organic practices are approved as truly organic, to incorporate them into daylily gardening.
Here are some general questions to ask landscapers who may include services for your daylily gardens:
- How do you control weeds?
- What do you feed the landscape with?
- Do you provide approved insects to control pests?
- What mulching options are available?
- Do you provide Material Safety Data Sheets for the products you use?
