Becky...great question. I am looking for 'great genes' in plants that I admire from the various hybridizers. I certainly cannot afford to buy all the daylilies I love, and do not have the space for such a huge garden. I grow about 85 sdlgs. That's all the space available to me just for sdlgs. This year, I probably will keep only 6 of those 18 sdlgs...and that's a lot. I then can take the pollen of the new sdlgs. that I decided to keep, and cross pollinate it with my own plants. All the sdlgs. I have shown on ATP this summer were purchased from seeds sold on the LA. Last year, I was looking for Polston and John Benz genes along with Grace, Decaire, Gossard and a few others. I freeze all the pollen from my own plants in those little vials that I fill with sterile cotton (using Ed Burton's method), and then place those vials back in the little plastic box that houses the vials, then back in the freezer. Very efficient, compact system.
Becky....Larry's Grace's wife commented several years ago about how she hybridizes. What was she looking for in her hybridizing program?. She made a very simple statement. She said, ''she just liked putting pretty, on pretty''.
My best sdlg of the summer is 'Fantastic Fringe X Fringy'. Great plant habit, perfect fan shape on single fan. Y shaped branching. Strong 22" scape approx, 12 to 14 buds. The blooms are lovely, consistent, and biscuit shaped. The edge is large, and shows great promise as the plant ages.
