Kevin Walek posted on the AHS Robin that we have now passed the 70,000 mark in registered daylilies.

That number amazes me.

I don't know anything about other plants registration numbers, but I wonder if any other plant comes close to that number of registrations.

Geez, wow. Those numbers are staggering. Then there is the fact that hybridizers come out with large collections of new intros each year. But have you ever noticed that many of these intros just quietly dissapear into obivion afew years later? There are many hybridizers that if you go on there website to buy some older intros don't even grow them anymore. If they are not worthy of the hybridizer themselves to keep growing then I wonder why they intriduced them in the first place.

I don't know Rita, I think some intros just get overwhelmed by the sheer numbers. Also that so many look very similar. It's not to say they were 'bad' intro's, it may just be that it was not the right one, at the right time. Plus, space is a premium for many folks, and as the flowers keep 'improving' there is not enough space to keep the older ones. ~Jan

Curt Hanson has introduced many he no longer grows. Lack of space and lack of sales on the older ones are the reason. He will probably reach 600 named ones with the 2012s. His growing area is not all that large. He has a lot of deer in his area, and must have high electric fencing, so he can't keep increasing garden space. Plus, he is over 60 now, and does most of the work himself. He says he can't keep growing all the older ones. However, many of the older ones are still being used in his hybridizing.

Knowing how Curt is approaching the older ones, I really do not think it is a matter of if they are still worthy.

I have Phil Korths entire 2007 collection. I think they are very worthy plants, In fact I just love them. But you just can't buy them anywhere any more as Phil is not selling or even growing most of them. Too many daylilies do just get lost in the shuffle.

I doubt I am unique in this, so it is probable that some registrations are never meant to be cultivated for sale. Stumbled across an unnamed seedling on the LA that I just loved. Bought it for myself, then discovered I could NAME it. Wow! Okay, then there was a big bright light bulb moment. I reserved the name, the grower gave me the registration paperwork, and Mr. Walek took care of the rest.

It is registered to honor Joshua Cullins, a Marine Reservist and LAPD officer, who was serving in a bomb disposal unit in Afghanistan when he died last October. He is the reason I started the Green Amber Gardens website. Learned of him when a DGer posted a prayer request for the family right after it happened. Been an amazing path since then with many other related activities--including, just recently, my own Cafe Press store. But, finally, the family's fan was ready to share last week. Had NO idea of the hoops that have to be jumped to just find out HOW to get a phytosanitary certificate. Thank Heaven for the courtesy and speedy response of the Texas office of the USDA, the Texas Department of Agriculture and the offices in Ventura County, California! Anyway, the fan was shipped on Thursday. Josh has a 13 year old and a 17 year old brother and I was told they are very excited. I can't envision growing for production, but the *name* will always be there and that continuation and recognition is deeply meaningful to Josh's family. It is also deeply meaningful to me to have been able to do something for a family I have never met that is helping ease their loss, even if only a little. When my niece died last year, and my nephew two years before that, many strangers offered support at a time it was most needed. Glad to have found an opportunity to pay it forward.

That is a truly beautiful thing you have done Debra. It gives the family a small positive thing to look forward to each year and I'm sure it helps them know that someone cared their family member made the ultimate sacrifice for his country.

Debra, that is a wonderful thing, naming it after Joshua. Service Men and Women are near and dear to my heart, since I lost my only full sibling when I was 10 in the Vietnam war.

Many may not realize that the daylily Jerry Hyatt is named for my brother, and because he was a service man. Curt Hanson was visiting my house not long after 9-11. We were talking about all the service people that went into action around the world when 9-11 happened, and my Mom told Curt the story of my brother and his death. He won the Bronze Star of Valor for heroism when he died. Over 50 men were saved by Jerry's actions that day. Curt volunteered to name a daylily after Jerry, and I picked one of the seedlings the next summer when they bloomed. I had seen the seedling over a couple summers and LOVED it, recognized it as being different. So, Mom and I picked it. So glad that it has gone on to win awards etc.

I have the utmost respect for all the people who serve in the military. Not only their sacrifice for serving but their families and all they go through.

What a wonderful tribute to those that serve our country and they do it out of love for us. to those that have named these beauties after such deserving people.

Wow, Juli. I did not know JERRY HYATT was named for your brother. I wonderful thing for you and Curt to do. Lots of daylilies with a story behind them that we don't know about until it is brought out.

I met my now ex husband while serving in the army in the 1970's. He continued in the Reserves with a bunch of activations. All 3 of my kids are in the National Guard and all have served overseas, my eldest will be on his third tour early next year. The military is near and dear to my heart. Those are beautiful stories and wonderful tributes.

There is a family tall bearded iris that was hybridized by my grandfather in the late 40's. I managed just this year to plant some of it at my house. In a few years I hope to register it in my grandfathers name. This iris won't matter to anyone except my family and my cousins. But to us, it matters a great deal. I understand why so many are registered. For many, it is not so it might have a chance to be the next great must have daylily, but for a variety of reasons. ~ Jan

Jan hats off to your family . I think you really should register and name the Iris for your grandfather, that would mean a lot to your family and maybe others. Do you have a Pic. of it. I love a lot of the older historic Iris.

Such a wonderful way to honor others. Hats off to all of those that do so.

I have no photos of it, it is a pure purple ( going from memory) which apparently at the time, was not all that common. The story is that my grandfather was hybridizing daylilies and TB Iris and had a large greenhouse. One night, shortly before he was ready to introduce & register his first ones, the greenhouse caught fire. It was assumed to be arson. This iris is the only one he was able to save. In a few years, hopefully I will be able to get all the information I need on it, and will register it then. You are correct, my family would love to have that done. Hopefully it will bloom next spring and I will be able to post some photos then. It has just been the "family iris" for so long. I also know my cousins would love to have some, so I am crossing my fingers that it will increase well over the next few years also. ~Jan

Jan when you get Pics. I and I am sure others would love to see them.

Yepper, we would.

If it blooms next year, I will post some photos. I dug them out of my sisters yard (who dug them out of my parents yard when the house was sold years ago) and they are still in 'recovery' phase. My sister's didn't bloom this past season, but they had so much snow that persisted well into late spring, and a cold early summer. When I dug them out, I found rot in them, and cut them back severely. Hopefully they will recover and bloom well next year. If there are still problems, another sister (I have 4) still has an abundant amount of them and of course, I have been trying to get her to send me some for years. You know how this family stuff goes. I finally went to Ohio and dug them out myself. ~Jan

So easy to say yes to family and then do nothing,. I guess we feel too comfortable sometimes with each other.
That would be wonderful if you can get them back in shape and blooming again. Lots of bone meal and a little epsom salt.

Juli, I am so sorry about the loss of your brother, especially so young. Given the circumstances of the war and politics at the time, it had to have been even worse for you and your mom than it is for families now. I in no way mean to diminish the number of deaths during these current Iraq and Afghanistan wars, or the pain of the survivors. I only want to note that the U.S. lost more than 58,000 men and women during that war of 40 years ago and most never received the recognition deserved for faithfully serving their country. It was a fine and remarkable gesture on the part of Curt Hansen to volunteer the registration and to let you and your mom pick which one would be named.

Thank you, Debra. I just turned 9 when Jerry was drafted. Being older than me by nearly ten years, he was out with friends, or working, a lot of the time, and so I really have very few memories. Just isolated ones. I wish I had known his personality more, but I was pretty young. Now, with my Mom, who is 86, I wish more than ever I had my brother. Once she is gone, I will pretty much be alone. I have a couple cousins, but we are not close, in distance or in family ties. I have one aunt left, my Mom's sister, and she is 88. I would give anything to have Jerry here now. But, there are many families who have their brothers, sons, fathers because of him. I have tried to find out more details about what happened when he died, but have run into dead ends. I only know what my Mom's failing memory has told me.

My favorite cousin, Cheryl, died of breast cancer in her 30’s. I have a pink seedling out at three friends gardens for testing that I would like to name for her. Not a giant leap forward, but a nice, long blooming 100% double diploid. She would have loved it. She always loved flowers. So, I know what it is to want to name a daylily for a loved one.