The daylilies are doing nicely. I’ve got a mix of new this year and old (from the townhouse)

This first one is a new one…. I can’t remember the name… purple something. Which is why I bought it. I’ve been trying to get purple daylilies for ages. I bought a mix a few years back, but the never bloomed.

So I was thrilled when I saw this at the garden centre… but has you can see… it’s not really… well, purple!

It looks like a very wine burgundy here, but leans even more toward red in real life. Don’t get me wrong… it’s very pretty. But it’s not purple!

This is one issue I have with gardening conventions… it’s not unusual for names to not quite match expectations. Things labelled as “blue” are often actually purple (the purple bee balm I bought years ago was called “Blue Stocking). “Red” is frequently pink (my Royal Red Butterfly bush is an example), and sometimes, like above “purple” actually means red or pinkish. It’s frustrating. And don’t get me started about pictures on labels vs reality. I know sometimes printing inks don’t quite match, but it’s frustrating when you’re expecting one thing and get another.

Then there are the different varieties that are soooo close to each other, there’s almost no point in calling them any different. Standard purple coneflower vs Ruby Star coneflower is a good example. The colour isn’t much different, but Ruby Star’s petals don’t drop like other coneflowers – they stay more straight out.

That’s enough of a rant… there’s still plenty to lift the spirits…

Stella D’oro is a common sight in gardens all over North America. And there’s a good reason. It’s low maintenance and a prolific bloomer. Day after day it’s bursting with gold flowers. This came with me from the townhouse.

As did this one – Night Embers. It’s actually a deeper red in real life, and it’s probably my favourite daylily.

Although Catherine Woodbury may be a close second. I love this pale pink. It’s another townhouse transplant.

As is this one. It’s called Crimson Pirate. And it’s aptly named. It’s also VERY close to another daylily I have called Autumn Joy. Happily, that one doesn’t usually bloom until later in the season.

This one is called Stella Supreme, and it’s a lovely light lemon yellow. It’s also proof that I’m no good at No-Buy-July. Home Depot had a clearance on and I came home with not one, but FIVE new daylilies. This is just the first one too bloom.

So my wallet is empty… but I’ve at least got lots to look at in the garden.