Some plants are universally loved by gardeners. Everyone loves daffodils, roses and clematis. And now that Chelsea Flower Show is over, perhaps we have had our fill of alliums! But some flowers, that deserve to be in every garden, seem to be rather neglected. Daylilies (hemerocallis) are far from neglected because breeders around the world are producing hundreds of new kinds every year. Enthusiasts, among which I count myself, are always looking for the latest kinds but most gardeners think they are a bit old-fashioned.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Many tend to think of them as red or yellow but the colour range is expanding vastly and the shape too. Not only that but plants can be neat and ideal for edging a border at 30cm high or, some of the ‘spider’ kinds can be 2m high with blooms 25cm across. You need some daylilies in your garden.
Of course, the flowers only last a day, hence the name, (although the latest development is flowers that last three days – but it will be a while before we can buy these). This is often seen as a reason not to grow them! But the stems carry up to 40 buds, usually with several opening each day, and a clump will be in bloom for about a month. There are early, mid-season and late varieties and you can easily have blooms in your garden from June to September.
Pretty flowers are all very well but what about the plants?
Some older kinds have a spreading habit, quickly covering the soil with foliage. Do not be put off by this. Most of those you will buy form neat, dense clumps.
I grow them because they are no-nonsense, easy to grow, long-lived perennials. They do not need to be divided every few years. They are hardy. They tolerate clay soil and are not fussy about soil pH. They prefer full sun but they will tolerate a little shade. Although you should avoid planting them in wet soil, they tolerate my beds which are often waterlogged in winter. And once established they are fairly resistant to drought – I have not had to water mine during the recent hot, dry period.
I also like the leaves. They form weed-suppressing clumps of narrow, elegant, arching leaves. The leaves can vary from 20cm long to 1m or more. They are generally free from pests or diseases too (see my note below).
So, if you need an easy, long-blooming, hardy herbaceous plant for a border in sun or part shade, try daylilies. They look good in front of shrubs, among smaller shrubs and among other herbaceous plants. They are useful around peonies, lupins and delphiniums that bloom early in the season to provide colour later in the season. And although the common, older daylilies were mainly shades of orange and yellow there is now a kaleidoscope of colours including browns, pinks, cream and many blends. True white is still not available but there are plenty of creamy whites. Descriptions often suggest lilac and blue but these are not really blue. What is most dramatic is the range of flowers shapes. Many are very rounded, some double, others starry, and the ‘spiders’ have curious, strappy flowers with long, curling petals. Many are fragrant too.
You can buy and plant them now. Just make sure they are watered well until they are established, especially in dry weather.
Gall midge
In recent years a new pest has appeared that spoils some of the fun of daylilies! Called Hemerocallis gall midge, the tiny flies lay eggs on the small flower buds. These hatch into grubs that feed inside the buds, causing them to swell. These buds do not open. If left, the grubs drop to the ground to repeat the process next year. It is important to pick off the affected buds when you see them. Some varieties are more prone than others and it is usually the early varieties that are most affected. My late varieties are are rarely affected. I pick off some buds at this time of year – they are easy to identify.
I did not have this problem until two years ago and I have no idea how they found my plants. However, it is a quite common in the Surrey area so look out for it.