Growing Daylilies Together

I began collecting daylilies seriously around 1999. I saw a picture of SHERRY LANE CARR and I was gone. Bill Munson, John Rice and Curt Hanson also influenced my first interest in them. Some of my first cultivars were from Gilbert Wild, Reckamp, Bob Carr, and then everyone else.

Soon my small city lot was more garden beds than grass, and my neighbors began to openly mock me (until I divided and shared plants in the spring). With the help and encouragement of John Rice and Joe Kunkel, I started hybridizing in 2000. My small yard is helpful in that I can only keep around 400 seeds per year and sell the rest.

We've named about 60 to 70 plants, mainly for our regular garden visitors from church whose average age is about 85 or so. Our first introduction was FLOSSIE LAIRD,  after my amazing mother-in-law. It's been a wonderful hobby that I can share with my horde of grand kids, my wife and close friends.

My focus is snake-skinned petals, blue and green dips and tets, interesting watermarks and full formed daylilies. Judy Davisson is responsible for my wide turn from the bagel side of life, Robin Nichols for keeping me informed, guided and enthused, Ronie Johnston and Sally Marcum for keeping me chatting, and Rick Yost and Greg Zapel for keeping me laughing.

John Rice and Curt Hanson are my favorite hybridizers and some of my favorite people. I couldn't be a smaller daylily operation if I tried and am striving to be the best hermit I can be.:) I am loving this new site, and all the wonderful activities. Feel free to check out my photo albums where you will find a future intro out of HEARTBEAT OF HEAVEN X JERRY HYATT.

I'm a member of Hemchat, have served on the Board of Lilychat and Tinkers Gardens and I attended the first Kentucky Gala.

Greg Zapel says that I am his mentor, but that’s a joke between us. What I enjoy most about daylilies is EVERYTHING; the beauty, creating, hybridizing, my friends, forums, they has it all.

Steve Todd
Zone 5