Daylilies bloom as the perfect perennial

In July, daylilies rule.

For the last few weeks, tawny 'ditch lilies' have been nodding at the side of the road and school bus-yellow 'Stella D'Oro' has been blooming predictably in parks and parking lots. But this month - peak season for daylilies in western Pennsylvania - the real show begins.

In my garden, delicate 'Little Pinkaboo' peeks out from under the skirt of a Japanese maple, its pale apricot petals contrasting with the tree's burgundy leaves. Husky 'Highland Lord' stands guard beside a downspout, each bloom a blood-red trumpet with an electric yellow throat. Near the patio, simple yellow 'Hyperion' rubs elbows with 'Someone Special,' a fancy hybrid decked out in ruffles and diamond dust. 'Purple Wave' greets visitors at the curb.

Sometimes I think I have too many daylilies - but never in July. When the flowers begin to open in earnest, I realize that daylilies may indeed be the perfect perennial. The plants are hardy and easy to keep, even in less-than-ideal places. Untroubled by pests or diseases, they need little care beyond a single springtime 'top-dressing' with enriched compost. Their narrow leaves form green cascades that sway in the summer breeze. And their trumpets add welcome color to every corner of the garden.

Daylilies aren't lilies at all, of course. Their genus name is Hemerocallis, from the Greek words for 'beauty' and 'day.' The name is apt, for each daylily flower lasts but a single day. But since each scape, or leafless stalk, may hold a dozen buds or more, flowering goes on for several weeks. Reblooming types, like the popular 'Stella,' may blossom from June to frost.

If daylilies have a fault, it's their narrow color range. The plants originally bloomed in shades of yellow and orange, colors that still predominate even among hybrids. 'Pink' daylilies often are closer to peach, and the tone may vary depending on soil and weather conditions. The American Hemerocallis Society, which registers new varieties, notes that 'buff, brown, apricot and peach (blooms) are thought to be variations of pink plus yellow. Near-whites are found among the palest tints of yellow, pink, lavender and melon.'

But daylilies, with their wide-open trumpets and substantial flower parts, are relatively simple to cross-breed. Even backyard growers can create new varieties. And in the last 10 years or so, breeders have made remarkable changes.

New colors have been added to the palette - richer reds, pinker pinks, pale lavenders and almost-icy whites. Blooms may be rounded or star-shaped, the petals held flat or curved backward.

Fluffy 'double' flowers look like peonies, with tufts of extra petals in the trumpet. Tetraploid plants, with double the usual number of chromosomes, bear large, heavy-bodied flowers on sturdy stems. 'Nocturnals' appeal to late-day gardeners, the flowers opening in afternoon and blooming through the night.

Among my favorite daylilies are those with contrasting bands of color, either deep in the trumpet or tracing the petals' edge. (Technically, the daylily has six 'tepals' - three true petals forming an inner whorl with three sepals, or bud covers, behind them.) Other innovations include pleated or ruffled petals, freckled flowers and blossoms highlighted with 'diamond dust,' tiny light-reflective crystals in the plant's cells that make them sparkle in the sun.

Catalogs offer a multitude of riches, but I prefer shopping locally when the flowers are in bloom. Healthy potted plants move into the garden without missing a beat, if they are watered carefully until they settle in. Because daylilies are so tough, I even risk buying cheap, bare-root divisions from daylily vendors who display cut blossoms along with their bagged-and-tagged wares.

But the very best daylilies come from other gardeners, who often have plants to spare. Many arrive with a story, or an interesting name. More than once I've been given a daylily in exchange for a promise to 'pass it on' when it's big enough to divide again.

In July, especially, I remember those generous friends. As evening falls, I know they'll be doing what I do - walking among the daylilies, plucking faded flowers from among the swelling buds. Beauty may be fleeting, but friendship lasts. And among the daylilies, each day promises a fresh start.

How does your garden grow• Send questions or comments to Green Thumb, c/o Tribune-Review, 622 Cabin Hill Drive, Greensburg, PA 15601.

Seize the daylilies

Daylilies are noted for their hardy dispositions and thrive with little care. Some tips:

Plant daylilies at any time throughout the gardening season. Spring and fall are best, but plants will 'take' in summer if they are planted in loose, fertile soil and watered regularly.

Site daylilies in sun for the finest flower show, although most will tolerate as much as half-day shade. Once established, the plants cope well with hot, dry weather and rarely need supplemental watering.

Feed daylilies once a year, when new leaves begin to emerge in spring. Spread a top-dressing of bagged cow manure or enriched compost at the base of each plant, or apply liquid plant food as directed.

Remove brown leaves as they appear. Snap off spent flowers before they form pudgy seedpods, to redirect the plant's energy into producing healthy leaves and more blossoms.

Expect daylilies to fill out and multiply. Divide plants every three or four years, as clumps become crowded or blooming decreases. To divide: Dig the plant in spring or fall and use a hose to wash soil from the tuberous roots. Tease the plant apart, keeping a few fat tubers at the base of each division. Replant at the same depth and water carefully until new growth appears.

Learn more about daylilies by checking the Web site of the American Hemerocallis Society, www.daylilies.org. The organization posts answers to frequently asked questions about daylily culture, plus an annual 'popularity poll' of daylily cultivars and a list of mail-order sources. For information about plants named All-American Daylilies by a nationwide research group, check the Web site of the All-American Daylily Selection Council, www.daylilyresearch.org .