Updates for the 2018 Season
Sun Dragon Daylilies
To begin, let me thank everyone who purchased plants last year and helped to make my first year a good success. I am especially grateful to all of you who bought some of my own introductions and I hope you will keep me updated on how they do for you. I have more introductions for Spring 2018. They are pictured above (click on the picture for a larger image) and you can find out about them by clicking here.
Last year, 2017, was my first year selling and shipping daylilies. In many ways, it was a test-run to figure out what I was doing, and how to do it. My experience last year made it clear to me that I am in the right place, at the right time, and doing the right work for me. I love daylilies and I love sharing the best daylilies with other growers and breeders! I also determined a few tweaks I needed to make for future years to be more practical.
One of the main lessons of last year was that I have trouble making a double fan division on any but the very largest and easiest-to-divide cultivars. I find it to be far more work to take a double fan off most clumps (and have what I consider a suitable division, especially in terms of roots) than it is to take off a triple fan or larger division. Very few of the divisions I sent last year were of double fans. So for future shipping reference, I will be selling the majority of the cultivars I sell by other hybridizers as triple-fan or better divisions. Some plants are still listed as double fans (and those are noted on the sale listing). These are plants that are larger, are in shorter supply, are easier to divide or are more expensive. However, even with these, where possible, the chances are good I will include extra fans if at all possible. I want to send you divisions I would be happy to receive and that will perform well for you and establish quickly.
However, to do this, I feel I need to raise the base-price of my lowest priced stock. My base price stock is now $10.00/division, so all cultivars that were previously $5.00 or $7.50 are now $10.00. This is not done out of greed, but it is simply to price my divisions at a fair market rate for divisions of this size and quality. Other prices have generally not changed and some of my own 2016/17 introductions have come down in price for 2018. I feel that the new base rate is fair to the buyer (for the size and quality of division you will receive) and to me (considering the work that goes into digging, cleaning, packing and shipping quality divisions of well-grown plants).
The second point that I worked out last year was how to figure shipping rates. I am shipping using USPS flat rate medium and large boxes in most instances. If you order a single division of many things, that can go in the small flat rate box, but in general most orders (except for minis or orders of 1 division of a small or medium type) will start with the medium box for 1-6 divisions and the large box for 7-12 divisions. Now, of course, there will be some variation. Twelve small plants like Kanai Sensei will probably easily go in the medium box, while 6 large divisions of plants like Solaris Symmetry may require a large box. I am listing shipping at base rates of 1-6 fans (or medium box) and 7-12 fans (large box). Once you have decided what you wish to order and I have confirmed their availability, I can make a fairly accurate guess as to the size (and number, for large orders) of boxes needed and will figure your shipping charge then. Use the listed shipping information at my About/Contact page as a general guideline. I am going to work to make shipping as fair and accurate as possible.
As a reference, I would like to show some photos of examples of divisions I shipped last year so you can see the size, quality and cleanliness of the divisions I ship. I always spray divisions with neem oil and spinosad (which are both organic), allowing the plants to dry before packing. This ensures that any pests from my soil are killed before your receive them. My garden was rust-free throughout 2017.
A nice division of Insider Trading. The price of Insider Trading, being $10.00 per division, has not changed from 2017 to 2018 and I will still be shipping divisions of this quality.
Dad's Best White
Kanai Sensei - The divisions of this cultivar tend to be more like small clumps with several fans. I couldn't bring my self to pluck this one down to two or three fans. Price increase on this one is from $7.50 to $10.00, but you are getting an excellent division.
A nice four-fan division of Clean Slate
A nice multi-fan division of Wild Wookie. When cultivars have many smaller fans, it always feels bad to me to try to pluck out two, and is much easier to just send a nice section. A section of this cultivar with bigger fans might not have as many fans in a division. It all depends on the size of the fans, the growth-pattern of the cultivar in question, and the quantity I have on hand. You are guaranteed to receive a division of the number of fans listed with the cultivar in the sale list, but if possible, I like to send more.
Five nice divisions of Siloam Mama, each three fans or more.
Two divisions of Mardi Gras Parade. Like Kanai Sensei, this small cultivar divides best into small clumps of several fans.
Four divisions of Substantial Evidence
I still think it is important for people to have access to very inexpensive daylilies. I think I am offering an excellent price for the size and quality of divisions I ship. However, I understand that some people have very limited resources and so I want to offer a list of sellers to look to for smaller divisions that are in the $5.00-$6.00 or under category. The reason I am doing this is because I want to promote the daylily. If you can't afford $10.00 for a division, you shouldn't have to go without. When I was a child, all my daylilies came from the Gilbert H. Wild and Sons fall sale list. Many of them were $0.75 or $1.00 per division, though this was in the 1970s and 1980s. I remember when I could afford my first $3.00 division (1985 or 86). I thought that was really something!
Here then is a list of sellers where you can access inexpensive divisions. They are generally smaller divisions than I sell. Some of them offer fresh dug, others send bagged, dried up divisions, but cheap daylilies are usually tough daylilies and they tend to make it just fine. They take longer to establish, but if you are patient, then it all works out in the end.
Amador Flower Farm - In California, field dug divisions. In my experience, usually a double fan. Base price of $6.00 division for many offerings. Some things are more. Fairly long shipping season.
Smokeys Daylily Garden - In Wisconsin. Field dug single and double, small fans. A wide range of cultivars, with the expensive ones as small as the cheap ones in my experience. Often offers special sells and 10-fan specials, many things under $5.00. Great source for the older and inexpensive things. They call a 'fan' a 'plant'. 1 'plant' = 1 'fan', etc.
Roots and Rhizomes - In Wisconsin, bagged divisions. A catalog seller that carries a large number of older and newer daylily cultivars. Divisions tend to be fairly small, usually double fan, bagged (like you would get from most catalog nurseries or from the big box stores) and a bit dry, but I have never had any from them fail. I have only used them for less expensive things and they offer a good range of inexpensive daylilies, some under $5.00 each (for newer, expensive things, I always looked to hobbyist sellers). Expect them to take a little longer to establish, but still a good source if you are on a budget. Sell many other genera of plants beyond daylilies. Typical catalog nursery stock.
Gilbert H. Wild and Sons - In Missouri, sometimes field dug divisions, sometimes bagged divisions, some potted divisions. No longer owned by the original Wild family, but by cousins of the Wild family. They carry a wide range of things, older and a few newer as well. Quality of divisions vary. I have gotten some beautiful field-grow, fresh dug divisions from them in the spring as recent as 2012, but have also gotten small, dried-up bagged divisions in fall 2015. However, I have never lost any of these. Prices vary, but many inexpensive things at $5.00 or less, with special sales, two-for-one deals, etc. A good source for older, inexpensive cultivars if you are on a budget and/or can't travel to a grower in your local area. They also offer other types of plants. Their Dahlia and Lilium have been a little on the small side, but quite nice in my experience.
I hope to send you some daylilies in spring 2018 and I hope you have a wonderful 2018 flower season!
