Sunday, October 15, 2023

ADS Region One 2023 Daylily Cultivar Awards

The American Daylily Society announced the 2023 cultivar award winners during the fall 2023 Board of Directors meeting on October 14, 2023. Two Region One daylilies won awards, one hybridized by Kathleen Nordstrom of Northern Lights Daylilies in West Concord, Minnesota and the other hybridized by Karol Emmerich of Springwood Gardens in Jordan, Minnesota.

Congratulations, Kathleen and Karol!

Honorable Mentions (HMs)

Kathleen Nordstrom’s beautiful QUASAR CUTIE (2018, dip) won an HM in 2023. QUASAR CUTIE received 48 votes.

'Quasar Cutie' (Kathleen Nordstrom, 2018)pic courtesy of Steve Horan

'Quasar Cutie' (Kathleen Nordstrom, 2018)—pic courtesy of Deb Browne
For additional pictures and complete description of QUASAR CUTIE, click HERE. To view Kathleen Nordstrom and Mike Grossmann’s Northern Lights Daylilies website, click HERE.

Karol Emmerich’s gorgeous PRAY WITHOUT CEASING (2019, tet) won an HM in 2023. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING received 28 votes.

'Pray Without Ceasing' (Karol Emmerich, 2019)—pic courtesy of Karol Emmerich

'Pray Without Ceasing' (Karol Emmerich, 2019)—pic courtesy of Theresa Maris
For additional pictures and complete description of PRAY WITHOUT CEASING, click HERE. To view Karol Emmerich's Springwood Gardens website, click HERE.

Congratulations and kudos from everyone in ADS Region One, Kathleen and Karol! We are proud of your accomplishments and thank you both for your service to our region.

Saturday, June 17, 2023

2023 ADS Region One Service Award Winner Phil Fass

 

Susie Poulton, Ginny Geetings, and Phil Fass in Ginny's garden (pic courtesy of Troy Hugen)

Phil Fass of Cedar Falls, Iowa, received the 2023 American Daylily Society (ADS) Region One Service Award during the 2023 ADS National Convention in Nashville, Tennessee. 

Phil has significantly contributed his time, knowledge, and skills as well as donated numerous daylilies to Region One since he joined ADS in 2001. Phil became a Garden Judge in 2005 and a Garden Judge Instructor in 2012. Phil freely shares his expertise in garden judging to help others learn how to consistently evaluate daylilies. 

Phil instructed Garden Judges Workshops 1 and 2 during the 2013 ADS National Convention hosted by the Daylily Society of Minnesota in Minneapolis/St. Paul. He chaired and instructed Garden Judges Workshop 2 (GJW2) during the 2019 ADS Region One Meeting hosted by the Nebraska Daylily Society in Omaha. Phil became ADS Region One Garden Judges Liaison in 2021. During July 2021 Phil collaborated with three other Region One Garden Judge Instructors to enable us to offer GJW2 to our members in three different states (Iowa, Minnesota, and Nebraska) within our geographically widespread region when we were forced to cancel our regional meeting due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the derecho that decimated Iowa gardens. 

Phil is a long-time active member of two Iowa daylily clubs: the Central Iowa Daylily Society (CIDS) in Marshalltown and the Cedar Valley Iris and Daylily Society (CVIDS) in eastern Iowa. 

Phil is a talented daylily hybridizer. He and Debbie Deemer grow their large daylily collection and Phil’s daylily seedlings and cultivars on their beautiful acreage garden in Parkersburg, Iowa. Phil is a gifted speaker who presented his daylily program at Lilyhemmer in 2019 and as banquet speaker for CVIDS in 2021. Phil has also presented his daylily program during the annual CIDS-hosted Pollen Dabbers as well as annual Region One Hybridizers Slide Presentations. 

Phil and Debbie’s Parkersburg garden has been the site for GJW2 whenever CIDS hosts an ADS regional meeting (approximately once every five years). That included hosting GJW2 during July 2022 in their Parkersburg garden while Phil simultaneously chaired the 2022 ADS Region One Meeting “Back in the Saddle” hosted by CIDS. 

Phil generously hybridized and donated the beautiful daylily ‘Swiss Vanilla Cream' (Phil Fass, 2022) as a registration gift plant to each 2022 ADS Region One Meeting attendee. Phil also hybridized and donated the lovely bus plant daylily ‘Chasing the Dragon’ (Phil Fass, 2014) when CIDS hosted the 2015 ADS Region One Meeting. 

Phil coordinates the Region One Hybridizers Slide Presentations whenever CIDS hosts the ADS Region One Meeting. For many years Phil has co-chaired the annual Pollen Dabbers event hosted by CIDS, bringing in outstanding hybridizers from across the U. S. and Canada to speak to our region’s members. Phil runs the laptop and projector during these events, taking care of technology to ensure speakers’ daylily presentations are smooth and flawless. Phil’s background as a college professor makes him a valued mentor—his intelligence, energy, and sense of humor are contagious!  

Whenever a need arises, Phil steps up and gives 100%. This was most notable when CIDS hosted the 2022 ADS Region One Meeting, the first in our region since 2019. Because of pandemic complications and limitations, Phil chaired, organized, and kept tabs on every aspect of the 2022 regional meeting. Phil became the liaison to the hotel and meeting venues, oversaw meals, hosted our speakers, and designed and produced the meeting handbook. Phil and Debbie even served as tour bus captains—Phil captained one bus, while Debbie captained the other bus. 

Kathy and Mary have known Phil for many years. Nancy first met Phil in 2011 at Pollen Dabbers in Marshalltown. During Phil’s daylily presentation, he mentioned he was looking for daylily names. She and Phil collaborated on naming the daylily he registered as ‘Lemon Sorbet’ (Phil Fass, 2016). Phil helped Nancy understand the complicated process of naming a daylily and registering it with ADS. After Phil introduced ‘Lemon Sorbet’, he generously contributed a large clump to CVIDS. 

Phil frequently contributes many high-quality daylilies for annual ADS regional auctions. He has used some cutting-edge cultivars with the intent of improving his own amazing hybridizing efforts. When CVIDS hosted the 2013 ADS Region One Meeting, Phil generously donated over 40 daylily plants for the auction. Eastern Iowa had been hard hit with a drought and this helped greatly with that auction. A 13-year-old club member helped dig those daylilies for the auction. Phil contributed several different daylilies to the teen so she could increase her own personal collection of award-winning cultivars. 

Phil’s knowledge, generosity, and enthusiasm for Region One and promoting daylilies make him a terrific leader. The depth and breadth of his strong service and dedication to Region One make him a worthy recipient of the ADS Region One Service Award.

Congratulations, Phil, and thanks for all you've done and continue to do for our region!

 by

Kathy Larson, ADS Region One Historian and Central Iowa Daylily Society Vice President;

Nancy Carlisle, Cedar Valley Iris and Daylily Society Past President; and

Mary Baker, past ADS Region One Garden Judges Liaison and Nebraska Daylily Society member

Tuesday, March 7, 2023

Online ADS Garden Judges Workshops 1 & 3 and Exhibition Judges Clinics 1 & 3

The following announcement is courtesy of American Daylily Society (ADS) Judges Education Chair Debbie Smith:

ADS will offer Garden Judges Workshops 1 and 3 as well as Exhibition Judges Clinics 1 and 3 on Zoom in early April 2023. To sign up for any of the following, please contact ADS Judges Education Chair Debbie Smith at debdahlsmith@hughes.net or judgeseducation@daylilies.org. Schedule is:
  • Garden Judges Workshop 1 on Monday, April 3, 2023 at 6 p.m. Central Time
  • Exhibition Judges Clinic 1 on Tuesday, April 4, 2023 at 6 p.m. Central Time
  • Garden Judges Workshop 3 on Wednesday, April 5, 2023 at 6 p.m. Central Time
  • Exhibition Judges Clinic 3 on Thursday, April 6, 2023 at 6 p.m. Central Time
Also, please email Debbie Smith if you want to:
  • Assist with workshop/clinic instruction.
  • Take a workshop/clinic during the weekend.

Monday, October 24, 2022

ADS Region One 2022 Cultivar Awards

 by
Mary Baker

The American Daylily Society announced the 2022 cultivar award winners during the fall 2022 Board of Directors meeting on October 22, 2022. Two Region One daylilies won awards, one hybridized by Nan Ripley of Walkabout Gardens in Nevada, Iowa and the other hybridized by Karol Emmerich of Springwood Gardens in Jordan, Minnesota.

Congratulations, Karol and Nan!

Karol Emmerich (left) and Nan Ripley (right)pic courtesy of Don Lovell

Honorable Mentions (HMs)

Nan Ripley’s beautiful SUPREME SCREAM (2009, tet) won an HM in 2022. SUPREME SCREAM received 20 votes.

'Supreme Scream' (Nan Ripley, 2009) and Karl Haldorsonpic courtesy of Denise Haldorson

For additional pictures and complete description of SUPREME SCREAM, click HERE. To view Nan Ripley’s Walkabout Gardens website, click HERE.

Karol Emmerich’s gorgeous KINGDOM BOUND (2015, tet) won an HM in 2022. KINGDOM BOUND received 16 votes.

'Kingdom Bound' (Karol Emmerich, 2015)pic courtesy of Karol Emmerich
For additional pictures and complete description of KINGDOM BOUND, click HERE. To view Karol Emmerich’s Springwood Gardens website, click HERE.

Congratulations and kudos from everyone in ADS Region One, Karol and Nan! We are proud of your accomplishments and thank you both for your service to our region.

Saturday, July 23, 2022

Paradise in Iowa: 2022 ADS Region One Tour Gardens

by
Mary Baker

Excitement reigned supreme as early morning dawned on Saturday, July 16, the day of our bus trek to four beautiful tour gardens featured during the 2022 American Daylily Society (ADS) Region One Meeting hosted by the Central Iowa Daylily Society (CIDS) in central Iowa. Luckily the weather cooperated with forecast high of 81° and cloudy skies. There were two buses, north and south. 

Our intrepid south bus captain was Phil Fass, 2022 ADS regional meeting Chair (thank you, Phil, for wearing so many hats and putting on such a fun, fabulous regional meeting!). Debbie Deemer was bus captain on the north bus. Location for the following day’s Garden Judges Workshop 2 was Phil and Debbie’s wonderful Prairie Wind Gardens in Parkersburg, Iowa, as in the past.

Phil hybridized and supplied our registration gift plant (we also each received a bus plant), the breathtakingly beautiful diploid SWISS VANILLA CREAM (2022), which has 6.5 inch blooms on 28 inch scapes with three- to four-way branching and 15 to 18 buds. Parents are SWISS MINT (Phil Reilly, 1994) X HEAVENLY ANGEL ICE (Jamie Gossard, 2004).


'Swiss Vanilla Cream' (Phil Fass, 2022) clump at Prairie Wind Gardens—pic courtesy of Mary Baker
My bus mate was fellow Nebraska Daylily Society member Scott Keller. Scott received the 2022 ADS Regional Newsletter Award for Best Article on Hybridizers or Hybridizing for “Hybridizing Daylilies Tips & Tricks” published in the Spring 2021 issue of the ADS Region One Daylily Pioneer newsletter—congratulations, Scott! We sat on the bus driver’s side in the third row behind Nan Ripley and her bus mate Katlin. Phil sat across the aisle from us. Mike Grossmann and Kathleen Nordstrom sat behind us, and featured speakers Margo Reed and Jim Murphy sat across the aisle from Mike and Kathleen. Later that evening we were treated to Margo’s and Jim’s fabulous daylily presentations, which we greatly enjoyed (thanks, Margo and Jim!).

Margo Reed and Jim Murphy—pic courtesy of Mary Baker
Our bus ride was adventurous. While en route a large turkey vulture crashed into the bus window directly above the bus driver’s head. Fortunately the window didn’t break. Our skilled bus driver maintained control and kept us on the road.  

First stop was the large Ginny Geetings Garden in Pella, Iowa. In tribute to Pella, Ginny served meat sticks and Dutch letters as snacks. Dutch letters are delicious, click Dutch Letters to learn more. 

Ginny’s gorgeous garden contains about 850 registered daylily cultivars, about 250 Lilium cultivars, and multiple companion plants in well-designed themed garden beds. 

From left to right: Susie Poulton, Ginny Geetings, and Phil Fass—pic courtesy of Troy Hugen
Grandchildren Garden—pic courtesy of Mary Baker
Memory/Family Garden—pic courtesy of Mary Baker
Fountain Garden—pic courtesy of Mary Baker

Near the entrance, the most beautiful truck restoration I have ever seen captured my attention as well as Jim Murphy’s. I have a thing about restored classic muscle cars and pickups. This gorgeous 1966 Chevy C-10 frame off restoration is owned by Ginny’s husband, Don—thanks, Don, for sharing it with us!

Jim Murphy and 1966 Chevy C-10 (frame off restoration by Don Geetings)—pic courtesy of Mary Baker
The John Deere display added to the fun.

John Deere display—pic courtesy of Mary Baker
Next visit was Bob Wilson’s big, lovely garden in Knoxville, Iowa. Bob’s daylilies are planted on his brother Randy’s property, their childhood home. 

From left to right: Bob Wilson and Mike Grossmann—pic courtesy of Mary Baker
Bob is well-known for hybridizing spiders and unusual forms, but his hybridizing program encompasses a wide focus.

Bob Wilson edged diploid seedling—pic courtesy of Mary Baker
Bob’s diploid broken-pattern daylily seedlings captured my attention as well as Mike Grossmann’s and others. Bob said several parents ago they trace back to Don Lovell’s work. Each and every seedling is a beautiful work of art.

Bob Wilson broken-pattern diploid seedling—pic courtesy of Mary Baker
Bob Wilson broken-pattern diploid seedling—pic courtesy of Mary Baker
Bob Wilson broken-pattern diploid seedling—pic courtesy of Mary Baker
Bob Wilson broken-pattern diploid seedling—pic courtesy of Mary Baker
After our visit to the Wilson garden we went to Marshalltown and picked up lunch, which was delicious and filling. We then drove to Ed Seims and Teresa Voukon’s Asher Creek Haven, not too far from Marshalltown.

Greeting us was a beautiful waterfall fit for a dinosaur.

Waterfall and dinosaur—pic courtesy of Mary Baker

Asher Creek Haven started out as a bean field, creek, and pasture ground. Ed and Teresa kept the creek and transformed the rest to include trees, a marsh, four ponds, a three-acre prairie, and lots of flower beds containing numerous daylilies.

Ed and Teresa’s lovely home is set off like a jewel by surrounding daylilies and companion plants.

Ed and Teresa's home and surrounding flower beds—pic courtesy of Mary Baker
I fell in love with their huge, unique planters. While admiring them, I saw CIDS member Selwyn Rash and couldn't resist taking his picture.

Planter trio—pic courtesy of Mary Baker
Selwyn Rash—pic courtesy of Mary Baker
A path studded with wildflowers leads to the ponds. 

Wildflower adjacent to path—pic courtesy of Mary Baker
Geese enjoying one of Asher Creek Haven's four ponds—pic courtesy of Mary Baker
Final stop was Deb Husak’s Husak Gardens, a working farm as well as a gorgeous garden. The wagon wheel bed beckoned to us from the bus windows.

Wagon wheel bed—pic courtesy of Mary Baker
Well-grown daylilies and companion plants showing off in beautiful garden beds captured our attention.

Side one of gorgeous large circular flower bed—pic courtesy of Mary Baker
Side two of gorgeous large circular flower bed with bee hive—pic courtesy of Mary Baker
Bright red Ipomopsis rubra (standing cypress) provided perfect vertical accents in the garden beds.

Ipomosis rubra (standing cypress) perfectly accented the gardens in flame—pic courtesy of Mary Baker
The arch bed with water feature was interesting and well-designed.

Arch bed with water feature—pic courtesy of Mary Baker
Free-range chickens and adorable kittens entertained us.

Chicken—pic courtesy of Mary Baker
Playful kittens—pic courtesy of Mary Baker
All too soon it was time to return to the hotel. What a fun-filled, wonderful day trip! Thank you, Ginny and Don, Bob and Randy, Ed and Teresa, and Deb, for sharing your personal paradise with us!

Thanks especially to my wonderful husband Rich, who never complains about driving Ms. Mary all over the place.

Rich Baker at Hickory Park Restaurant in Ames, Iowa on the road to Omaha—pic courtesy of Mary Baker

Note: For more about these beautiful gardens, see the Fall/Winter 2022 issue of the ADS Region One Daylily Pioneer newsletter.

Friday, July 22, 2022

Tribute to Nan Ripley: Road Trip to Walkabout Gardens

 by
Mary Baker 

I have toured Nan and her husband Merwyn’s beautiful Walkabout Gardens in Nevada, Iowa on multiple occasions. During a spring 2002 trip to Marshalltown, Iowa to see Don Lovell and Kathy Larson, Don urged me to contact Nan. I called her that evening and scheduled a visit with Nan in her garden during peak daylily blooming season later in July. 

Nan Ripley on the left next to her stunning 'Dancing Away with My Heart' (2018)—pic courtesy of Mary Baker

I still remember meeting Nan, her husband Merwyn, and dog Mindy in their gorgeous Walkabout Gardens that summer, where I saw Nan's lovely first daylily registration NAN’S FIRST BLUSH (2003) as a seedling. Nan made quite an impression on me—she inspired me to write the article “Iowa’s Rising Star—Nan Ripley,” published in the Fall/Winter 2002 issue of the American Daylily Society (ADS) Region One Daylily Pioneer newsletter. Nan and I formed a connection that day and have been friends ever since. 

I immediately knew Nan would achieve great things with daylilies—and has she ever! Among Nan’s daylily awards are the Stout Silver Medal (2019) for her showy SCARLET PIMPERNEL (2006), which grows well and blooms beautifully in my Omaha, Nebraska garden.

'Scarlet Pimpernel' (Nan Ripley, 2006)pic courtesy of Mary Baker, taken in Mary's garden

Nan received the Steve Moldovan Mentoring Award in 2021. She received the ADS Region One Service Award  in 2017. Nan also received the 2010 ADS Regional Newsletter Award for Best Article About Hybridizing for her article “Early Start” published in the Fall/Winter 2010 ADS Region One Daylily Pioneer newsletter. Nan is a member of the Central Iowa Daylily Society (CIDS). Nan’s ADS service includes being a Garden Judge, our ADS Region One President (RP), and our ADS Region One Director. Nan is also a Garden Judge Instructor, and she and Jim Murphy co-instructed Garden Judges Workshop 2 with me during the 2022 ADS Region One Meeting hosted by CIDS.

Nan’s garden was an open garden for the 2022 ADS Region One Meeting, and my husband Rich and I drove there after visiting Don Lovell’s open garden. As usual, Walkabout Gardens did not disappoint. It was wonderful to see Nan and Merwyn again—and their beautiful cat Cotton has an engaging, entertaining personality.

I first saw Nan’s gorgeous A HEART FOR JESUS (2020) during a previous visit a few years ago, fell in love with it, and finally added it to my garden when Nan introduced it in spring 2021.

'A Heart for Jesus' (Nan Ripley, 2020)pic courtesy of Mary Baker

Following is the exquisite WITH ONE VOICE (2016).

'With One Voice' (Nan Ripley, 2016)—pic courtesy of Mary Baker
The bright and cheerful SUNSHINE MAKES ME SMILE (2015) captured my attention from afar.

'Sunshine Makes Me Smile' (Nan Ripley, 2015)pic courtesy of Mary Baker
But wait—there’s more! Following is Nan’s breathtaking patterned future registration.

Nan Ripley tet patterned seedlingpic courtesy of Mary Baker
Thank you, Nan, for opening your garden and sharing your lovely daylilies with us. We appreciate your extensive service to ADS Region One and the Central Iowa Daylily Society. Congratulations on your well-deserved daylily and personal awards!

Note: Click Walkabout Gardens to access Nan's daylily website.

Thursday, July 21, 2022

Tribute to Don Lovell: Road Trip to Timber Creek Gardens

by
Mary Baker 

I first met Don Lovell in the early 1990s and have toured Don and Mary Ann Lovell’s beautiful Timber Creek Gardens in Marshalltown, Iowa on multiple occasions.

In the late 1990s, the late Lynn Stoll persuaded Don and I to become American Daylily Society (ADS) Garden Judges during a visit to her eastern Iowa garden. At that time Lynn was one of the only Garden Judge Instructors in our region. We became Garden Judges in 2000 and later became Garden Judge Instructors, me in 2004 and Don around that same time. Don and fellow Central Iowa Daylily Society (CIDS) member Kathy Larson have chaired many regional daylily meetings and Pollen Dabbers events over the years. Don received the ADS Region One Service Award in 2004.
 

Don Lovell (pic courtesy of Mary Baker)
Don is well-known for his striped daylilies, among them the diploids PEPPERMINT ICE (2004) and LOVELY MARGIE (2005), and more recently CYCLONE ALL AMERICAN (2016) and many more. Don’s introductions beginning with the word “Cyclone” are diploids while those beginning with the word “Hawkeye” are tetraploids.

I made a beeline to Don’s seedling field. Excited-kid-in-a-candy-store emotions mixed with kid-eagerly-anticipating-Christmas feelings wash over me each and every time I see Don’s seedlings—his hybridizing program is so creative—and this visit during the 2022 ADS Region One Meeting was no exception. Our friends Joan and John Zettel were in Don’s garden with my husband Rich and me during our visit, adding to the fun. 

We admired many of Don’s seedlings—including to-die-for purples—and then I stumbled over a gorgeous dark purple seedling with a toothy gold edge. Joan ratted me out, telling everyone I was jumping up and down (in her defense, she told the truth). We motioned Don over, he drove up in his golf cart, and told us Melanie Mason’s EQUAL JUSTICE (2005) is the pollen parent of that seedling. Then Don said the three magic words every hybridizer longs to hear: “You want it?” I enthusiastically replied “Yes!” Don told us where the shovel was. I tried to dig up the seedling but was unable to do so. Fortunately John took over and dug it up for me (thank you, John!). A small piece broke off, and Joan took it home with her, so we can both have fun experimenting with it. 

Next Joan and I visited the other beds in Don’s garden. We spotted a showy clump of Don’s exquisite HAWKEYE FIRE (2016), which is out of a seedling X Oscie Whatley’s unique FIRE BURST (1998). HAWKEYE FIRE features four-way branching with a bud count of 22, and is taller than FIRE BURST.

'Hawkeye Fire' (pic courtesy of Mary Baker)
Next we spotted a breathtakingly beautiful daylily clump and asked Don to identify it. He told us it is one of his tetraploid seedlings, and it will be a future registration. Wow! 

Don Lovell tet seedling and future registration/introduction (pic courtesy of Mary Baker)
Thank you, Don, for opening and sharing your beautiful garden with us, for registering and sharing so many gorgeous daylilies, and for your outstanding service to ADS Region One and to the Central Iowa Daylily Society!