2026 ADS Region One Cultivar Awards

The American Daylily Society announced the 2026 cultivar award winners during the fall 2026 Board of Directors meeting on October 16. Five of the award-winning daylilies are from Region One hybridizers Karol Emmerich of Springwood Gardens in Jordan, Minnesota; Kathleen Nordstrom of Northern Lights Daylilies in West Concord, Minnesota; and Mike Grossmann of Northern Lights Daylilies in West Concord, Minnesota.

Congratulations, Kathleen, Mike, and Karol!

Awards of Merit (AMs)

Kathleen Nordstrom’s beautiful QUASAR CUTIE (2018, dip) won an AM in 2026. QUASAR CUTIE received 79 votes, the most votes in 2026 cast for an AM.

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

For an additional picture 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 exquisite PRAY WITHOUT CEASING (2019, tet) won an AM in 2026. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING received 49 votes.

'Pray Without Ceasing'—pic courtesy of Karol Emmerich

For additional pictures and complete description of PRAY WITHOUT CEASING, click HERE. To view Karol Emmerich's Springwood Gardens website, click HERE.

Honorable Mentions (HMs)

Mike Grossmann's toothy OPA'S WHISKERS (2023) won an HM in 2026. OPA'S WHISKERS received 23 votes.

'Opa's Whiskers' (Grossmann-M., 2023)—pic courtesy of Mike Grossmann

For a complete description of OPA'S WHISKERS, click HERE. To view Mike Grossmann and Kathleen Nordstrom’s Northern Lights Daylilies website, click HERE.

Karol Emmerich’s stunning LET THE SEA RESOUND (2017, tet) won an HM in 2026. LET THE SEA RESOUND received 27 votes.

'Let the Sea Resound' (Emmerich, 2017)—pic courtesy of Karol Emmerich

For additional pictures and complete description of LET THE SEA RESOUND, click HERE. To view Karol Emmerich's Springwood Gardens website, click HERE.

Karol's lovely LILY AMONG THORNS (2017, tet) won an HM in 2026. LILY AMONG THORNS received 19 votes.

'Lily Among Thorns' (Emmerich, 2017)—pic courtesy of Karol Emmerich

For additional pictures and complete description of LILY AMONG THORNS, click HERE. To view Karol Emmerich's Springwood Gardens website, click HERE.

Congratulations and kudos from everyone in ADS Region One, Karol, Kathleen, and Mike! 

2026 Region One Meeting—Quick Reference Guide

 Ruby Red Jubilee

 2026 ADS Region One Meeting • Lincoln, Nebraska • July 10-12, 2026
Hosted by the Nebraska Daylily Society • Val Hoefer, Chair
Carole Hunter of Prairie's Edge Gardens, Guest Speaker

The Nebraska Daylily Society (NDS) invites you to join us on Friday, July 10 through Sunday, July 12 in Lincoln, Nebraska for the 2026 ADS Region One Meeting. 

Register

Click HERE for the registration form with fillable fields—you can use your computer’s keyboard to type your information—no handwriting is necessary! Mail your registration form to Registrar Henri Schiphorst by the June 10 postmark deadline to get the early registration discount.

Your registration includes the bus tour and four meals: Friday evening dinner, Saturday breakfast, Saturday lunch, and Saturday dinner. Guest meals for Friday dinner and/or Saturday dinner and/or Saturday breakfast are also available.

Reserve Your Hotel Room

The host hotel is the Lincoln Marriott Cornhusker on 333 South 13th Street, Lincoln, Nebraska 68508. 

Our special group rate is $143 per night. This covers the room ($128) plus the daily parking fee ($15). You can get this special rate in one of two ways:

• Click HERE to reserve your room online.
• Call 1-888-236-2427 and mention "Nebraska Daylily Society" when you reserve your room. Do not call the local hotel phone number.

Click HERE for information about fun things to see and do while you're in Lincoln.

Speaker

Guest speaker is hybridizers Carole Hunter of Prairie's Edge Gardens in Rockford, Illinois. Carole will present her program on Saturday evening following the banquet. Click HERE to read all about Carole, Prairie's Edge Gardens, and her beautiful daylily cultivars.

Gardens

GARDENS ON SATURDAY’S BUS TOUR:

Lowe Family Gardens (near Bennet) Robin Lowe—Curt Hanson spring 2023 collection NDS club plants—click HERE for garden description

Hello Gorgeous Gardens (Greenwood) Jenny & Mark Cich—Kirsten Hatfield recent introductions collection NDS club plants—click HERE for garden description

Sunken Gardens (Lincoln) City of Lincoln Parks & Recreation—click HERE for garden description    

OPEN GARDENS IN LINCOLN:

Pick A Daylily Garden (Lincoln) Scott Keller—click HERE for garden description and hours open

Kay Roberts' Garden (Lincoln)—click HERE for garden description and hours open

The Backyard Farmer Garden (Lincoln) University of Nebraska—click HERE for garden description

OPEN GARDENS ON THE WAY TO/FROM LINCOLN:

Keast Daylily Garden (Oakland, Iowa) Tom & Mary Keast—click HERE for garden description and hours open

Bob and Joanne Langabee's Garden (Bellevue, Nebraska)—click HERE for garden description and hours open

 

ADS Region One Daylily Auction—Butch Ahlers, Chair

The ADS Region One Auction immediately follows Friday night’s banquet from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on July 10 at the hotel. 

Auction proceeds go to ADS Region One. Payment is easy—cash, checks, and credit cards are accepted.

ADS Region One and Nebraska Daylily Society members, please contact our Auction Chair Butch Ahlers at butchahlers@gmail.com to donate auction plants. Donors, your generosity is (as always) appreciated!

For additional Region One Auction details, click HERE.

NDS Silent Auction & NDS Bargain Table—Sue Stevenson, Chair

Silent auction and bargain table hours are from 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m. on Friday, July 10 and from 3:45 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 11 at the hotel. 

Silent auction and bargain table proceeds go to the Nebraska Daylily Society to help offset regional meeting expenses. Payment is easy—cash, checks, and credit cards are accepted.

ADS Region One and Nebraska Daylily Society members, please contact our Silent Auction & Bargain Table Chair Sue Stevenson at shcinvestmentsllc@gmail.com to donate bargain table plants. Donors, we appreciate your generosity!

For additional NDS Silent Auction and NDS Bargain Table details, click HERE.

Questions?

Contact:

* 2026 ADS Region One Meeting Chair Val Hoefer (hoefrv@gmail.com)

* Registrar Henri Schiphorst (hschip@frontiernet.net)

* ADS Region One Auction Chair Butch Ahlers (butchahlers@gmail.com)

* NDS Silent Auction & NDS Bargain Table Chair Sue Stevenson (shcinvestmentsllc@gmail.com)

See You Soon

Celebrate daylilies with us in Lincoln, Nebraska on July 10-12. Visit with old friends and meet new ones while enjoying gorgeous daylilies and stunning companion plants in the gardens. Don’t let the only thing missing be you!

2026 ADS Region One Meeting 411: How to Register—Where to Stay—Who to Contact

 Ruby Red Jubilee

 2026 ADS Region One Meeting • Lincoln, Nebraska • July 10-12, 2026
Hosted by the Nebraska Daylily Society
Carole Hunter of Prairie's Edge Gardens, Guest Speaker

Registration Form

The Nebraska Daylily Society (NDS) invites you to join us on Friday, July 10 through Sunday, July 12 in Lincoln, Nebraska for the 2026 ADS Region One Meeting. Click HERE for the registration form with fillable fields—you can use your computer’s keyboard to type your information—no handwriting is necessary! Mail your registration form to Registrar Henri Schiphorst by the June 10 postmark deadline to get the early registration discount.

Your registration includes the bus tour and four meals: Friday evening dinner, Saturday breakfast, Saturday lunch, and Saturday dinner. Guest meals for Friday dinner and/or Saturday dinner and/or Saturday breakfast are also available.

Reserve Your Hotel Room

The host hotel is the Lincoln Marriott Cornhusker on 333 South 13th Street, Lincoln, Nebraska 68508. 

Our special group rate is $143 per night. This covers the room ($128) plus the daily parking fee ($15). You can get this special rate in one of two ways:

• Click HERE to reserve your room online.
• Call 1-888-236-2427 and mention "Nebraska Daylily Society" when you reserve your room. Do not call the local hotel phone number.

Chair and Registrar

Questions? Contact our 2026 ADS Region One Meeting Chair Val Hoefer (hoefrv@gmail.com) or our Registrar Henri Schiphorst (hschip@frontiernet.net).

ADS Region One Daylily Auction—Butch Ahlers, Chair

The ADS Region One Auction immediately follows Friday night’s banquet from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on July 10 at the hotel. 

Auction proceeds go to ADS Region One. Payment is easy—cash, checks, and credit cards are accepted.

ADS Region One and Nebraska Daylily Society members, please contact our Auction Chair Butch Ahlers at butchahlers@gmail.com to donate auction plants. Donors, your generosity is (as always) appreciated!

NDS Silent Auction and Bargain Table—Sue Stevenson, Chair

Silent auction and bargain table hours are from 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m. on Friday, July 10 and from 3:45 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 11 at the hotel. 

Silent auction and bargain table proceeds go to the Nebraska Daylily Society to help offset regional meeting expenses. Payment is easy—cash, checks, and credit cards are accepted.

ADS Region One and Nebraska Daylily Society members, please contact our Silent Auction & Bargain Table Chair Sue Stevenson at shcinvestmentsllc@gmail.com to donate bargain table plants. Donors, we appreciate your generosity!

See You Soon

Celebrate daylilies with us in Lincoln on July 10-12. Visit with old friends and meet new ones while enjoying beautiful daylilies in the gardens. Don’t let the only thing missing be you!

2026 ADS Region One Meeting Tour Garden—Lowe Family Gardens

 Ruby Red Jubilee

 2026 ADS Region One Meeting • Lincoln, Nebraska • July 10-12, 2026
Hosted by the Nebraska Daylily Society
Carole Hunter of Prairie's Edge Gardens, Guest Speaker

Lowe Family Gardens—Robin Lowe

Robin Lowe's Lowe Family Gardens is in USDA hardiness zone 5b on 50 acres southeast of Lincoln, Nebraska near the town of Bennet. Flower beds extend around the perimeter of the one-acre lawn. Robin grows over 1,700 different daylilies. Roughly 80% are tetraploids and 20% are diploids. Robin dabbles in daylily hybridizing, too. She is a long-time Nebraska Daylily Society webmaster and member.

Welcome to Lowe Family Gardens (all pics courtesy of Robin Lowe)

The lower portion of the Lowe home features a large indoor pool and is home to Country Swim School. Country Swim School offers water exercise classes and lessons for swimmers of all ages. Robin is co-owner and one of the instructors. Between 250-300 swimmers and their parents come twice a week for classes. During nice weather, many customers enjoy the gardens and make great use of the nearby play set. For more information about Country Swim School, click HERE.

Play area within the daylily bed perimeter (gorgeous during daylily bloom season!)

Robin's daylilies are beautifully interwoven among many diverse annuals and perennials. Garden beds enlarge and become more extensive in the upper portion of the lawn and home.

So many well-grown gorgeous daylilies

Daylilies interspersed among companion plants and grasses

Companion plants include coneflowers, phlox, hibiscus, butterfly bushes, butterfly weed, salvia, veronica, milkweed in selected areas, coreopsis, false sunflowers, beebalm, penstemon, yarrow, daisies, agastache, and numerous varieties of colorful annuals.

Wow!

Walk this way

Butterflies enjoying lantanas (left) and milkweed (right)

Whenever I visit Robin's beautiful garden, I admire her beautiful and distinctive daylily seedlings. Not only is Robin a talented garden design artist, she's a daylily chef who creatively combines daylily ingredients to create knockout kids. Following is a sample preview.

Each private tour garden includes a collection of Nebraska Daylily Society club plants from a hybridizer selected by the tour garden owners. Robin’s club plant collection consists of Curt Hanson's 2023 daylily collection. For a sneak peek, click HERE.

Peaceful paradise

The Nebraska Daylily Society invites you to attend the 2026 ADS Region One Meeting in Lincoln, Nebraska. Our magic tour bus will transport you and your daylily friends on Saturday, July 11 to enjoy Lowe Family Gardens, Hello Gorgeous Gardens, and Sunken Gardens—plus provide a delicious lunch. What a fun-filled escapade! Don't let the only thing missing be you.

2026 ADS Region One Meeting Tour Garden—Hello Gorgeous Gardens

 Ruby Red Jubilee

 2026 ADS Region One Meeting • Lincoln, Nebraska • July 10-12, 2026
Hosted by the Nebraska Daylily Society
Carole Hunter of Prairie's Edge Gardens, Guest Speaker

Hello Gorgeous Gardens—Jenny and Mark Cich

Jenny and Mark Cich's Hello Gorgeous Gardens is a state-licensed and inspected daylily and iris nursery in USDA hardiness zone 5b located on 20 acres in Greenwood, Nebraska.

Welcome to Hello Gorgeous Gardens (all pics courtesy of Jenny & Mark Cich)

About 13 acres is in CRP tall grass prairie and pollinator planting established for over 15 years. It's a beautiful sight—thick and lush with native tall prairie grasses and forbs.

CRP tall prairie grasses and forbs

Native tall prairie grasses and forbs are a pollinator haven

Buildings and garden beds interspersed with lawn take up roughly three acres, beautifully displaying over 750 iris (about 615 bearded iris and 140 beardless iris) in addition to about 400 stunning diploid and tetraploid daylily cultivars. 

Daylilies here

Daylilies there

Daylilies everywhere

Daylilies are a mix of modern and historic cultivars, including an extensive collection of beautiful daylilies hybridized by the late David Hansen. 

'Colleen Rene' (Hansen-D.V., 2016)

Each private tour garden includes a collection of Nebraska Daylily Society club plants from a hybridizer selected by the tour garden owners. Jenny and Mark’s club plant collection consists of recent daylily introductions from Kirsten Hatfield’s Dorsets-N-Daylilies. These featured daylilies grow in a beautiful display bed with a backdrop of Diabolo® ninebark (below).

Daylilies fronting Diabolo® ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius 'Monlo')

Hello Gorgeous Gardens not only grow daylilies and iris to perfection, they also sell daylily and iris cultivars. 

Wow!

Serenading the daylilies

Spectacular view framed in daylilies

The Nebraska Daylily Society invites you to attend the 2026 ADS Region One Meeting in Lincoln, Nebraska. Our tour bus will whisk you and your daylily friends away on Saturday, July 11 to Hello Gorgeous Gardens, one other large private daylily garden, and the public Sunken Gardens plus a delicious lunch. What a fun-filled adventure! Don't let the only thing missing be you.