2019 Region One Tour Garden—Farmony Gardens, Omaha NE—Nancy Lee Anderson

Fireworks in the Gardens

2019 ADS Region One Meeting • Omaha, Nebraska • July 5-7, 2019

Hosted by the Nebraska Daylily Society—click HERE for registration form

Charles and Heidi Douglas of Browns Ferry Gardens, Guest Speakers

Farmony Gardens, Omaha, Nebraska—Nancy Lee Anderson

Nancy Lee Anderson welcomes you to Farmony, the yarden (YARD + gardEN) of Nancy Lee Anderson. Farmony is centrally located within the metro area, less than two miles southwest of the 2019 regional meeting hotel. This area was developed around 50 to 60 years ago with homes on half-acre lots. Consequently, there are many mature trees throughout the area (except for her front river birch—now a Dr. Seuss kind of ‘crooked tree’). Nancy Lee moved here in the fall of 2010, bringing with her 454 plants that she dug up and potted. She planted as many as possible in the existing beds until the ground froze. The rest waited until the next year after she enlarged several old beds and created new ones.

Side of front yard; all pictures are courtesy of Nancy Lee Anderson 

Part of the back yard

Nancy Lee is a collector—not a hybridizer—of all kinds of perennials, shrubs, mini and understory trees, barnyard critters (the resin, cement and metal kind) and other garden art. Many of the plantings and garden art are from, or in memory of, family and friends. Nancy Lee loves being reminded of them as she works in and walks around the yard. There are bird feeders and wind chimes (the “harmONY” part of Farm-ony).  

Pigs in shade garden

Scarecrow welded by Nancy Lee's home-town blacksmith

Wind chimes

Plant-wise? Trees—several mature evergreens (Colorado blue spruce and concolor firs), a row of eight crabapple trees (five varieties), etc.; shrubs—evergreen plus many deciduous varieties; shade perennials and trees; about 50 varieties of hosta, heuchera, ligularia, Lenten rose, ferns, and Japanese maples. 

Backyard shade bed

Front yard tree, shrub, conifers, daylilies, and companion plants

There are also sun perennials, ornamental grasses, tall bearded iris, spuria iris, lilies, peonies, and roses.

HVAC bed featuring daylilies and companion plants

About 25 shrubs came with the house, plus 16 of Nancy Lee’s favorite hybrid tea roses, floribundas, plus one climbing rose on the windmill, a 1:3 scale Aeromotor replica.

Replica of an Aeromotor windmill with climbing rose and companion plants

And, of course, there are daylilies!

 Backyard deck daylily border

Daylilies accentuate the garden path

Side yard daylilies backed by specimen shrub

 Front yard daylilies 

 More front yard daylilies, hosta, ornamental grasses, and other companion plants

About 200 daylily cultivars grow here at Farmony, a collection started in the mid-1980s. While driving her daughter and her band classmate to a week-long music clinic at the college in Wayne, Nebraska, Nancy Lee drove by this hillside of beautiful mixed colors on the south edge of town. On her way back to Omaha, she visited that nursery, Gail Korn’s Garden Perennials. Soon after, Nancy Lee ordered a few of Gail’s daylilies, relying on Gail’s expertise for selections. Nancy Lee was in a “pink bagel” mode at that time. However, Gail included a gift plant from that soon became Nancy Lee’s favorite daylily form—an unusual form named LAKE NORMAN SPIDER (K. Carpenter, 1981).

'Bonibrae Maggie Anne' (Barry Matthie, 2009)

'Ponca Brave' (Larry Harder, 1991)

'Lightning Storm' (John Benz, 2006)

'Ric and Tee' (Netherton, 2005)

Today, Nancy Lee still prefers unusual forms—plus some doubles—preferably in bold reds, purples, and oranges. Some of her favorite hybridizers are Jamie Gossard, Richard Webster, Jan Joiner, and Ned Roberts (COMANCHE PRINCESS is always a garden visitor favorite).

'It's Miller Time' (Jamie Gossard, 2017) 

'Licorice Twist' (Ned Roberts, 2005)

'Swan Maiden' (Mahieu/Burris, 2009)

'Winter's Crown' (Jeff Salter, 2008)

Since Nancy Lee is no longer adding any new bed space, the overriding qualification for any new daylily purchase is that it have garden presence—a complete plant (not just a pretty face), with high bud and branch counts—preferably extra early or late season bloomers. There are name tags for most plants. Nancy Lee’s collie, Ruby Lee, thinks the stakes in her backyard over the winter are hers to chew and pull up, so let Nancy Lee know if a plant is mislabeled.

The Nebraska Daylily Society Club plants at Farmony are from Richard Norris. The bed on the south side of the garage is dedicated to thirteen of his daylilies.

Nancy Lee looks forward to your visit. You are welcome to use the lawn, deck, and stoop furniture. Restroom facilities are available—the mudroom bathroom in the house (please access it through the garage or the south stoop). Happy Yardening!