2019 Region One Meeting Open Garden—Hansen’s Daylily Haven—David & Val Jean Hansen

Fireworks in the Gardens

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

Hosted by the Nebraska Daylily Society

Charles and Heidi Douglas of Browns Ferry Gardens, Guest Speakers

Hansen’s Daylily Haven–David and Val Jean Hansen

Hansen’s Daylily Haven is a suburban American Daylily Society (ADS) Display Garden featuring clumps of over 230 registered tetraploid daylily cultivars from a variety of hybridizers.

Welcome to Hansen's Daylily Haven—unless otherwise indicated, all pics courtesy of David and Val Jean Hansen

Dave and Val Jean Hansen, July 2019—pic courtesy of Joan Zettel

A beautifully blooming backyard daylily border

Dave and Val Jean grow daylilies that are hardy with good height. Dave and Val Jean’s friend, the late Bob Smith, introduced them to hardy hibiscus, which adds lots of color and different form to their garden.

Hibiscus seedling and garden art

Hosta grow here, too, as do colorful annuals such as small red begonias. Large pots of dragon wing begonias, vinca, and Asparagus densiflorus ‘Sprengeri’ (Sprengeri fern) accentuate the garden.

Colorful blue pots filled with dragon wing begonias accentuate the garden

Dave is a hybridizer, and his gorgeous registered daylily cultivars and cutting-edge seedlings are ADS Region One’s best-kept secret. It’s time to let the cat out of the bag and introduce Dave’s cultivars to the rest of the daylily world.

David & Val Jean Hansen seedling 14-47A: 'Papio Leah Serenity' X 'Thistles and Thorns'

Dave hybridizes exclusively with tetraploids, and he’s been hybridizing for the past 20 years. His goal is to produce toothy flowers, and red toothy flowers take center stage when it’s time to select keepers from his annual seedling crop.

David & Val Jean Hansen seedling 16-19: Seedling 11-162A X 'Papio Trevor Thomas'

Dave’s first daylily registration is named for their oldest granddaughter, CAITLYN MCKENZIE (2006), a round flesh gold with a rosy mauve halo and a large yellow to deep green throat.

'Caitlyn McKenzie' (Hansen-D.V., 2006)

Eight more registrations followed for Dave and Val Jean’s other eight grandchildren, plus four for their four great-granddaughters and others. So far Dave has registered 23 daylily cultivars. Many of the 2019 ADS Region One Meeting registration gift plants are Dave’s lovely registered daylilies.

Dave’s favorite registration is a beautiful green-throated toothy rose red daylily named IN VAL’S HONOR (2016) for his wife of 61 years, Val Jean.

'In Val's Honor' (Hansen-D.V., 2016)

Another favorite from Dave is the beautiful KURT REMEMBERED (2013), a saturated rose red named for Dave’s late brother.

'Kurt Remembered' (Hansen-D.V., 2013)

Another stunning daylily from Dave is AVIANNA GRACE (2016), a rose pink with light pink eye and white teeth on all segments.

'Avianna Grace' (Hansen-D.V., 2016)

Yet another of Dave’s gorgeous toothy creations is the spectacular PAPIO KYLIE RAE (2018), with saturated bloom color and contrasting white teeth.

'Papio Kylie Rae' (Hansen-D.V., 2018)

The lovely PAPIO BRIANNA LYNNE (2018) features a frosted watermark and a pale sharky edge.

'Papio Brianna Lynne' (Hansen-D.V., 2018)

The exquisite PAPIO TWILITE BITE (2018) is breathtakingly beautiful. Its pod parent is the lovely AVIANNA GRACE (2016).

'Papio Twilite Bite' (Hansen-D.V., 2018)

But wait—there’s more! Many lovely toothy tetraploid seedlings are waiting in the wings. Following are just a few potential future registrations and introductions.

David & Val Jean Hansen seedling 15-25C: Seedling 11-17A X 'All Things to All Men' 

 David & Val Jean Hansen seedling 15-26: Seedling 11-17A X 'Larry's Twilight Bite'

 David & Val Jean Hansen seedling 15-159: 'Heartbeat of Heaven' X 'Happy Holidays to You'

 David & Val Jean Hansen seedling 15-207A: 'Oklahoma Sand Burr' X Seedling 13-159A

David & Val Jean Hansen seedling 16-69: Seedling 8-292B X Seedling 13-159A

Dave and Val Jean’s good friends Tom and Mary Keast grow several of Dave’s beautiful, toothy daylily creations at their Keast Daylily Gardens in Oakland, Iowa, where they are listed for sale. Click HERE to view pictures and descriptions of available daylily cultivars on Dave and Val Jean Hansen’s page on Keast Daylily Gardens website.

 A portion of Dave and Val Jean's colorful backyard daylily bed

Dave and Val Jean cherish the friendships they have made over the years from the many Nebraska Daylily Society (NDS) and ADS Region One meetings they attended. Their daylily friends enrich and enhance the joy of the flowers.

Conifers, Japanese maples, and garden art set off the daylilies like jewels

Dave and Val Jean have been ADS and NDS members for many years. Dave served several terms as NDS President, and he also chaired past ADS Region One meetings hosted by NDS. Dave and Val Jean’s garden (then in Bellevue, Nebraska) was a tour garden during the 2002 ADS Region One Meeting. Dave and Val Jean received the ADS Region One Service Award in 2015.

A windmill, shed, bird bath, and specimen Japanese maple frame this colorful splash of blooming daylilies

Dave and Val Jean invite you to visit Hansen’s Daylily Haven. They enjoy visitors, and welcome everyone to tour their beautiful garden. You’ll see Dave’s spectacular registered cultivars and his exciting future registrations in addition to many cutting-edge tetraploid cultivars created by other hybridizers.

A sea of colorful daylilies at Hansen's Daylily Haven