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.