2026 ADS Region One Meeting Tour Garden—Sunken 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

Sunken Gardens—City of Lincoln Parks & Recreation Public Garden

Sunken Gardens is a world-famous public garden located on 1.5 acres in Lincoln. It was first developed in 1930 and renovated in 2005. Garden design has annual themes—the 2026 theme is "A Patchwork Garden" drawing on diverse designs from American quilt-making history. What fun it will be to see large living quilt patches made of beautiful blooming and foliage plants!

Welcome to Sunken Gardens (all pics courtesy of John Moss)

Sunken Gardens weaves together gorgeous tapestries incorporating thousands of different annuals and perennials intermingled with trees, shrubs, and water features—all highlighted by stunning works of art. To read more about Sunken Gardens and its features, click HERE. For a history of Sunken Gardens and its renovation, click HERE. To read all about the Sunken Gardens in Wikipedia, click HERE.

Entry pavilion and garden

Another angle

Variegated cannas with entry pavilion on upper right

Sunken Gardens is an oasis of inspiration and beauty. So much to see and explore, so many ideas, so much serenity.

Huge green textured leaves contrast with bright tiny flowers

Details, veins, and backdrop

There's shady areas with colorful accents.

Tranquil woodland scene

Vine-covered obelisks, shrubs, and cool-hued blooms 

Brick pathways are surrounded with flowers. 

Beautiful forked path leads to a water feature

Stunning containers, pool, and aquatic plants

A closer look at the aquatic plants in the pool

Ribbons of color draw the eyes

Fountain sculpture with water spilling on rocks is a beautiful sight with delightful sound. 

Simply elegant

Cool and inviting

There's something for everyone—a place to rest, relax, retreat, unwind, and recharge.

Mixing and matching sizes, shapes, and textures

Inspiration, and ideas galore—Sunken Gardens is all this and more—come and explore!

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 the public Sunken Gardens plus two large private daylily gardens plus a delicious lunch. What a wonderful adventure! Don't let the only thing missing be you.

2026 Region One Meeting Open Garden—Pick A Daylily Garden—Scott Keller

 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

Pick A Daylily Garden—Scott Keller

Scott Keller invites you to visit his open Pick A Daylily Garden located on an urban lot in Lincoln. Pick A Daylily Garden is a state-licensed and inspected daylily nursery in USDA hardiness zone 6a and an American Daylily Society (ADS) Display Garden. It's a short drive just six miles southeast of the host hotel. 

Scott is a long-time member and past Treasurer of the Nebraska Daylily Society (NDS). He currently serves as ADS Region One Director and chairs the Long Range Planning and Marketing committees.

Welcome to Pick A Daylily Garden (all pics courtesy of Scott Keller)

Over 100 registered tetraploid daylily cultivars and over 350 blooming-size seedlings grow outdoors in the ground to prove their northern hardiness (there is no greenhouse) in Scott's Lincoln garden. Scott's daylily cultivars and seedlings also grow in the ground in fellow NDS member Linda Becker's Exeter, Nebraska garden for additional hardiness and performance evaluation. 

Pick A Daylily Garden

Scott has been hybridizing for 15 years, and the late David Hansen mentored him early on. Like Dave, Scott's hybridizing program is tetraploids only. Unlike Dave, Scott's focus is hybridizing doubles and unusual forms. To visit Pick A Daylily Garden's website, click HERE. To see Scott's registered daylily cultivars, click HERE.

Scott Keller seedling 21T16: 'Joan Jackson' X 'Indescribable' (2026 registration in process)

Seedling 21T16 (above) and FLIGHT RISK (below) will be 2026 introductions.

'Flight Risk' (Keller, 2026)

The toothy, bold FLIGHT RISK (above) and the cool, creamy AUNT DONNA (below) share the same pollen parent, HEAVENLY NEW FRONTIERS.

'Aunt Donna' (Keller, 2024)

INDESCRIBABLE (below) is Scott's first double registration. It also has cristation. Ever hear the phrase "Go where the daylilies lead you?" When Scott first saw INDESCRIBABLE bloom as a seedling, doubles became his new hybridizing focus, replacing full-formed singles. INDESCRIBABLE is proving to be an excellent parent.

'Indescribable' (Keller, 2025)

Scott has created some beautiful full-formed single daylilies. One I really like is PITCH DARK (below). 

'Pitch Dark' (Keller, 2021)

Scott's dream crosses are doubles and unusual forms and he has some beauties waiting in the wings, like the following seedling.

Scott Keller seedling 22T12-1

 

For a sneak peek of the daylily future (no time machine required), come to the 2026 ADS Region One Meeting and visit Scott's open garden. Fun fact: Scott's Pick A Daylily Garden will also host Garden Judges Workshop 2 on Sunday, July 12. Don't let the only thing missing be you!

2026 Region One Meeting Open Garden—The Backyard Farmer Garden

 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

The Backyard Farmer Garden—University of Nebraska

The Backyard Farmer is the longest-running locally-produced television program nationally. It is co-produced by University of Nebraska Extension and Nebraska Public Media. It's my favorite TV show, and it airs seasonally on Thursdays at 7:00 p.m. from April through September on Nebraska Public Media. Click HERE to access The Backyard Farmer's website and click HERE to follow The Backyard Farmer on Facebook.

The Backyard Farmer Garden is on the University of Nebraska's east campus. It's open daily to the public and is almost a quarter of an acre in size. 

Welcome to the Backyard Farmer Garden (all pics are courtesy of Jenny Cich)

The Backyard Farmer Garden features ornamental perennials, annuals, and grasses plus herbs and vegetables in addition to an All-American Selections (AAS) Display Garden. Click HERE for more information about the Backyard Farmer Garden, and click HERE for more information about the AAS Display Garden.

Who can resist this path?

Or taking this one

The Backyard Farmer Garden is not only beautiful and inspirational, but is also an educational example of organic farming practices, including a rain chain that distributes rainwater on surrounding plants. 

Bouteloua gracilis 'Blonde Ambition' (blue grama grass) fronting hibiscus

Who says vegetable gardens have to be monotonous, or that you can't interplant veggies with ornamentals? 

Colorful annuals highlight a tall caged tomato plant

Another look

Design a visual mixtape with blooming and foliage plants.

Sandwiching coleus in between compact fiery zinnias and towering red salvias

Create colorful container gardens with fillers, spillers, and thrillers.

Some of many on-site container gardens

Attached trellises on raised beds provide sturdy support for vining veggies and climbing ornamentals.

Raised beds with vertical options

This bee house provides sanctuary for solitary bees in the Backyard Farmer Garden. Click HERE for info on how to build one for your yard.

Solitary bee lodging

Eye candy, inspiration, and ideas galore—visit the Backyard Farmer Garden to explore! 

2026 Region One Meeting Open Garden—Kay Roberts

 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

Kay Roberts' Garden

Nebraska Daylily Society member Kay Roberts invites you to visit her open garden on a big urban lot in Lincoln. It's a short drive just five miles northeast of the host hotel. 

Welcome to Kay's garden! (all pics are courtesy of Kay Roberts)

Kay's favorite plants are hostas. Her well-grown hosta collection is an oasis of beauty.

 A sneak peek of Kay's many lovely hostas

A hedge row of heirloom peonies from Kay's late mother's garden in Bee, Nebraska grow from the front sidewalk to the back fence, creating a breathtaking river of blooms in May. 

Kay loves daylilies and iris, too. About 150 beautiful daylily cultivars (tetraploids and diploids) grow throughout her front and back yard. Three backyard daylily beds accent Kay's collection of tall bearded iris.

Daylilies here

Daylilies there

More irresistible daylilies

Don't miss this delightful urban gem!

Save the Date: March 27-28 2026 Pollen Dabbers featuring Jason Delaney, Mike Grossmann, and Kathleen Nordstrom

Phil Fass, Karla Brannaman, and the Central Iowa Daylily Society (CIDS) invite all American Daylily Society (ADS) Region One members plus daylily friends from neighboring Regions 2 and 11 (and beyond) to attend the annual Pollen Dabbers gathering on March 27-28 at Marshalltown Community College in Marshalltown, Iowa. Click HERE to access the registration form with fillable fields—you can use your computer’s keyboard to type your information—no handwriting is necessary! Click HERE to read the announcement on the ADS Region One website's Events page.

Kicking things off on Friday, March 27 is a presentation by daffodil, bulb, and daylily hybridizer and grower Jason Delaney from Saint Louis, Missouri. Jason owns Professional Horticultural Services (PHS), which specializes in residential garden design and maintenance; and PHS Daffodils, which focuses on daffodil production. Click HERE to access PHS Daffodils website, click HERE to follow PHS Daffodils on Instagram, and click HERE to follow on Facebook.

Jason Delaney and daffodils (pic courtesy of Jason Delaney)

Jason worked for over 20 years for Missouri Botanical Garden, most recently as North Gardens Supervisor and Bulb Collections Specialist. Jason hybridizes daffodils and daylilies and dabbles with trumpet lilies and crinums. His plants grow on almost four acres of family land in Flora, Illinois. Jason's plant collection includes over 3,500 varieties of daffodils, more than 1,500 varieties of daylilies, and 500+ varieties of historic bearded irises. Following three preview pics below are all courtesy of Jason Delaney.

A stunning daffodil bouquet

Daylilies galore

Partial view of enormous daylily field

But wait--there's more! Presentations on Saturday, March 28 feature Region One hybridizers and growers Mike Grossmann and Kathleen Nordstrom of Northern Lights Daylilies in West Concord, Minnesota. Click HERE to access Northern Lights Daylilies' website, and click HERE to follow them on Facebook. 

Mike and Kathleen in their garden (pic courtesy of Ray Gardeski)

Following are just a couple of Mike and Kathleen's beautiful 2026 daylily introductions, pics below are courtesy of Mike Grossmann and Kathleen Nordstrom.

'Purple Wine Wonder' (Grossmann-M., 2026)

'Sharp Dude' (Grossmann-M., 2026)

'Two Horizons' (Nordstrom, 2026)

Kathleen's gorgeous LUSCIOUS KISS won an Honorable Mention (HM) Award in 2025.

'Luscious Kiss' (Nordstrom, 2018) pic courtesy of Kathleen Nordstrom

The wealth of knowledge from these three experienced, educational, and entertaining speakers is tremendous. Pollen Dabbers 2026 is a wonderful opportunity to see and hear them in person while enjoying fun and fellowship with treasured daylily friends. Don't let the only thing missing be you!

Daylily Auction, Silent Auction, Bargain Table—2026 ADS Region One Meeting

 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

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!

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.

ADS Region One Daylily Auction—Butch Ahlers, Chair
Credit Cards Are Accepted

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.

Featured auction plants include recent daylily introductions purchased by the Nebraska Daylily Society from: 

• Guest speaker Carole Hunter of Prairie's Edge Gardens
• Member hybridizers Mary Baker of Mary Baker's Garden, Linda Ferguson of Ferguson Fantasy Flowers, Tom & Mary Keast of Keast Daylily Gardens, and Scott Keller of Pick A Daylily Garden

The auction will also include beautiful daylilies contributed by ADS Region One and NDS members and hybridizers.

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
Credit Cards Are Accepted

The NDS Silent Auction offers a selection of choice daylilies using hand-written bid sheets. Winner of each daylily is the highest written bidder when the auction ends (5:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 11).

Want daylilies at bargain prices? Look no further than our bargain table featuring an extensive, diverse assortment of our favorite flowers at wallet-pleasing prices.

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.

Payment is easy—cash, checks, and credit cards are accepted.

Note: Silent auction and bargain table proceeds go to the Nebraska Daylily Society to help offset regional meeting expenses. Sue Stevenson is chairing both the Silent Auction and the Bargain Table.

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

Questions? Contact 2026 ADS Region One Meeting Chair Val Hoefer (hoefrv@gmail.com), Registrar Henri Schiphorst (hschip@frontiernet.net), Auction Chair Butch Ahlers (butchahlers@gmail.com), or Silent Auction & Bargain Table Chair Sue Stevenson (shcinvestmentsllc@gmail.com).

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!