I have several huge clumps of plain orange daylilies, trying to think of some nice ways to use them in our landscape. Any ideas?

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), September 28, 2000

Answers

they do great to prevent run off,a hillside or ditch. they are also very nice along a path or under small rock outcroppings. maybe the border for a flowerpatch. they like their roots cool but tops sunny, i have found the straight native var.i think thats the one you have does well almost anywhere.

-- renee oneill (oneillsr@home.com), September 28, 2000.

I read this quite a few years ago, and fall is the perfect time to do it. Plant daylilies and daffodils next to each other, mixed together. Neither one needs much maintenance, or fertilizing. The daffs will come up first, and about the time they're done and their foliage is getting messy looking, the similar looking foliage of the daylilies will be growing up, blending with them and concealing the daffodil foliage. It's important to let the daffodil foliage "ripen" -- this feeds the bulb for next year. You probably won't have to worry about cleaning up until the fall when all the daylily foliage is dead and ready to be raked up. I think you can even wait til the next spring for clean up.

-- Joy Froelich (dragnfly@chorus.net), September 28, 2000.

A place that I go by frequently has a long driveway, with a fence beside it. Between the driveway and the fence, the people planted solid rows of daffodils, daylilies, monarda, and black-eyed susans (I may be missing one more flower there). They bloom in succession and are beautiful. It's fun to go by and see which is in bloom now, and it makes a solid swathe of color all summer.

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), September 28, 2000.

I planted day lilies around the cover to my well. Since it sits up about eight inches above the ground, the lilies hide it and make a pretty view. Daylilies are such a nice plant to have because they are so prolific and they are easily transplanted. I got my start on this property when a coworker bought a new house and didn't like daylilies so she was going to dig them all up and throw them away. I asked if I could come dig some to keep and she let me have all I wanted. It was the middle of July and I live in Virginia and I thought I might lose them because they were in full bloom. But those hardy suckers did just fine. I have been dividing and transplanting my little heart out ever since. Good luck and just go for it.

-- Colleen (pyramidgreatdanes@erols.com), September 29, 2000.

Rebekah, I have a long walk way from the house to the back yard & garage & Barn/ I have planted Iris/ day lilies/ all sorts of starts of wild flowers/ herbs, etc. something is blooming one after the other. I plan on starting these same flowers all around the fence of our property & along the walk to our guest house/ we just bought this last year. They are a wonderful border plant leave room for them to spread!!!!! Enjoy!!!! I cut a lilie head & put in rose bowls/ & take to the care homes! I get rose bowls at garage sales & in a rose bowl they are not messy to sit on a bed side table/ even the men like getting these beautiful flowers!! They look forward to getting these flowers each year! They bloom for long enough that I usually can take the flowers for several weeks during their blooming season. Plant them & enjoy & share their beauty with others/ who sometimes feel forgotten. Sonda in Ks.

-- Sonda (sgbruce@birch.net), September 29, 2000.