Beautiful blooms today. Thank you for posting another clump shot of eL DESPERADO. I just wish the photo was biggerIts such a beauty.I am really starting to like this
Marseilles Watercolor a lot, too, love the almost whites anyway. and I really like Sarah Hawes: a lot, too. so bright and pretty..RED SLIPPERS is a beauty today, too,I love these reds.not much on the light reds, but just love the darker reds.JOYFUL LASSIE is a beauty, too. don't remember you posting that one before.GOLLY GALORE is a beauty, today, too.BELLA LUGOSI is a beauty, too.Does it rebloom?
Beautiful blooms today,and I never tire of looking at them.

jean

Wow! Fabulous clumps. I can't pick a favorite, as Ruby Lipstick, Trahlyta and El Desperado are all superb! It's the same with the singles: Marseilles WC and Joyful Lassie are tied in their awesomeness. Congratulations on getting the color right on Bela Lugosi! It's a beauty too.

Debra

Thank you Jean for all the nice compliments. Bella Lugosi re-bloomed this year, but not last year or before. Golly Galore and Red Slippers are both excellent re-bloomers. El Deperado re-bloomed last year. It is a very heavy bloomer.

kay

I love them all, however my absolute favorite is Ruby Lipstick. I'm waiting for mine to bloom for the first time. Your Bella Lugosi is so "purple". Last year mine was more of a burgundy color. Do you think that is a northern thing? It will be interesting to see as I have a lot of new purples to bloom for the first time this year. I tried to only buy those that really looked like a true purple without a lot of red undertones.

Thanks, Debra. Apparently we crossed posts. The clumps are bound to stop soon, but that's okay, I will enjoy everyone else's and do some much needed work in the garden when I'm not spending so much time fooling with photographs and postings. I actually have a few with scapes that haven't bloomed yet. I moved Hard Times last fall, and it multiplied like crazy...up to 25 fans now, but it is sulking and I don't think it will bloom at all.

My Bella Lugosi always has the dark purple, Rita, but until today, when I take photos, it picks up the maroon. The flash was off, but that's is usually the case, so I am just glad conditions are right.

Debra and Rita, this is the third year for Ruby Lipstick, and i am quite surprised at all the blooms...and worried about next year being a bust year. Ah well. time will tell.
kay

Apologies , Hostabuff. I don't know why I thought you were Rita. I am having too many of these senior moments.
kay

very very nice!! I love that Joyful Lassie. Is that a good bloomer for you?
Sharon

Wow, Joyful Lassie and Ruby Lipstick in the same day! They are both so very lovely. I really love the delicacy of color in Marseilles Watercolor. This must be the year for Trahlyta - as mine is fairly new but blooming as lot this year. Your Sarah Hawes looks so different from mine - mine is pink. Maybe I got something else?

Nancy

Beautiful, just beautiful. Not to worry, I didn't notice any weeds just noticed all those gorgeous blooms. Sarah Hawes really takes the spotlight for me today.

Nice group, Kay, but that photo of Marseilles Watercolor is phenomenal.

I love the color on Sarah Hawes, & Golly G is gorgeious. Lovely clump of Ruby Lipstick. I wouldn't have noticed weeds, but you mentioned so I forced myself away from the flowers to look. Pooh, you should see MY weeds. Yours are just puny, sickly little things. Mine are muscle weeds, just daring me to approach. I'm not supposed to do much weeding yet, per doctor's instruction, & the evil things have really taken advantage. But wait til next week! I'll be heading out with my gloves & roundup, we'll see if they are so brave then.

It's the same old story, all your DLS are wonderful to see, and there's just no use trying to pick one over the other. The clumps are great and the singles terrific. I would love to have Ruby Lipstick, but I'm afraid it might not do well here, it's that dormancy thing. I was very interested to read about your WB Hard Times and how much it multiplied so quickly. I hope ours will do the same. Speaking of WBs, I believe you just acquired WBS Chip Off The Old Block and Blueberry Popsicle from the Lily Auction. I like both of those very much, considered bidding on COTOB. However, I just now "won" On CLoud Nine, and Mary Jane says she is going to be listing quite a few more in the coming weeks, plus her 2014s will be coming up--I can hardly wait to see those. I know I won't be able to afford the newbies, but I really an anxious to see what she is going to bring out. Avedon

Sharon, the blooms she gives are always perfect, but no, there aren't a lot of blooms: nothing like Salty Skipper. No, Nancy, yours is probably right. For some reason, my Sarah Hawes has been more the color in Blueridge's picture this year. Previous years it had been more pink. Go figure. It is from the hybridizer, so it must be one of the quirks. Here she is last year:

She is pretty, isn't she, Rita.
Chris, that is one of them that always has perfect blooms and always re-blooms here.

Nancy, I am getting serious. I have ordered some serious weedkiller that will kill Bermuda grass without killing daylilies. I had it once before and it works. Expensive, but worth it. I have massive weeding to do. I fed the roses and tomatoes and sprayed the roses. Always something.

kay

Beautiful Kay. I just got Sarah Hawes from Selman this year and it has a scape coming up. Love your photo of it.
I can see why you might be worried about Rudy Liptsitck. It just keeps on going. Didn't you say it seemed to sulk for a few years? Maybe it is making up for lost time. Nice pic of it and of course El Desperado is a natural blooming machine.

Julia

Good to hear some feedback on Sara Hawes. I consider violets the worst weed I have to contend with, since they tend to grow right next to the crown and are difficult to pull.

I also have violets. They spread like wildfire and I just don't get anywhere pulling them. I would say they are my worst weed and that's saying something!
I too have Sarah Hawes. I love the flower but mine is in quite a bit of shade and doesn't get many blooms.

wow I like that sara hawes! look like it glows from within. :)

Nancy, I had lots of weeds this spring and I did get them pulled out of3 of my beds ok, but,I am right handed and do everything right handed, and that's the wrist I broke in November and its still giving me a lot of trouble and pain, so two other beds,I just couldn't get the weeds out. I tried but they were well rooted, so I took a little dpray bottle and round up brush killer and sprayed them and killed them out.only weeds left was right up close to the datliies and roses and couldn't spray them,I have gotten most out now, but still have a few left.my wrist didn't heal right,and I still cant do a lot at a time.Dr said its healoed, just use it,and I do use it every day, but, its still painful and I am not a dr, but don't take a genius to see its not right.

jean

You just know that 'Golly Galore' is my favorite! I am hoping mine blooms this year.....I don't see any scapes up yet on it but maybe that is because it is a late-bloomer? If and when it blooms, I will be thinking of you!

Celeste