Visiting a local hybridizer's garden (large photos)

16 years ago

This weekend, Frank (Bud) Bennett had his annual open garden and I went on Saturday. He said I could share my photos with you. Bud Bennett has been growing daylilies for over 50 years and he hybridizes dips. I think his most well known daylily is probably Kiwi Magic. I have two of his flowers in my garden - Salty Skipper and Forever Sweet, and I really like them both. I first visited his garden in 2004, when I was just getting into daylilies, and it is still my favorite daylily garden. Here is photo of the main part of his garden I took last year:

(I already had my garden laid out with a central island and gravel paths, but his of course are much better!)

When he moved into his house, it was brand new and the yard was a blank slate. He did all the work himself, including making all the "stones" that border the beds out of concrete using his own molds. Behind the trees near the back of the property are three large bins with compost in varying states of readiness. He has worked hard on improving his soil!

What I like a lot about his garden is it isn't just daylilies - he uses companion plants that complement the daylilies such as phlox, allium, veronica "Goodness Grows", liatris and sea lavender. Here's a closer view from this year:

He also very clearly labels his daylilies in large letters - no searching around in foliage for names! Here's another bed (the numbered daylilies are selected seedlings):

This photo also includes a clump of my favorite daylily in the garden this year Wild Cherry Wine. Here is a close up of it, but it isn't nearly as pretty as the real flower (the ruffled edges are just slightly darker than the rest of the flower):

Wild Cherry Wine

There's a link below to an album with more photos if you're interested.

Thanks for looking!

Juliet

P.S. I hope these photos aren't too big, but there's so much it's hard to see in a small photo.

Here is a link that might be useful: Bud Bennett Daylilies

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Comments (16)

jkunkel
16 years ago
Very pretty, I love the white pokers in the third picture, or are they the pineapple lilies? anyway looks to be well taken care of , don't see any weeds! That pink is so pretty, I love how round it is and the veining is nice too! Where is this place at? I live in Md too, always looking for places to go and actually see what im buying! -Jessica
mikeandbarb
16 years ago
Oh your one lucky gal to visit such a beautiful garden. Thank you for showing it I love everything about it.
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newyorkrita
16 years ago
Just really really beautiful! You must had had a wonderful time visiting such a lovely garden. It makes me wish for a big place in the country were I could plant a hugh garden but I guess it would be so much work so I will just stick to what I have here.

Did you bring home one of those Wild Cherry Wines? I just lovely the clump shot of them and the way the closeup shows the lovely ruiffled edges.

So how do we order his daylilies?
mlwgardener
16 years ago
Wild Cherry Wine in your photo albumn is awesome! I enjoyed them all. It's a beautiful garden and I'm sure yours is too. Thanks for sharing, Mona
msrose
16 years ago
I envy you. I would love to visit a real daylily garden.

Laurie
tweetypye
16 years ago
Wow, Juliet, a lovely garden it is, too!!! What beautiful companion plants he has selected to go with his dl's. The blues really set off the pinks and creams of his dl's. I'm off to take a look at the rest in your album now. Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful garden with us.
Jan
luvtosharedivs
16 years ago
Juliet,
You were fortunate to be able to photograph those gardens w/o any people walking around!
I can see why you love Wild Cherry Wine! It's gorgeous.

Thanks for sharing photos to drool over!

Julie
katladie
16 years ago
WOW!!!! I have the land, just not the time and finances, maybe one day.

Sharon
deangreen
16 years ago
beautiful garden pics.l thanks for posting those.
I'll have to scan some photos of Mrs. Henry's gardens while in full bloom. so many colors.
this garden actually has a lot more landscaping and some great clumps all blooming out. wow.
thanks again
dean
lynxe
16 years ago
I love his daylilies! Have none, I must confess, but I get to see many of them at an AHS display garden near me. When I have the room, I'm planning to get many of his intros. I'd hate to have to pick just one. Some of the ones I like:

BIT OF JAM
BURTONSVILLE BLUSH, BUS STOP, JUMP FOR JOY, KNOW THE CODE,
SENECA VALLEY....

if I were to buy, from that garden, all the ones of his that I like, I think the bill would come to about $600!
newyorkrita
16 years ago
I loved the pictures of Wild Cherry Wine in your Albumn too. Especially went nuts over the clump shots. I think that is such a stunning daylily.

The whole garden must have been such a treat.
juliet11
Original Author
16 years ago
I'm glad you all enjoyed the photos - the garden is even prettier in person of course!

newyorkrita - I asked Mr. Bennett about ordering daylilies and he said that he doesn't have much left in his selling bed this year, but he could put you on his mailing list for next year. (I wasn't able to buy Wild Cherry Wine because he didn't have any left to sell this year.) Anyone who's interested can e-mail me through Gardenweb (hope it works) and I could forward the message to him or give you his e-mail address.

Juliet
hoovb zone 9 sunset 23
16 years ago
Wow that is a gorgeous garden, so nicely maintained. The Liatris makes a beautiful contrast, and the backdrop of evergreen shrubbery and trees is just as good. Thanks so much for the inet 'tour'. It's a little bit of paradise.
User
16 years ago
I love Bud's daylilies. I have three: Victoria Grace, Joyful Lassie, and Dazzle Them. See photos of them among the shots of my garden at the link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Around the Garden
juliet11
Original Author
16 years ago
fgoldberg - you have a beautiful garden - thanks for sharing your photos!

Juliet
mary_rockland
16 years ago
Juliet,

Thank you for such inspirational photos. Those purple and blue companion plants really make the garden sing.

Mary