Three is very difficult, but I'll give it a go:

CATASTROPHE WAITRESS: Nice branching, good bud count, fast increaser and pretty face

ARCTIC LACE: Perfect blooms every time

CLAUDINE'S CHARM: Great plant habit and beautiful flower

Let me know if I can expand it to top 10!

Chris

Head explodes.. Can't do this, sorry.
Chris, Arctic Lace looks wonderful!

I play this game in my mind all the time. Last Snowflake,
Indian Ripple, and Lone Star Wagon Wheel are my top three but I can't do only three. I would HAVE to take Shores of Time, Annie Armstrong, Linda Beck, Bela Lugosi and a few others. LOLOL

This post was edited by jkayd_il5 on Wed, Aug 6, 14 at 14:57

I actually tried to pick 10, and couldn't evven do that. I'd just have to stay.

I will say Clown Parade, Black Fathom Depths, Salty Skipper, Rode F Kennedy, Philistine Champion Deliverer, Kansas City Kicker, Fernstone, Purple Honey Creeper, and Wild One would be included, but there are too many others I couldn't leave behind.

kay

I just got Indian Ripple last week so we'll see next year if it's in my top 3.
For now, I have to choose:
Dabo Girl - such a beauty
Agamemnon - bright big yellow almost glows
Autumn Wood - long blooming season and perfect every time and great for front of border since it's short.
here's Dabo Girl - has diamond dusting too

Agamemnon

Autumn Wood

but I also have to add Rainbow Radiance because even though it only blooms a short period of time the blooms are so special and perfect.

and Beautiful Edgings which I bought more this year to increase my clump

OK, don't laugh everyone but I went through my list and I think I have it down to the top 50 I would have to take. I'm not kidding here!!!

OK, you cheaters! Maybe we need to do a top ten list, or divide it up by color or something. I'm feeling guilty about all the babies I didn't name.

Three...??? Impossible, sorry.

I can name some current favorites. Some of these have always made my list, and others are new to it.

I will always love and keep MERINGUE MIRAGE, a double that's fragrant and with a beautiful, feminine blend of colors.

Also, BEYOND THE SKY (supposed to be a "clear crisp lavender" -- it's usually very, very pale pink here).

And a newer favorite, STARRY EYED PIRANHA (Kim McCutcheon 09) ,"Burgundy red with dark purple eye and edge with white teeth above sunny yellow throat"' this one is often almost brown here, and with purple teeth.

This year, I love TEDDY BEARS PICNIC (Moldovan 05), which usually really IS "light chocolate"! (Today, has sort of a dark raspberry look to it.)

I am astounded by CANDY APPLE VELVET (Kirchhoff-Schindler 11), which is a blazing red here.

COMET TRAIL and ROCKET BLAST, two Niswongers from 2001, both with screaming color.

MATCHLESS FIRE (Schindler 04), "red with orange eye." The database picture doesn't come close to showing how dramatic that orange on red is. Same Schindler, as above, BTW.

GREYWOODS GIDDY UP GIRL (Wilkinson 11), I love the richness of the color combo of "peach with a hot lilac mauve eye and lilac mauve ruffled border," It really is a "hot mauve" -- even better than the database image, I think.

WESTBOURNE LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT (Meadows 11) is a "caramel self above a bright yellow applique' throat." The colors in mine are much more intense than the database image.

TELLTALE HEART (Doorakian 06) is a "plum with purple red eye above green throat." Mine has an intensely vivid green throat and has generally had beautiful purples.

SONG OF MYSELF (Ball 09) is a gorgeous white.

HAKUNA MATATA (Schaben 07) looks just like the database image. It's that intense!

THE BLOOD IS THE LIFE (Bachman 09) has a wonderful scape. Plus, it's a late, and I want to create a bed just of lates and very lates.

JOLLY GOOD FELLOW (Herr 04) is a burgundy lavender self; here, it blooms with a lot of purple-y to it, and I like that. I also like its hefty branching and bud count.

PASTOR Z (Polston 11) it is PURPLE, and what an edge!

JOAN DERIFIELD (Hanson 00) do not make any judgments based on the database image! That doesn't do it justice!

And two yellows: TOPGUNS DRIPPING GOLD (Scott 04) because of the brilliant color and perfectly shaped blooms, and HIS SISTER PAM (Yost 09) lovely paler yellow with a fantastic scape. (Was slow to establish.)

I really could go on...! And yes, I am good at math. But like I said, three is impossible. ;)

And anyway, why three? That's not a collection...that's an impulse buy. ;)))

whaas, you should try to figure out what YOU like, and why. It might be certain colors; it might be certain shapes. It might be both.

You might also want to ask yourself why you want some dayliies: is it because you're an incipient addict on the cusp of a really dangerous new hobby? ;) Or, are you thinking about incorporating daylilies into an existing landscape and to go with your house?

Questions like those could help guide your choices.

OK, I'm starting a favorites thread, divided by color. Three favorites per color. We'll see how it goes.

Lynxe, I like many on your list.

Thanks, maximus! I so enjoy seeing other people's favorites. There is that downside, though -- a longer list, an addendum to the list, a new list, putting things back on the list, quickly browsing the lily auction just in case...you know what I mean. ;) I still don't have and want to get CLAUDINE'S CHARM, one of your favorites. Also, I love ones that look like DABO GIRL, one of njmomma's favs. Oddly enough, I don't have a single one.

Three favorites per color: I'm game!

Ask me any day of the week, and I'm sure my "top three" would change. It certainly does by years and weather conditions. But I'll play your game by the rules. I would have to take a good pink and a good purple, since those are my favorite colors. The purple would be I REMEMBER YOU because most years it has terrific branching and bud count, and it reblooms. I have a lot of pinks of love, but I would take SYMPHONY OF PRAISE not only because of it's beautiful bloom, but because of its value in hybridizing. It sets seed on the hottest days and has produced the greatest number of my keeper seedlings. The third would be RUBY LIPSTICK because of the beautiful bloom, great plant habits, and instant rebloom.

I REMEMBER YOU

SYMPHONY OF PRAISE

RUBY LIPSTICK

Debra

Actually it was sort of easy for me. I'm basing my decision on the 3 that have withstood the test of time for me. They all bloom well, are relatively colorfast/sunfast and have been winter hardy (in pots no less). Plus having seen many more since their first appearance, I still just plain like them. They go with me to the old age home-lol: First one is Coral Corduroy by Carpenter

Next is Yesterday Memories

Finally, usually one of my first to bloom Rose Masterpiece;

Everyone else has followed the rules. I know I should be embarrassed, but...;)

I have to add something about PASTOR Z. I'd commented on its color and edge, but I left out some other great attributes, which I double checked on this morning.

It's listed as an ML, but it's August 7 and mine is just getting going now. Of course, this whole season had been slow to start so its behavior may change next year.

Also, it's listed as a rebloomer, and yes, I have a rebloom scape.

Finally, it's registered as having 5 branches and 25 buds. The placement of the five branches one of the scapes here is so good - three very well spaced ones and two top ones forming a nice, wide V.

I don't have 25 buds - I have 35! Of the 35, I have, as of today, one bloom and four bud scars. So that tells you how late it is.

Obviously, this one will be on my list of best purples.

Maryl, I love ROSE MASTERPIECE! Beautiful color.

And Debra, my RUBY LIPSTICK's color looks more like the color on the sepals of yours. Maybe another year to settle in will do the trick. And now I want to try SYMPHONY OF PRAISE and I REMEMBER you!