Leonie Cornelius on a beautiful summer star
A star from the East with endless colours that just keeps on giving
The daylily is undoubtedly one of the stars of the summer garden. Planted within any scheme, these pretty, trumpet-shaped perennials are incredibly eye-catching. True to their name, daylilies bloom for 24 hours, but each plant produces many flowers, meaning their flowering time can last for weeks on end. Typically, a flower is produced in the early morning which then withers during the following night. This flower is then replaced, often on the same stalk, by another one the next morning. It’s one of these plants that just keeps on giving.
The plant itself originates in EurasiaChina, Japan and Korea and is thought to have been first mentioned for its medicinal properties in 656 A.D. in a Chinese medical book called Materia Medica. Interestingly, many varieties of the daylily are edible and commonly used in Asian cuisines. They are also said to have many health-aiding benefits including detoxing the body and curing insomnia.
The Latin name of the daylily is Hemerocallis, and comes from the Greek words hemera, meaning day, and kalso, which means beautiful. There are over 60,000 registered cultivars of this perennial and the colours and varieties are seemingly endless. From deep reds to pale yellows, these flowers work as well in fiery schemes of oranges and yellows as they do in contrast to cooler schemes of blue and purple.
One of my favourites is the elegant and strong H em eroc all is‘ Entrapment ’. Its colour, shape and floriferous nature make it very appealing. The strong stems of this wonderful perennial are topped with unapologetically sensual flowers. They open up to form a fleshy purple-pink with a yellow throat and dusty orange stamens at the centre.
They are incredibly easy to grow and caring for the daylily is really quite simple. The plant likes sun but can also do well in partial shade. Be sure to plant it in well-drained, fertile soil. It is also advised to add some well rotten manure or compost which will give the plant a good start. It is best to avoid heavy shade as well as borders that are too dry in the summer.
The one thing I have had issues with are slugs – and as always I would advise using copper shavings, coil or simply lots of old copper coins scattered around the base of the plants to avoid the fabulous flowers getting devoured overnight.
Within a design scheme, I love planting these in a mix of perennials with different shapes, and love seeing them alongside plants that contrast in terms of texture and shape. For more follow Leonie on Twitter @ leonie_Cee or go to leoniecornelius.com