Sunday, July 26, 2015

NEDS Daylily Show

2015, 25th of July. 5 a:m. I am up in the garden to help for Claudia Conway to pick best blooms for New England Daylily Society - NEDS daylily exhibition in Tower Hill botanical garden. Usually I doesn't go up so early, and sun is just started to think that she want to rise. In few minutes we started to see some nice blooms opening and started picking. It was fun. Even know that it supposed to be serious, but I enjoy it. I was a little nervous about what is waiting for me, what I have to do and how to help for Claudia. As this is our first AHS daylily exhibition.
 Packed everything to car and headed to road. It is few hours from her house, so that is why we up so early. Road was nice, so no problem with bloom damages. Even we wonder in first minutes, but later knew that everything is just good with them.
All the magic begin when we drive to sign with Tower Hill Botanical Garden. That was a magical moment. I am so sad, that I not capture that view. It was early morning, sun is up, but in night there might be rain. So big drops going down to road, sun is playing in shaded areas and make it look very special. Like moving to new area to explore. But that was true. I feel like explorer and eager to see something new and learn as much as possible.
And we where in place. Early, but in time to get ready and have some extra time to explore botanical garden. I never thought that preparation for exhibition could be so serious. People who want to exhibit daylilies have to know everything about grooming, bloom damages, pollen hiding and all other things, that make daylilies look perfect for exhibition. Some of standards amaze me. If there is any bud that touch with bloom and interfere him, must be cut off. Other - if there is few blooms on scape, judges pick the worse and judge that one. At first it sound a little strange, but later in process I notice, that is good, because it must to look perfect.
Leslie Nolan was in charge of classifications. That is really nice for show to have such a people, because it help with names and select right section and group for exhibition.
And what is the role for me in this exhibition? Oh, it was more than great. I was clerk. When I knew that, I wonder what I have to do, but in clerk's meeting we get instructions and get ready to do our works and learn from judges.
They gave me kits and instruction and several ideas how it will look like. And we start with judges and other clerk. I had a luck to be in category with Extra Large and Large from A to F.
It was so fun. Judge - Elliot Turkiew show the class of how scapes can be judged. What is main criteria of point system.
The only thing that make me sad is lack of information for how to prepare off-scape blooms. Claudia set a lot of them, and they where good. And she left a part of branch in water tube. Asked for help about it and get answer that everything is good. But it is not what people should do. I thought that Americans in this part of States is great. But this experience prove that you should be careful in every step.
Rules and clarification wasn't clear before preparation for exhibition, so in that way a lot of great blooms was disqualified. If it could be send for people who is willing to go to exhibition, we do not get such a bad experience. I am felling bad, that I missed that lines and not so cleared what she should do. Now we know, but bad experience can make a big impact for future wishes to attend exhibition. At least we tried. I get so much fun, learn a lot and now can take something to try in Lithuania next year with daylily exhibition.
Judges pick the best in show from all section winners. Sadly mostly of them are yellow based daylilies. Nothing special. Maybe that is just a beauty of perfect bloom? I can't judge, because I am not that good, and also not seen them all. So just agree with judges.
All entries was judged and get something. It was a very nice experience for me to get in touch with such a things and see everything behind the scenes of daylily exhibition judging.

Some blooms that I liked.
Sultry Girls - Second Award
One More Bud - first award and purple ribbon.
Nefertari - first award
Ocean Spirit - First award
Isabelle Rose - first award
Penny Pinsley - first award
Creature of the Night - first award
August Flame - First place + purple ribbon.
All of my Love to You - first award
Season of the Witch - First award + purple ribbon
Whoa Mule - First award + purple ribbon
Heat Blast - First award + purple ribbon = best in show
Larry's Twilight Bite - First award + purple ribbon. Off-scape
 Fairytale Romance  - off-scape
  Websters Pink Wonder - first award
Off-scape show table
  
In this exhibition I found out that a lot of people reading my blog and enjoy it. I am happy for that, because that pay me all efforts to make it as interesting as possible.  
 
And to finish it all we meet with AHS youth Chairperson - Kathy D'Alessandro. I was so happy to meet her and her friend. It make a day even more special. We spent a long time in botanical garden restaurant.
This visit to States is so special, and I am very happy for such an opportunity. Thanks for Alice, Dave and Claudia Conway's for hospitality and take care of me and give such a great opportunity. I am happy for everything I have seen here. Even some bad thoughts sometimes, but there can't be everything perfect. That how life actually is.

Your's Lithuanian gardener.
Edvinas

Thursday, July 23, 2015

Blooms from Running Fox Farm

This time I am going to show a lot of photos. Just try to imagine, what I have on my phone, with some that I have to edit, crop or select a better photo of two. I am having so much fun here. I do lots of want list changes here. It will change my thinking of daylilies for a long time.
Lacey Lavender (Trimmer 2012)
Barb of Diplomacy (Conway 2014)
Davissimo (Conway 2012)
Claudia's seedling
Balkan (Townsend 2011)
Swallowtail Summer (Trimmer 2013)
Claudia's seedling
Somewhat Elegant (Townsend 2009)
Blue Martini (Stamile-Pierce 2012)
Kaleidoscope Puzzle (Carpenter-Carpenter 2010)
Control (Townsend 2014)
Pursuit of Happiness (Trimmer 2010)
Claudia's seedling
Claudia's seedling
Jungle Queen (Trimmer 2010)
Exotic Starfish (Gossard 2013)
Happy Happy (Smith 2008)
Born to be Wild (Pierce 2011)
Entwined in the Vine (Emmerich 2007)
Iwanna Piranha (Kinnebrew 2006)
Obsession Revisited (Conway 2013)
Fringy (Stamile 2008)

Pink Piranha (Polston 2011)
Violet Femme Sheila (Conway 2011)
Gaskin's seedling
Affirmative (Townsend 2010)
Winter Rainbow (Stamile-Pierce 2010)
Claudia's seedling
Claudia's seedling
Italian Kaleidoscope (Smith 2008)
 Chasing Venus (Harry 2010)
Claudia's seedling
Frieda Allen Jerrell (Santa Lucia 2003)
Freaky Good (Smith-Harry 2012)
Bonibrae Cotton Candy Swirls (Matthie 2012)
Claudia's seedling
Claudia's seedling
Claudia's seedling
Venusian Rainbow (Conway 2014)
Claudia's seedling
Claudia's seedling
Claudia's seedling
Claudia's seedling
Claudia's seedling
Claudia's seedling
Claudia's seedling
Claudia's seedling
Claudia's seedling
Claudia's seedling
Claudia's seedling
Claudia's seedling
Claudia's seedling
Claudia's seedling
Claudia's seedling
Claudia's seedling
Claudia's seedling
Claudia's seedling
Claudia's seedling
Claudia's seedling
Claudia's seedling
Thank you all for looking my blog posts. I am happy to share what is around me. But now it is like a virtual album of my eye candy views.
Yours - Lithuanian gardener, Edvinas