According to a publication from the American Hemerocallis Society, modern hybrid daylilies have a remarkably diverse color range, especially considering that the wild types from which they have been bred were only in shades of yellow, orange, fulvous (i.e., dull reddish yellow), and rosy-fulvous. Today, the only colors notably lacking are pure white and pure blue. Needless to say, hybridizers are avidly pursuing these two colors.
When choosing daylily colors, it is the outer portion of the daylily flower that is considered to be the basic color of the flower. The present daylily color range includes:
• Yellow-all shades from the palest lemon, through bright yellow and gold to orange.
• Red-diverse shades of scarlet, carmine, tomato-red, maroon, wine-reds and blackish-reds.
• Pink-from pale pink through rose-pink to rose-red.
• Purple-from pale lavender and lilac to deep grape or violet.
• Melon or cream-pink from palest cream shakes to deep cantaloupe shades.
Buff, Brown, Apricot, and Peach are thought to be variations of pink plus yellow. Near-whites are found among the palest tints of yellow, pink, lavender, or melon.
The center area of the daylily flower is called the throat. In most daylilies, the throat color differs from the rest of the flower. Usually it is a shade of green, yellow, gold, orange, apricot, or melon. Like the throat, the stamens may be a different color from the basic flower color and the throat color. Or, the stamens may be of matching color. Usually they are light yellow to greenish. The anthers at the tips of the stamens are often darker in color
An array of quality vendors will be on hand displaying many of the varieties and colors mentioned, as well as other plant vendors selling plumerias, bromeliads, hibiscus, orchids, patio and garden items. In addition to the vendors, festival attendees can listen to the presentations given in the Abbeville Cultural Center. Starting at 9:30 am, Carlos Russo, Principal Chef, The Accidental Chef will give a talk “Fresh From the Garden”- how to make Eggplant Caponate. Following at 10:30am with “Dabbling with Daylilies”, Dalton Durio, Durio Nursery, will talk about Dayliles. Stuart Gauthier will present the Vermilion Parish 4-H Garden Contest Awards at 12:15.
While the festival will offer plenty for gardeners, it will also offer the same for non-gardeners. There will be arts and crafts, including jewelry, cypress furniture, children’s dresses, birdhouses and stained-glass art.
“We will also have plenty of pastries and food vendors,” Festival organizers said.
The Daylily Festival and Garden Show is presented by Abbeville Main Street, LSU AgCenter, Vermilion Chamber of Commerce. It is sponsored in part by City of Abbeville, Gulf Coast Bank, Lafayette Master Gardeners and the Louisiana Office of Tours and VisitLouisianaCoast.com. For more information, please call 337-893-2491.
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