Daylily questions

One, what eats daylilies? I had nice buds on one that has been sooo slow to get going and something came along and chomped them off.

Two, once they are established, how much water do they need? I'm installing emitters around the yard now and am wondering if I should put them on the daylilies and how many per plant.

Gwen, You have two of the worst daylily chompers in your area.... rabbits and deer. There are several people on the daylily sites that have had scapes of daylilies that they have spent incredible amounts of $$ on chomped off by deer. Slugs will get them too, but they only seem to bother some varieties, and if it is a slug, you will find the top of the scape with all of the buds laying close by.

Daylilies bloom better with regular water, but are also drought tolerant. The amount of water you want to give them depends on the performance you are looking for. Well watered means more and larger blooms, but they can take a lot of neglect and still give you a decent show.

I'm going to start putting up chicken wire around the plants that bunnies seem to like. We have deer fencing, so altho the stray deer does get in sometimes, it's not often and they don't make it up near the house. They have enough to eat down near the area they sneak in to keep them happy. So I really don't think it's deer. Plus, whoever ate it, left a very tasty rose bloom right next to the daylily. I don't think rabbits eat roses. At least not mine. But we do have a rabbit problem.

I just got back from the prettiest garden. It belongs to a fellow master gardener and was my first time there.

I have two gardens now I really want you all to see so we need to have an event here next July when both these gardens will be in full bloom. We have many extraordinary gardens here on Whidbey but what I like about these two is that they are so doable. Well, today's was. The other, altho done 100% by the owner, is amazing. She's an artist as well as a gardener, so most of us (me) would not have her vision. But I like the gardens that are done by the owners, as opposed to a lot of professional help. And we could hit the nurseries we missed this year.

Oh yes Gwen - I was so bummed I couldn't make the Whidbey gathering this year and would love another chance next summer. And I too love the semi-doable gardens vs. the landscape/professional designer showcases.

Make sure my garden is on the tour! Things are coming together and I'm thrilled. Though I'm still fighting nettles and horsetail, I've been able to clear lots of areas and my Memory Garden is almost complete. I'll share photos soon.

Gwen, was it Jean's or Rita's garden that entranced you so much? I've seen Jean's, but not Rita's and wasn't able to go on Thursday.

Of course your garden is on the tour!

It was Jean's. Rita's is nice too. She has a lot of roses, which you don't always see here. And she has killer views of the sound.