Charting My Daylily Beds

15 years ago

There have been several posts over the years on how to mark daylilys, seedlings, etc., so I figured I would share my newest idea with everyone in case anyone is interested. I won't take credit for it... may have been mentioned somewhere and lodged in my memory only to finally have surfaced, but it is working wonderfully so even if it has been mentioned before, it is worth reiterating.

It is impossible for me to guarantee any of my markers will A. stay in the ground with all of my dog traffic or B. be readable two years down the road after I have put them in. I also like to be able to ID the lilies in the middle of the garden without climbing through and trying to spot the tag. I have tried the graph paper way of charting the garden, which has been somewhat successful, but my spacial ability is limited when it comes to making this kind of chart, so it is still fairly confusing for anyone but myself to read.

SO...this year, I have taken pictures of all of my DL gardens this spring (while it is easy to see which clump is which), printed the pictures out, and actually ID'd each clump in the picture. It has been working WONDERFULLY!. I am putting the finalized "maps" in plastic sleeves in a three ring binder so I can carry them with me in the garden when I walk and take pictures. I have had to take dozens of pictures, but I don't plan on changing any of these charted gardens, so it is worth the ink and paper invested. It is so much easier to look at a picture than try to figure out a chart!

Anyway, just an idea, but I have been so thrilled with the results that figured I would share.

This is one of my smallest DL gardens...looks horribly empty right now but by bloom time it is absolutely full up!

Julie

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Comments (3)

newyorkrita
15 years ago
Hey, you are one smart lady :-)) Absolutely Great Idea!
blue23rose
15 years ago
That looks like a winner to me. I don't have my daylilies in nice rows and this would definitely take out some of the guessing. I have put markers on all the known dls, but as you said, I can't be sure that they will last more than a couple of years and I certainly don't want a know dl to become an unknown.

I can start doing this now, so thank you very much for the idea. And of course, I will have to take even more pictures after this season, because I have already ordered more and these will go in the bare spots that I have.
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luvtosharedivs
15 years ago
Very nice!

I've seen that type of "charting" done by someone on the Hosta forum, which works successfully for them.

So far, I've kept my plantings charted on a graph (Excell), and I have some beds with other perennials planted with the DL's, also add an occasional garden ornament as an anchor point to measure/count from.

However, I have created some new seedling beds that my dog and her friend, the neighbor's dog, run through, and topple the markers. I like your photo ID chart, and may well use it in the future.

Thanks for sharing your idea!

Julie

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Charting My Daylily Beds

Comments (3)

newyorkrita

blue23rose

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