First, what zone are you going to be moving to? If you are still going to be in zone 9 you can select almost anything although if I were starting over I would read the list of favorites on the forums especially those who live in your zone. I ignore the AHS lists because most of the people who vote on those cultivars are from the east coast or the mid-west and their favorites don't always do as well in zone 9. There are many lilies that cost from $5 to $20 that are much more dependable than some of the expensive new varieties. The top of my favorites list would be RED VOLUNTEER, CANADIAN BORDER PATROL AND CHAMONIX. Try a dozen of the oldies but goodies and then try a couple of newer ones (for that read much more expensive).

JoAnn

Thanks for the response. When I move, I'll be staying in zone 9. I am on the east coast in central florida.

I did look on the AHS popularity polls in my region and there were a couple I will put on my list but some were too expensive for a beginner like me. I do think I prefer some of the oldies but goodies over most of the newer intros.

I noticed you mentioned RED VOLUNTEER as a favorite. I didn't realize that dormants did ok in zone 9.

Thanks again for responding.
-Tracey

When I got started I limited myself to one source at a time (you could start with Patron, or Marietta, or any one of the wonderful Florida DL nurseries - but southern would be your best bet.) I put a limit on how much I would spend on one DL. A low limit, actually, for starters - I saw no reason to spend a bundle till I knew what I liked. I looked at the grower's pix to narrow down the ones I liked; then I compared to the pictures on Tinker's database and Hortiplex (which also has helpful reviews.) You can also do Google images to find more pictures. Finally I tried to consider heights and a variety of bloom times. This forum is helpful too - you can post a list of what you're considering and get feedback. Some of my favorite DLs were bought when I knew next to nothing. And don't be intimidated by the folks who are buying the latest $250 intros - you're gonna love your $5 and $10 varieties just as much, and you don't have to worry about them!

Oh, you're going to have fun, Tracey - don't be overwhelmed!

Elizabeth

Welcome to the forum Tracey and yes, stay away from dormants. Start out with lower priced reliable cultivars, discover which are your favorites and soon, you too will be sucked into the addiction. Don't fight it, just go with the flow.

Brooke

I primarily lurk and learn. Have always had daylilies; workhorse clumps of the old Hyperion, some nice peach and peach with maroon throated non-identifiables, as well as the ever reliable Stella d'Oro.

Last year when I decided it was time to celebrate daylilies, for me, the best plan to increase my stock was to see what was available locally and at reasonable prices ($8-12 is my range) - and was plesasantly surprised to find a scattering of DLs noted as good performers, worth having etc. by people on the forum. Since I don't do mail order or the auctions, I'm limiting myself to what I can find at good garden centers within a 50 mile radius of home. (And if Wal-Mart has an interesting prepackaged selection, that's fine too.) I won't have the latest introductions or anything pricey, but I do get nice healthy plants with multiple fans that can be split over the years.

It can be bewildering with thousands of daylilies out there. At first, I wanted them all since I have plenty of space and a flexible budget for the gardens - then reality set in and I decided if I could cultivate 3 or 4 dozen real favorites I'd be a happy gardener.

Tracey, I live beachside in Central FL. If you want, please send me an email through my personal page here at the Garden Web and we can exchange ideas of what would work for you. My list of daylilies is 4 pages long, so don't want to post all that here!

I too live in Central Fl, in Polk County. Some dormants will grow here provided they get enough chill time in the winter. I grow a lot of evergreen and semi evergreen. The few dormants I have were given to me by a friend who has a terminal disease and being out in the sun to work among her plants aggrevated her disease, so she gave them to me. I think of her every time they bloom. One flower in particular, Farmer's Daughter was hybridized in FL by David Kirchoff but it is a dormant If you get a lot of Munson plants you will not go wrong. He was a hybridizer up near Gainesville, Wymberlyway Gardens. His sister Betty Hudson, hybridized a few flowers and her daughter, Elizabeth is currently a hybridizer of some note. She is now Elizabeth Salter and won the Stout Medal in 2001 for her hybridizing efforts. The Salters have moved their gardens back to area of Gainesville to be near her mother, who is currently sick with Alzheimers.

Thank you everyone for your responses! I learn something new everyday on this forum.

I didn't know what Tinker's database was so I Googled it and it looks very helpful. Just what I was looking for.

Beachlily, where do you buy your daylilies? Do you use mail order? If so, which ones? I think that is my toughest decision.

I just started looking at the Munson flowers and I really like them. And I think they will do well in my area.

Thank you!

-Tracey

Tracey, I get most of mine through trades. I belong to the Central FL Daylily Society that meets at Leu Gardens. Members trade, daylilies are auctioned off at cheap prices and we have give aways at every meeting. I've been active in the daylily community for the last 5 years. Even now I'm making a list of the daylilies that will be removed this fall and they will be mostly given away because I don't have room for the 30 I have in pots.

Now isn't a good time to plant. In Central FL the best time to plant daylilies is November-February. The weather is too hot now and rain (trying to remember what that looks like) will cause plants to rot if their root systems aren't well developed. Now is the time for list making--whether it is to chose new plants or chose those that find new homes.