Michelle, I lived in the Atlanta area for 9 years. During that time I purchased a red spider, maintained it for 4 years and never had a bloom. I've since learned that zone 7 wasn't cold enough for that one.

Now in zone 9a/b, I grow evergreens and semi-evergreens that have evergreen characteristics. Dormants usually don't grow down here.

If you are in zone 7 or 8 (as you describe your climate) you should be able to grow most all dormants + semievergreens + evergreens. Trial and error will tell you if your dormants are too dormant, but those will be few and far between. I would recommend ordering from growers in TX and areas south as well as growers in zones 7 and 8. You shouldn't go wrong with that. As you can see the South is one humogous area and you can't lump growing conditions together. Microclimates and cold spells can determine whether a prized cultivar with grow, or not.

Most dormants need at least three weeks when the ground temp is at freezing or below. If you only get occasional cold snaps that probably won't be enough to keep hard dormants going. If I were you, I would stick with evergreens and semievergreens. The only dormants I would buy would be those hybridized in the South. Stamile's more recent dormants, for example, should probably do OK for you.

Debra

You could tour the AHS Display Gardens in Dallas and Hurst. Then tour the AHS Display Garden in Tyler on your way to Jack Carpenter's Lily Farm around Nacogdoches. Jack and Josie Bomar have just super stuff!
Have fun and along the way, someone will answer your questions regarding dormants.
Ed

Here is a link that might be useful: Lily Farm

Even though I'm somewhat new to daylilies I have had some for three years but they've all been purchased from local nurseries so I'm taking it that they only buy what would grow here?
All if my established daylilies are dormant types and so far all has gone great with them.
I was wondering myself about this, if I was to buy from and company up north say MD would the dormants do ok here but on the other hand I've read that rules of thumb was dormant daylilies are for the north, semi evergreen for cental and evergreen for the south but that is showing false cause I have dormant.
Michelle, we need Texas daylily grows to teach us what grows good here don't we?

Maybe we can get better info come this Sept at the Botanic garden sale.

I know for a fact that northern daylilies that are registered as evergreens, do not perform as evergreens in my zone 9 garden. I've got some Jack Carpenter stuff that is registered as evergreen that doesn't like my garden. That's called fine tuning.

thanks all for the advice!!

Beachlily - I am zone 7b. I have been ordering from the Shooter's and they are in NC - when I visit my sister there, the weather is always very similar to what I have here at home... so I hope that their dormants will do well for me... I hope the Stargate Explosion I got will not be a lesson in loosing dormants, 'cause I'll be a little pissed if I loose a $50 plant... but I guess it is a plant...

Debra - Thanks for the practical knowledge! I just love a ton of the Stamile's stuff - so I hope they will work for me here! Most of the ones on my list are SEV's - I just love the work they are doing with blues and Grace's mini's... I just adore the idea of the new "Little Blue Bell" - blue and mini!!!

Ed - I have looked up all the AHS gardens around here, and I could make apts. and make a weekend of it (most of them are people's yards). Tyler is about 2+ hours from the house and Center about 4... Maybe I need to find a place to stay the night around that area! So... where is YOUR AHS garden (I have seen all your lovley pictures)???? :o)

Barb - If you can believe it, my anniversary is on Sept. 22nd! I have been trying to strong arm the BF into going to the Fort Worth DL sale (awwwww.... how romantic)! Angie and a few others from the TGF are going I know for sure! If I can talk him into it, I'd love to meet up with some of you all!

Hi Michelle,
I don't have and AHS Display Garden. :0( no, not really, it's just not my thing. Spring, before it gets too hot is the best time to tour the Display Gardens. You can easily spend a day at the Lily Farm. I think he has like 250,000 seedlings alone. You might spend the night in Rusk and check out the Texas State Railroad too, while you're there.
Then next year, you can come to the AHS National here in Houston. You might even get to meet me! But get your tickets early!
I do have lots of family in your area and every time I come up there I have a load of plants. So far everything grows well up there. You can grow dormants, semis and evergreens there. I guarantee it!
Ed

Ed - I was reading on the Carpenter's site and saw that he was talking about selling his seedlings - I don't necessarily have to have named cultivars... I just want them to be strong and pretty, and preferably fertile as I will probably be messing around with seeds (just for fun). He does have some nice seedlings posted on his website.

I noticed that there are quite a few farms around the Houston area... It might be fun to attend the National... what is it like?

If your family up here is ever tired of planting... we could always meet for coffee and a swap! :o) But right now most of mine are just babies...so, I guess I would have to swap you for some of my handmade herbal soaps! I dream of them becoming clumps... seriously... LOL.

I am glad to know the dormants are doing well up my way!

Thanks for all the info,
Michelle

Hi Michelle,
Jack is famous for selling his seedlings. If he will sell it, you will usually pay more for it than a named cv! Trust me! His farm is just vast, comparable to anyone else's. An experience you shouldn't pass up if you like daylilies.

We do have some nice farms/AHS Display Gardens in Houston area. The national has lots of everything. Technical presentations, Boutique with daylily stuff, flower show, daylily auction, banquet and a two day tour of 8 very nice daylily gardens. And a lot of socializing with other daylily nuts; you would not be disappointed!

I'll see what I can do about a swap.
Ed

Aw young love, by the time you get my age anniversaries come and go without much to do LOL.

Wow, sounds like a fun time to be had in Houston and I'm so glad to hear we can grow the all :) doing back flips YAY.

That's all I needed to hear to keep my newest addiction going.

Barb,
I guess it is young... Three years! Love that man to death!

Looks like I'll be doing what everyone here is calling a "mecca"... LOL

When I first started growing daylilies, I loved the minis and got several Siloams. They are all mostly dormants. Several of them did ok for a couple of years but I noticed they are disappearing on me. I think they need a more dormant period than we get here. I think you really should stick to EV and semi-ev. I am getting a few of the Stamile dormants but they are in Fla. Grace Stamile told me that the dormants are slower to increase where it is hot. I did break down and get Heavenly Angel Ice (dor) from the Gossards, so far it has done ok for me and bloomed beautifully for me this spring. Mostly I am sending my dormants further north to family members. So unless they are hybridized in the south, I stick mostly to Ev and semi.

Dot