Thanks to both of you for your suggestions. I will definitely order some leaves asap. I hope it's not too late for decent shipping! I'll try some from Lyndon Lyon this time around, I had looked at their website too. But there are a lot of vendors I hadn't heard about before. Irina, I too like the old "classic" AVs, they have a special place in my heart, because they remind me of the little violets my mom would get every mother's day in those blue and white china pots. Aegis, your photo is beautiful. All three of the plants in it are lovely. Actually the lighter blue one in the background strikes my interest. The foliage on Private Dancer is really nice too. And as for my growing from leaves skill, I don't know if I'm particularly good at it, or if the plants I have are just particularly hardy. That remains to be seen when I try some fancier varieties. I know the plants I grow have at least acclimated to my home very well, because they're unstoppable. The plants started from new crowns or "suckers" mature really fast into larger plants, but the ones I start from leaves take longer. They typically take about four months before sprouting baby leaves. Then after that they take another couple of months or so before they start looking like nice plants. So it takes some patience, but as long as I see that the leaves are green and firm, I let them be and they do what they like. I actually have a new plant I started from a leaf I "stole" from an AV at Lowe's which is just now sprouting baby leaves, and I rooted that leaf back in July. So it's been a while. I don't put them under plastic or anything like most people do, I just stick the leaves in AV soil in coconut husk pots, put them on a shelf over my heater vent, keep the soil moist, and they seem to do fine. The coconut husk pots are actually what I use for sprouting vegetables from seed, because you can just put them right in the ground. I compost the AV ones once the plant is big enough for a real pot. They're fairly cheap in bulk, and convenient, and environmentally friendly too. Anyway, thanks again! I'll have to post pictures of my lovelies too. I'm curious to find out if my minis are truly minis, or if they're "semi-minis" or what. They're really unusual.

I don't have any ideas on the attic but thought the "ladder to "no where "was interesting. Long ago I was in a couple of "Underground railroad" houses. 1 had false wall upstairs. GF asked if I noticed anything strange about her closet. I sure did, you never put molding in all around the back wall, I slid my hand down the edge & the wall opened to show a passageway. Papers in basement told about how scared the family was as soldiers were hanging out at their home while black folks were in the passage. Gf wanted to know how I knew right off. My dad built all of our houses so he taught me as we went along. I often held flashlight or light on end of cord, until I was old enough to hammer! Other house is why I'm curious. It had a birdbath out in yard,nice perennials around the base & large yard. Lovely large old house with wrap around porch, I loved it. Then 1 day we were in basement & I looked at walls & wondered why they were such a mess. GF told me good reason,stone in 1 area, brick in another, old dark stone,didn't match up with rest of house. The pretty stone part had a little latch & you could open a door that was so silent & moved so easy I couldn't believe it. inside was where her mom used to store canned goods but no longer did as the sod & timber roof didn't seem that "safe" any more to her dad. As you looked down that tunnel it was an optical illusion as it seemed to be a straight tunnel it was not. It went off to the right & then if you were to go in there it came back to the left thereby hiding many people even though they had found the door & tunnel they could go out birdbath opening & try to run. I knew at 1 time how many people you could hid in there. It was about 4 ft wide or maybe wider. You have all seen coal mines. It was supported by these old timbers with some cross pieces. I tried to figure out how the illusion worked, my dad showed me but that was 50 yrs ago so have no idea but builder was smart. So sapphire, you could have a strange assortment of walls in your basement. The latch was very close to the bottom within a ft. of the floor & I think the workings were all brass. Also no one would talk about it in town & people that had these houses kept quiet. I told dad & he told me never to talk about it I while I lived there. The houses were couple of miles apart. Could have been lots of houses around then or maybe just those, would have to do lot of research & if owner found papers in basement & didn't like what he saw might have destroyed them. So some warm summer night you might want to do a close inspection of your basement. Or the ladder to no where could be ladder to go up with hooks off to side to hang bikes or something on to get them out of way!! Enjoyed this thread!!

I buy from the Lily Auction, several hybridizers, and some resellers. Also, I have been very lucky to get plants from some of the other forum posters. The way to really see what a bloom really looks like is to see it in the photos people take of their own daylilies. If you look at the ones posted on the forum, you see what they look like and can find comments on what they grow like in their area. The photo shopping is definitely done on some websites, but I don't think it is done here....mine never are, I am not that skillful and don't see the point. I have been growing for 11 years and make changes every year. sometimes a plant just doesn't please you....As you commented, sometimes the color is off. some plants may not so well in your area...and I get tired of some or decide they don't bloom enough. Good luck to you. kay

@deew I could eat here every single day. We had ginger lemon kombucha, poke with quinoa, falafel and steak. Huge thank you to you and friends of deegw for the recommendation. I love the vibe of this place and wish it were closer to home. We have not had dessert yet but there is a cauliflower brownie with Maldon salt that we will have. Dh is going on and on about how he needs to find that salt for his cooking. Not sure if you saw my salt box post. I haven't given it to him yet. Not until we return home. Thanks!