#4 on my Bud King countdown was a tie with Clarification and Cowgirl Spurs.

Clarification was a big surprise since it was nearly devoured three falls ago when I got it from Mantis. The next year it was just one tiny fan fighting to survive. Last year it was two small fans that didn't bloom. So I was amazed this year when it had such great branching and a bud count of 27.

Cowgirl Spurs had its highest bud count ever at 27. Previously the high bud count was 23.

#5 was El Desperado with 26 buds on its best scape. This one used to be one of my best budded every year but dropped off the past two due to grub attacks.

I hope we get some participation on this thread. So few people are posting now that I don't know if we will.

More from me later!

Debra

Some of my best budded daylilies arent finished yet. It has been a strange gardening year for all, but it will be awhile til I can participate on this thread.

Sherry

Sherry - I know it will be awhile for our Northern friends. This is the latest I've had to wait to count buds because so many of mine are blooming weeks later than normal. It does seem like interest is low on posting now. Brad, David and Celeste are too busy to comment on other people's posts. Laura just drops in a few times, and we've lost Avedon and Karen because of the difficulty in posting. I hope Nat will post a few more times.

Debra

You know, bud count is not a record I keep. Well, full disclosure, I dont keep any records!! :) I have so many on my acreage, both registered and noid, that if one has a low bud count I just enjoy it while it is blooming and move on when it is done!! That being said, I know which of mine are stars and bloom a long time whether due to number of buds or being bud builders.

However, I do enjoy this thread and find it interesting.

Kate - Yes, I know you and Kay don't pay attention to bud count, and that's fine. I like to know which ones produced the most flowers. I also keep track of the best rebloomers and longest bloomers. I'm just a nerd like that. LOL I'm glad you enjoy this thread though.

Debra

I’m going to add Spectral Elegance to the list because it is now blooming on a rebloom scape, first rebloom ever on this one. Not the best photo but I’m happy to see flowers on it now.

I am guessing you are thrilled Cowgirl Spurs is on your list!

Sherry

I can't participate but will enjoy viewing the posts. Looking forward to the seedling thread.

Julia

Sherry - Yes, I was pleased when I noticed Cowgirl Spurs had two scapes with 27 buds. I had to come in and edit my post for the #4 spot. CS had several scapes with 24 and 26, so this was its best year ever. I'm glad Spectral Elegance is doing so well for you. I know that you get rebloom on only a few.

Julia - I'm glad you enjoy this thread!

Debra

I need to add another one for #5 that is tied with El Desperado with 26 buds. It's my own intro, Gypsy Cats. I hadn't been able to get to it until today. The daylilies with it in the Circle Bed have grown together, and I had to wait until they were finished blooming to wade in there. Another good thing to report about Gypsy Cats. It has rebloom scapes for the first time ever! (Edited to say I just found a scape in the back of one of the clumps with 29 buds.)

Gypsy Cats

There were four cultivars tied for my #6 position with 24 buds:

The Blues Project

Boundless Beauty

Reckless Girls

From This Moment On

There were also four daylilies tied for #7 with 23 buds on their best scapes. They were:

Pink Lemonade Party - That's an all-time high for that one in my garden. It's previousl high bud count was 20.

Twentieth Century Fox - By the way, not a late in my garden. It blooms early.

Irresistible You

Spanish Sketch

Debra

This yearly post is always a good one to see, good info.

Interesting that Musical Melody should have the same number 2 years in a row! the Blues Project is my favorite of these.

I will post mine later since mine aren't done yet. VT Autumn Fires has 30, 2x28, 26 & 23 so far but it is a bud builder and blooms a couple of months but has just really started. It looks like Vt Sofie and VT the Last Melon will have at least that many but they haven't even started yet. I have a number of daylilles at a glance seem to have nearly 15, such as Coral Majority. That's good but not really notable.

Brad

Brad - I look forward to your final post. It sounds like VT Autrumn Fires is really doing great!

Debra

I don't count buds except on the seedlings and I never do that until winter. I collect the dried scapes, bundle them and save them. Then in the winter, I count and measure. So, anything I say will just be my impression.

Bob and I were talking about this one today. We stopped to look at it and Bob started to pull off the dead flowers (we don't deadhead either) so he could get a clump shot. This is Bob Marley. It has increased very fast and was covered in flowers today.

Nancy

Nancy - I love the shot of Bob Marley, especially since it shows other clumps in your garden too! It is an impressive clump!

Debra

In my 7th place with 21 buds were three cultivars. I had many with 20, so over 20 is all I will post.

Faith That Moves Mountains - Before this year, FTMM had only 10-13 buds.

The Tribble With Blue - I think last year's best scape had 24.

Mystic Maize - Last year it was the best budded of my registered cultivars with 34 buds. I think the lack of rain is why it fell so much in bud production.

Debra

Well, I think bud count is very important, but I pay more attention to those with deficits. Moreover, some with high bud count have bloom crowding. I certainly am interested, though, in those of yours that have had high bud count. Boundless Beauty is one that has good bud count, but also some crowding, as well as some that don't open well. It isn't as bad as some make it out to be though. Some claim that 30% of the blooms are tangled or don't open well. That is higher than here.

Mantis - Very few blooms here on Boundless Beauty are tangled or don't open well. But it's hot enough here when it blooms that the flowers open effortlessly. I would say less than 5 percent have issues with opening.

Debra

So far Boundless Beauty has not had high bud count here, but it is rare that it has a bloom that does not open.

Isabelle Rose had 2 scapes with counts of 27 and top scape of 48. I don't have photos of all on my phone, I will try to add it later. I look forward to seeing this next year though.

Hakuna Matata has 9 scapes, 5 had between 33 and 39 buds, but it was still adding branches

Mean Green ranged from 17 to 38, the 17 was rebloom scape, most were low 20s

Clown Parade had 2 extra tall scapes with 25 and 36 buds each. The other shorter scapes were much less, averaging 15

Black Fathom Depths highest bud counts were 32 and 34, others in mid 20s

Fried Green Tomatoes had 27 to 35.

Orange Velvet had 24, 26, 32

Entwined in the Vine 19, 24, 30

Scandinavia 24 to 29

Sailor Sky had one scap with 29, but others I counted were 14 to 19, still has blooms with rebloom

Hollywood Lights top scapes were 23 and 26, Top back right of the photo, I know I took another

Sherry Lane Carr 25 to 29

Sometimes Never 26 to 29

Tahiti Sweetie 19 to 25

There were others that had counts of over 20, seems like I had better counts than I ever had. We have been relatively dry and I have not watered much, so rather surprised when I finally started counting. Rebloom has been better too. Maybe timing of the rain is what made the difference.

Nancy - Wow! Lots of yours showed off this time. Clown Parade had those counts here in the mid-20s last year, but it was only in the high teens this year. If Isabelle Rose regularly has the kind of counts it has for you, I need to get mine out of the pot and into the ground pronto. I'm always impressed with how Hakuna Matata performs for you. I think I'm most amazed by the bud counts you got on Entwined In the Vine. It's only registered as having 15 buds, and I'm always happy when mine gets 17 or 18 buds per scape. Thanks for posting your counts and your nice photos!

The only time I've had this much rebloom was in the flood year of 2010. I'm thinking the abundant rains in March and the few rains we got in May and June must be responsible.

Debra

Wow Nancy, you've got some fantastic bloomers! My Orange Velvet did well, but not as well as yours.

Anyone: I have a trade going locally. How does Absolute Treasure or Heartbeat of Heaven do? They are 2 options and I know I've seen them here. Also, does anyone have these and how do they do: Green Arrow, Green Inferno, Wings on High, Purple Many Faces, Yo Big Mouth, Hippie ?chic, and In High Regard?

thanks

Brad

Brad, Heartbeat of Heaven does well for me. This year the blooms were pretty, last year it was kind of muddy looking, I don't know what was going on with it. It got 12 to 16 bud count this year.

Nancy and Brad - Every bloom on my Heartbeat of Heaven was splotchy this year. When temps are 90 or above, the color does not hold here.

Debra

I wish I had a few high bud counts like the lists above. None here are even close to that with the exception of Autumn Minaret which is in a class by itself. The only daylily that prompted me to count buds was Bela Lugosi, it did have its best season here. It had 6 scapes with 21, 15,15,11,18,25 buds, not even close to other stats here.

It was a downer of a season overall, the worst in a decade or so.

Sherry

Sherry - Your Bela Lugosi deserves to be here with its 25 and 21-bud scapes. Mine certainly didn't do that well. It only had about 15 buds per scape. I can only recall one year a long time ago (perhaps our flood year) when it has bud counts in the 20s. That's a beautiful picture of it!

Debra

Heartbeat of Heaven very good here this year; many years before, rather splotchy or washed out. Not a good multiplier here. Green Arrow--a unique flower and color, but scape may lean. Absolute Treasure is an older Stamile classic. I like it, but Stamile pinks have lost their allure. Isabelle Rose has very high bud count here.

Mantis - I would agree that Heartbeat of H. is not a good multiplier. It's been at three fans here since I got it five years ago. It will be leaving the garden this fall. Although I like Absolute Treasure, I'm getting so low on space that it may be going too.

Debra

Well all my records are on the dead file in my old computer so I have no way to give you this info. All of my 1st and best bloom times, all my garden records and my journaling is there as well. I do have a hard copy of blooms in beds and their vitals, but there is a lot of work ahead on this again. Ah well.

kay

I realized I never got back to add the bud count fir Hakuna Matata. It is still blooming, and still getting multiple blooms every day, but the end is near. It has been blooming just I very a month now. The 5 best scapes, out of 9, were 41, 42, 46, 49, and, wait for it... 55. I have never had a plant bloom so well. I rarely have plants meet their bud count, much less exceed. Maybe it is location, Entwined in the Vine is pretty close, and had higher bud counts. There are several other daylilies near though that bloom well, but not like this. Wish the blooms were a little larger. It sets pods easily. I started seeds last winter, but stuff came up and they did not survive my neglect, but the seeds had really good germination.

Nancy - Thanks for getting back to us on Hakuna Matata! Those are some amazing bud counts on it, and how great that it's still blooming. I'm surprised it doesn't have any kids registered in the database. I know I saw Celeste post a seedling with it as a parent on NGA.

Debra

As you know, I am on a different computer and have lost all the daylily records that I had been keeping so no photos or anything like that this year. I do know that Tried Green Tomatoes and Desperate Housewives were my bud champs simply because they are bud builders and Desperate Housewives continues to pump out blooms every day still although it is down to one or two.. I always enjoy this post to see what is blooming everywhere.

kay

Kay, Fried Green Tomatoes put on a good show this year with only 3 scapes. It has added at least 2 fans though, so I am hoping for a REALLY big show next year.

Debra, I too was surprised at no children listed, I think ever pod I set pollen to has pods, and so far all but 1 has viable seeds. I mentioned that I lost the seedlings I started over winter. But Hukuna had the best looking seedlings, and I even had a few survive, but just never planted them.

kay - I'm surprised Desperate Housewives is still blooming for you, and I know from your previous photos that Fried Green Tomatoes always puts on a show.

Nancy - I hope to see some of your Hakuna Matata kids in the future.

Here Surfin' Dude continues to bud build. The best scape now has 44 buds, and it looks like it is still building buds.

Debra