The image above is of the lovely Hemerocallis 'Cleopatra', one of many belonging to an exciting group of Daylilies known as Spiders, Spider Variants and Unusual Form (UFO) Daylilies. Check out the links below to several Ontario nurseries that carry many of these quite different forms of Daylily. I haven't been this excited about anything in years.

The links below will take you to some of my favourite sites, both gardening and non-gardening ones. You will also find links to additional sites from the numerous pages on our site.

GARDENS

SUSAN'S GARDEN PATCH has not only wonderful and detailed graphics but is also packed with personal and plant details. Easy to navigate, it is sure to provide good information for the novice and experienced gardener alike.

LOCAL GARDENS

KEPPEL CROFT FARM & GARDENS, just a short distance from our cottage, is surely one of Ontario's finest gardens. Spread over 3 acres, the numerous varieties of gardens - thyme, water, herb, swamp, rockery, shady - of Bill and Dawn Loney bring visitors flocking in. You will also enjoy their nature trail, aviaries and animals including guinea fowl, peacocks and Highland cattle. Also home to Keppel Henge (see link below)

RURAL GARDENS OF GRAY & BRUCE COUNTY, a network of 32 gardens open for viewing during the gardening season, is sure to have something for everyone. If you are a resident of southern or southwestern Ontario you'll want to pick up a copy of their most recent brochure and map to plan your garden tours for next summer.

BOTANICAL TERMINOLOGY

DICTIONARY OF BOTANICAL EPITHETS has alphabetical links from abbreviatus to yunnanensis, as well as a search capability. Although most references are from alpine sources, you will undoubtedly find nearly everything you need here to answer your questions.

We have added our own page of BOTANICAL LATIN - BASICS with pictures of perennials to make learning easier and hopefully more fun.

DEER IN THE GARDEN

Dr. Leonard Perry, Extension Professor, University of Vermont, is the source I used as the reference for adding a deer gif in each of our Plant Partnership pages beside the plants that deer are not normally attacted to. For a summary of which methods work best to deer-proof your garden, and a list of plants that you may wish to add to your collection, just click on the deer graphic above.

GARDENING BOOKS

THE HARROWSMITH PERENNIAL GARDEN volume is unfortunately no longer in print. However, you may still find it on some bookstore shelves. When you do, buy it. Don't miss the opportunity to savour the experience of Larkwhistle, a beautiful perennial garden on the Bruce Peninsula. The informative and sometimes humorous text by author Patrick Lima is clearly equalled by the unsurpassed plant photography by partner and fellow-gardener John Scanlon. Sub-titled Flowers for Three Seasons, this book will help make your gardens more lovely from spring to fall.

HERITAGE PERENNIALS PERENNIAL GARDENING GUIDE may well be the most useful gardening book I own. I take it with me into the garden and I never go to nurseries without this book in hand to help guide my plant purchases. It provides what so many books do not, not only the height but also the spread of each plant at maturity to help you decide how far apart new additions need to be planted. Plant information is valuable and plentiful as are pictures of numerous species and cultivars with botanical Latin and common names for those who, like me, have a need to know both. Not only perennials, but ferns, ornamental grasses, groundcovers and herbs are covered.

For even more valuable information, visit the HERITAGE PERENNIALS site. The links you find there can be followed for many hours of gardening enjoyment on-line. Book-mark us first though, so you can find your way back to out site.

INTERNET GARDEN SITES & WRITERS

I only recently happened upon PAGHAT'S GARDEN while researching various perennial species and cultivars. Instantly I was hooked. This lady can certainly write well. She has included wonderful information in a well-organized format. You will find everything from an invaluable alphabetical Plant Index, with links to more detailed information and images, to detailed articles on a variety of subjects including people who have made their mark in the botanical world and an amazing number of plants themselves. You will never be short of informative reading material once you experience this site. Click the link to PAGHAT'S GARDEN to take you on a wonderful learning experience.

SPIDER, SPIDER VARIANT & UNUSUAL FORM DAYLILIES

The images above from left to right are:  Hemerocallis 'Cleopatra' (a true Spider), Hemerocallis 'Yabba Dabba Do' (a Spider Variant), Hemerocallis 'Lady Fingers' (a true Spider), Hemerocallis 'Carolina Octopus' (a true Spider) and Hemerocallis 'Kindly Light' (a true Spider)

CLASSES DEFINED

A true "Classic Spider" has very slender tepals whose length to width ratio is at least 5 to 1 or higher, small closures (the space across the heart of the flower) and very flat faces.

A "Spider Variant", formerly called an Exotic Form Daylily, has slender tepals whose width to tip ratio is between 4.0-4.9 to 1. These are fuller in form than true Spiders and have more colour surface which make them a favourite of garden designers.

The "Unusual Form" classification of Daylilies (UFOs) is based only on form or shape, not on colour or patterns. The flower of a UFO class daylily must have "distinctive petal, sepal or a combination of both petal and sepal shapes".

Below are links to Ontario Daylily Suppliers who carry a variety of Spider, Spider Variant and Unusual Form (UFO) Daylilies along with the ones we are already familiar with. If you haven't heard of these Hemerocallis forms before, follow a few of the links and view dozens of images showing the amazing difference in these beauties. Most have on-line catalogues with current pricing. You will immediately want to add some to your must-buy list for the next gardening year.