Product Description

Daylilies have been developed into a striking array of colorful hybrids from a small group of species in the genus Hemerocallis. These parent species are discussed and pictured in this comprehensive encyclopedia, but it focuses primarily on the amazing developments that have been achieved through plant breeding. Hundreds of new daylilies are introduced each year, and no other single book describes and illustrates so many of these remarkable flowers.

Close-up photographs illustrate more than 1200 daylilies, showing the detailed characteristics that hybridizers look for and work for. Each photo is accompanied by a thorough description of the daylily’s color, size, bloom season, and parentage. In addition to the pictorial encyclopedia, the book offers extensive information on cultivation and breeding. It concludes with a glimpse into the future, showing new hybrids not yet introduced, plants found today only in the seedling fields of private nurseries.

For experienced daylily hybridizers, the book is an invaluable reference for colors and designs that have already been created. By studying the illustrations, breeders can identify characteristics they would like to expand upon in future crosses. Gardeners at any level of experience will revel in the possibilities offered by the exquisite forms, colors, and patterns available.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #155863 in Books
• Published on: 2000-11-15
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 296 pages

Review
"Peat and Petit have successfully produced a valuable and useful reference. This book is an indispensable tool to any gardener planning his spring garden."—John Bagnasco, Garden Compass, November 2001 (John Bagnasco Garden Compass )

"The authors' personal acquaintance and the resulting information from major daylily growers and hybridizers make this work invaluable to all who grow or would like to grow daylilies."—National Gardener, April 2001 (National Gardener )

"This book is invaluable to all who grow or would like to grow daylilies."—Joanne S. Carpender, National Gardener, May 2001 (Joanne S. Carpender National Gardener )

A definitive, exhaustive, beautifully illustrated work. -- Gardens Illustrated, March/April 2001

If the daylily bug has bitten you, The Color Encyclopedia of Daylilies is a must-have book. -- Hawaii Horticulture, January 2001

Peat and Petit have successfully produced a valuable and useful reference. This book is an indispensable tool to any gardener planning his spring garden.John Bagnasco, Garden Compass, November 2001 (Garden Compass )

Photography remains top-notch throughout, especially hands-on images of pollinating, digging clumps, and dividing them. -- Mary Ellen Snodgrass, American Reference Books Annual, 2001

Serious plant propagators as well as hobby gardeners [will] find this book invaluable. -- Marianne Binetti, Seattle P-I.com, November 23, 2000

The authors' personal acquaintance and the resulting information from major daylily growers and hybridizers make this work invaluable to all who grow or would like to grow daylilies.National Gardener, April 2001 (National Gardener )

This book is invaluable to all who grow or would like to grow daylilies. -- Joanne S. Carpender, The National Gardener, May 2001

This book is invaluable to all who grow or would like to grow daylilies.Joanne S. Carpender, National Gardener, May 2001 (National Gardener )

From the Author
For a gardener new to daylilies, selecting which daylilies to buy can be a difficult task, and the first hurdle to overcome. There are over 40,000 cultivars to choose from, and, to make matters worse, daylilies range in price from $2 per plant for older cultivars to $200 per plant for new hybrids. There are many fine daylilies on the market today that the average backyard gardener may purchase without prompting a divorce. Investing in a copy of The Color Encyclopedia of Daylilies will be very worthwhile since here gardeners will have at their finger-tips all of the information needed to not only grow daylilies but also to create their own hybrids. And we list 1200 of the most popular daylilies in commerce today.

About the Author
John P. Peat of Toronto, Ontario, is a research technician in biology, daylily hybridizer, and nurseryman. He is the owner of Cross Border Daylilies.

Ted L. Petit, professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Toronto, breeds daylilies at his Florida garden, Le Petit Jardin. Both authors are active members of the American Hemerocallis Society.

Visit the authors' Web site at distinctly.on.ca

Customer Reviews

Daylily Passion
I have six books on daylilies, including "Daylilies A Fifty Year Affair," "Hemerocallis, The Daylily," and "A Passion For Daylilies" and grow the "latest and greatest" daylilies available today.

If I could only keep one book "The Color Encyclopedia of Daylilies" would be the one I would keep.

The color photos are the most extensive and complete of all the books published so far. It includes many selections of the new "Unusual Form" classification as well as all of the other classes. It shows many of the new traits exhibited in modern dayliles including sculpting, cordoury, polytepal, spiders and spider variants, "bagels" double edges, and more It also has the most comprehensive coverage of hybridizers to date.

Daylily lovers delight
Excellent book full of eye candy for the daylily lover. The basics have all been covered in other books, but what really makes this book stand out is the pictures. And what pictures! The organization of the book was nice too - chapters to reds, pinks, purples, unusual forms, etc. I have found this book helpful when shopping for daylilies (especially on-line) since I can often find a picture reference for a plant I am considering. My one complaint? While the whole book shows efforts of a wide range of hybridizers, quite a few of today's well known and/or top hybridizers are not shown in the chapter "Daylilies of the Future". Were they not asked to contribute? Did they choose not to contribute? I'm not sure of the answer but they were much missed by me. Otherwise - excellent reference and fun!

Pretty, Pretty Pictures
You will not find another book with such a variety of beautiful photos of daylilies. For daylily growers that want the most comprhensive photo gallery available to date. I would have enjoyed more details about the parentage of these beautiful daylilies. Munsen and Hill are tops for information but Petit's Encyclopedia is by far the pick for beautiful photos. I am sure the five stars this book received from reviewers was based on the hundreds of excellent color and variety of daylily types. If you like lots of top notch photos this is the best!!!