Becoming a Display Garden

The American Daylily Society’s Display Garden Program showcases the beauty, diversity, and versatility of daylilies in gardens across the country. Official Display Gardens are open to the public and serve as living classrooms—welcoming visitors, inspiring gardeners, and promoting the love of daylilies.

If you’re interested in having your garden recognized as an AHS Display Garden, this page will guide you through the requirements, benefits, and steps to apply.

Become an Official AHS Display Garden

Welcome to the path of showcasing the beauty of daylilies in your own garden! The American Daylily Society (AHS) Display Garden Program recognizes well-maintained gardens that are open to the public and feature a diverse collection of labeled daylilies.

Why Apply?
  • Let visitors immerse themselves in a vibrant display of daylily cultivars in a beautifully curated garden setting.
  • Contribute to public education on modern daylily varieties and enhance your garden’s visibility in the AHS community.
  • Officially recognized gardens may also order a custom AHS sign to highlight their status.
Eligibility Criteria

To qualify as an official AHS Display Garden:

  • The garden owner or liaison must have been an AHS member for at least two years, and maintain membership in good standing.
  • The garden should feature at least 100 different registered daylily cultivars.
  • It must be well-maintained, with water, mulch, proper fertilization—and relatively free of weeds.
  • Plant markers must be in good condition and clearly display cultivar name and hybridizer; historical gardens (see below) must also include the year of introduction.
  • The garden must be open to the public during bloom season, and owners are encouraged to carry their own liability insurance (AHS insurance does not cover visitation).
  • Commercial gardens are asked to designate a specific area as the Display Garden.
  • The garden must be inspected and approved by the appropriate Regional President (RP) or their designated representative and recommended to the Display Garden Chairperson.
What About Historical Display Gardens?

For those focusing on heritage daylilies:

  • Historical  daylilies are defined as all daylily species plus daylily cultivars registered 30 years prior to the current year.
  • Historical Display Gardens must feature at least 50 registered historical cultivars, defined as those registered more than 30 years ago.
  • These gardens should reflect a diverse collection—from various hybridizers—with full labeling (cultivar, hybridizer, and intro year).
How to be Removed as a Display Garden?

To be removed from the list of Display Gardens and/or Historical Daylily display gardens, a request should be made by the garden owner (or, if a public garden, the garden liaison person) by contacting the appropriate RP who should then forward the request to the Display Garden Chairperson.

Application

To Apply: Complete and submit the Display Garden Application (see below).

Are Renewals Required?

Display Gardens and Historical Display Gardens are required to be renewed every three years.

  • By early September of each year, display garden owners will be notified about renewing their status.
  • Forms must be submitted online by October 1.
Display Garden Online Application
Download Evaluation Form
Display-or-Historical-Garden-Application 2026Download

Display Garden Update

Have updates to your Display Garden? You don’t need to wait for the three-year renewal cycle. Use the Update My Display Garden form to submit changes at any time.

Become a Display Garden

If you’re interested in becoming an AHS Display Garden, visit the Become a Display Garden page to learn about eligibility, expectations, and how to apply.

Display Garden and Daylily Sources Search

Explore gardens near you, visit the Display Garden Search page which includes search tools, garden features, and an interactive map to help you plan your visit.

Display Garden Renewal

If you’re interested in becoming an AHS Display Garden, visit the Become a Display Garden page to learn about eligibility, expectations, and how to apply.