Renascence Daylily Gardens

More about the garden:

My gardens are located within an area of the county known for it’s glacial artistry, where the hills and valleys were carved out as the great expanses of ice melted and shifted over time.  The country roads are winding and the views, beautiful, on the way to our home. We are located just outside Verona, a mere 12 miles south-west of the city of Madison, WI, which is a hub for fun shopping, excellent food and the outstanding sports and acedemia that the University of WI-Madison is well known for.

The gardens started out filled with multiple perennials that covered every color under the sun.  Each of the them was enhanced with the addition of huges quantities of composted rabbit manure, courtesy of the rabbits I raised and showed for decades.  Over time, I downsized as life became busier, and the rabbits were sold and my focus shifted mainly to the plants.  Today, the main gardens are located toward the front of the property where I spend most of my time, although, many perennials, daylilies and hostas are peppering the periphery of our home.

There is a large, mature woods bordering our property, which is 35 acres of beautiful land that is also home to deer, turkeys, fox, rabbits and other critters.  We see a lovely variety of birds throughout the year and welcome them to feeders and birdhouses dotted around the gardens and along the woods.

In 2017, we were hit with straight line winds and a smaller tornado that destroyed 13 trees in our yard.  All those trees lining our driveway were uprooted and tossed to the side by the storm.  After cleaning up and assessing the damage, the one area became especially appealing for a large perennial and daylily bed to run along side the driveway.  I worked on making that vision come to fruition that fall and it is now one of the main display beds in the yard.

I am particularly attracted to vibrant daylilies and love UF’s but there is a good representation of all forms and all colors in both Tets and Dips within the gardens.  I’ve been hybridizing since 2016 and have approximately 2000 seedlings at any given time.  The gardens are all designed for easy viewing and access.  The seedling bed is on a sloped hillside but the paths between are wide to be able to evaluate the plants.

Visitors will be treated to a vast palate of color designed by both nature and humans within this very beautiful area of the country.