ATP Series: The Daylilies of Bill and Joyce Reinke

Stephens Lane Garden, Bells TN

This weeks hybridizers are known for polymerous daylilies, as well as spiders and unusual forms.

I remember seeing 'Give Me Eight' at a Region 15 Summer Meeting in Charlotte NC. I can't remember which garden it was in, but it really created a lot of talk back then. This must have been 15 to 20 years ago. It was the first "on purpose" poly daylily I had seen, and it was something to see - tall, with many blooms open - you could not miss it. Sure left a lasting impression on me!



The Reinke's daylilies are fairly well represented here in our ATP database. There are so many beautiful photos, it was hard for me to choose which ones to include with this write up.

'Gussie Harris' (Harris-Reinke-1997) was one of their earliest registrations, a 38" tall, 10-1/2" gold diploid.


Bill and Joyce have focused on intense colored daylilies, with beautifully formed large blooms held on impressive tall scapes.

Joyce received the Virginia Peck Outstanding Hybridizer Award in 2005.

Bill and Joyce have registered 200 daylilies and have won 15 Honorable Mentions, going back as far as 1995, when they won with 'Gadsden Goliath' up to their most recent HM, won in 2004 with 'Lacy Reinke.'





Karen's Curls is another of their HM winners, a lavender and cream, cascade unusual form.



When researching for this write up, I found many instances noting the Reinke's involvement with the clubs they belong to, their region and AHS, giving talks, educating etc. Bill and Joyce are Garden and Exhibition judges, and are quite involved in helping put on daylily shows. The Lee Pickles Outstanding Service Award was presented to Bill in 2005.



Joyce and Bill have written a book, Into the Golden Years of Gardening - Easing into Retirement at Stephens Lane Garden
http://mspbookstore.com/ingoye...
I also found a cookbook that may have been authored by them in 2000 and was possibly self-published, but seems to be unavailable, and I could not find out much information on it.

For more information, there is an article on the Reinke's in the Spring 2013 Daylily Journal.

I did find this website but I am not sure how current it is.
http://daylily.net/gardens/ste...

Some other intros from our database that I thought showed their wide range of interest….

Lavender Spider (Harris-Reinke)








If you can add more information about the Reinke's, please do. From what I read in the Journal article, their garden sounds quite impressive, including an English style perennial garden complete with peacocks. If you have toured their garden I would love to see some photos!

DREAM QUEEN


PERSIMMONE



RED RUEBEN STEVENS

REFRESHINGLY YOURS

Wow, these are all new to me. I didn't know about these hybridizers. Very nice daylilies.

I grow 16 of the Reinke's daylilies.

Here's a few of them.
BRADLEY BERNARD

EL NINO

SCARLET POLY-ANNA

GOLD ELEPHANT

ROSY POLYPHEMUS

I have Bradley Bernard (no photos) and Teenie Girl. It really does have some teenie blooms.

First year, blooms really not colored right (first photo). Second year no blooms. But this year, they are turning more to what they should be.

I have grown several of the Reinkes' daylilies in the past, but they mostly (if not entirely) hybridize for diplolids, and I now grow mostly tetraploids.

Bill and Joyce both welcomed me to the snail mail polytepal (as it was called back then) Round Robin many years ago, and encouraged my interest in and involvement with polymerous daylilies. That encouragement is something that I am very grateful for. I recall that Joyce, in particular, was always gracious in her communications.

I still have GIVE ME EIGHT and GADSDEN ICICLE in the garden.

Hem. 'Gadsden Icicle' with the double Shasta Daisy 'Ice Star' and Penstemon 'Holly's White' in the background

I have a few also.
Coral Spider

Bradley Bernard


Lee Reinke




Give Me Eight

They have certainly created some awesome cultivars... I just don't have any myself. Lacy Reinke stole my heart! I it!

OMG! I need more room in my garden. I love Lee Reinke !

I do too. I don't believe I ever saw that one before but it sure is pretty!!!

Tgarden711 and Hemlady, I got it last year. It really like the spot that it is in next to Lavender Handlebars and Carmen Renee. It constantly put out at least three blooms per day. It will only get better with time.

Teenie Girl is adorable! Over the years Bradley Bernard, Cherokee Vision, Judge Roy Bean, Karens Curls, Refreshingly Yours and Spririt of Memphis have all been grown here. Afte enjoying them for 4 -5 years they were moved to the sales bed, images are photos from flim that haven't been scanned yet.
The only one still here is Mont Royal Demitasse, a curious small brown with wonderful plant, great branching and bud count.

The only Reinke I currently grow is Karen's Curls, very sentimental as Karen Newman and I traded for this many years ago.

There were a few GREAT looking Reinke cultivars at this years' convention however.
First there was SILVER EDGINGS, Reinke 04.

And then Teenie Girl B. Reinke 04. How cute is this ( 3" blooms)

and MAJESTIC KALEIDOSCOPE by Joyce Reinke:


The Reinkes have recently moved from TN Region 10 to NC. I don't know what or how much of their garden they moved.

Julie, I heard that when researching for this, but on the Portal and their website it still lists TN, so that is what I posted. Lovely photos!

Karen's Curls is very nice!

Teenie Girl IS cute! Listed at 32" tall, I'm finding that I really prefer taller daylilies in the Teenie Girl range, whether a small bloom or large. I have run out of garden space and am thinking about getting rid of those that I just don't care about as much. But the taller ones are definitely staying:)

Karen's Curls & Silver Edgings