Last week’s visit was with Van Sellers and Vic Santa Lucia of Iron Gate Gardens in Kings Mountain, North Carolina. This week we go north to Valley of the Daylilies in Lebanon, Ohio and the hybridizing program of Dan Bachman.

Dan stumbled into daylilies while mowing his lawn. In the 1980’s Dan and his wife Jackie were owners of a restaurant and bar and had purchased a home with overgrown gardens. While cleaning up the yard Dan almost mowed a clump of grassy looking foliage which turned out to be a clump of 'Hyperion' ( Mead 1924). From there he began collecting a few daylilies and later attended a daylily exhibition leading to the Greater Cincinnati Daylily and Hosta club and the AHS. His early efforts at dabbing pollen took focus in 1994 as his interest in spider and unusual forms grew in the early 1990’s. In 1997 the Bachman’s purchased 12 acres of hayfield and overgrown vineyard which became home to the Valley of the Daylilies when they left the restaurant business behind in 2001. The garden is a combination of AHS Display Garden, sales garden and hybridizing garden. With a large collection of pre- 1970 historic daylilies and what Dan refers to as the most complete collections of spiders and unusual forms, the Valley of the Daylilies is a wonderful source for hard to find daylilies or visiting to see the history and evolution of the spider and unusual forms of daylilies.

Suzy Cream Cheese (Bachman 2001)



The way a hybridizer chooses names for their introductions can vary, but many use inspiration from their own lives. A few of Dan’s inspirations come from sci-fi, blues and jazz performers, lyrics, song titles and personal friendships.

Howlin Wolf (Bachman 2004)



Dan White (Bachman 2005)



The 2008 introductions were named for his favorite “Far Side” cartoons.

Gods Gift to Warthogs (Bachman 2008)



When Clowns Go Bad (Bachman 2008)



Like our other previous ATP Series hybridizers, cultivars bearing the Bachman name have been recognized with AHS Awards. The first awards were in 2005 when ‘Coco Davis’ and ‘Dan White’ each received Junior Citations and ‘Big Ross’, ‘Mascara Snake’ and ‘Suzy Cream Cheese’ Honorable Mentions.

Mascara Snake (Bachman 2002)



‘Mascara Snake’ later went on to a 2009 Eugene S. Foster Award for the best late blooming cultivar while “Suzy Cream Cheese’ received the same award in 2008 and the 2012 Harris Olsen Spider Award for best spider. In total 23 Junior Citations, 22 Honorable Mentions, 2 Eugene S. Foster Awards and 1 Harris Olsen Spider Award have been awarded to Dan Bachman’s cultivars.

To see more Dan Bachman introductions and listing of his other offerings visit the Valley of the Daylilies website or check out the ATP Database ( Search by Characteristics, in the Hybridizer box type Bachman then click “search”)……

http://www.thevalleyofthedayli...

I guess SUZY CREAM CHEESE is the only one of his that I have. I thought I definitely had more.

I found Dan's web site a couple years ago and so glad I did. Grow several of his Daylilies. He gifted me Muddy Waters and I was hooked on his creations. My husband is Marine had have Chesty Puller. In one of the Daylily Journals where names were written about and then had to have Klaatu Barada Nikto. Love the names he uses. Ordering from Dan is great, he is generous and the plants are healthy.

I grow mostly Dan Bachman daylilies. I've been growing his since 2001, when he first introduced the first batch. Of course, it helps that I live one hour (each way) from Dan & Jackie's house.

He even named one for me! 'Marilyn Grua'

Here's the ones I grow (I used a few that I didn't take, since other people took better pics).....











































I grew 'Shoutin' the Blues' for one year, but it increased very rapidly, that I gave back to Dan all the fans it produced in one year.

What do you mean you gave back all the fans? Why?

caitlinsgarden said:What do you mean you gave back all the fans? Why?

I got a single fan, planted it and the next year, there were approx. 12. That's too many for me in one year's growth just for one daylily.

Being a member of the Greater Cincinnati Daylily and Hosta Society, I have been lucky enough to go to Dan and Jackie Bachman's garden several times a year. Dan is super active in our club and generous to regional youth members. Between my daughter and I, we grow about 30 of Dan's daylilies and a few of his seedlings too.


Relay for Life


Gail Braunstein



Eat our Wake Pintaheads

I met Dan & Jackie the Summer of 1999 and became a member of Greater Cincinnati Daylily and Hosta Society for a number of years.

Because of my MS (Multiple Sclerosis), that I've had since Dec. 1998, I quit being a member.

I'm not able to go to their daylily open house most years anymore because of the heat. I miss seeing all of his daylilies and the other daylilies in bloom.

Hey Marilyn, it,s called a big hat and an ice collar. I have MS,too. Changed my eating habits to more vegetables, no processed foods, dairy or grains. Has helped tremendously. Visit www.terrywahl.com. Of course in from the garden by 11am on the days it gets worked.

I think I only have one of his -- KLAATU BARADA NIKTO, the famous saying from the original DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL movie that saved the world from the wrath of the robot Gort. I had to have it just because of the name (I'm a big sci-fi buff), and it's a really distinctive daylily in my garden. There are much better pictures in the database of this daylily which show deeper colors and much better blooms if anyone wants to look it up, but this is how it looks for me.

KLAATU BARADA NIKTO

A 2013 AHS Awards update...

'Eat Our Wake Pintaheads' (2008) a pretty 8" bubblegum pink Double Unusual Form,


'Jazz at the Wool Club' (2007) a tall maroon purple Spider,


and Dan's scarlet red 'Woman's Scorn' ( 2004)


each received a 2013 AHS Honorable Mention.

I am sooooo lucky that I don't live in th US..!
I've been mourning and bemoaning the import stop for DL's in Europe, but I think it actualy saved me...

Otherwise I would have been out of a job by now (for not showing up at work: I would be in my garden all day! )
Ánd I would be broke: buying acres of land and the Daylilies to fill them!

Turns out I have none (nill, zero, zilch, nada!! ) of Dan Bachmans cultivars...
And I LOVE spiders and UF's!
This is a very serious oversight that has to be corrected as soon as possible!

Mayo

Mayo!

Tall with small blooms is not what immediately jumps to mind when one thinks of Bachman cultivars, but these are a few of Dan's that I think are gems. All highly recommended.

Cincy's Pat Henley (Bachman, 2007)
height 35in (89cm), bloom 4.5in (11.5cm), season M, Dormant, Diploid, 20 buds, 3 branches, Reddish purple with darker halo above yellow green throat. (sdlg × Charon the Ferryman)

KR Notes : Great scape ! Lovely color ! Hardy and vigorous !




Gimme a Pigfoot (Bachman, 2013)
height 41in (104cm), bloom 5in (12.5cm), season M, Semi-Evergreen, Diploid, 42 buds, 4 branches, Grape purple with white midribs and chartruese throat. ((Itsy Bitsy Spider × sdlg) × Crystal Blue Persuasion)

KR Notes: Great Scape, candelabra branching, tons of blooms! Hardy and VERY vigorous ! Starts blooming the first week in July and continues into September.




Good Bye Pork Pie Hat (Bachman, 2012)
height 54in (137cm), bloom 3.5in (8.9cm), season M, Semi-Evergreen, Diploid, 30 buds, 5 branches, Spider Ratio 4.00:1, Washed lavender bitone with chartreuse throat. (unknown × unknown)

KR Notes: Great Scape ! Cute small bloom ! Very Fertile ! Hardy and Vigorous !




Reete Petite (Bachman, 2007)
height 40in (102cm), bloom 4in (10.2cm), season MLa, Semi-Evergreen, Diploid, 20 buds, 4 branches, Spider Ratio 4.33:1, Gold self. ((Golden Chimes × (Coburg Fright Wig × sdlg)) × Party Array)

KR Notes: Not jut another small Yellow ! I love them Tall and Small ! Great Scape ! Hardy and Vigorous !

Can't find my photo of it, (dang hard drive crash), you'll just have to take my word for it. One I will always grow.


Woodchopper's Ball (Bachman, 2012)
height 60in (152cm), bloom 4in (10.2cm), season MLa, Semi-Evergreen, Diploid, 24 buds, 6 branches, Scarlet red petals with gold midribs, yellow sepals with bronzed red brushing, gold green throat. ((Tasmania × It's Soul Time) × (Karen's Curls × It's Soul Time))

KR Notes : Photos, simply do not do this one justice. It's such a standout in the garden, I've seen nothing else like it. You may think it's not cutting edge, but you will change your mind when you see this perfectly balanced 60" cutie growing in a garden. Great scape! Hardy and vigorous !

I hesitate to show one of my photos, as it really doesn't do it justice. (taken with a phone) Color is more "red" and vibrant. If you like tall smalls, do yourself a favor and seek this one out.

I just ordered from Dan a few weeks ago, but unfortunately none were his own intros. Atleast, I don't think so. Maybe I should go back and check.

I do love his 'God's Gift to Warthogs', 'Hell Hath No Fury', and Marilyn Grua.

I just placed an order with Dan the last day of his sale. September 30th. I ordered Susy Cream Cheese, Mascara Snake, Charon the Ferryman, of his and then 7 more spidery one.

Teresa, Mascara Snake was my next favorite. Nice choice! I hope you love your order, he sends good-sized clumps of most things.

Emquinn said:Hey Marilyn, it,s called a big hat and an ice collar. I have MS,too. Changed my eating habits to more vegetables, no processed foods, dairy or grains. Has helped tremendously. Visit www.terrywahl.com. Of course in from the garden by 11am on the days it gets worked.

@Emquinn

I just noticed this.

Thanks! I'll have to look into this link! It will be 17 years in mid December that I was officially diagnosed with it.

I wear a hat all the time, although not a big hat mostly. I'll have to wear an ice collar next year, since we're getting into the cooler days finally.