THE LAST OF THE DAY LILIES TO START BLOOMING

The late blooming DAY LILIES  have started blooming, making several weeks of bloom for these 1-day bloomers.  Because of the bud count, and the early, mid, and late-blooming plants, the bloom season has been several weeks for these summer blooming perennials.  One thing I do every morning is deadhead the plants.  Since the blooms only last a day, to keep the beds free from dried blooms, this is necessary.  I also like to do it to keep the plants looking pristine.  I think flowers that have had their day just don't look nice on the plant, usually taking more than a few days to totally dry up and fall off themselves.  The fans on the plants will now start yellowing and looking unkempt.  You can "peel" the foliage, at the base of the plant, just as you would an iris fan; this keeps the beds looking clean, and discourages areas for pests to harbor. New foliage will start to grow, just like the poppies that are growing now with new foliage, and will continue into the fall.