Perennials are quite popular for the home gardener. They will grow and bloom every year. They will survive over winter usually by bulbs, tubers, woody crows and rhizomes carrying over next year's new growth. The Daylily has scapes that grow from the roots. Along the scapes sprouts buds that will later pop open as individual blooms.

Some dictionaries will spell the flowers as Day Lilies, a two word noun. In actuality they are not part of the Lily genus, but the operative word "day" is noted for their daily blooms. A bloom from a Day Lily, or as I will spell the flower, Daylily, will open with the sun coming up and will wilt and die come nightfall. The fascinating thing about this flower is that although the blooms have short lifespan, there are new buds that sometimes bloom each successive day.

Taking Care of Daylilies

Daylilies are flowers that like sunlight, not unlike roses. The more light you have on the plant, the more blooms will produce in most cases. If it's a shaded area, you'll get more of the grassy type leaves and foliage that surround the flower. So if you want the greens with fewer blooms, you can have some great green foliage accented with the occasional flower, which may be good for bordering a fence or landscape design outline. The color of the bloom factors in too. With darker color blooms like reds, purples will require less light due to the heat absorption of dark pigments. The dark colors will trap the heat longer and with too much heat can die. They benefit more from partially shaded spots.

Water is key for the plant to have blooms as well. During the spring the plants need a good deal of water to stimulate good growth. However the plants have been bread for a remarkable amount of heartiness during dry spells. They are quite resistant to water shortages, but to have good results it's wise to at least have good water in their growth stage. A rule of thumb for your daylilies' care schedule is to make sure they get watered an inch every week.

Before planting the flowers, make sure to incorporate a good deal of mulch material for the soil. The flowers need a good amount of drainage, so some planters create a raised bed of soil mixed with organic matter. If the soil is claylike and sticky, add wood chips, straw or any other high fiber diet material. Find a happy medium, so if you have too loose of soil, add some humus or peat moss so the water can gather around the roots.