Daylilies provide blooming beauty

Paper Butterfly. Photo by Jessie Burchette, Salisbury Post.

Nancy Karriker rides among her lillies. Photo by Jessie Burchette, Salisbury Post.

Restless Heart. Photo by Jessie Burchette, Salisbury Post.

Larry Karriker in the field. Photo by Jessie Burchette, Salisbury Post.

Nature's Jewlery. Photo by Jessie Burchette, Salisbury Post.

Pushmahata. Photo by Jessie Burchette, Salisbury Post.

A pink seedling. Photo by Jessie Burchette, Salisbury Post.

By Jessie Burchette

jburchette@salisburypost.com

KANNAPOLIS — Despite a frigid, icy winter followed by a super heated spring, Karriker Daylilies is covered in acres of blooms.

After months of intense weather swings, Nancy Karriker is convinced a daylily can take anything Mother Nature has to offer — and still provide dazzling blooms.

The 80-year-old Karriker started growing daylilies 30 years ago on the family farm at 7897 Karriker Road.

Using a golf cart to traverse the six acres of daylilies, she stops to point out a favorite — and another, and another and another.

The winter took its toll on canas and some other plants, but the daylilies may it through unscathed.

“Daylilies are trouble free,” said Karriker. “They’re tough, they’re beautiful.”

Hybridizers continue to create more colors, blooms with contrasting colors in the center (eyes) and more lacy and fringe edges. That’s a world away from the first daylilies Karriker bought, grew and sold. “The colors were muted, muddy, no eyes — they bloomed once.”

Now, she has daylilies that will re-bloom from Easter to the first frost.

There’s daylilies that are chest high and varieties shin high — and all in between. And the color range would shame the paint swatches at a home improvement store.

And the best thing about daylilies is they’re virtually trouble free.

Plant them, watch them grow and bloom. “They’re trouble free … they can stay in place for years without dividing,” she said.

“They don’t mind the heat. You can plant them anytime … preferably in the spring.”

The biggest threat is deer which apparently consider the plant a tasty treat.

Karriker’s son, Larry, now takes care of much of the day-to-day operation, but mom’s still in charge.

He advises anyone with daylilies to give them a good watering — that will produce more blooms and sharper colors.

One of the largest daylily operations in North Carolina, the Karrikers host Master Gardener groups, bus tours and seniors from rest homes.

Karrikers sell daylilies year-round, as well as iris, canas and hostas.

For more information, contact Karriker Daylily Garden, 704-933-3065.