Purple reigns in my garden. I never wear purple nor does it figure in my home’s interior. My current garden’s love affair began with the impulse pick of the Dunn Edwards color Purple Trinket for my front door and I’ve just gone down the purple rabbit hole ever since.

This first bloom of one of my favorite daylilies has just opened in all its purple glory. The rich dark color of this daylily does not fade in our strong sun. She was an unnamed variety bought in bloom I think at one of the big box stores years ago. You know the ones that are marked “Hemerocallis-various colors” as if even the most casual gardener  doesn’t care to know they are buying. So vast are the named varieties of Hemerocallis the likelihood that I’ll ever know its true identity is very low. It is robust in both bloom and foliage and the original clump has been divided a few times over its life in my garden–most recently last fall to be able to add its divisions to the newer lawn free landscape. I tucked this single scape up close to the front porch and its blooms will eventually crowd around the downturned bell landscape light.

The mother clump is now in much more shade than when originally set in but still performs admirable. These photos were taken June 1 and June 18 of last year.

My quest for a medium lavender and a true pink daylily goes on. Last year I added ‘Lavender Tonic’ and await its first flower to evaluate it for color. Other lavenders and a few pinks I have tried now reside in friend’s gardens. The lavenders seem weak and cloudy and every pink runs to the orange side rather than the blue side of the color wheel. The fun is in the hunt and my gardening friends don’t seem alarmed when I tell them I have plants in need of homes!