Ferne Frost

(Moore, E.D.)

((One Last Dance x Seedling) X Lady of Lourdes)

Sev  Mid.  36” scapes  5” flowers 4 way branching averages 24 buds

This flower is very special to me for two reasons. The first reason is that I have named it to honor one of my Great-Grandmothers. The second reason is that my very first hybridizing goal was to breed a diamond dusted clear pink daylily to name in honor of her. If any of you remember my first seedling crop from 1999 it was almost entirely various shades of pink. A few generations of trying later and I reached my goal.

Ferne Frost the daylily has very sturdy scapes that average 4 way candelabra branching with some exceeding that number. I have counted scapes carrying approximately 30 buds once grown to clump strength. The flowers are a very clear soft pink and are diamond dusted.  Gently fluted ruffling completes the edges along with narrow serrated filigree edges. An interesting trait contained in this cultivar is the exceptionally short buds for the size of the flowers. I believe this trait was inherited from the pollen parent, Steve Moldovan’s Lady of Lourdes. The blossoms hold up well to the summer heat. Another fascinating characteristic of this green-throated daylily is that the petals are somewhat cupped and appear to arise above the sepals. Both pod and pollen fertile.

Ferne Frost, my Great-grandmother, will always be remembered fondly by me. In my memories of her she was a lady by every definition of the word. As a child I remember walking uptown to go shopping with her and my grandmother. It seemed to me then that everyone in town knew her. She passed away when I was in my late teens. I hope I will always be able to picture her smile that she graced us with upon our visits.