Jun 20, 2016

Day Trip to Loretta's Daylily Farm



We have for years passed by this daylily farm on the way to Myrtle Beach!  I kept saying one day I'm going to stop but the excitement of getting to the beach always won out!  this would be a special trip just to the farm that is what we would do.  It took Chuck saying, "Dolly, I want to take you there".  It has to be true love he knows how I like to shop once you get me out of the house.  Did he forget?  Oh boy, let's go!
I called my sister, Gwen and she was 'ready to go'!  I can't believe it and let me tell you it is one very hot, humid, day!  We three would make a day of it!  We stopped along the way to eat a little lunch. That was fun.  You see Gwen and I both are home bodies, so it takes something to pry us away! Bravo Chuck! Gwen's kids couldn't believe we had gotten her to get away as well!



We're Here!




Oh Wow!




The First Thing You Do is Follow This Sign on the Tree
(Did she mean to really park on the grass?  That goes against my grain, but we did)




The yellow makes such a good show
These look like "Stellas" as mama used to call them.
'Stella de Oro'



The Bell
What Fun To Ring The Bell!



Beautiful, Serene, Angel Statue Standing Among The Daylilies




She is so cute!




We're excited and ready to go check out this field of flowers!
Ms. Loretta comes out of the house, yes this is her home property and she was born and raised on it.
She says she married and she and her husband came here to build and live, and have done so for many, many, years!
There is a process to shopping this farm.  She has them laid out in rows, like in a grocery store she tells me.  You are then handed a list of all the daylilies in the field for you to check off the variety you choose. They are laid out as listed in alphabetical order. She then pulls them for you. She then takes her golf cart complete with bed for hauling and brings them to your car.

She, Ms. Loretta doesn't know my sister does she?  Gwen is like Simon Baker on The Mentalist, you know how he just goes off to make himself a cup of tea in a complete stranger's home. Yep, that's my tomboy sister.  Off she went and I thought Ms. Loretta, who reminds me of my grandmother Goldie, might have a heart attack, because Gwen is all over the place taking pictures for me and looking. Poor Ms. Loretta is running the golf cart back and forth trying to keep up with her! After a while she calms down and realizes that everything is going to be alright.  I, Miss Rule Follower, am getting anxious hot and walk on ahead as well.  Before long we three are loading Ms. Loretta's Cart and she is happy about it.  We've found a new friend.



Pretty!




Beautiful!  You know I love this pink!





Alabama Jubilee
Fluorescent Red Orange with Bright Red Halo




All Is Right
Pale Pink with a Deep Green Throat




Almond Puff
Double Bloom




Chuck kept telling me to watch out for the pipes in the row, guess he forgot pipes in rows are second nature to me, after working the pick your own strawberry field for most of my life!
A pipe row calls me "Here I am Dolly, check me out"!




Gwen and I sure wore our floppy hats!
It is hot out here I'll tell you.
We found some shade to load in, whew!




The sun is blazing down




Even her dog is cooling it underneath the cart
That's one load down I was thinking, and I had a blonde moment because that was all that would fit into the car!




Heading to the car




Ms. Loretta closer view
She is so active!




Loading the car




Goodbye Angel!




Goodbye Rooster!


I am one who grew up with daylilies and took them for granted.  Grandparents had them, mama planted them, everybody you knew had them in their older established gardens. So why did I take them for granted?  They to me seemed to be the same color and basically they do blend so closely that they do tend to come off that way.  But, if you take a closer look you will see such beauty and color variations are certainly there. They come in different shapes and sizes, some more single, some double, some just have so many petals and ruffles too.  There is more to a daylily than meets the eye.
Think about it an absolutely beautiful flower, a thing of true beauty that only lasts for one day.
Yes, hence the name daylily.  Each bloom is short lived and making the show of it's lifetime!
I have a newfound love for the flower and am glad to be taking some home with me today.
I'll probably be back for the ones I checked off but had no room to take home!
I can't wait to set these out!

Thank you Gwen for going with us and for taking the pretty pictures!
Love you!

Thank you Chuck for taking us and being so patient while we loaded the car with all it would hold!
Love you! 

Thank you Ms. Loretta!
Goodbye for now, but we'll see you again!


UPDATE!
SADLY
THE DAYLILY FARM HAS CLOSED DOWN, DUE TO ILLNESS.
PLEASE BE IN PRAYER FOR MS. LORETTA & FAMILY.







8 comments:

  1. Pretty, pretty. I see a lot of work there. Be careful in the heat.

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    1. We loved Loretta's Farm, although this SC heat is taking a toll.I will.

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  2. Oh I love Simon Baker on The Mentalist! I would spend so much money at Ms. Loretta farm! I think mit is amazing to live in one house your whole life! How cool is that!

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    1. I do too! I did (well Chuck did spend the money). She said they built another house and it is right next to the older one, but just to be on the same property is amazing. I agree cool!

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  3. You purchased a lot of pretty ones! I have some that bloom up the drive but they are shaded now, plus I have the Stella D'Oro variety that is suffering so much in this 100 degree heat, even with lots of watering. They are so pretty and will spread too.

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    1. Hey Kathy,
      I did and never really knew there were so many colors out there. I'll bet when those bloom up the driveway they are gorgeous. Yeah I have trees at my other home that have grown so much and covered smaller shrubs and even a few trees, they don't bloom well anymore. I planted at the time the footage stated and they grew so much more. I'm afraid I've done that again here as well ...I LOVE Stella D'Oro and like yours mine are suffering seeming to dry up without blooming and they are always the best bloomers..They are the best at blooming and spreading, Mama Dot pushed those and I'm glad she did.
      I wish we lived closer I know I'd love to visit! (I just invited myself)

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  4. Courtney Johnson (Loretta's Granddaughter)June 28, 2016 at 10:51 AM

    I loved reading this!!! We love hearing from our wonderful customers! I live with my Grandma on the farm and help her almost every day when I'm not at work or off at school. I will share this with her when I get home and I hope we get to meet some time soon! I've just recently started a Facebook page called Loretta's Daylily Farm and I would love for you to share this article on our Facebook wall! Thank You so much and please come see us again!!!

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    1. Hi Courtney!
      It is so wonderful hearing from you! What a beautiful home and farm you live on and your Grandma is precious! Thank you for sharing with her it was a pleasure to meet and enjoy her and the farm. I hope to meet you too, maybe soon. I'm a Johnson as well and my ancestors were from Horry County. I am going to see your Facebook page and share the link on the story and your page. I thank you and go to next post to see some of those beautiful daylilies planted in my gardens. Garden at Play

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