Excerpts from Gulf Coast Gardener, June 1942, by Mary Graves, 
Past President Houston Federation of Garden Clubs 
MOTHER’S DAY 
AMONG THE DAYTILIES 
It is quite likely more flowers express 
beautiful thoughts on Mother’s Day than 
any other day. They may be simple gar- 
den flowers or they may be blooms of 
unusual texture and growth. Whether 
many flowers or few—even one bloom— 
love and devotion are equally signified. 
A beautiful thought has been expressed 
by a hybridist of this locality in naming 
for his mother a gorgeous daylily—Annis 
Victoria Russell—probably the pride of his 
tremendous collection. And, there it stood, 
row after row with the heads erect in all 
their glory in full bloom on Mother’s Day. 
This lily is one among many created by the 
hybridist, but somehow one can pick it out 
in the nine-acre field of other gems, even 
though there are thousands and thousands 
of these flowers ranging in color from the 
palest yellow to deep orange—from deep 
mahogany-red to an exquisite shade of 
light rosy pink. 
Black Prince, a variety one might easily 
imagine by the name, is far from the black 
sheep of the family even though it has the 
darkest color. The richness of color and 
the perfection of contour will cause the 
visitor to place it near the top of the list. 
Mr. Russell has five children—Jenny 
Lee, Jake, Annis, Hugh, Jr., and Patricia— 
and for each he has named a member of the 
Daylily family as well as for his wife. But 
as said before, the most glorious one is 
named for his mother, who spent much 
time in his home and was adored by all. 
Each member of this little family knows 
each lily by name. Even though the son 
Jake is only 14, when he is sent for Black 
Prince, Mary Graves, Mrs. Bonner, or 
Annis Russell he does not hesitate but goes 
directly to the row and returns with a 
bloom individual in its characteristics and 
markings. 
Many growers enjoy propagating, plant- 
ing, and growing a field of many kinds of 
flowers but few confine themselves to one 

family and in turn create many more va- 
rieties to be enjoyed by the multitudes. 
Do not forget that a variety is not made in 
aday. Years and years go by in perfecting 
a desired variety. Jenny Lee, who is 16 
and just graduating from high school, re- 
marked that one of the loveliest was 
started when she was only two. When a 
hybridist plans certain features for a par- 
ticular variety there is much to be attained. 
This has been accomplished in many of the 
named varieties created by Mr. Russell in 
that the gardener now has plants that will 
produce blooms remaining Open twice as 
long as some of the older ones. Others will 
withstand the sun’s rays without fading in 
the least, or will remain intact in high 
wind, dry wind, and cold weather. All this 
has been accomplished by combining the 
best with the best. 
The nine-acre field of Mr. H. M. Russell 
is only a few miles from the heart of Hous- 
ton and on a paved highway near the many 
small towns having beautiful gardens 
through this section. Clumps of plants may 
be lifted in bloom without injury to plant 
or bloom and placed right into your gar- 
den. Mr. Russell insists that plants are 
best left in large clumps without dividing 
for several years. Food should be placed 
near the clump and watered in; this will 
aid in the production of many stalks that 
produce dozens of these gorgeous lilies day 
after day over a long period of time. By 
planting lilies according to their particular 
flowering time one can have Daylilies 
blooming almost the year round. One 
single root will do much in the first year; a 
dozen roots will make a garden a haven in 
a short time. 
Daylilies require as little care as any 
plant could. Of course the blooms may be 
made more beautiful by good care, but you 
will receive splendid results with a nominal 
amount and handsome blooms by supply- 
ing a little extra food and good soil. 
See pages 18-19 for less expensive standard varieties 
SPRING, TEXAS 
