Daylilies in Sunnyridge Gardens

Daylilies, A Driving Force

Geraldine Couturier is an energetic woman of many talents. She is the driving force behind our club's annual flower show. She and her husband own Sunnyridge Gardens. They had almost five thousand different varieties. This year they are cutting back and selling out of the older forms of Daylilies. They also grow Iris and belong to the local Iris club.

Meeting John

When Geraldine graduated from nursing school and decided to stay in Manistee, Michigan. Little did she know that she would meet her soul mate with this decision. At the time she was staying in a rooming house she was engaged to another man. John had asked her out, but she turned him down. After she and her fiancee decided not to marry, she agreed to have coffee with John. The rest, as they say, is history.

They bought 10 unnamed Daylilies at a garden center close-out sale in Michigan. They were all yellow-orange, but two were a little different. They met Mrs.Englerth, who had Daylilies of all colors. Mrs. Englerth was an early member of the AHS. She said they later ordered more Daylilies from a catalogue. They also joined the AHS after they learned about it from one of the catalogues.

Landing in Knoxville

When they attended a convention in Orlando, it changed their lives. They met the Oakes (Oakes Daylilies) there. The Oakes invited them to see their place. They visited and decided Tennessee would a good place to retire. They planned to retire in Tennessee, but when Geraldine hurt her back, plans escalated. They moved to Knoxville in 1987 with about four thousand plants. She laughed as she said the moving van was filled with about three-fourths plants and only a one-fourth furniture. On digging day about 20 relatives arrived to help snuggle the plants into their crates for transportation to the new location. That is what I call good planning! Tim Brown came up from Georgia to help them plant in Tennessee. It seems these two have been friends through various aspects of the AHS.

Working and Resting Retreat

Last month I was privileged to attend a "working" retreat at Sunnyridge Gardens. It seems that one of our pastors (Rick Walsh) had asked them if he could do a Franciscan type retreat at their place. It was a work, reflection, and prayer retreat. The Couturiers gratefully accepted. She told Father Rick that they could use all the help they could get. We spent a wonderful day helping to weed sections of the gardens, listening to Father Rick's reflections and praying. It was one of life's serene moments.

Go To Page: 1 2