Scott Alexander -Organic Daylily Grower
© Scott Alexander
I tried to interview Scott several years ago, but he was deep into checking how his many organic micro-organisms were in his soil. This man is driven to excellence. He has given me permission to use his posting from the Robin. I hope you find it as interesting as I did. For 30 years, I have tried to garden organically ( with the possible exception of treating my roses for black spot with the unmentionables). His ideals have merit and deserve some attention. He calls his garden, Mountain View Daylily. On his web site, he offers an ezine. Visit his web site. When I read about him setting fire to all his daylilies, I almost cried and laughed at the same time. If someone sent me extra gifts (Aphids) with my plants, I might react in the same manner! He does have passionate opinions about his life's work!
As soon as I get some more information about Scott, I will post it on the web.
I promised more info about Scott. His catalogue came in the mail several days ago. It is just gorgeous! His BOOROOBIN MAGIC is a fine example of his edged and eyed breeding program. But I digress. How about some of the biographical information that I promised?
Scott spent his childhood in New Zealand! How I would love to visit that place! He also spent some time teaching in Papua New Guinea. Later, he decided to bring up his family in a quiet little Queensland town. The way he describes his first encounter with daylilies is priceless. It seems that a new neighbor spotted him planting a cottage-style garden. She gave him two daylilies and sparked Scott's curiousity. He soon found how just how many daylilies there were. Fascination with daylilies caused him to rethink his job options. He began a small nursery in Maleny because conditions for daylily culture and a nearby market for them, were much better. He started and mail order business and opened the gardens for visits.
In 1988, he found another block of land and started to create gardens so people could see how to blend the daylilies with other plants. Having more land also provided an opportunity to advance his hybridizing program.
Scott works with eyed and edged tetraploid varieties as well as some diploid double forms. One, IN EXCESS, is very fragrant. And you all know how I love fragrance!
