Dayliles that look so much alike

With 96 varieties of daylilies sometimes they are not much easier to id than butterflies and moths (previous post about moths). I decided to bring some blooms inside and photograph them together. In the yard they are not next to each other. In both of these photos the right one is Canadian Border Patrol, had since 2006. Second from the right is Custard Candy, a new one last year. The one in the back (in the photo below) is Designer Gown, had since 2003. It appears the two on the left are both Sweet Summer Valentine, from 2008. I also thought I was picking Emperor's Dragon, new in 2009, but as you can see those 2 on the left are the same. Emperor's Dragon is only slightly different for Sweet Summer Valentine, but the difference is NOT in either one of those blooms.

Next we get to I THINK, Ruffled Apricot and Lady Georgia. I bought these 2 and Decatur Apricot, all in 2003. These 2, plus Decatur Apricot are the most confusing to tell apart of any of my daylilies, except the red ones. All the red ones look JUST alike to me.

Next is Always Afternoon and Addie Branch Smith. These two blooms do not even look similiar in color in the catalog. But you can see from the photos they are same color.

I bought both of these in 2005. They look much the same other than bloom size. Addie Branch is a 4" bloom, and Always Afternoon is a 5 1/2" bloom. They are planted at least 150 ft from each other, so I have to get the blooms next to each other to compare them. I go through this every year when they first bloom, after I get it straight in my head I know Addie Branch is in my largest daylily flowerbed and Always Afternoon is planted at my front door.

We built the house in 2006. Beginning in June 2006 I can tell which daylily by where it is planted. Yes, I write as Jimmy plants. I have little diagrams attached to the cutout pictures from the catalogs. But any daylily bought before 2006 (42 of my 96 varieties) have been moved 3 times, while not in bloom and I have to go with my best guess. That is why the reds are so hard. One day I will do a post like this with all my reds.

All of these dayliles were purchased at Oakes Daylilies, and most of them were during the annual Oakes Dayliy Festival. The festival is going on this weekend, but I am not going this year. I don't need anymore daylilies (you think???), and my friend that goes with me every year is pregnant and currrenly 5 days past her due date. If you are in East Tennessee and looking for something to do Saturday check it out. It is gorgeous and they give everybody a free daylily.

UPDATE to previous post for those with inquiring minds.....the 2nd one wasn't even a moth, Hap says it is a Female Dobsonfly. Dar got the 3rd one right, a Pandorus Sphinx Moth, and Rita got the 1st one (Dar nor I got that one). This is what Rita told me in an email about why she knew what the moth was...."My Dad brought a cocoon home when I was in about the 4th grade and showed it to me. He put it up on a window ledge and forgot about it. Lo and behold, a while later a giant butterfly was flying around in the house.It was very fun as you can imagine. I took it to school and my teacher helped identify it as the cecropia moth."

Just had to share that wonderful story, because it is a great reminder that everything we teach a child has the potential to stay with them their whole life.