Meeting the Smiths:

When I passed through the redwood gates of the Smith's Columbia home, I was stunned with the spectacle of color I found.  I had thought daylilies only came in molten shades of orange and yellow, and was thus convinced that “I don't like daylilies.”  Mavis and I shared a love of art and music, and we had both recently visited Claude Monet’s home in Giverny, France.  We spoke of this experience -- which was my first revelation of what ornamental horticulture could be.  Mavis and Stewart were the first people I had met that cultivated a luxury garden merely for the pleasure it gave the senses. 

I will never forget Mavis’ Australian “huc-HOOOOO --  BOY!  Come here!”  (This before pointing out some hidden facet of botanical beauty, or perhaps an unfortunate weed.)  I forgave her this indiscretion, as I have always looked young, and have never doubted her love for me since.  In our first conversations, and many since then Mavis opened my eyes to what a good flower, and garden plant should be.  I told her COLOR was the most important aspect of a flower, and she corrected me that it was FORM which reigned supreme.  I had never given the form of a flower much thought, I was attracted to the color and the scent -- form was incidental.  Mavis revealed to me the error of my ways.  She also showed me about flower substance, texture, and the many subtleties of a daylilies beauty.  When I asked questions about hybridizing, she would demure, or perhaps, toss me one pearl of wisdom,thus baiting me to want more.  In this way she was the supreme teacher.  She answered hundreds, if not thousands, of daylily questions via correspondence, and through her column in the Journal called:  Growing Ideas.  Her booklet by the same name can still be obtained through AHS. 

Stewart and Mavis showered me with hundreds of daylilies, mostly Munsons -- anything that I put on my wish list, and that they could spare.  I was irresistibly drawn to Munson’s purples and lavenders.  Also Child’s enigmatic TRAHLYTA which they dug and gave me the entire clump.  This clump of TRAHLYTA became an indispensable “brood mare” for me, and in 1996, I set over 50 pods on it.  These crosses formed the basis of my eyed spider and Unusual Forms lines.  I was also enamored of Mavis’ creamy melon flowers in delicious shades of orange sherbet and warm pink.  She also had a penchant for subtle polychromes and cream pinks, mostly selfs.  Her RIPPON LEA is still a striking garden subject with incredibly round and flat petals.  Other significant Smith cultivars are: RED ROO, KIAH, BULLAGEN,  BALLARAT, GEELONG (an extra early, fragrant lemon yellow 100% double),  and KIAH.  I used many of these in my hybridizing, RIPPON LEA and GEELONG were significant parents for me.

Stewart and Mavis Smith had introduced me to daylilies and gave me hundreds of plants including a clump of H. "Trahlyta".  Virtually all the plants in the Smith's garden were round and ruffled tetraploids, and Mavis was keen to liquidate her diploids and anything that was not full-figured.    One day at the Smiths, I chanced across an image of "Lola Branham" in the Picture Gallery of the AHS Journal.  I was immediately smitten.  Stewart said that I needed to visit the Whitacres, and that was the beginning of a great friendship and massive hybridizing program to re-create the orchid-like shape of "Lola Branham" in every hue imaginable.

note:  Mavis passed away in December of 1999.  Stewart is still a dear friend and like a father to me.  In 2007 I named two daylilies to honor Stewart and Mavis:  'Stewart Peden Smith' and 'Mavis Gwendolyn Carter'.