By CELESTE BAUMGARTNER
Ohio Correspondent

CORRYTON, Tenn. — Daylilies lend themselves to addiction. Gardeners buy one and then another. They fill up the front yard then the side yard, then the backyard.

Kevin Oakes made these observations during the Oakes Daylily Farm Festival, attended by 2,500-3,000 visitors. “Daylilies are great plants,” he said. “They’re easy to grow, come in a rainbow of colors (except blue) and in different shapes and sizes.”

Kevin’s grandfather, Bill Oakes, and his dad, Stewart, began growing the plants as a hobby in the 1970s. They were enamored with the beauty of the plants and “things rapidly got out of hand,” Stewart said. In the 1980s they started a mail order business.
When Kevin graduated college the hobby/business was picking up and he thought he’d give it a try. He helped put together the first color catalog in 1990.

“The color catalog was really a shot in the arm – a picture is worth a 1,000 words,” he said. “Ten years ago most of the orders came in the mail, then over the phone. Nowadays most come online.

“We still do a mail order catalog because people like to look at the catalog and then go to the Web and place their order. The Web has been nice because you can offer more product.”

The Oakes family has about 70 acres in daylily production; they primarily buy newly introduced daylilies from people who specialize in hybridizing daylilies.

“We’ll evaluate those over the course of a few years and see which ones do well,” Kevin said. “Then we’ll produce them to sell. When we buy the new introductions they’re typically $100 to $150. It may be 10 years before we have it to sell. There’s no quick way to do it.”

The Oakeses allow the new introduction to grow into a clump, divide the clump and repeat that process over and over. It takes years until they can put that plant in the catalog or on the website.

“We have a lot (of daylilies) in the $7.95 to $14.95 range,” Kevin said. “We have some $19.95 and higher. Our customers typically are the backyard gardener, not necessarily the daylily aficionado. We try to find plants that are great and then are still great in 10 years, as opposed to some of the hybridizer gardens where they keep something a couple of years then get rid of it and move on to the next thing.”

During the festival, visitors meandered through the colorful display area, enjoying more than 1,500 named varieties of daylilies in bloom. There are special activities – hay wagon rides, music, food and a free daylily for every visitor.

This is the 11th year for the festival. In 2008 visitors came from 36 states. One visitor commented that the plants she purchased from Oakes were very generous and always did well – “and I can kill anything,” she said.

“We’re pleased with the turnout and the interest that folks have in daylilies,” said Kevin. “I think there is a spot in every garden for a daylily; or two; or 10.”

For details, contact Oakes Daylilies, P.O. Box 268, Corryton, TN, call 800-532-9545 or visit www.oakesdaylilies.com