Now that I have a daylily bed in my garden, I see that daylilies are one tough plant. They adapt to almost any location, from full sun to part shade, and to any type of soil. 

Napa Valley’s Mediterranean climate makes them a perfect choice if you are seeking a hearty, drought-tolerant and nearly pest-free flowering plant. Daylilies enjoy regular watering but can survive with less.

Fall is an excellent time to plant this tuberous perennial. It is also a good time to divide daylilies if you have noticed that yours are blooming less or the clumps have become too large for their location. Use a shovel to cut through the roots or a knife if you need extra help. Tidy up the plant, cutting the foliage back to six to eight inches and trimming the roots to eight to 12 inches.

Daylilies thrive in any type of soil from sandy loam to clay. Dig a hole larger than the root mass. Make a nice mound in the center of the hole. Spread the daylily roots over this mound, then refill the hole. Water thoroughly and you are done.

Daylily catalogs with their colorful pictures can guide you in your selections and teach you a lot about how to succeed with them. Many commercial growers are located nearby, in the Sierra foothills.

There are many features to consider when making your selections. First, choose the colors you want and consider whether you want single or double blooms. Do you want early, mid-season, or late-blooming varieties, or some of each?

Note whether your choices are classified as evergreen, semi-evergreen or dormant. With dormant types, the foliage will die during the winter, leaving an empty spot until the following spring when the fresh new growth appears.

Tetraploids have larger, stronger blooms and foliage, plus more brilliant flower color. They range from early to late bloomers; some are re-bloomers or bloom for an extended period.

Daylily height ranges from one foot to more than three feet tall. Blossoms can reach 10 inches across and may be spiderlike, triangular or circular.

I fell in love with a variety called “Strawberry Candy.” I would describe it as a strawberry-pink blend with a rose-red eye that is quite impressive. It blooms mid season, has long-lasting blooms and re-blooms later in the season. It is 30 inches tall, with flowers that are almost 6 inches across. 

That was my starting point for a semi-circular daylily bed. From there, I chose varieties that would complement that color. On either side of ‘Strawberry Candy’, I planted ‘Custard Candy’, which is yellow, and a pink ‘Bathsheba’. These bloom from early to mid season and then re-bloom later. ‘Strawberry Candy’ and ‘Custard Candy’ spring from the same parentage.

To assist me with starting my collection, I asked a Master Gardener friend which of her daylilies she liked best. She also knew what colors complemented each other. My choices grew from there.

I ordered bare-root tubers last fall, and all the plants are doing well. I planted them as soon as they arrived, following the directions from the grower. First, I soaked the plants in water, with a few drops of liquid fertilizer added, for a couple of hours. This plumped up the tubers. Then I removed any dead foliage to clean up the plant. Some of the leaves were a bit yellow but that is normal. As the grower predicted, those yellow leaves turned green once the plants were established.

Napa County Master Gardeners (http://cenapa.ucdavis.edu) answer gardening questionsMonday, Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m. to noon, at the UC Cooperative Extension office, 1710 Soscol Ave., Suite 4, Napa, 253-4221, or (877) 279-3065.