Annual Albany daylily show planned at Albany Mall

ALBANY — The 34th annual daylily show presented by the Albany Hemerocallis Society on May 14 at the Albany Mall from 2 p.m.-4 p.m. in the field between Belk and JCPenney will be an opportunity for people to learn about the 90,000 registered daylilies and to drum up public interest in them.

The daylily is a flower that comes in a variety of sizes and colors and is considered fairly easy to grow, as a long as the conditions are right.

“Our main purpose is to educate the public on the wide variety of daylilies and how easy they are to grow,” said Kaye Fearneyhough, the show’s chair and a member of the Albany Hemerocallis Society since 2000.

The exhibition is open to all daylily growers, with entries expected to be grown, groomed and entered by the exhibitors. American Hemerocallis Society members will be the only ones eligible to win the society’s sponsored awards.

During the course of the show, a plant sale is scheduled starting at 9 a.m. and lasting until all plants are gone.

“There will be a wide variety of daylilies (at the plant sale) and shrubs and plants (to act as) companions that will be hummingbird and butterfly attracting,” said Fearneyhough.

Judging and awarding will conducted to AHS standards, and in teams of three, beginning at 11 a.m. First, second and third place will be given out in each class, along with The Purple Ribbon, AHS Rosette, AHS Best-In-Show Rosette, AHS Sweepstakes Rosette, AHS Achievement Medal, Ophelia Taylor Horticulture Award, AHS Award of Appreciation and the Georgia Hybridizer Collection Award.

A people’s choice award winner and 12 “Court of Honor” awards will also be selected among the best entries that do not make it to the major award categories.

When judging is completed, the exhibit will be open for public view.

“Last year, we had increased traffic. We hope to increase it this year,” Fearneyhough said. “We got new members (from the show) last year. We had upwards of 150 blooms last year, and we hope to have at least that many this year.

Admission to the show will be free, and visitors will have an opportunity to learn about and join the Albany club, which meets monthly at Phoebe East on Sylvester Road. There is one more meeting left until the club breaks for the summer and meets again in September.

“A lot of us grow for pleasure, some of us grow for competition and some of us grow to breed, or hybridize, which is the proper term,” Fearneyhough said.

For more information, contact Fearneyhough at [email protected] or call (229) 894-4692.