Lambertson '98
[Druid's Chant x Sea Urchin] 5.5" Semi. Ev. Re. Em. 27" Tet. A
beautiful blue lavender with a white star burst coming out of a green throat
and gold edging. Great parent, producing sharks tooth edging.
“Sandy Denny” is a variety of daylily (hemerocallis) hybridized by Ludlow Lambertson in 1998. Luddy and
his wife Rachel describe themselves as “huge fans of both Sandy and Fairport
Convention”, hence the choice of name. Rachel sings; Ludlow is the hybridizer;
both are painters. Based at Lake Helen, Florida, they open their garden to the public
during daylily bloom season, which runs from May to June (details on their
website at Art Gallery Gardens). What you won’t find on display, alas, is the “Sandy
Denny” bloom. They no longer have it. And nor does anyone else, as far as I can
establish. A website in Canada, Rural Roots Gardens, purports to offer it for
sale, but the illustration is incorrect (it shows another of Lambertson’s
hybrids, “Do The Twist”) and my enquiries have gone unanswered.
Some years ago a horticulturalist in south London contacted
me, saying she was planning to import “Sandy Denny”. I met her when she came to
the Troubadour tribute in 2008, but failed to keep in touch, alas. I wonder if she succeeded?
Kyle Orosz, who designed the authoritative Sandy website at www.sandydenny.org.uk,
incorporated the flower into his illustrations.
Do we know any more about this elusive bloom?