PLATO'S PUZZLE   M. 34 to 36 in. D. Re. 51/2  - 6 in.                                               
 20 buds plus, 3 branches plus terminal cluster
 SDLG. S458-00: (S126-97, sib. to Vertical Horizon X Digital Imagery) Same pedigree as our Piece of Sky except the pod parent of this is a sib. to the pod parent of Piece Of Sky]  Pollen parent was bred by Tony Slanec and T156-97 is (Old King Cole x Friars Lantern)  X Tet Lady Violet Eyes) and hopefully will become a future release.

Patterned  blossoms seem to be the hottest new trend in daylilies today!  Our new Plato's Puzzle is one of the most distinctive and exciting we have developed!  These 5½ to 6 inch blossoms are nicely ruffled and lightly serrated along the petal edges, less so along the recurving sepals.  The overall coloration is cyclamen purple (74 C) according to the R.H.S. Colour Chart and these butterfly-like blossoms are held high on widely branched, tall  scapes well above the foliage.  Overlaid onto this pinkish purple base coloration and into the lemon to green throat is found an intricately designed inner etching of gray violet.  Above this inner marking the design extends around a white to ivory and gray triangular applique spot.  Still above this white spot is a banded eyezone, veined and shaded  more violet and charcoal with some of this veining extending out onto the petal color as texture veining.  The darker outer eyezone is bisected by a raised, paler mid-rib which comes to a point at the petal tips.  A mirror image of the patterning is repeated with less of the violet color on the sepals.  The overall effect is a blossom with six white, superimposed areas. This pattern/kalidescope-like area varies in size and intensity depending on flucuating temperatures  and water.  During its five seasons of growing there were a few days that the pattern was applied lightly after very cold evenings, but these times were fleeting. The established clump we evaluated during the ruthless summer of 2005 was mesmerizing.  Plato's Puzzle is easily fertile both ways.  We will have many seedlings from it in 2006.  Our earlier crosses were  mostly killed by a big chemical accident that occurred in 2005.  A number of its sister seedlings have a lot of blue to violet colors in their markings.  It is an excellent and easy growing dormant.  Its good green foliage turns gold in late  fall  before dying to the ground  after freezing temperatures.  Our supply is scarce and most plants will be used to fill the collection we offer, which we hope to use to pay off our major tile reconstruction bill we incurred late in October.  Approximately fifteen plants can be sold individually to be delivered during May of 2006.  We can also ship plants during the fall of 2006 if you prefer until the soil freezes. $200.00