Opens this weekend
This story originally appeared in the June edition of The 812 Magazine. Subscribe by clicking here.
(NAPOLEON, Ind.) – You never know what you might come across while taking a country cruise in Southeast Indiana.
Just a few miles outside of Napoleon, there is a unique business that has blossomed over the past few years.
One Daylily at a Time was an idea that began after Bobbie Craig and her mom visited different gardens and purchased daylilies.
“From visiting other gardens, I knew this was something I would love to do. When our children were more self-sufficient, I finally felt it was time to start the garden with my husband Tim's encouragement,” Bobbie said.
They found the perfect location on her parent’s farm which is at the intersection County Road 350 West and County Road 1050 West.
Bobbie and Tim laid out the garden and opened One Daylily at a Time in 2016. They picked the name based on their new found passion which all started by picking one daylily at a time.
“Each year, a few daylily beds are added here. Even the layout was influenced by all the gardens we had toured. I took bits and pieces that I liked and made it into what you see,” she said.
They now have more than 770 varieties of field grown daylilies that range from small plants, tall plants, mini blooms, large blooms and everything in between.
The ideal time of year to visit the garden starts this month. They will host the annual Bloomin’ Patch Days from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. from Saturday, June 29 and Saturday, July 6.
You can stop by the garden and place your order and designated pick up times will take place on July 5 and 7.
One thing you will notice on the farm is the unique garden art. Craig says artwork is something every garden needs.
The family commissioned the Jac-Cen-Del teacher Stacy Gray and the school art club to design and paint the art panels.
“My husband also created the large watering can. We wanted something large and decided it needed to be really large! Aunt Edna, the ironing board, was something I had seen online and we added our spin,” Bobbie mentioned.
One Daylily at a Time is a part-time endeavor for Bobbie and Tim as they both have full-time careers.
Their favorite part of the garden is seeing the joy that the flowers bring to others.
“We may not see happy people everyday in our full-time positions,” Bobbie said. “When customers come to the garden, they can't help but smile and be pleasantly surprised."
“It is like we are spreading just a little bit of happiness, that makes all the hours of hard work so worth it.”
During the season, they spend their free time meeting with people who schedule appointments at the garden. They also take orders year-round and ship across the nation. The shipping season ends after Labor Day.
This would be the ideal time to visit One Daylily at a Time as the peak bloom season is usually around Independence Day.
Bobbie did offer one fun fact that I was unaware of. Daylilies are edible as people add them to salads and other dishes.
They are lifetime members of the American Daylily Society which is the non-profit service organization educating and promoting daylilies. You can learn more about this unique small business by visiting onedaylilyatatime.com or calling (812) 621-1147.
This story originally appeared in the June edition of The 812 Magazine. Subscribe by clicking here.
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