Holly Hill Daylily Farm

June 22, 2009

Photos and text by Debbie Roos, Agricultural Extension Agent.

Jim Massey and his crew have been growing daylilies for 27 years on their beautiful farm in Moncure. The 3 acres of daylilies, display gardens, and garden art are open to the public eight weekends a year during June and July. Visitors come and see over 1,000 different cultivars of daylilies in bloom, walking with clipboard in hand and making note of the varieties they like. Once they have made their selection, the friendly staff will dig up the plants, label and bag them, and send them home to be planted. Amazingly, the daylilies don't mind at all being uprooted when they are blooming, and adjust rapidly to their new location after planting. They are grown without irrigation and are very low maintenance and drought-tolerant.
2017 Update: The Holly Hill Daylily Farm is no longer in operation.

Lauri admires daylilies

Lauri Lawson gets a close look at a daylily cultivar.
Jim cultivates between rows
Grower Jim Massey does a little weeding between the rows.
gardens
Jim's gardens are beautiful! This red yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora) attracts lots of hummingbirds.
daylilies
Jim erected an 8-foot high deer fence this year to protect his main field. This shot is taken outside the fence in the field where the nursery stock is grown.
cardoon flower
Cardoon flower, also called artichoke thistle (Cynara cardunculus).
close-up of bloom
Close-up of a peachy cultivar.