Horticulture Volunteer Spotlight
Missouri Botanical Garden Daylily Association
The Missouri Botanical Garden Daylily Association came into existence in 1988. It is actually a branch of the West County Daylily Society of Saint Louis, which includes over 100 members. The MBG Daylily Association currently consists of five hardworking individuals. Their names, plus the names of some of the employees they work with, in the order pictured above, are Jim Cocos - Senior Manager - Horticulture, Bill Lenz, Lois Raley, Marty Meagher, Chick Buehrig, and Jason Delaney - curator of the daylily garden. Marvin Hook is a member as well, but not pictured above.
These special volunteers provide nearly year-round routine maintenance for daylilies found in the Jenkins Daylily Garden, the daylily garden in the William T. Kemper Home Demonstration Gardens, and various smaller locations around the Garden. But that is just a small portion of the contribution the MBG Daylily Association makes to the Horticulture Division of Missouri Botanical Garden!
Each August since 1989, the MBG Daylily Association, with the help of members of the West County Daylily Society, conducts a sale of excess daylily divisions divided from the Garden's own collection. A few dozen people from both societies, plus some employees and interns, spend a few days digging, separating, washing, bagging, and labeling approximately 4000 plants to be sold. This sale usually takes place here at the Garden in August.
Each year the association donates all of the proceeds from their sale to the Horticulture Division to be used in one of two ways. First, in January, they consult with Missouri Botanical Garden's resident daylily expert concerning what daylilies to purchase for that year's display. Then they provide the funds for the purchase of those plants, which may be as much as $4,000 yearly.
This is a huge contribution in itself, but that's not all! After the plants are purchased, the remainder is donated to the Horticulture Division for the purchase of costly equipment that is not in our budget. Past donations have allowed us to acquire a laser engraver and an embosser for making signs and labels for plants found throughout the Garden. In 1998, the curator of the daylily garden received a Cushman vehicle for use in the Garden, and in 2001, two sizable donations allowed the Horticulture Division to purchase a much needed Bobcat. In the photo below left, the members are holding their scale model Bobcats, given in appreciation of their donations as of 2001. Their names, in the order pictured, are Marty Meagher, Bill Lenz, Carrol Wrather, Mirko Bolanovich (since passed away), and Chick Buehrig.
In the photo above right are the 2003 members of the Missouri Botanical Garden Daylily Association - Bill Lenz, Chick Buehrig, Shannon Smith - former Director of Horticulture, Marty Meagher, Lois Raley, and Carrol Wrather. In 2003, they donated another Cushman vehicle. In 2004, they donated a tablet computer for use in mapping the Garden and an additional workstation for the Plant Records department.
Their 2005 donation went towards part of another Cushman vehicle and a new brick bed in the Jenkins Daylily Garden. The photo to the right shows the 2005 donation with Jason Delaney - curator of the daylily garden, Jim Cocos - Operations Manager (at that time), Chick Buehrig, Shannon Smith - Director of Horticulture (at that time), Sam Bahr - North Gardens Supervisor (at that time), Bill Lenz, Marty Meagher, and Lois Raley.
In 2006, MBG Daylily Association paid off the rest of the cushman from the previous year and helped pay for a new Bobcat Versahandler. 2007's donation went towards a walk-in cooler needed by the Horticulture Division. A forklift was purchased with the 2008 donation. Amazingly, as of 2011, the Missouri Botanical Garden Daylily Association has contributed over $182,610 in cash, plants, and equipment to Missouri Botanical Garden and the Horticulture Division!
When asked why they do all of this, they reply that they like daylilies and it is fun to be involved with the MBG Daylily Association. Ever gracious, they thank the Garden for the opportunity to get involved. They enjoy working with the staff here and point out that everyone has been very kind to them. Needless to say, they have been very kind to the Horticulture Division!