Best Article About Hybridizing “Journey of a Generalist in the Daylily Hybridizer’s World” by Jean-Sebastien Poulin – Spring 2016
If you’ve ever looked at two blooms and thought, “What if I crossed that with that?”—you’ll recognize the start of this story. Poulin describes how his interest in daylily hybridizing accelerated in 2012, beginning with an early cross (Prairie Blue Eyes × Joan Senior) and quickly turning into a deep dive of reading, learning, and experimenting.
One of the most relatable parts: he lists the “first winter” realizations many of us eventually learn—like how often blooming really starts the second year, how thin the odds are for a true “jackpot” seedling, and how there’s plenty written about germinating seed… but less about what to do once it’s actually growing.
What you’ll take away from the article:
- A glimpse into his growing goals (cold/disease resistance, dormant foliage, good bud count, and a preference for diploids and saturated color), plus how he tracks seedlings as a small producer.
- A refreshing perspective on being a “generalist” in a world that often rewards specialists and how that helps connect ideas across topics.
- Why he created a Facebook group (“Projet hémérocalles/Daylilies project”) and joined Québec’s daylily club (AAHQ) to encourage more technique-sharing and “democratize” hybridizing knowledge.
- His passion for clear, visual teaching tools, especially the “cookbook photos” he describes (macro photo montages that explain a single concept at a glance).
