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Some gardeners grow lots of different plants. Others fall in love with one or two plants and specialize in them. Louise Walton was one of the latter. She originally grew lots of roses. Beautiful, pristine, healthy, robust blooms that were the envy of everyone who saw them. 

After a terrible tragedy, she discovered daylilies and later said that they saved her life. Many of us know what she meant. Louse never did anything halfway. She soon moved on from growing just a few daylilies to having a very long bed filled with daylilies, hibiscus, and echinacea. All the plants were carefully labeled and there wasn’t a weed in sight. 

Louise loved the thrill of seeing the blooms of new purchases open for the first time and felt it was important to add several new plants to her collection every year. Every year, she talked excitedly about her latest finds. She loved Heidi Douglas’ Mr. and Mrs. Bubbs, Judy Davisson’s Mean Green, Jim Murphy’s Green Tea, and many more. Her enthusiasm and informal promotion of her favorites helped many hybridizers publicize new introductions. Over the years, two daylilies were named in her honor – Woodhenge Garden’s Louise Walton and Michael Miller’s Small World Louise from Louisa. I expect there will be more.

As Louise became more immersed in growing daylilies, she joined several daylily groups, helped found the Southern Virginia Daylily Club, and began attending national meetings where she met other afficionados, as well as hybridizers. Her circle of daylily friends got larger and larger. She delighted in introducing new gardeners to daylilies and reassuring them that daylilies were, indeed, easy to grow. This past year, she experimented with a custom blended fertilizer that one of her friends swore was excellent. 

In addition to daylilies, Louise loved looking for antiques, University of Virginia basketball, and eating blue crabs. She had a wicked sense of humor and never met a stranger. Mostly, however, she delighted in sharing her love of daylilies with everyone. She was a fabulous gardener and understood the importance of sharing her knowledge and enthusiasm. 

Louise Walton passed away unexpectedly recently. She will be sorely missed as a friend and as a superb gardener.

Dr. Cynthia Wood is a master gardener. Her email address is cynthia.crewe23930@gmail.com.