COMMUNITY: A Visit to Artemesia Daylilies: 1,300 Reasons to Make the Drive
- Heidi
- Jul 29
- 3 min read
Updated: 7 days ago
If you love daylilies, Artemesia Daylilies in Kimberley belongs on your garden bucket list. Home to more than 1,300 varieties, it's one of those places where every turn offers a new colour, form or unexpected combination.
More Than a Garden
A big part of what makes Artemesia so memorable are Alain Johnson and Jocelyn Bertrand - Al and Joe. Warm, welcoming and generous with their time, they genuinely enjoy sharing what they've learned through decades of growing and hybridizing daylilies.
Their journey began in 2003 after a visit to a daylily grower in Québec sparked an idea: Why don't we grow daylilies? What started as a hobby grew into a passion, and eventually into one of Canada's most impressive private collections. Today, visitors benefit from more than twenty years of growing, hybridizing and sharing their knowledge with gardeners of every experience level.
The setting is just as memorable. On one side of the property, an old weathered barn sits proudly on the crest of the hill. On the other, a beautifully designed contemporary addition complements the original schoolhouse. Together, they frame the gardens perfectly.
Beyond the pond hidden behind the cedars sits another surprise - more than one hundred beehives. Throughout basswood season, the bees spend their days high in the fragrant basswood trees across the road before returning to the hives. The result is beautiful local honey, available for purchase onsite and via the Buzzing Bush Apiary website.
A Lifetime of Hybridizing
Al and Joe's collection is the result of decades of hybridizing and careful selection. Each variety has been chosen for its colour, shape, size and garden performance, creating an impressive display that changes throughout the blooming season.
Easy to Grow, Easy to Love
Daylilies are among the easiest perennials to grow. They thrive in full sun to partial shade, prefer well-drained soil and need very little maintenance once established. Regular watering during dry periods and dividing mature clumps every few years will keep them performing at their best.
Why Visit Artemesia Daylilies?
With more than 1,300 cultivars, you'll find:
Single and double blooms
Colours ranging from soft pastels to rich, saturated tones
Ruffled, spider and unusual flower forms
Early, mid and late-season bloomers that extend the display for weeks
Planning Your Visit
Walking through the display gardens is a chance to see mature plants in a real garden setting, compare varieties side by side and discover favourites you may never have considered.
But it's also a place to slow down. To admire the architecture. To wander around the pond. To leave with a few plants, a jar of honey and a greater appreciation for just how remarkable a single genus of plants can be.
If you're planning a visit with friends, a garden club or a horticultural society, Al and Joe offer guided garden tours throughout the bloom season, beginning with an engaging introduction in the barn before you wander through the display gardens. Visitors are encouraged to ask questions, take photos and enjoy the gardens at their own pace.
They also present informative talks for garden clubs and horticultural societies, sharing more than two decades of experience growing and hybridizing daylilies. Garden tours, presentations and current visiting information can be booked directly through the Artemesia Daylilies website.
Artemesia Daylilies is well worth the drive - and don't be surprised if you leave already planning your next visit. I did.
Where to Find Artemesia Daylilies 235731 Grey County Rd 13, Grey Highlands, ON N0C 1G0 Link to Map
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