Every Friday on social media, we post a Farm Feature Friday showcasing one of our dedicated North Carolina farmers. Rebecca Davis, with Davis Boxwood & Daylily Garden, is one of those farmers. The #FarmFeatureFriday campaign will run through December 2021 on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. Be sure to tune in each Friday afternoon on social and help show your support for our local farmers!
Rebecca Davis grew up in the evergreen industry, learning the trade from her father who raised boxwoods and her mother who made wreaths. After she was married, Rebecca’s husband, Clinton, also took an interest in the industry, learning from her father, and their journey toward Davis Boxwood & Daylily’s began. “Clinton grew up on a farm just like I did, so I guess you can say we both had farming in our blood,” said Rebecca.
They started selling products as a business in 1987, but it wasn’t until a vacation in Cherokee that they fully discovered their passion and focus for the nursery itself. “We went to a place called The Lilly Patch on our way home and the owner had a hill where he grew many varieties of daylilies and they were absolutely breathtaking,” Rebecca said, “we bought a few from him to grow at our nursery. We fell in love with the huge variety of colors and sizes as we worked with them and learned about them.” Today, Rebecca grows 990 varieties of daylilies, including her favorites the Alabama Jubilee, Laughing Giraffe and Franklin Gem boxwood.
“The majority of our daylilies are grown directly in the ground, we have very few that are grown in containers,” Rebecca said, “it’s a year-round process.” A typical day on the farm depends highly on season, but can encompass a variety of tasks, including taking future daylily orders. In the spring, Rebecca focuses on pulling weeds, spraying and dividing flowers. Then in the winter she mulches the beds and fixes any tags that are faded on the plants.
Although ensuring all the plants get divided and taken care of can be tough, Rebecca wouldn’t trade anything in the world for the relationships she builds with her customers and seeing the joy on their face when they purchase flowers from her. “I love meeting new people that come to the farm and sharing my life with them in this way,” she said.
Products from Davis Boxwood and Daylily Garden can be purchased through their online website or on-site at the farm. “Buying local products not only supports the local people, but it stimulates the community,” Rebecca said, “I am always glad to welcome customers to my farm and help them decide on the perfect plants for their garden.” In the future, Rebecca hopes to reach her goal of growing 1,000 daylily varieties and providing the products that her customers love and enjoy.
