A graduate of Michigan State University’s Institute of Agricultural Technology, Jason Delaney’s horticultural career blossomed at the world-renowned Missouri Botanical Garden where, for nearly 21 colorful years, he grew from Gardener to Horticulturist, and ultimately to North Gardens Supervisor and Bulb Collections Specialist.  During his tenure curating the Garden’s bulb, daylily, and iris collections, among others, Jason participated in conservation-focused plant collecting expeditions to the Altai mountains of southern Siberia, the Caucasus Mountains of the Republic of Georgia, the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco, and the Changbaishan Mountains in northeastern China.  Jason has also traveled to Taiwan, New Zealand, the Netherlands, and throughout the U.S. for his work with daffodils, his greatest passion.  Jason’s work with bulbs has been featured in numerous magazines, journals, newspapers, and television programs. 

Today, Jason owns and operates Professional Horticultural Services (PHS), specializing in residential garden design and maintenance; and PHS Daffodils, specializing in new daffodil development and production.  Jason’s prized collections are situated on nearly four acres of family land in Flora, IL where over 3,500 varieties of daffodils, over 1,500 varieties of daylilies, and a few hundred historic irises are grown for small-scale commercial production, breeding, and evaluation.  Collecting novel garden varieties and historic varieties for genetic preservation are his primary foci.  Jason has been breeding daffodils and daylilies, and dabbling in breeding trumpet lilies and crinums, since the 1990s. A few of his cultivars are now in commercial production.  Jason made his first flower bulb order at the age of four, and has yet to learn about restraint from acquiring new bulbs annually. Follow his adventures on his Instagram accounts, phsdaffodils and phsdaylilies.