Anna
Rosa (Lee) Glidden was born in Daingerfield, Morris County, Texas, October 1, 1929, the
daughter of Thomas Nugent Lee & Emma Loys (Hughes) Lee. Anna Rosa met her
husband, Homer Howard Glidden, at Lon Morris College
in Jacksonville, Texas. They had three sons.
Anna Rosa's entry into the world of daylilies came in the 1950's with friends giving her older daylilies. One day Homer took her to Wheeler's Daylily Farm, north of Houston, Texas, and they came home with 10 new daylilies, all costing $1.00 each. Soon afterwards they began to buy from Ida Harrison at Harrison Daylily Garden, Houston, Texas. Ida taught them how to hybridize.
In 1970, Anna Rosa made three crosses, none of which turned out to be good. In 1976, she registered her first daylily and opened Glidden Gardens. She and Homer purchased many daylilies from Bob Lee when he moved to Austin. In 1982, they purchased almost all of Jack Carpenter's stock. Jack kept a few for his own pleasure.
Anna Rosa and Homer bought the houses and lots next to their home, and grew daylilies in raised beds on all of the space, except for one front yard, a concession to a renter.
In 1982, Anna Rosa became a member of American Hemerocallis Society (AHS). In 1983, Anna Rosa and Homer attended their first AHS Convention in Birmingham, Alabama. She was a member of the Houston Area Daylily Society, Houston Hemerocallis Society, and Brazosport Daylily Society.
She served as 1984-85 Region 6 Membership Chair, and President of the Houston Area Daylily Society in 1987-88 and 2006. In 1995, she was instrumental in the organization of the Cypress Creek Daylily Club. She served as 1996-98 President of the Houston Hemerocallis Society. She was an Honorary AHS Garden Judge and Honorary AHS Exhibition Judge.
Anna Rosa and Homer donated daylilies generously to the local, Regional, and AHS National organizations. They acquired new daylilies each year to stimulate interest in their garden.
Anna Rosa worked tirelessly for the 1988 Houston AHS Convention, and her garden was on tour. She was the main instigator for convincing five clubs in the. Houston area to host the 2008 AHS Convention. She rarely missed a Region 6 Meeting or AHS Convention.
In 2008, Anna Rosa was honored as the recipient of the AHS Region 6 Service Award.
She passed away September 17, 2020, 2 weeks shy of her 91st birthday.
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