Today came the first bloom.  Electric Lizard opened it’s bud as the first daylily for the season, 2016.  It is a pale and anemic bloom . . . just like Indian Sky was when it bloomed in March.  For some reason, both evergreens bloomed early despite scraggly foliage.  It is still pretty, it just looks very different from its online photo.

I could be upset of disappointed.  Mostly, though, I am curious about how to be a successful daylily gardener.  It fascinates me how the color can be so off.  So, I asked the American Hemerocallis Association Facebook page.  One of the nice hybridizers inquired about fertilizer and gave me suggestions.  He also said this one is a hybrid from Ohio, even though it is evergreen, so it could probably be left outside in the winter.

OK, so I am curious about differences in climate between Western Colorado and Ohio.  I found a website where I can compare Denver to Dayton.  The main thing I see there is that Ohio gets more moisture and isn’t quite as cold, on average.  Oh course, Denver is on the other side of the Rockies, so I am unsure how true the comparison is to my garden.  More than those items, I wonder about how our crazy Rocky Mountain springs impact the more delicate daylilies.  It will be 75 one day and 25 the next, over and over.  I am sure that is what got two of my evergreens this spring.  That is what makes this Western Slope gardening so interesting.  (I bet the soil is way different, too!)

So, of course, the dilemma is to leave it out or not leave it out next winter?  First, though, I have got to treat the anemia.  If I can get it to flourish (I adopted it in the fall last year so it is still a baby), then I would consider leaving it out.  At any rate, tomorrow I will get some slow release fertilizer for the two spindly ones and watch for the next bloom.

What is next?  I am not sure but Happy Returns is an early bird.  Mesa Verde, Dream Keeper, Kokopelli (and a couple of others in the new garden), Early Bird Cardinal, etc. all have some decent sized buds forming.  Lots of scapes out there.  Oh, and The Colorado Kid!  I can’t wait to see how close the colors on that are to the logo on this blog.  I don’t think any will open tomorrow . . . but soon, very soon.