Before the Last Bloom?

August 11, 2016August 11, 2016Leave a comment

Today seemed a bit cooler in my garden. We are decidedly on the downside of summer. My friend Frans Hals showed up, again. I put this guy in a few years ago and forgot about it . . . I was later surprised to find it blooming in September.

Frans Hals – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Pizza Crust was back today, as well. It has about 3 more buds.

Pizza Crust – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Orange Flurry is a cool little bloom. Always a joy to have the late bloomers. Each bloom can be savored. And, this one is growing on me.

Orange Flurry – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

And, my Stellas showed up again. I have a feeling I will be giving these away right and left as they are very fast growers. And, easy care.

Yella Stella – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Golden Stella – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

That is it for this day . . . about 2 months out from freezing. About time to get the couple of fall plants that I ordered online in the mail. Probably next week. I am considering one more . . . and I hope for a new job that brings me half the joy that growing these bright blooms does. Soon. Before the last bloom?

Tigers, Skinwalkers, Apaches, and Princes. Oh My!

August 10, 2016August 10, 20163 Comments

Yesterday was my first no bloom day since early June. Today brought several blooms, including my very first Tiger Kitten.

Tiger Kitten – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

And, after a few weeks of deformed Skinwalkers, today comes a picture perfect bloom. I think the early blooms were premature. What a great Ned Roberts bloom!

Skinwalker – Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Apache Uprising made a huge show with three blooms.

Apache Uprising – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

And, how awesome it is to see my last two Royal Palace Princes in full bloom.

Royal Palace Prince – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Stella also showed up to meet this crowd in the garden – both my golden and yella Stella.

Yella Stella – Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Golden Stella – Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

And, calm little Orange Flurry was present in the background.

Orange Stella – Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

That leaves only two unbloomed cultivators . . . Heirloom Heaven and Red Hot Returns. However, that is not bad for mid-August. And, nine total have unbloomed buds. Will I make it until freeze?

This weekend, I start the work of fall mulching. I’m learning more about promoting my rebloomers. And, so more improvements in store for the future.

Daylily Blooms Last Forever!

August 8, 2016August 8, 2016Leave a comment

Perhaps it is the blog. Or, perhaps it is painting with my granddaughter a few days ago. And, maybe it is because I want to keep peak season alive all year. At any rate, I broke out the paintbrush in an attempt to keep my last Zuni Thunderbird alive forever. It was fun. And, it’s been 9 months since I painted one of my cultivators. That’s too long. So, I got my fix.

Zuni Thunderbird – Painting by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Frans Hals appeared for the first time since 2014. I like this older daylily so much that I bought one online only to discover that I had one in my yard from the years when I wasn’t quite this addicted. I like bi-tone daylilies – I think that they are stunning.

Frans Hals – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Other blooms today in my thinning garden included my last Marque Moon:

Marque Moon – Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Pizza Crust:

Pizza Crust – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Apache Uprising among the Prickley Pear:

Apache Uprising with Prickley Pear Cactus – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

And, Orange Flurry:

Orange Flurry – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

My mind is shifting to fall. I’ll be a doctor in a little over a month. I hope that there is a bloom on the day I give my presentation. That would rock. If there isn’t, I will still wake up to my favorite blossoms.

Savoring the Four Seasons with Daylilies

August 7, 2016August 7, 2016Leave a comment

Savoring is the art of being in the moment and totally immersing ourselves into an experience. It means no multi-tasking or thinking about chores. It also includes planning for experiences, as well as reminiscing about the past good times.

So, today my yard takes on all of the above. Here are my in the moment blooms:

Apache Uprising:

Apache Unrising – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Royal Palace Prince:

Royal Palace Prince – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Fairy Tale Pink:

Fairy Tale Pink – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Marque Moon:

Marque Moon – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Orange Flurry:

Orange Flurry – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Stella do Oro:

Stella de Oro – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

In savoring the 2016 daylily season, I write this blog. Last night, I actually looked through every post I made this summer. It will be so cool to read back on things this winter, while I am painting these beauties. I have tile paintings of Inwood, Cheddar Cheese and Route 66 in my room. I said I didn’t want to ever have a day of the year where I didn’t wake up to daylily blooms. And, so it is. I cannot wait to add a few paintings of my new Ned Roberts Spiders.

And, that is a perfect segway into savoring through planning. I have a few interventions for my Ned Roberts garden to start this month. Things to empower more blooms next year. Last night, I also found a Ned Roberts spider that is pretty rare on the auction, and put in a bid (it’s under $10). I got my potted ones planted yesterday . . . the ones that were only temporarily in pots. And, I fertilized. It’s all part of beginning to savor next season.

The seasons of savoring daylilies:

Spring: Looking for the baby fans, cleaning out beds, watering on nice days, fertilize a little, early bloomers show-up!

Summer: Bloom fest! Photography and active blogging. Savor each colorful bloom. Also, water, weeds, insects, and dead-heading.

Fall: Savor the late bloomers. Take time to smell each one. Begin preparing beds for fall. Fall planting. Begin to consider which cultivators will make the best paintings.

Winter: Break out the paints! Be creative – what new ways can daylilies be painted objects that I see every day during the cold, bleak months? Paint daylilies on pumpkins. Hey, what about daylily ornaments? (I just thought of that one and need to consider how I might accomplish that before Christmas.) I love the daylily solar lights in my garden. More for this winter, too. Oh, the list goes on. And, hey, what about searching for a few rare daylilies to add to my garden in the spring? Look, winter is the busiest season of savoring of all!

Three is a crowd!

August 6, 2016August 6, 2016Leave a comment

Today, there are only three daylilies in bloom. Pizza Crust and both the yellow and gold (or light orange) Stellas. The season winds down, and yet I still have nine cultivator scapes with unbloomed buds. Three of those have not bloomed yet this year. And, of course the Stellas are still making new scapes. That is why I got them.

Pizza Crust – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

My Yella Stella – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Gold Stella – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Heirloom Heaven Scapes – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

It’s threatening rain, but not doing much yet. I did fertilize my pots, so a good drench like we had yesterday would be OK with me. I also got about half the potted lilies that I am moving to the garden in before the thunder started to pop. So, here comes the beginning of the transition to fall chores. Such is the life of a daylily addict.

Sweet the Rains New Fall

August 5, 2016August 6, 2016Leave a comment

Cool, rainy weather is welcome after a month of pretty warm weather. Still, I dread the end of daylily season. Summer is the time when I live outdoors. My daylilies get love and attention at some cost to my routine housekeeping duties. And, when it is not daylilies, it is hedge, lawn, veggie garden, or weeds. And, then there is school and the job search. However, arranging my day to increase positive emotion means time with the daylilies . . . broaden and build.

So, today is a low-census day in the daylily garden. The blooms rest as the rain falls. Still, I have baby scapes starting on some . . . like the May ones on most of my plants. Can I extend my bloom for two more months? Until first freeze? We will see . . . always a stretch goal. When it comes to goals, I am a maximizer. Or so say my Gallup strengths.

So, for today, there is Fine Time Lucille:

Fine Time Lucille – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt.

Fairy Tale Pink:

Fairy Tale Pink – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Royal Palace Prince:

Royal Palace Prince – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Orange Flurry:

Orange Flurry – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Both yellow and orange Stella de Oros:

Yellow Stella de Oro – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Orange Stella – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

And, little Purple de Oro:

Purple de Oro – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Tomorrow is another day . . . and my focus may just turn to transplanting some of my potted daylilies into the garden. If the rain stops.

Praise for the Sweetness of the Wet Garden

August 4, 2016Leave a comment

The rain came. Finally. Not much monsoon activity this year . . . so the big, cool storm is welcome. I got up reasonably early and several of the flowers had not bloomed all the way. Cool, wet weather. It is a nice break.

I’m two months into this daylily journey 2016. I hope for another two. It won’t peak again, but plateaus are good, too. And, then, comes the paintings. The cool weather and the presence of my granddaughter put me in the mood, a little. Ah, but alas, homework calls. Because the grandkids will be back through Sunday on their way home and due dates loom.

Enjoy the collage for today! This weekend, I am also going to try to sink some of my smaller potted daylilies into the ground. The rain will be good prep for that chore.

From L to R: Top Row – Stella de Oro, Orange Flurry, Prelude to Love, Royal Palace Prince, Marque Moon. Second Row – El Desperado, Primal Scream, Apache Uprising, Purple de Oro. Bottom – Pizza Crust.

Morning Has Broken

August 4, 2016Leave a comment

Today was an early day in the garden before a hike with my family. I love having my daughter and grandkids in Colorado so I can see them every couple of months. Grandkids are the best blooms of all.

The morning brought two very first blooms to my yard. The first is Nona’s Garnet Spider. Sadly, Nona only produced one viable bud year. (So far – keep hoping!) She was another small root planted last fall. I really like her. I hope Nona brings more buds next trip.

Nona’s Garnet Spider – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Apache Uprising was also added late fall and was pretty small. I added a couple of intentional late bloomers. It’s a pretty flower.

Apache Uprising – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

It was also a day of hiking and swimming, so I am beat. But it is making me smile to have 13 blooms on an August day. My dream is May – October. This year started early June. Let’s see where it ends. (71 blooms so far – so I made my 50% goal.) I have noticed Heirloom Heaven with brand new scapes forming. Plus Tiger Kitten and Frans Hals are growing scapes. I may hit 74. And, who knows, I may have another scape or two join the show.

From L to R: Top Row – Lime Frost, Fine Time Lucille, Nona’s Garnet Spider. Row Two – Royal Palace Prince, Purple de Oro, Marque Moon, Stella de Oro, Orange Vols. Bottom Row – Apache Uprising, El Desperado, Pizza Crust.

A Little Something Different

August 3, 2016August 3, 2016Leave a comment

I went to take my daylily photos this morning and my camera did not cooperate. Dead battery. The hazard to being addicted to daylilies, I suppose. It’s my summer road trip this year, though. So, time to savor it!

Today was different because my daughter and grandkids are in town for a couple of days. Tonight, swimming. Tomorrow, the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. And, so for today, a short blog.

The new kid today is one called Fairy Tale Pink. It looks more peach in the sunlight. I love the lines coming from the throat. It is a unique addition to the batch.

Fairy Tale Pink – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Today was Zuni Thunderbird’s last bloom. I fell in love with this whimsical bloom for some reason. I am definitely painting this one.

Zuni Thunderbird – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

So, dead battery. What’s a photographer to do? I substituted with my Kindle for the early photos and used some of the filters that I have on my photoshop app. I’ve been wanting to do that. And, the hour is late . . .

From L to R: Top Row -Fairy Tale Pink, Ghost Ranch, Mini Pearl. Row Two – Soco Gap, Marque Moon, Stella de Oro, Ruby Stella. Bottom Row – Skinwalker, South Seas, Zuni Thunderbird.

Like a Box of Chocolates!

August 2, 2016August 2, 2016Leave a comment

So, today I applied for two more jobs and tomorrow my family comes. After that, it is some catch-up work with school. I can’t believe I am done in 6 weeks – I’ll have my Doctorate in Nursing Practice! It’s wonderful and frightening. The downside of online school is that it can be isolating. It seems especially pronounced now that we are almost done.

So, I promise myself one trip away from the dogs every couple of days. It gets me out with real humans and no leashes. Now, I love my dogs but I also enjoy feeling human. So, today I visited a local nursery that is having a plant sale. Four dollar daylilies – cool. I’ve decided to put Stellas in a couple more of my containers so they have season long bloomers. It may be good motivation to water them more – and get more blooms from the more specialty plants.

So, welcome to the yard Orange Flurry (in bloom today with scapes and buds):

Orange Flurry – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

And, another couple of Stellas. I thought it might be interesting to show the ones I got over the weekend with the new one. The new one is definitely more orange tone.

The other new ones have buds and scapes, but not in bloom today . . . so we wait. And one is a mystery label one, so like Forest Gump said . . .

Other blooms are Pizza Crust:

Pizza Crust – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Lime Frost:

Lime Frost – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Marque Moon:

Marque Moon – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Prelude to Love:

Prelude to Love – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Orange Vols:

Orange Vols – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

El Desperado:

El Desperado – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Royal Palace Prince:

Royal Palace Prince – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

With any luck, I’ll have blooms until Jack Frost shows. Here is to hoping I have a job by then, too! And, by next spring there will be more flourishing at my home than ever!

Colorado Kid Daylilies

A Blog About My Western Colorado Daylily Adventure

Month: August 2016

Before the Last Bloom?

Tigers, Skinwalkers, Apaches, and Princes. Oh My!

Daylily Blooms Last Forever!

Savoring the Four Seasons with Daylilies

Three is a crowd!

Sweet the Rains New Fall

Praise for the Sweetness of the Wet Garden

Morning Has Broken

A Little Something Different

Like a Box of Chocolates!