Yesterday, Ruby Spider showed her first bloom. To me, she is an iconic daylily. I got her to hide a drip system hose, after the ornamental grass died. Hey, daylilies look like grass but you get flowers.
It’s been 10 years or so, and she has become 4 plants. It’s cool, because she blooms later in the front garden than in the patio pot. I always smile when she shows up with her huge red blooms.
Wow, tonight I am blogging from my laptop and using my Canon photos! Getting into the daylily season routine. At least as much as possible when I work until 10 PM. Fortunately, I work from home so can run out quickly and snap photos here and there.
Today, Papa Long Legs bloomed for the first time in my yard! And, he is officially the first bloom in my Southwest named daylily garden. I am unsure how much daddy longlegs spiders are Southwestern, really. Although, they certainly inhabit the region. I love the Ned Roberts (hybridizer) spider daylilies, and I am fortunate to have a whole garden where they dominate. So, when I go through the lists of his blooms, I pick everything that reminds me of my home area. And, honestly, I have a lot of these creatures in my yard. Watching these ones bloom is amazing, it takes a couple hours.
Anytime one takes a space that has been a rock garden on top of W. Colorado adobe earth, one risks. It is hard, clay that is so basic (pH) that the nutrients lock-up in it. Amendments help, but not for very long. Most of my daylilies in that garden are growing, several have scapes. A few struggle. Why? I seem to always find a lot of clay soil in the roots when I dig these ones up. I also find roots of other species of plants that infiltrate everything in my mature yard. I’m trying something new and cutting the whole bottom out of cheap pots and burying them with the strugglers inside. And, good soil. Hoping for some moisture retention and root guard protection. Taking care of those who don’t flourish is the work of a true gardener. Here on the Colorado Plateau, I have my work cut out as the nurse of the daylilies.
Daylilies bring to mind blooms that come and leave with the daylight, each lasting only a day. Some, however, are called nocturnal or extended bloom. These open in the evening and bloom all night, perhaps until the following evening. This is Yellow Punch with a retro filter.
My Lowe’s newcomers seem to be nocturnal extended bloomers. This makes me even more curious about the genes, other than Stella.
PS – I had Indian Sky bloom in March in my fibreglass porch. The blooms (only 2) lasted 3 days each in that cooler, shadier place.
For tomorrow, I think Ruby Spider and Papa Long legs.
Today came my first Yellow Punch bloom. One of my Flower Power daylilies from my weekend trip to Lowes.
I’m not much of a big box shopper, but I do appreciate rebloomers. Stellas are the best! So, I was curious about what big box did with Stella. I wish I could find out the parentage. Monrovia just says it’s new this year. (It looks lots like Pink and Cream that I got at the same time. Hmmm.)
I do see mother Stella. It also reminds me of my Frans Hals, which is an older daylily. Hard to know. Many after it’s less new??? (Below: Stella and Frans Hals)
My new little Pink and Cream Monrovia (Stella de Oro offspring) daylily bloomed. It bloomed for 270 miles. It bloomed at 12k feet above sea level. It bloomed in more than half a dozen counties. It crossed the Great Divide.
I planned to stop in one town for gas, then the next, then the next. One thing or another made me decide to wait til the next town. I got 45 miles to the gallon this trip in my Honda Fit, so we made it to the gas station. Maybe, just maybe, we were running on flower power.
Today brought family . . . And a trip to Lowes. I don’t normally buy daylilies from big box stores, but I like live souvenirs. So, two new daylilies. Miniature offspring of Stella de Oro. The one that is starting to bloom in my hatchback is called Pink and Cream. I can find no information on it. The other one is Yellow Punch. Never a daylily-less day. Tomorrow, it’s the long drive home. With two for the road.
My second bloom of the year was Return a Smile. It was really yesterday, now. Crazy long day. Glad it started with a smile. This daylily is one of my oldest. I got it at the same time as Ruby Spider and Just Plum Happy . . . To hid my drip system hose. This bud survived the snow storm and looks none the worse for the wear. Tonight’s smile was grandkids. It’s time to rest. Daylilies teach that.
Today brought my first bloom of 2017. A golden Stella de Oro. Well, more like two Stellas. Simple yellow trumpets are the early birds. Happy Returns will join, soon. So will Ruby Spider . . .the one in a container on my patio. It gets hot back there. That bunch is always a couple weeks ahead.
While Stella led the way, more scapes became visible. Indian Love Call, Pink Enchilada, Stephanie Returns, Isaac, Early Bird Cardinal, Mesa Verde, Heron’s Cove, Red Hot Returns, Lady Fingers, Royal Palace Prince, and Prairie Wildfire. And, a tiger that the nursery wasn’t sure what it was . . . So, I got a big discount. The list grows. I’m hoping for a 75% bloom year.
This blog will be different this year. Last year, I was finishing up my doctorate. I had a lot of flexibility to be in the garden and playing with photos. This year, I work 45+ hours a week for Western Governors University. I’m committed to the blog, but it needs a new approach. Because, sleep is good.
Stella in half bloomed, so I think it’s safe to say my first daylily of the year shows up tomorrow. I have to give up AM news for camera time in the garden. It’s better, the garden.
I killed my very first Stella a few years back. Then, I got into daylilies, and Stella seemed too common. But they bloom all season. So, last year, I hit the sales and got a few.
I have a growing number of scapes popping up. It’s like watching popcorn start to pop. Kokopelli, Soco Gap, Papa Long legs, Hopi Jewel, Happy Returns, Ruby Spider, Chama Valley, Strutters Ball, Wild Horses, Ghost Ranch, Funny Valentine, Inwood, Jungle Queen, Return A Smile. All have scapes. And, it’s just the beginning. I guessed Juneteenth (16th) for bloom 1. Off by 9 days. I’m good with it.
I have a lot of friends who think I’m a Lily expert. Daylilies are not really lilies. They are more closely related to Olathe Sweet Corn. And, I hope they do as well in my high desert garden.
Colorado Kid Daylilies 