Today brought a good variety of color.  From the yellow-pink blooms of Pizza Crust and Pink & Cream to the deep red of Cherokee Star and Heirloom Heaven.  In the middle was pretty Indian Sky.

I am keeping a close eye on the Southwest garden since the replantings.  Some yellow leaves here and there.  Overall, they are in much better shape despite looking a bit frazzled.

It makes me think of our humanity.  Sometimes everything can look pretty perfect on the surface.  The garden had mulch and few weeds.  The sprinkler ran regularly.  And, the lilies looked pretty much OK.  But, several were too small and one died.  The bloom rate was poor and the blooms looked stunted.  I wondered about the sunlight, mostly. Something was off, but the thought of fixing what lay under the surface was something I wanted to deny.

It was odd to deny it . . . I knew what was underneath.  Somehow, I hoped top soil would be enough to get the lilies started.  I mean, maybe they could do OK in the clay . . . that is what it says on the internet.  Seriously, this Colorado Plateau clay is like an abusive, addictive relationship. Not only does it not provide nutrition, it is like cement.  I have never seen it get damp more than a couple inches below the surface.  The roots that do penetrate are stuck forever, unable to move yet starving for a better existence.

Diving under the surface and fixing the real problem is hard, hard work.  And, I am sure there is more of it ahead in this adventure.  I could continue to ignore it . . . normalize it. You know, just keep watering harder and hope somehow it corrects itself.  But, then it comes time to stop the cycle and do something different.  I hope it will pay off and that everything flourishes and blooms.  Then, it will be worth it for daylily generations to come.