Quiet

August 9, 2017August 9, 2017Leave a comment

Today was quiet in the yard. Four blooms. Cool, rainy. Shifting seasons in the air. It is good to see the new growth on the daylilies I put in pots a couple of weeks ago. There is no doubt they look healthier.

I walked by Fairy Tale Pink and saw her shrinking fans under those invasive blue bells. I stopped to put her in a pot before the dog walk. I’m out of potting soil, again. More, tomorrow.

I sincerely hope I never have to put this many buried pots in any place ever again. The veggie garden was the worse. The Southwestern garden is more of a challenge than the front. At least as far as big roots. The invasive blue bells are in all the roots out front. A woman at the farmer’s market last weekend says they probably have something in their roots that inhibits the growth of other plants. I have to do a procedure where I paint the weeds that appear in the pots with herbicide. After all the pots are in the ground, that is. I hope the bloom next year is worth it! Oh, life on the Colorado Plateau!

Savoring

August 8, 2017Leave a comment

Savoring is a concept that I learned about over a decade ago as a student of positive psychology. Savoring is what I do in the garden every morning – I immerse myself in the color and shape of each bloom. It is a sense of awe, really. And, fall seems to turn up the volume of appreciation for each bloom. July feels almost rushed to get photos of each flower . . . but August slows it down enough to notice each individual bloom.

It is almost funny that today brought two new faces. I only have three unbloomed (for 2017) cultivators left to bloom now. Today brought an old favorite, Heirloom Heaven. A sweet, petite late bloomer.

And, it brought the first Passionate Returns (except the one that I missed Saturday). This is a new plant just a couple weeks ago when I was craving some more late bloomers. I love the color and the ruffles.

Now, it is fall chores. This year, that is a lot due to the decision to put almost everyone in pots of some sort. I’m maybe 2/3 finished. Then, I have several that need to be divided and given to friends/coworkers. I have turned into a serious hobbiest, and the transition is a bit painful at times. I am hopeful that next year will be easier. More time to savor.

You Picked a Fine Time to Leave Me, Lucille!

August 7, 2017Leave a comment

So, a few days without a blog. Getting ready for camping and camping itself. But, Lucille did not let me down! I thought she might wait until Saturday to bloom, and I would miss her “one-but-wonder” bloom this year. But, she showed on Friday. Good old “Fine Time Lucille.”

She was in my first order of daylily roots ever. I fell in love with her name . . . because I didn’t realize all the weirdly named daylilies available. I can hear Kenny Rodgers singing her song right now, can you?

When the drinks finally hit her she said “I’m no quitter
But I finally quit livin’ on dreams
I’m hungry for laughter and here ever after
I’m after whatever the other life brings”

Anyway, camping was awesome. I wanted to get home to continue to dig and replant the Southwest garden strugglers. Got about 5 done – it is SLOW work. I think it is tree roots more than tree leaves. Let’s hope these pots work out there. I also got poor Lucille put in a pot in the main garden so she doesn’t leave me. Oh, I don’t think I will ever be done.

I missed the first Passionate Returns. But, I think she will be back tomorrow.

Grit

August 3, 2017Leave a comment

Today was split shift . . . a day of grit to get more daylilies protected from the soil and roots in my home ground. I gotta tell you, I am ready to be done. And, yet, I have barely started in the Southwest garden. Ugh, that clay soil is definitely part of the problem in the area where the daylilies are not thriving as much. I put my first two full pots out there, buried. The challenge is to make sure the sprinkler hose hits them. Some others are in bottomless pots, and some in the black nursery containers, mostly without bottoms. We will see what works. It is possible that what works is just digging deeper in that clay and replacing it with real soil. But, the pots keep the unwanted roots out. Grit.

So, I had no new blooms. Decided to play with my photo editor. So, here is Indian Sky from today in colored chalk.

Also, I am resharing my Ned Roberts spider collage because I forgot Glen Eyrie. I guess 19 out of 69 could be worse. Almost 30%. But, that clay has to get split up to improve things. Next year, I would like to hit 40. Keep on digging. Grit! Except, this weekend I have a date with my tent.

Left to Right: Top Row – Adios Albuquerque, Aztec Firebird, Black Ice, Chaco Canyon, Chief Four Fingers, Coral Taco. Middle Row: Desert Icicle, Dream Catcher, Dream Keeper, Ghost Ranch, Glen Eyrie, Kokopelli, Papa Longlegs. Bottom Row – Pink Enchilada, Pueblo Dancer, Rasberry Propeller, Skinwalker, Twirling Pinata, Zuni Thunderbird

Web of Spiders

August 2, 2017August 2, 2017Leave a comment

Today, I think I got my last NEW Ned Roberts bloom for the year. The new one is Coral Taco. The challenge is taking a photo of a flower doing yoga. Yes, both me and the flower!

I started collecting Ned’s spiders a couple years ago when I saw one named Kokopelli on the auction. I cannot believe how little I knew about daylilies then!!! Anyway, once I figured out they were hybridized close to home and there were lots of Southwestern and Colorado names, I had to have more. And, most have not ever bloomed yet, although this year most of them grew big and healthy.

From L to R: Top Row: Adios Albuquerque, Aztec Firebird, Black Ice, Chaco Canyon, Chief Four Fingers. Middle Row: Coral Taco, Desert Icicle, Dream Catcher, Dream Keeper, Ghost Ranch, Kokopelli. Bottom Row: Papa Longlegs, Pink Enchilada, Pueblo Dancer, Skinwalker, Raspberry Propeller (not a Southwestern name), Twirling Pinata, Zuni Thunderbird.

It is sort of disappointing that several that bloomed last year did not bloom this year. My Southwest garden was where a pine was planted until they uprooted it for a new sewer a decade or more ago. A pine in the middle of a rock garden. So, I work on water and soil. There is clearly a part of the patch with bigger plants and a part with strugglers. And, so I am working on that, too. Maybe a tree trim???

Despite the disappointment of wanting more bloom, I was impressed when I put these all together in one collage. I cannot wait to see them all!!! I think I have around 50 total.

I think there will be a break for several days before any more new blooms. So, like these cool spiders, I will be thinking of themes to highlight certain daylilies.

Savoring at Half-Time!

August 1, 2017August 1, 2017Leave a comment

Today, I have a new bloom! Except, maybe it is cheating to add a new daylily with lots of buds the day before. Or, maybe not. How could I resist with a name like Cherokee Star?

Daylilies are often pretty fragrant, but I get so hung up with using my visual sense that I forget to smell them. Then, as the blooms slow, I remember. Savoring the second half of summer is a joy.

Monday and Thursday are my 10 hour days, and the first week of the month is a killer! So, I savor where and when I can. I brainstorm ideas for flourishing daylilies in my spare moments. I savor ideas about growing a flourishing life, too. I need to get a “Lessons from Daylilies” poster . . . or make one.

Tomorrow, Coral Taco is going to bust open, me thinks. That bud is huge!!! And, so we start month three of daylily season.

Colorado Kid Daylilies

A Blog About My Western Colorado Daylily Adventure

Month: August 2017