Three Standard Deviations

August 18, 2018Leave a comment

What a strange week . . . 3 standard deviations from the mean. So, I apologize for no blog since Sunday. The reorganization has hit at work. I worked 12 hour days on Monday and Thursday. Tuesday, I had this skin cancer removed . . . long story short is that I hope like heck it stays healthy until the graft next Tuesday. Wednesday was my eye exam – and I worked until 10 PM. And, today – a steady 6 hours of work with everything in motion. I will get even more new students, I got a new boss (3rd boss in as many weeks), I haven’t even gotten all the new students from the last batch re-settled. And, then, I heard my calling. Doors may open. Let’s leave it at that for now.

My yard has fallen way down on my priority list. I have no idea if I can dig up any lilies this fall with all this noise in my life. Really, my energy has changed this year and the noise is deafening. Speaking of deaf . . . yea, that, too. That said, things are beginning to move in new directions. I let go and started living for a new vision. This created some feng shi space, I guess. Things are moving after a very long, stagnant period. How long do we fertilize something that never blooms?

So, enough of my excuses – here are my flowers for the week:

Finales:

Blue Beat 8.16

Pink and Cream 8.17

Other bloomers:

Purple Corn Dancer 8.13

Indian Sky 8.16

Heirloom Heaven 8.13

Ruby Stella 8.13

Dream Catcher 8.16

No August scapes – no returns, yet, from my “returns” daylilies. No rainy season. A quiet fall in the garden. Which is probably good given everything else in my life. It is a camping weekend and I am home. Too much going on today . . . and this week. I may try for a one-night wonder trip near home tomorrow if I feel up to it. I need to focus on healing my life.

Christmas in August: The Ugly Daylily

August 13, 2018August 13, 2018Leave a comment

The blooms thin out way too rapidly this time of the season. Every day brings another finale or three. I hung the black-out curtains on the poinsettia bloom closet so I can start forcing them in a couple of weeks. It’s 90 degrees outside so it doesn’t feel right. The amaryllis will come in soon, too. Speaking of amaryllis, Ambience bloomed this weekend. Well, more like she is blooming. Unlike daylilies, she takes her time. She blooms every summer at this time. I call her the ugly daylily. Unfortunately, the bugs love her thin blossoms. But, her color is stunning just the same. She looks like Christmas in August.

Amaryllis Ambience 8.11

Now, back to the real daylilies for the past two days. I took last night off of the blog . . . needed a break.

Finales:

Mini Pearl 8.11

Royal Palace Prince 8.11

Tiger Kitten 8.11

Navajo Curls 8.12

Other Saturday and Sunday blooms:

Pink and Cream 8.12

Blue Beat 8.11

Stella de Oro 8.11

Ruby Stella 8.12

Purple Corn Dancer 8.11

Dream Catcher 8.11

Indian Sky 8.11

That’s all folks. We are headed into the quiet of late August. No new scapes at this point. I think we needed monsoon rain for that to happen.

The Three Amigas

August 11, 2018Leave a comment

My dogs earned the reputation of being the Three Amigas last year at a dog Halloween party. They won a prize for the funniest dog costumes. It was a good time.

Kachina, Maizzy, and Sazi

So, today when I had only three blooms, I thought about my dogs. I think Blue Beat is my oldest dog, Maizzy. She is mellow (blue) and has a heart condition (Beat). So, it fits her. Indian Sky is my youngest dog, Kachina. Not only do the names work together, but Kachina is the red-orange sky color. Then comes little goofy Sazi, my newest addition (although she is middle-aged). Heirloom Heaven fits her because she is a small late bloomer. Who else has canine garden helpers?

Today’s Blooms (no finales):

Blue Beat 8.10 – Maizzy’s bloom

Maizzy

Indian Sky 8.10 – Kachina’s bloom

Kachina

Heirloom Heaven 8.10 – Sazi’s bloom

Sazi

Sleeping In

August 10, 2018Leave a comment

The season winds down, and I find myself hitting my snooze a couple extra times. The work of the daylilies has gotten to be a lot less intensive. It has positives and negatives. Here are today’s bloomers:

Finales:

Nearly Wild 8.9

Pizza Crust 8.9

The rest from 8.9:

Purple Corn Dancer

Pink and Cream

Dream Catcher 8.9

For fun, let’s look at the Walkway Garden cultivators that bloomed last year, but didn’t bloom this year. I wonder why? Drought? Adapting to pots? Neighboring plants got bigger and blocked sunlight?

Little Cadet 2017

Best Seller 2017

Chama Valley

Fine Time Lucille 8.9

Fol de Rol 2017

Pardon Me 2017

Western Sandstone 2017

Tis the season to check these pots and see if they need dividing. Then, there are the ones that have never bloomed in my yard – ever. I think 1 more year and some may get recycled. It seems only fair to give them another year in the pots to see. They are Happy Happy, Scorpio, Coberg Fright Wig, Navajo Blanket, Sanctuary in the Sky, Fringe Benefit, Carlotta, and Quilt Patch.

I wish I had the energy that I did last year because time is getting shorter. Sometimes I wish camping season and daylily season did not run concurrently. I read my blog from last year, and I was burying pots every spare second. Now, it feels like too much to add dirt to the bottoms of the pots that have settled. And, I do need to dig up a couple in the Southwest garden and put in pots. Dividing is easier in pots, though. I guess it is my year not to bloom. Droughts happen, and sometimes it isn’t about water.

The Last Dozen Daylilies

August 9, 2018August 9, 2018Leave a comment

Today, we got a late burst of activity in the daylily garden. A nice dozen showed up today. Given I only have 11 with buds left, I believe it is the last dozen. And, we had several finales. Now comes the time that I contemplate what to do with the ones that have never bloomed. Do I toss them and put divisions of some of my more reliable ones in their place? Or give them another year? Or a little of both?

Finales:

El Desperado 8.8 – blooming since 7.10

Cherokee Star 8.8 – blooming since 7.16

Orange Vols 8.8 – blooming since 7.23

Other bloomers today:

Pink and Cream 8.8

Mini Pearl 8.8

Indian Sky 8.8

Heirloom Heaven 8.8

Blue Beat 8.8

Dream Catcher 8.8

Navajo Curls 8.8

Purple Corn Dancer 8.8

Royal Palace Prince 8.8

The next dozen will be next June. I start to plan poinsettia and amaryllis forcing . . . oh, one of my amaryllises is putting up a scape right now. The ugly daylily.

Oops . . . I forgot!

August 8, 2018Leave a comment

OK – I forgot my plan was to post all my bloomers from every day and eliminate roll call. Oh, well, that is not the worst of it – I forgot to pay my bills in July and didn’t realize until last night. Seriously, this exhaustion is something else! I have NEVER in my life forgotten to pay bills every month. Oh, well – get through work one day at a time and do what I can to take care of myself. Flower therapy helps, but also takes time. Life balance is a balance indeed. PS – So far, the lights are still on 🙂

So, here are the bloomers from yesterday and today . . . except the finales that were featured yesterday. First, today’s finales.

Finales:

Comanche Princess – in bloom since 6.17!!!

Bloomers:

Mini Pearl 8.6

Purple Corn Dancer 8.6

Pink and Cream 8.6 and 8.7

Dream Catcher 8.6 and 8.7

Ruby Stella 8.6

Navajo Curls 8.7

Tiger Kitten 8.7

Orange Vols 8.7

A Celebration of Spiders! (Ned Roberts)

August 7, 2018Leave a comment

The days grow August-quiet. It seems a dream that I had nearly 60 blooms per day just a month ago. So, today, we will do finales. And, then, a roll-call of my Ned Roberts spiders.

Finales:

Chorus Line 8.5

Rosie’s Red 8.6

So, maybe if I do the Ned Roberts spider roll-call it will entice one more into bloom this year. My Ghost Ranch is a fall bloom, but I am having a rough time getting her to thrive here. Maybe some fish fertilizer? Our temps are still above average with little rain.

Ned Roberts Spiders for 2018 Season:

Adios Albuquerque

Apache Bandana

Aztec Firebird

Black Arrowhead

Black Ice

Chaco Canyon

Cheyenne Eyes

Chokecherry Mountain

Comanche Princess

Desert Icicle

Dream Catcher

Dream Keeper

Fox Ears

Happy Hopi

Iktomi

Kachina Firecracker

Kokopelli

Laughing Feather

Mama Cuna

Moon Over Chimayo

Navajo Curls

Navajo Rodeo

Papa Longlegs

Pink Rain Dance

Pueblo Dancer is her label, but she doesn’t look like that one. So???

Purple Corn Dancer

Purple Grasshopper

Purple Many Faces

Purple Moonrise

Purple Thunderbird

Raspberry Propeller

Raven Woodsong

Rocky Mountain Pals

Santa Fe Christmas

Shape Shifter

Skinwalker

Taco Twister

Talon

Twirling Pinata

Wild Rose Fandango

Zuni Eye

Zuni Thunderbird

Out of interest, here are my Ned Roberts spiders that bloomed last year but did not bloom this year:

Coral Taco 2017

Glen Eyrie

Pink Enchilada 2017

And, we had a few in 2016 that have not bloomed again:

Chief Four Fingers 2016

Ghost Ranch

Winds of Love 2016

I have around 64 of Ned’s spiders in my garden. I had 42 bloom this year or about 65%. Last year, I had 13 (about 20%) bloom. Marked improvement. All total, to date, I have had 48 (or 75%) bloom. That is a long way from 100%. But, marked improvement. I think some of the ones that bloomed in 2016 were put in that year (still flourishing from the nursery), struggled last year in the clay soil, and are recovering (growing new roots) this year in their pots. I am sure that the drought had an impact, as well.

So, for fun, here are the ones I have that have never bloomed (photos from the web):

Apache Beacon

Coyote Laughs

Cricket Call

Cripple Creek

Dancing Maiden

Echo Canyon

Feather Woman

Golden Eclipse

Kachina Dancer

Kiva Dancer

Land of Enchantment

Maya Cha Cha

Medicine Feather

Mount Echo Sunrise

Navajo Grey Hills

Ojo de Dios

Orchid Moonrise

The Real Pueblo Dancer

Spirit of the Morning

Star over Milagro

Truchas Sunrise

Wildwood Flower

We made improvements, but we have aways to go. That’s life

The First Sunday of August

August 6, 2018Leave a comment

It was camping weekend, which is good because I need the stress relief. Work is too busy and I am too exhausted. So, I returned to an encore – Stella de Oro has been out of bloom for 3 weeks and she is back. I will just leave her in the roll call. Our last roll call of 2018. We had 37 in bloom this week. We had 56 last week and I predicted half as many this week. Actually – more like 2/3rds. When you look at all the finales this week (see photos below), I will make the same prediction for next week. That’s about 18 for the week. We don’t have many scapes yet, and the ones mostly only have a bloom or two left. Heirloom Heaven, Indian Sky, Pink and Cream, Dream Catcher, and Purple Corn Dancer have some life left in them. I am hoping Passionate Returns, Stephanie Returns, Ruby Stella and Red Hot Returns all return.

Here Goes Roll Call 7/31-8/5:

Anasazi 7.30 – has had finale bloom

Apache Uprising 7.30 – Has had finale bloom

Baja 7.30 – Has had finale bloom

Blue Beat 8.2

Cherokee Star 8.2

Chorus Line 8.5

Classy Lady 7.31 – Has had finale bloom

Comanche Princess 8.2

Dream Catcher 7.30

El Desperado 8.5

Fox Ears 7.30 – Has had finale bloom

Heirloom Heaven 8.2

Heron’s Cove 7.30 – Has had finale bloom

Hesperus 7.30 – Has had finale bloom

Indian Love Call 8.2 – Has had finale bloom

Indian Sky 8.5

Lady Fingers 7.30 – Has had finale bloom

Marque Moon 8.1 – Has had finale bloom

Mini Pearl 8.3

Moon Over Chimayo 8.1 – Has had finale bloom

Navajo Curls 8.1

Nearly Wild 7.31

Orange Vols 8.3

Passionate Returns 7.31 – Has had finale bloom

Pink and Cream 8.1

Pizza Crust 7.30

Prairie Blue Eyes 7.30 – Has had finale bloom

Purple Corn Dancer 8.5

Purple Thunderbird 8.1 – Has had finale bloom

Rosie’s Red 8.3

Royal Palace Prince 7.30

Ruby Stella 8.3

South Seas 7.30 – Has had finale bloom

Stella 8.5 – Encore bloom today

Tiger Kitten 8.3

Twirling Pinata 7.30 – Has had finale bloom

Yellow Punch 7.31 – Has had finale bloom

Sweet Sixteen and My Orchid Experiment

August 5, 2018Leave a comment

I must have been super exhausted – I forgot to hit publish last Thursday.

Wow! I worked 13 hours today. I asked for a little less work while I get my health back in order . . . got the opposite. Rapid change organizations are like that – so buckle your seatbelt.

Not a bad day today in the yard. Sweet sixteen in bloom. Had 9 this day last year – and was doing my repotting project all around them. 125 daylilies put in pots and buried between 8/1 and 9/1. Where did I get that energy? I had 10 in bloom this day in 2016 and 7 in 2015. Today wins!

My orchids do take a little energy. I have thought about talking about them a bit on the blog as the daylilies wind down. I have an experiment going with having them outside under a shade and a mister. I am not sure on my results yet. Seemed like in May they all started throwing out new roots, but sort of stopped. They are putting out leaves – but smaller than their old leaves (the phals, that is). Stressed – the heat. But, I want to play it through til fall to see. I wish the monsoons had shown up.

Orchids are such slow growers . . . such patience. But, the blooms are big and bold – and last for months. My vanda is in bloom out on the front porch now. (Who said you can’t grow orchids outside in Colorado in a drought.) My dendrobiums hang from a tree out front – lots of new growth. I have oncidiums, cattleyas, cymbidiums, and a ground orchid under the mister with the phals – all doing well. I’m using my indoor back porch for phals, too. When you convert to water culture, the orchids lose most their roots – so many of mine need to grow new water-adapted roots before fall. I only put phals and oncidiums in full water culture. (That is a topic for later.) Inside, I have phals, catts, oncidium family, miltonioptis, miltonias, zygos, a phrag and a paph. Oh, and some cuttings off rarer ones that I am trying to grow.

Vanda Orchid in bloom in Colorado

After all the daylily roots that I have ordered, I finally ordered an orchid from Hawaii. If you follow my blog, you know I love the southwest named daylilies. Well, with my bonus (that isn’t going to my doctors), I ordered a catt named Bryce Canyon. She will fit right in!

And, so my mind starts to shift to thinking about fall. Friends are asking for daylily divisions. Yes, it is almost time to divide so the plants grow more buds next year and others can enjoy the beauty. I wish I could clone myself and work 6 hour days 🙂 In no way am I ready for my camping trip tomorrow.

Finales:

Moon Over Chimayo 8.2

Twirling Pinata 8.2

Indian Love Call – 8.2 Finale on her rebloom

Happy Colorado Day!

August 2, 2018Leave a comment

Well, August has arrived. It was dark when I walked my dogs after work, but I worked almost an hour late. I am glad for fewer pictures because big changes at work mean more days where I work later than normal. It will be an improvement once it gets settled.

It’s Colorado’s birthday – so a good day to celebrate with a bouquet of daylilies! The photo at the top is my Ned Roberts Purple Thunderbird. And, below are the finales:

Finales (I forgot Classy Lady yesterday):

Classy Lady 7.31

Baja 8.1

Marque Moon 8.1

Colorado Kid Daylilies

A Blog About My Western Colorado Daylily Adventure

Month: August 2018

Three Standard Deviations

Christmas in August: The Ugly Daylily

The Three Amigas

Sleeping In

The Last Dozen Daylilies

Oops . . . I forgot!

A Celebration of Spiders! (Ned Roberts)

The First Sunday of August

Sweet Sixteen and My Orchid Experiment

Happy Colorado Day!