Today, we had a premier. One of the few left to bloom and a new one to my yard this year. Meet Dr Doom. This cultivator is in my family section because my daughter named her dentist Dr Doom – so it is in her honor.
Doctor Doom premier 7.30.21
The bloom is a double spider. Unfortunately, between the monsoons and sprinklers, the heavy bloom got waterlogged. The stem was just never able to hold it up right. Maybe the next bloom will look a little more perky.
What is left is Adios Albuquerque, Navajo Curls, and (I think) Painted Petroglyph (but it could be a fan of Purple Corn Dancer. I don’t see any other new spikes other than a couple of yellow trumpet reblooms in-process. I am going to replace a few daylilies in the front yard that just don’t do well in my yard. None of my tigers bloomed this year. Weird. Anyway – starting to plan for next year.
Today brought no new bloomers to my yard and only 23 total cultivators in bloom. That sounds like late June (except we have better color variety in late July).
The peak is done and my garden looks empty. I grow my daylilies in the downtown area of my community and don’t have a back yard. So, when my yard looks a bit empty it feels like my entire home is less beautiful.
Last year, I tried an experiment of putting coleus in my boring driveway pots. They thrived so I took cuttings before freeze and replanted the new plants this spring. And, I added more – thinking I might be able to sell them. Well, they haven’t been too popular for sales (probably too late in the season). I also added some new ones to my daylily pots earlier.
Today, I took more baby plants from cuttings out and placed them in my front planters. This is a good time for the coleus because the heat is less intense. They add a different look to the planters and give the yard some extra color. I like them because they are true annuals, so they don’t try to take over the pot. Yet, they come in a ton of interesting shapes and colors. They require similar water and light as the daylilies. And, in the fall, I can take more cuttings to use next year. Maybe if I start my cuttings in February, I can sell them before the garden stores have a zillion.
What do you put in pots with your daylilies?
Would you like to have daylily blooms year round? Learn more about my daylily (and nature) art business – Art (andNature from the Hartt
I don’t remember when I first fell in love with daylilies. I know I have purchased them throughout the years because I liked their colorful blooms. Then, several years ago, I picked them for a xeroscaping project. It seems like that was the tipping point to owning 180 varieties.
Daylilies in my Southwest daylily name garden
I got smarter about gardening. I think the daylily blooms were huge motivators. As I got better with daylilies, I got better with houseplants. I went through a orchid phase. Now, it is largely succulents, bromeliads and begonias.
Colorful, stripped bromeliad
Back to the daylilies. Fall always made me feel sad because the daylilies went away and it made winter seem more dismal than ever. One day, I decided to learn to paint daylilies so I would never have a day pass at my home without a daylily bloom.
Painted daylily small tile
I am a creative and so painting was very engaging for me. I made tiles to hang on my walls so that I see daylilies as soon as I open my eyes. I gave everyone daylily coasters for Christmas several years. I broadened to some more scenic paintings. I did a few oils of the Southwest that turned out well enough to hang or give away. I painted stepping stones for my garden. The list goes on. Painting kept me connected with nature during the winter months.
Working in my art cove looks like this!
I am a nurse and nurse-midwife by background. My career has been meaningful – I have helped pioneer and/or transition many health-related programs and I still work part time as faculty and leadership at a small college. However, due to multiple unforeseen issues, I decided to semi-retire this summer.
This is me out by my potting shed, tending daylilies.
Am I ready to quit working full-time? Heck no. Am I ready to work for myself doing things that I love and find engaging? Absolutely!
Succulent painting
I have had a Facebook page for almost 10 years called “Art from the Hartt” because I had a dream of selling my art. It never moved beyond the Facebook page because work took too much of my time. It is time to live the dream!
Art and Nature from the Hartt
I have a background in human wellbeing and resilience. I want to focus my business on creating art (and selling plants) that create positive emotion. I have read that having a flower in the room you are in raises your happiness score! So, that is the vision of my business – making the world more resilient through art and nature.
I have a separate page/blog about my business at Art and Nature From the Hartt (click link). You can also find the business on Facebook (click link for page). I wanted to take a moment to talk about it here so people were aware that I do sell daylily paintings and other nature and Southwest related paintings. I also will be selling daylilies, so if you are ever interested in purchasing one of the daylilies you see on my blog, you can contact me at cathy.hartt55@gmail.com. I will know more about what daylilies are available soon. I also offer some types of begonia, bromeliad, and succulent. I will be launching an Etsy store as soon as I have a bit more inventory.
Painted tile of rex begonia
Before I go, I want to introduce you to my garden helpers. I have three rescue dogs, Kachina, Sazi and Moki. Soksabai, my cat, also follows me to the daylily garden every morning when I do my photos.
My dogs Kachina, Sazi Ana and MokiSoksabai – My gardening cat
Please contact me at the email above if you have any questions. I can do many special or personalized requests. If you love daylilies/plants and/or the Southwest – you are in the right place. I am located in Montrose, CO.
What type of art or plant raises your sense of wellbeing???
I’m a nurse and I have worked the last shift – in the old days that was 11 PM to 7 AM, although most places have gone to 12s, so it is 7 P to 7 A. When you show up for the last shift, there is still a lot that can happen. It is far from over. However, it tends to be quieter with administration and many of the departments (and physicians) asleep at home unless called. As a midwife, I generally preferred last shift births because it was less hectic.
I would say the same for daylilies – their cycle is more like the 8 hour day, but the first shift is slower than in nursing. These are the early bloomers, often yellow trumpets plus a few brave early bloomers. The second shift is crazy, especially this year. Many of the first shift stayed late and a few of the last shift showed up early. Hectic, yes. Now, it is clearly the late shift – time to gear down and savor the last few weeks of the season.
I am going to focus on premiers since 7.18, since I was on a camping road trip last week. I have had numerous finales during that time . . . too many. I plan to do a month wrap-up post at the end of the month with all the July bloomers and their bloom date range. It will take hours to put together.
Premiers (with date of premier bloom if known)
Cripple Creek – Premier 7.19Skinwalker – Premier 7.19Zuni Thunderbird – Premier 7.19Royal Palace Prince – Premier 7.25 (actually, while I was on vacation)Glen Eyrie – Premier 7.25 (actually, while I was on vacation)Heirloom Heaven – Premier 7.25Desert Icicle – Premier 7.26Premier 7.26 (actually, while I was on vacation)Purple Corn Dancer – Premier 7.27 (She usually closes out my blooms, but I have new scapes on Adios Albuquerque, Navajo Curls and Dr Doom. IDK who will clock-out last this year).Orange Vols – Premier 7.27 (actually, while I was on vacation)Pizza Crust – Premier 7.27 (actually, while I was on vacation)
I now count 151 +/- cultivators that have bloomed this year. I have 3 more premiers (with scapes) coming. Occasionally, someone will through a brand new (not re-bloom) scape in August. One time, Santa’s Pants threw one in October. But, we can count on 154 +/- for the season. That puts us at about 86% bloom rate – one of our highest years. I need to look back.
From here on, the focus will be finales. There are lots so maybe I’ll just wait until the end of the month and tie it up there. IDK.
When describing daylilies, most people talk about bloom season, bloom size, scape height, smell, etc. For me, I see places from road trips. I chose many of my daylilies because of their Southwest names, because that is where I go for my road trips.
Last week, I took a road trip through southern Colorado and northern New Mexico. My favorite hybridizer, Ned Roberts, lived in New Mexico and many of his daylilies find their namesakes in that State. When I shop for daylilies, I often get out the Google maps to see what it is named after. And, on this road trip I wanted to go new places and see things that I had never seen before.
I literally drug out the recreation map and looked for interesting places in northern New Mexico – because despite living not too far away, I know little about it (other than the 4-corners area). Anyway, I found something called the Enchanted Circle that sounded interesting and included Taos. The road between Taos and the highway east . . . well, there were two routes. I picked the High Road to Taos because there are two namesake towns on that road: Truchas and Chimayo
The next day, we visited Ghost Ranch, another daylily namesake. I had stopped there about 7 years ago on a road trip because of the daylily. It is a Presbyterian resort that is open to the public for hiking and other activities. It looks like home with the red sandstone. I stop not because I think it is unfamiliar, but because it is a daylily namesake! And, if any of you remember the old movie City Slickers, that is where it was filmed. So, if you have a Ghost Ranch daylily you be like me and think about that movie and the trail boss, Curly.
I have a bunch of premiers since my last post but I am drowning in vacation photos and daylily photos . . . it is going to take a few days to get the blog caught up. So, for tonight, lets look at the name sakes.
Truchas, New Mexico – A small mountain town on the High Road to Taos. I didn’t see a Truchas sunrise, more like monsoon over Truchas.Truchas Sunrise 7.17.21 in my yardJust a few miles down the road it Chimayo, famous for the Santuario de Chimayo. We didn’t see a moon over Chimayo, although I may look into camping here in the future. (the lead photo is also Chimayo)This is Moon over Chimayo daylily from my yard last summer. She put out tons of new foliage this year, but no bloom. She looks a lot like Truchas Sunrise – probably why they are named for communities just a few miles apart. However, after the road trip, I think I won’t mix the two up any more. Ghost Ranch is to the southwest of Truchas and Chimayo – an hour plus down the road and to the west. The land changes from Rocky Mountains to Colorado Plateau in those miles. So, the geography is distinctly different.This is Ghost Ranch daylily from my yard this year. Distinctly different from Truchas and Chimayo namesake daylilies.
That is all for tonight folks. I am trying to stay adjusted to tent times and get to bed earlier at night. I will get caught up with the blog and the new blooms in the next few days. There are several – Skinwalker, Zuni Thunderbird, Desert Icicle, Purple Thunderbird, Cripple Creek, Glen Eyrie, Royal Palace Prince, Pizza Crust , , , I don’t even remember where I left off with the blog. I need to refresh my memory. Stay tuned!
The peak is easing, somewhat rapidly. I only had 40+ today, yesterday was 50+, and the day before 60+. And, so the tide recedes for another season. Not that it is over . . . anything but. However, I can keep up with this pace and it will continue to decline while I am away for a few days. I will only miss 4 days of photos.
I can slow my pace just a bit and savor the duos, trios and quartets of blooms. Daylilies don’t clump with a zillion blooms at once much in the desert. So, it is fun to focus on seeing the small gatherings.
One premier today!
Royal Braid was a bonus that came with Oh, Erica last year. I like it, and always appreciate a later bloomer in the patio area to keep it alive for longer.
Finales:
Pink Enchilada final 7.18Thin Man finale 7.18.1Indian Giver finale 7.18Cheyenne Eyes 7.18 finaleCheddar Cheese finale 7.18
What are we waiting for – Zuni Thunderbird, Purple Thunderbird, Desert Icicle, Adios Albuquerque, Glen Eyrie, Cripple Creek, Navajo Curls, Skinwalker, Purple Corn Dancer, Royal Palace Prince, Heirloom Heaven, Dr Doom and Pizza Crust all have scapes now but have not bloomed. I could get some other later scapes, too. That is still a lot to look forward to when I return from New Mexico (or tomorrow).
Duo of Nearly Wild todayA Trio of Mini PearlsAnd, Stephanie Returns plays in quartet today.
So far, I have had 140 +/- cultivators bloom and it looks like at least 13 more – so mid-150s/180 puts us at mid 80s bloom rate. Much better than last year. I am looking at moving some new, more reliable bloomers in to replace those that bloom only occasionally and aren’t favorites. I love the smell of new daylily roots! Eventually, they will sing duos, trios, and quartets in my yard.
Perhaps it is a bit premature to start my “between the seasons” chores. However, the best time to update my garden map was with several of the cultivators in bloom. It is funny what I forget when they aren’t blooming and look like a cross between grass and a spider plant. So, I printed off the old map and thought it would be a few adjustments. However, the garden grew and changed over the years and the numbering system was confusing – so I started from scratch.
Garden maps are great, though. You know what you have and what you don’t have. You know approximately where your cultivators are – so when that bloom you don’t remember pops up, you can figure out what it is (esp if you lost the label.
Anyway, back to the blooms – I had 3 very different premiers today.
El Desperado 7.17 – This was actually the first cultivator I had in the Southwest Garden (that was much smaller and just had yucca. I put it in a pot and set it out there with no water system other than my watering can. Suffice it to say, she didn’t flourish. I moved her and she did fine but up and died a couple years ago, so this is a replacement. She taught me that I needed irrigation out there before I tried daylilies in that spot, again. Now, there are 79.Oh Erica 7.17 – This is a new addition to the family garden this year. I found the daylily by searching the family member’s name but couldn’t find it for sale. I found the hybridizer and he sold me the fans. I hope she does OK – she looks a little but eaten.Purple Many Faces 7.17 – Pretty late for a premier bloom from this Roberts spider. It usually blooms early July. IDK – moving to the pot – also the drought – she was very slot to start this spring due to looking very dry.
Finales included a lot of big yellow-white flowers today. Sad to see them go.
Heavenly Curls finale 7.17 – She had her best bloom year ever, though!Ghost Ranch finale 7.17 – She only had 2 buds so one premier and one finale. Glad I ordered more.Papa Longlegs finale 7.17 – He also had a good bloom year.Hopi Jewel finale 7.17 – I think of her as an earlier bloomer so it is unusual to still have her blooming.Coral Taco finale 7.16 – I missed her yesterdayPrelude to Love finale 7.17
Only about 36 hours until I head for New Mexico for a few days – to see a Truchas sunrise and visit Ghost Ranch – Oh, and drive the Enchanted Circle in the land of enchantment.
Well, here I am at 11 PM starting my blog. I had to go into work and trim my hedge . . . so, that’s life. Once again, I have over 60 in bloom including 5 premiers. IDK, I think we are still on the plateau bloom season.
Before I list the premiers, I want to point out something that I learned coincidentally. I have a three sided yard – one side is an outdoor porch between the house and the garage. Then the front and side lawns. Each gets varying amounts of sun and water. When dividing daylilies to fill spaces several years ago, I noted that the cultivators bloomed as slightly different times and even had a slightly different hue. So, blooms that I want to extend for more weeks, I put in two locations in my yard. Like a cultivator? – double it by giving it two different areas.
Canyon Colors first bloomed in my big pot on the NW corner of my home on 6.15 – almost exactly a month ago. Towards the end of that cycle of blooms, the Canyon Colors in the Southwest Garden started blooming. Today, she had her finale. And, the big pot started reblooming. I am going to have Canyon Colors all summer!
OK – Premiers:
Autumn Jewels 7.16 – a close relative to El Desperado tells me the season is moving forwardDancing Maiden 7.16 – With her close relative, Aztec Firebird, in the background. I am glad these are in separate pots because otherwise it is hard to tell which bloom belongs to which plant. I think there were a couple of years where I thought the was Aztec Firebird.Golden Eclipse 7.16 – Another bloomer that comes later in the season. I love her color, although the grower told me I might be disappointed. I’m not.Indian Sky 7.16 – I bought this from a grower who called it Indian Sky but it doesn’t look like the one on the Daylily Society website. It does look like the one on the grower’s website. So, I still think she is pretty.Navajo Grey Hills 7.16 with a funky first bloom. Bugs, no doubt. I have faith it will straighten out. I really like this Roberts spider!
Finales:
Nurse’s Stethoscope finale 7.16 – This one that was born out of a name I suggested on the Daylily Society FB page. She totally fits her name if you ask me.Lacey Doily 7.16 – A pretty little mini
There may be others that I missed so I should call these finales or near finales.
Encores:
Canyon Colors first rebloom on 7.16
That’s all folks. Thinking a couple more are going to jump in tomorrow.
. . . and dried up all the rain. And, I ended up with over 60 cultivators, again!
Rain is a rare thing here in Western Colorado. The US average is 38 inches of rain a year, we get 11 on a good year here in Montrose. The South, where many of my bloomers came from, gets an average of 45 inches or more. Rain is a good thing – it brings the temps down, too.
Today, we will get back to the high 80s and it is sunny. We are sunny here 245 days/year. That is 40 more days than the national average. My daylilies probably wonder what planet they landed on.
Anyway – I had 3 premiers and 5 finales. The output is higher than the intake, which means we are on the downside of peak but it hasn’t really shown in our bloom count yet. It is like hospitalizations vs positive tests with COVID. It takes a while for the change to show up in both areas.
Premiers . . .
Zuni Eye 7.15 – Never has a high bud count but the size of the bloom makes up for it. This is Zuni Eye next to Purple Grasshopper for size comparison. I love this big guy!Treasure of the Southwest 7.15 – A late first bloom for this guy. Guessing the move to the pot. I have several that need to be divided now because of their pot confinement.Frans Hals 7.15 – And, my later bloomers are starting to show up. Frans Hals use to be my season finale daylily. I got him when I first started mail order. I thought it was the most beautiful daylily I ever saw and wondered why anyone would want anything else. LOL. Seriously.
Finales . . .
Return a Smile 7.14 FinaleNOID Fringe Benefit 7.14 finaleOjo de Dios 7.15 finaleChief Four Fingers 7.15 finalePrimal Scream 7.15 finale
Weirdly, Bella Boo, Purple Mystic, and Just Plum happy put out blooms today after I said finale. It isn’t a rebloom, it is me missing a bud.
Next week is my camping road trip. I will only be out of the garden for 4 days. Honestly, I am ready to take some scenic photos and get a little breather from the garden. Yeez, though – my hedge needs to be trimmed before I go. I can tell we got rain.
Today, the rain came. And, our predicted high is only 77 today. What a shift after 90 something degrees every day. It will stairstep back up by Saturday, but next week (when we are camping) it looks like it only gets above 90 a couple of times.
The walk through the garden was in drizzle. I didn’t use my cellphone at all for fear of getting water in the charging port. My camera is more resilient to moisture. Some flowers were like the cellphone – sort of weighed down by the rain. Thin man was on the ground, passed out. I had to tie him up. Other cultivators seemed to come to life with brighter colors – doing a rain dance.
Dream Catcher 7.14 – premier bloom today in the rain. But, not such an itsy bitsy spider!
And, there were only 54 cultivators in bloom today. Only 1 premier – Dream Catcher. A nice Ned Roberts spider that was one of my 3 pilot daylilies in the Southwest Garden, along with Kokopelli and Aztec Firebird. Interestingly, those are three that grew pretty well in the ground with the tree roots, and all. Not sure if they like the pots as well yet.
Soksabai, my 16 YO calico kitty, has to come help me inspect daylilies every morning. Even in the rain.
Speaking of Ned Roberts, I have had the chance to chat with his wife and daughter via Facebook recently. They live about 5 hours away from me. I need to meet them sometime – they want to come see my garden.
Art and Nature From the Hartt – Succulent Painting Coaster Tile
Today is a good day for a short blog. I think I will try painting a begonia today. Yesterday, I finished my succulent. I will get back to daylilies – just trying to challenge myself a little. Remember to watch for the announcement when our Etsy store opens. I plan to have daylily fans available in limited number this fall . . . plus the artwork!
Colorado Kid Daylilies 