Daylily season has begun. I have been trying to remember all of the things I did with the blog last year. I know I did Premier (first bloom for each cultivator, Encore for reblooms and Finales for the final bloom of each cultivator.
Saratoga Springtime 6.5.20
Because of the number of flowers I have at peak, it is easier to show Premiers, Encores, and Finales in the daily blog and try to do all the bloomers that week on Sunday. If I have less than 10 cultivators in bloom, I still post each one – so we have a couple weeks. I get a little burned out with it – but it only is crazy for a couple of weeks.
Dream Keeper (My first Ned Roberts bloom for 2020 with a few extra pedals 6.6.20
The other difference on Sunday is that I try to use Powershot photos and not phone photos. During the week, I don’t always have time but I try.
Stella de Oro 6.7.20
So, as you can see (above), Stella de Oro joined the group today. 3 out of 171 bloomed so far with 55 spikes or so. And 171 cultivators. That is a 1.7% bloom rate. No where to go but up. I am just glad these kids are resilient because the wind has been blowing constantly since the rain stopped yesterday – gusts to 60 MPH. Poor early bloomers get Springtime in the Rockies. Let’s see what tomorrow blows in . . .
Yesterday, Friday, came my first bloom of the season. The daylily season of Corona has begun. 40 scapes and I need 40 winks. Let’s see what daylight brings.
Sometimes, I feel a little sad that daylilies are the dominant plant in my yard. And, that camping season is superimposed on daylily season. To top that off, I have so many other plants that bloom in summer.
Mesa Peach Blanket Flower added to my Native garden yesterday.
I feel like those plants get ignored. I nurture the plants all winter, many as houseplants. And, boom, I barely notice their gorgeous blooms because 50 daylilies are competing for my time.
My oldest bloomer this day is my yucca. Her yucca patch was here when I first bought the house 20+ years ago.
Today, I walked my yard and took pictures of a dozen or so plants that are brightly blooming right now.
My coneflower is a couple years old, tall and proud member of my native garden.
It’s a weird bunch, from Thanksgiving cactus to white iris. From native to tropical.
This pink yarrow is also a new addition to my desert native garden.
I have more than are pictured here because I ended up with lots of pansies and petunias in color bowls.
My dancing lady orchid adds a splash of yellow to the back porch.
The oldest plant in bloom today is likely my Thanksgiving cactus or the bromeliad. All about 5 years with me. The youngest I planted yesterday.
And, my red bromeliad likes the sun but not the dry heat.
I wish there were more blues to contrast the daylilies – pansies and petunias help.
Thanksgiving cactus enjoying the temp drops at night.Another white bloom is my iris, about done for another year. Ice plants add color to the landscape this time of year. This stunning yellow begonia adds color to the yard in summer.One of the many bright annuals in my color pot.
I think daylily season starts tomorrow or Friday in my yard. Saratoga Springtime is about to burst. I have 30 scapes up, but none close to blooming. It seems a little late, but not much. I hope my bloom rate is good with the drought. It tends to be worse on drought years.
Saratoga Springtime bud about to burst.
Anyway, if I don’t get too burned out blogging, maybe I’ll do an extra post every so often about the other bloomers.
A spellbinding magic show that brings you delight and pleasure . . . that is what it means to be enchanted. New Mexico is the Land of Enchantment. I am perhaps less enchanted with New Mexico than I am Arizona because Western Colorado has areas that resemble New Mexico.
Yucca in a drift at White Sands National Monument
That said, I am enchanted by my roadtrips through New Mexico. The badlands are beautiful, and the cultural flavor is richer than Colorado – if you are into the Southwest.
The stark horizon at White Sands National Monument, NM
Last year, we saw different side of New Mexico at White Sands National Monument. It is a landscape so boring that it is enchanting. Non-colored sand with a few resilient plants poking their heads through.
This view reminds me of the ski slopes in Colorado – White Sands National Monument
The hikes are like marching through a very hilly sand box. My cats would likely like it better than my dogs, who considered it way too hot at 85 degrees. I had never seen dunes quite like these ones . . . enchanting.
Kachina, Sazi, and Maizzy feeling the heat at White Sands National Monument
So, my vicarious roadtrip daylily of the day is Land of Enchantment – another Ned Roberts spider. Last year was her first year to bloom in my yard and by golly, she does look a bit like the New Mexico State flag.
Land of Enchantment daylily – 2019
She was one of my early bloomers last year. She doesn’t have scapes yet – but I do have 15 cultivators with their weird claw hands being raised to the heavens in prep for a bloom.
Land of Enchantment daylily – 2019
I am nervous because drought years tend to bring early blooming but poor bloom rates. I try to keep up with watering, but I am not the same as a good monsoon. And, the monsoons are too late – it is really the March-May water that matters.
Land of Enchantment daylily 2019
I did put in a new drip system out in the walkway garden and the plants are bigger. So, I guess we will wait to see how enchanting this summer is in the garden. 2020 has brought my 65th birthday, a dead furnace, a broken sewer mainline and COVID-19. I could use a little enchantment.
I started my mural 22 years ago. I finished a few hours ago. For this round. So much has changed. Now, daylilies live on a drip system on this porch.
Little Chief dances on a ruin wall from Canyons of the Ancients National Monument
As I’m taking my spring road trip vicariously through my daylily names, I’ve got my dream vacation in my mural. All the 4-corners States are represented.
A hoodoo from Goblin Valley and my dogs on a Dead Horse Point rock
The older mural have cactus from the Senora, Monument Valley, and a Pueblo Indian dwelling. It’s funny, I used artwork that I owned as my prototype for the latter two.
Rejuvenated Pueblo Ruin
Now, I use actual photos of vacations. The Southwest is a much bigger part of my life now. So are daylilies.
An old section of the mural -I still need to sign this year
I blogged about my mural last week and used Pueblo Dancer. This time, I’m using Kachina Dancer.
The best view of the entire mural wall
She is a pretty Ned Roberts spider. I’ve had her several years. She has only bloomed once, and I captured only one bloom. I hope she paints the garden this summer.
Sombrero – That is a Mexican Hat! And, so tonight’s vicarious road trip through the daylilies takes us to Mexica Hat, UT.
Mexican Hat Rock, UT
We camped near here last summer at a place called Sand Island Petroglyphs. The Mexican Hat is just a few miles from there – Iconic Utah.
Sand Canyon, UT
It was hot, early July. We got up early and did whatever hiking we were going to do for the day and then drove in AC the rest of the time. Having dogs on a road trip is a little like Corona virus in that you get your food to go and eat in the car with the AC rolling.
Kachina, Sazi and Maizzy at Monument Valley, UT
Bears Ears National Monument is in the area – Mexican Hat use to be part of that system.
Mexican Hat Rock, UT
Other favorite stops in the area are Goosenecks State Park and Moki Dugway. “Mokee” is derived from the Spanish “Moqui” meaning “small people” which referred to the Native American cultures (Navajo, Zuni, Hopi). I am naming my next dog Moki. Goes well with Sazi Ana and Kachina.
Goosenecks State Park, UT Moki Dugway, UT
The Bears Ears themselves are cool to see – which can be done from the top of Moki Dugway and down the road a bit.
Bear’s Ears National Monument
Then, there is Natural Bridges National Monument.
Natural Bridges National Monument, UT
So, Holy Sombrero is a big, yellow daylily that I got as a bonus after ordering a bunch of Southwest named daylilies. I guess the hybridizer knew what I was doing with my garden.
Holy Sombrero 2019
The cultivator has bloomed every year without fail. Interestingly enough, it hit peak bloom when we were visiting Mexican Hat last summer. It is suppose to be taller than it is, so I have to dig in the tall daylilies to find it.
Holy Sombrero daylily – 2019
A few more scapes today. It is another drought this year and my water bill will show it soon. Hopefully the monsoons kick in. Half the year, I live outside in my yard or on a road trip. The other half, I spend doing warm things inside – well, I hike but not during the coldest days. I am so glad it is spring . . . almost summer.
No blog about Southwest (and West) daylily names would be complete without a blog about our namesake, The Colorado Kid.
So, what say we take a ride down the Colorado River for a spell. It is only an hour from my house and runs through some of my favorite camping and hiking spots.
Rocky Mountain National Park – 2014
The mighty Colorado starts in Rocky Mountain National Park, not too far from where I grew up (in Estes Park). Born in the Colorado snowpack, it (like me) heads straight the desert.
Colorado River State Park – 2019
The Colorado runs through Grand Junction – I love camping at Colorado River State Park and exploring the Colorado National Monument. It is amazing the force of wind and water on sandstone.
McInnis Canyon National Recreation Area
So, on my February trip, we took the back road (Utah 128) that runs by the Colorado River.
Fisher Towers formed by the Colorado River – 2020
The river then runs through Dead Horse Point – a favorite, dog-friendly hiking spot.
Dead Horse Point State Park – 2019
From there, it heads down through Lake Powell.
Lake Powell National Recreation Area
And on to the Grand Canyon.
Horseshoe Bend, five miles downstream from Lake Powell – 2015Grand Canyon National Park – 2015
The Colorado Kid daylily was a must-have daylily when I first started collecting daylilies for their place names.
The Colorado Kid – 2019
The other reason I picked her is that she is near blue. I was absolutely infatuated with near-blues when I first discovered that daylilies didn’t come in blue. I guess we want what we can’t have. At any rate, her color is best before the sun hits her – she is on the north side of the house. Once the light hits, her blue is decidedly purple.
The Colorado Kid – 2019
She is one of my favorite near-blues in my near-blue pot section of the yard. And, she is the namesake of this blog. And, another reason to go road trippin’ vicariously through my daylilies during the COVID pandemic.
The red canyons of the Southwest warm my heart and soul in ways beyond words. My body instantly comes alive, my curiosity sparks, I feel like I am where I belong in the Universe. So, another blog in my series on my vicarious road trip through my Southwest named daylilies.
Canyon de Chelly – 2017
I think my favorite canyon is Canyon de Chelly, Arizona. The red is just deeper or richer than most of the sandstone of the Southwest.
Dominguez Canyon – Fall 2019
Dominguez Canyon, much closer to home, is my favorite day adventure.
McInnis Canyons National Recreation Area – Fall 2019
McInnis Canyons National Recreation Area is also pretty close to home. My first COVID plan was to hike here every weekend all spring, but it is more than 20 miles.
Canyonlands National Park – Spring 2020
Canyonlands National Park is fabulous on a grander scale, and we usually get her once a year in February. It is often snowy at Island in the Sky.
Chaco Canyon – 2014
Chaco Canyon is the most spiritual canyon I can think of – I hope to go back on one of my roadtrips soon.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park – 2019
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is in my own back yard – 10 miles or so away. It is a canyon of a different color.
Canyons of the Ancients National Monument – 2018
Canyons of the Ancients National Monument is so cool – Hovenweep and all the surrounding areas filled with Ancient Pueblo Ruins.
Grand Canyon National Park – 2015
Of course, there is the Grand Canyon. And, that’s just to name a few.
Canyon Colors – 2019
In my yard, there is a daylily named Canyon Colors. When she blooms, she takes me to all the canyons that I love from my road trips. She was an early Southwest order, the name (of course) drew me in.
Canyon Colors – 2018
Being a semi-evergreen, she lives on my little back porch in winter but summers in her pot on the corner of my house. IDK – Which canyon do you think best reflects her color?
Dream Catcher – 2019
I didn’t look to see if she had scapes yet. Saratoga Springtime, Ojo de Dios, Dream Catcher and Kokopelli are the only ones I noticed – but I was busy grading so didn’t get outside much.
Canyon Colors – 2018
I did have a chance to hook-up my new solar drip pump. It is one of those you get off of Amazon. I have used them for the last decade – replaced them often at first but the last one lasted 3 years. They have made improvements – so I am hopeful for at least a couple with this one. Three days of 50 MPH winds, I think my driveway pots are ready for a little drip of water.
A proud bird with a golden tail. That was the tagline for one of the major airlines a few years ago. It makes me think of my bright and beautiful Aztec Firebird daylily. She is one of the brightest color combos in my yard.
Aztec Firebird – 2019
But, let’s back up to my vicarious road trip through the daylilies. Who were the Aztecs? They were ancient people of Mexico. They flourished 700 years ago and are known for the massive size of its empire.
Aztec Ruins National Monument, NM – 2016
I have never been to the Aztec ruins of Mexico, but there are ruins called Aztec Ruins in New Mexico. They are Ancient Pueblo Ruins, like Chaco Canyon and Mesa Verde – but when they were first discovered, they were thought to be built by the Aztecs. I can see why, because they appear to hold a fairly massive population.
Aztec Ruins National Monument, NM – 2016
It is the last couple of days until my nursing students graduate. I am buried in grading and ready to be done. I enjoy working from home because I can wonder outside and see my gardens despite the crazy spring wind this week. And, today I spied the first scapes of the year – Dream Catcher and Kokopelli. I am jazzed. I wonder if I can go back to being away from home 40 hours a week – it is weird how my creativity is back now.
Aztec Firebird – 2019
At any rate, soon enough Aztec Firebird will bloom her big, bright bloom. A bird rising from her own ashes. She is an inspiration and symbol or resilience during these crazy COVID times. I am grateful for my garden now more than ever. And, gratitude sure beats arguing over masks on social media.
Colorado Kid Daylilies 