It’s Almost Daylily Season!

June 3, 2018June 3, 2018Leave a comment

Maybe even tomorrow! Kokopelli is busting at the seams – so soon, for sure.

It is interesting to watch the variables at work. Last year, Kokopelli bloomed on June 21st. Almost 3 weeks early this year. Why? Is it that she is in a buried pot? Is it the new soak hose watering system? Is it the lack of one tree what was blocking light? Is it the extreme drought that has been upon us since last fall (and winter watering)? Is it just that she is older? Who knows?

Kokopelli bud 6/2/2018

Last year, my new Lowes daylilies (Stella offspring) gave my first bloom. Then, my old Stella, Then Return a Smile. My Stella offspring do not have scapes yet, but the other two have early ones.

Another big shift this year is 20 daylilies with scapes in my Southwestern garden . . . already. Last year, I don’t think I got that many blooms all season. So, something I did shifted the ecosystem . . . or the extreme drought. Or, the plants are just more mature. Or, a combo. I vote for the latter. Here are a couple of comparison shots – a year apart late May/early April. Bigger plants!

Southwest Daylily Patch: End of April, 2017

Southwest Daylily Patch: Early May, 2018

Bets on a bloom greeting me tomorrow?

Changes

May 25, 2018Leave a comment

Last summer, I put most of my daylilies in buried bots. Over 100 daylilies. But clay soil and tree roots were issues not to be ignored if I was to improve my poor bloom rate. I simply looked at the difference in size between pots and ground. I also put down soak hose and chopped down one off the trees. It was a lot of work. I broke a rib.

It was months of waiting to see if it all made a difference. So far, the plants mostly look bigger. A couple were lost, and two look like bugs or something have made them sick. The real difference is that I have 10 plants with scapes put in the southwest garden. 10! I think I only got a dozen scapes all last summer out there. I’m pretty jazzed. First blooms are maybe 2 weeks away. I think Kokopelli, maybe. Stay tuned.

Daylilies teach living in the moment; Orchids teach patience.

May 9, 2018Leave a comment

Spring has sprung and today brought the first glimpse of summer weather. My houseplants moved outside this weekend. Well, most of them. My daylilies are doing well. Passersby often comment on them . . . even now, before the blooms. No scapes yet, but I keep checking.

It has been a strange winter – we are in an extreme drought here in Southwest Colorado. The Four-Corners is in an exceptional drought just south of us. I didn’t shovel snow once all winter. My strawberries and ice plant felt it. I winter watered the daylilies at least once a month. I’m hoping my blooms don’t suffer. It will be a bad fire season.

My last post was in the late fall about Santa’s Pants. Unfortunately, that plant was one of my few losses this year. After those blooms faded and I got my poinsettias to rebloom, I needed projects to get me through the winter. I took on orchids. Not just orchids, but learning about different types of media. For some reason, I was drawn to water culture.

My first partial water culture plant was a vanda. Man, I nearly killed that thing. It lost most its roots and got stem rot. I finally found a group dedicated to water culture orchids on Facebook. From there, I watched YouTubes . . . I got smarter. My vanda is alive and putting out new roots, living on my porch now.

I started trying phalaenopsis orchids in water culture. Winter is a bad time to start cause old roots rot while they grow new roots that are adapted to water. Only about 1/4 to 1/3 of the root goes in the water. Oh, and I tried an oncidium in water . . . it flourished so now I have 3. In fact, I have quite a collection now. Three phals are from last year. I currently have about 2 dozen phals, 3 dendrobiums, 3 oncidiums, 2 miltoniopsis, 2 cymbidiums, 2 cattleya, 1 common ground orchid, 1 paph, 1 phrag, and the 2 vandas. Oh, and some very small baby cuttings of Pleurothallis sclerophylla, Masdevallia, Liparis, Bulbophyllum, and Coelogynes.

Not all are in water culture. I learned about growing in semi-hydro (lava rock with some water at the bottom). And, I have a few around in regular wood chips or moss. I love the way the roots look in a container . . . reminds me of a placenta.

I like orchids for much the same reason that I love daylilies – big, colorful blooms. Some of the species even have similar strap leaves. Interestingly, neither species can produce a true blue flower. What I find enticing about orchids is that the blooms last for months. And, some species bloom year around. Mostly, they bloom fall-spring, which makes them a good match for my summer daylilies. They teach patience, though, as buds, roots and leaves take forever to do their thing. Daylilies teach us to live in the moment because nothing lasts forever.

I wanted to log in and start gearing up for blogging season. I hope you enjoy my winter bloomers. Most will rest and grow new leaves and roots for the fall bloom whilst we enjoy the upcoming daylilies. Do you prefer orchids or daylilies?

The Ugly Daylily!

November 6, 2017Leave a comment

Here comes winter. And, time to focus on my indoor bloomers. I am taken back by still having buds on my Santa’s Pants daylily. Especially when my poinsettia is in bloom. For fun, I plucked off the bloom late in the day and placed it in the poinsettia.

I have increased the sun to the poinsettia since that time, and the pink is really darkening up. This was dapple pink last year. This is my second time to rebloom a poinsettia – and I did better this year. Boy, you gotta want that bloom. I have been covering with black trash bags and putting under my desk (that now has a curtain to block the light underneath). This one bloomed quickly and easily. My smaller one lingers in deciding to bloom.

Oh, and I got 3 new amaryllis bulbs to start. Mine are still in hibernation and set to come out in about a week and a half. I am guessing I will have blooms through January. Of all my winter bloomers, the amaryllis remind me most of daylilies. The bid stalk and the huge bright blooms.

And, a new poinsettia – orange is what I wanted most to replace. I think a purple if I see one, too. Maybe a variegated one. That is it though.

A new Thanksgiving cactus, too. I’m about done planting up my house now. It is on to creating grow light areas in a couple new places to boost the light.

Santa came early . . . or late!

November 1, 2017November 1, 2017Leave a comment

I haven’t blogged since fall hit the air. (And, I adopted a new special needs dog.) But, today warrants a post because I had a new (first time in my “yard”) daylily bloom today. And, the funny thing is that it was Santa’s Pants . . . seems appropriate for the season. The other odd thing is that one of my poinsettias is already blooming some. So, what a great combo. Summer and winter, together on Halloween.

By way of history, I noticed a scape on Santa’s Pants circa 3 weeks ago – after we fell to 26 degrees. But, I am optimistic and it was potted, so I moved it into my back porch, with some nights in my bathroom (I have to hang it to cat-proof it) and some warm days in the full sun outside. The temperature is warmer on the porch, but the light is more direct outside. It has been a balance. The photos look a little weird inside my porch, but it works. 3 more buds. Love having blooms into November.

There Goes The Sun

September 1, 2017Leave a comment

Tonight will be my last nightly blog. Maybe weekly from here out. It struck me how dark it was by the time I got off work. Like, WTH? The change always seems so quick to me in fall and so slow in the spring. And, then we set the clocks to make it worse.

Anasazi

Today, though, brought another double Anasazi bloom. These are such cool flowers!!! I have wondered if there was a mix-up when they shipped it . . . early/mid bloomer and not a double. But, it is a rebloomer, so maybe that is why is showed up so late. I did find a post in the Lily Auction today that said that it can double. Perhaps it knows it is stealing the show right now with so little competition.

Azalea

It reminds me a bit of my new Azalea, actually. Pink frilly blossoms. Make blooms while the sun shines. Tomorrow starts the 4th month of blooms. I can’t wait for May!

Speaking of Anasazi, this weekend, I am off to the 4-Corners!

Yellow Punch

Many Blessings

August 31, 2017Leave a comment

It nears September. Today, I did musical Amaryllis pots. Some of my bulbs are 4 feet tall now. Never doubt that you get more plant if you buy from a nursery vs big box or grocery store. They are a cool addition to the landscape. In pots, of course. I can’t believe it is nearly time to bring them in to hibernate for a bit. And, my two poinsettias will be a pain to get into bloom, again. But, I am up for it.

Stella de Oro

And, so I am beginning to plan past daylily season. I hope to have blooms through September. Maybe, if another scape appears, they will go into October. It happened last year . . . into November. I await my last addition . . . Nurse’s Stethoscope. I have her pot ready. As soon as the weird weather passes Kentucky, she will be on her way.

Passionate Returns

It is time to blog less. I am ready to watch some videos in the evening. I am taking steps to decide what my new steps will be. I hope I can get my orchids to bloom this winter! And, keep my new azalea blooming. I hope this winter brings many blessings. We shall see. No matter what, the blooms will help.

Yellow Punch

A little help from my friends

August 30, 2017Leave a comment

Daylilies bring positive emotion to most folks. The bright colors are engaging and awe inspiring. This year, I gave daylilies away to friends and coworkers. I gave them away at some cost to myself. Next year, I think I may try to sell some of my daylily offspring to offset the costs of my hobby.

Passionate Returns

This year, though, I chose to give them. At first, I was just wanting to thin mine so they would do better in the pots. So, I found takers. The very cool side effect was seeing friends I had not seen for a while. One coworker even came to Montrose to pick hers up (well, amongst other errands here). Wow, makes me wish I lived closer to Colorado Springs where the Daylily Society meetings are. Life can be isolated in rural America.

Broadening and building resources means keeping our ratios of positivity high. That helps us reach out to others, thus forming networks of resilience. I need to be working on that ratio right now. My job requires an attitude of positivity, always. It is business, 100%. That means I need to surround myself in a garden of supportive friends. The daylilies are a start.

PS – I loved the red yucca pods (above). They add a fall touch to the yard as the daylilies dwindle,

Savor the Moment

August 29, 2017Leave a comment

The days are getting shorter. Although it is hot now . . . as hot as July. But, still, fall is coming. It is getting dark by the time I get off work at 8 PM. I am beginning to want to watch Call the Midwife in the evenings and put the blog more on the back burner. Not yet, but it is coming.

Today, I had one of my big box rebloomers (Pink and Cream) and a red Mexican Daylily (Shellflower). They are mostly yellow – so I like the red ones. It is cool they are peaking later than the real daylilies.

It is time for me to begin to consider matters from the heart . . . sadness, anger, grief. Such loss of so much that I wanted for life. I know where it leads . . . and I need to find new soil. Unreal. Life feels unreal. The daylilies have been the perfect pause button. I am not ready to let them go. Hoping for several more weeks of the (more) occasional bloom. Savor the moment. Smile 🙂

Double or Nothing

August 28, 2017Leave a comment

Anasazi is turning out to be a delightful addition to my late bloomers. She is producing a lot of double blooms. I only have a couple other doubles, and neither bloomed this year. She was my only flower today . . . otherwise, nothing.

Today, I did the musical pots task. It was hot, too – 91. But, it is finished. No more big digging projects this year. I up-potted Mesa Verde and Canyon Colors – the size of their root balls was amazing. I feel sort of sad for the daylilies in the Southwest garden – those pots will be easy to outgrow. Still, more space than now. Who knows what ideas I will have for the future?

I also got the drip system rigged up for the border garden pots. That will go on with the soak hose. I hope there is enough sun out there. Oh, who knows what a couple years will bring? All I know is that another season is winding down . . . yet, so many of the daylilies look so happy to have a chance to grow in good soil with better water retention. The Colorado Plateau has sunshine going for it, though. As long as there aren’t trees in the way, that is.

Colorado Kid Daylilies

A Blog About My Western Colorado Daylily Adventure