Kokopelli: Changing Winter to Spring

June 25, 20161 Comment

I have always found the legend of the kokopelli inspirational. Flute players who bring bags of seeds to change winter to spring. I think one of the most inspiring depictions of kokopelli are the benches in the kivas at Lowry Anasazi Ruins just south of where I live in Colorado. The ruins are always stunning because of these kokopelli benches.

Kokopelli – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

So, is it any wonder that on one of my first trips to the Lily Auction last fall that a bloomer named Kokopelli caught my eye. I blogged a couple weeks ago about my first auction experience . . . and my goal was to bring Kokopelli to my yard. Another bonus was that the grower was in Santa Barbara, my mom’s adulthood hometown. It seemed right. So right, as a matter of fact, that I began collecting the Ned Roberts southwestern named daylilies with that purchase. And, today, my first Kokopelli bloom arrives.

Another bloom that drew me in last fall, as I began to hone in on my southwest themed daylilies, was Wild Horses. This bloom just kept drawing me back, over and over. In the end, I purchased this one at an end of the year sale (from a San Francisco area grower – my dad’s childhood home region). There is something about the shapes and colors that makes me want to visit the wild mustangs.

Wild Horses – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Today’s other blooms include Black Ice, Chama Valley (named for a place in New Mexico), and little Happy Returns. So from here out sit back and relax. The daylily popcorn is popping. There should be more new ones tomorrow. I am hoping for Mesa Verde!

Black Ice – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Chama Valley – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Happy Returns – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Ta ta until tomorrow!

Black Ice on a Summer Day

June 24, 2016Leave a comment

Black ice reminds me of winter roads in Colorado. I live rural and often have had a hefty commute to work. Black ice is why I prefer to be off those roads by sundown. And, it has caused me to fall on my face walking the dogs a few times, too.

Today, though, Black Ice brings positive emotion. I love this new addition to my garden! First bloom today. It looks like black velvet to me. And, it spilled pollen down it’s front peddle. This is another Ned Roberts creation that is in my new Southwestern garden. Black Ice may not remind everyone of the Southwest. It does me. I live here.

Black Ice – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Other blooms are Early Bird Cardinal (That yard flag in the background has a red cardinal on it and next shot, I will untangle it for the photo. Those colors are very close!)

Early Bird Cardinal – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

And, huge old Ruby Spider!

Ruby Spider – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Lastly, poor frail Electric Lizard’s last bud (for now). I am cutting off its fans to see if it will thicken up. I am hopeful for a couple more blooms this year.

Electric Lizard – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

I have a bunch of buds that look nearly ready to bust. Wild Horses, Mesa Verde and Saratoga Springtime look the closest. It looks like more Black Ice is on the weather report for tomorrow (or soon), too. I can’t wait. It’s better than an Easter Egg hunt every morning!

Chameleon

June 24, 2016June 24, 2016Leave a comment

I had a chameleon when I was a kid. It is a curious thing how they can change color based on their surroundings. Funny little lizards.

Speaking of lizards that change colors, I posted a week or two ago about my first Electric Lizard bloom. It was early, and pretty anemic looking. I asked the daylily growers and was advised to fertilize. And, so I did. It lost some of its buds, but today it did send out another bloom. And, the colors have changed to deeper tones with more variation.

So, for review, here is what the photos on the web look like:

And, here was my first (very pale) bloom:

Electric Lizard – Early June 2016 – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies

And, here is today’s blossom:

So, it looks pretty frail but the color is definitely darkening. The frailty may be partial because it was just after sunrise (5:30 AM) and it had barely opened. I don’t get up anywhere near that early usually, but today I had an out of town conference for my doctorate clinical hours. By the time I got home, it had poured rain, and the blossom was withered. I think I will have another bloom from this one tomorrow.

After that, I am cutting the foliage to the ground to see if I can thicken it up a bit because even the fans look anemic and undersized. I did use slow release fertilizer plus a slow infusion of high-bloom Miracle Grow. It is obviously perking up some but has a ways to go before it looks like photo #1. I like the blooms that are picture perfect. But, I also like the feeling of being a farmer. I like experimenting to see what helps the flowers to flourish here in the high desert of the Colorado Plateau. I think of the Anasazi and wonder how on earth they grew corn and squash in this hard clay soil with so little rain. No garden soil, no water crystals, no hose. If they can do it, so can I.

Tomorrow, in addition to another Electric Lizard, I think I will have a Ned Roberts Black Ice bloom. I want to send a photo to the grower because she sent an awesome bonus plant despite my small order. I believe I may have a couple other new faces tomorrow. Before they open their buds, I must close my eyes. What a very long day.

Jewels of the Garden

June 22, 2016June 22, 2016Leave a comment

With the light of day, two jewels glimmered in my garden. One is my old favorite, Ruby Spider. Ruby is one of the oldest of my daylily collection. I have had her close to a decade. She was added to fill a planter box that hides my drip system controls. I used ornamental grass the first couple years, but it always died over the winter. So, why not daylilies? This one is still in the same planter (although divisions are now in the main garden) with Return a Smile and Just Plum Happy. Ruby’s bloom is so big and bright that it almost looks fake to me. I know daylily season has started when this one opens its first bloom.

Ruby Spider – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies (C. Hartt)

The other jewel in bloom today is a new daylily called Hopi Jewel. My thanks to Blue Ridge Daylilies for picking up my Southwest name theme and sending this as a gift plant. It’s in with my new Ned Roberts garden, as are a select few other aptly named non-Neds.

Hopi Jewel – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies (C. Hartt)

I must be taken with Hopi Jewel, because I took a lot of photos of her. It is a nice shape and color combination. And, maybe it is just fun to see another new face in my new garden. It took me days to clear the rocks, dig out some of the hard clay desert soil (we call it adobe soil), and fill it in with topsoil and compost. And, now it is home to over 50 new daylilies, mostly my Southwest named Neds. It is nice, though, to have a few with rounder shapes.

Hopi Jewel – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies (C. Hartt)

I keep wondering if the daylilies will spread to take over or if they will stay in their current space. The desert has the sun these guys love, but the soil is hard clay and the rain virtually non-existent. It’s not Asia. It’s not even Georgia, where many of these plants came from. According to climatemps.com, Georgia gets about 5 times as much precipitation. That’s about 25 more gallons per square foot. One good thing about my Neds is that they were hybridized in New Mexico and Colorado. Still, they do so much better in bagged soil and added water crystals.

I am at a clinical conference out-of-town during the day tomorrow. I am unsure if anything else is on the verge of a bloom, but I am going to do my best to go out and check before I leave . . . sometime between 5 and 6 AM. Unlike my lilies, I do not bloom that early!

Mystery in the Daylily Garden

June 22, 2016June 22, 2016Leave a comment

So, the first blooms are appearing in my brand new Ned Roberts (mostly) daylily garden. And, today a plant clearly labeled as Chief Four Fingers bloomed. Beautiful bloom . . . but it doesn’t look like Chief Four Fingers. The label is from the grower, so I am guessing they were busy. I don’t care too much other than hoping it is in the right row for its height. So, here is the bloom from today:

And here is what Chief Four Fingers photo looks like (note the petal count discrepancy):

And here are the other ones ordered from that grower with that order:

Mount Echo Sunrise

Purple Many Faces

Aztec Firebird

So, any guesses? My own thought is Purple Many Faces. I guess we will see what the one labeled as such looks like when it blooms. And, PS, I mean nothing negative against the grower. These are the probably the best blooming sized plants that I get from any grower. It is just sort of funny and hopefully the Chief shows up this summer.

Also making an appearance in the front garden is Early Bird Cardinal. This one blooms early and is a repeat bloomer. The show has just begun. I think Ruby Spider is getting ready to hatch! Those are the biggest, most colorful blooms in my garden . . . and I divided my main plant into three last fall. So, I should have plenty of color soon! I also think Hopi Jewel is due soon. And, if Electric Lizard is strong enough now, I think there will be a new bloom there soon. She dropped her last buds so fingers crossed that she is growing stronger. Ta Ta Til Blooms.

Focus on Daylilies

June 20, 2016June 20, 20162 Comments

I went camping this weekend. It’s my semester break from my doctoral program. However, I am teaching a class and implementing my project. So, it was a quick get away. I came home to find that I had missed Chief Four Fingers and Early Bird Cardinal’s first blooms. However, Happy Returns had two blossoms to greet me.

As always, I ran out with my Canon Powershot and my Kindle to get a shot. After that, I went in to download my vacation pictures. On the same card are my first camera versions of the photos that I have shared here. I thought would do a couple of comparisons.

Below is my first bloom, Electric Lizard. The first one is by Kindle, the second with the Powershot.

13445552_1216938351680388_9197977821710453742_n

Electric Lizard Daylily taken with Amazon Kindle

Electric Lizard taken with Canon Powershot

Below is Dream Keeper, first by Kindle and then by Powershot:

Dream Keeper taken with Amazon Kindle

Dream Keeper taken with Canon Powershot

I paint my Christmas gifts from the photos, so detail and color are important. Still, I am on a student budget until I return to work. So these are my options. The Kindle does a decent job for something that I can post immediately. However, the Canon sure has crisper detail.

I welcome any thoughts experiences readers have had with photographing these beauties. I am hopeful for another bloom or two very soon.

Sweet Dreams!

June 13, 2016June 13, 2016Leave a comment

I am one of those daylily addicts who tore up part of my old rock garden to put in a themed daylily garden. Most of the residents are Ned Roberts daylilies with southwestern names. But, thanks to the daylily farmers who send bonuses (many with the southwestern theme, too), I have a few others in that area.

Anytime you rip up rocks and plant something there (after 50+ years), it is a bit of an experiment. The sun exposure is best there, that is why I picked that spot. The tree that used to be there was taken down for a new sewer system a decade ago. I made a little garden with yucca and a lilac, and so that is the history. Last year, I put three Roberts daylilies out in that small area. They came back (fall planting) looking great. Now there is a whole list of Roberts blooms “to be” out there. And I hold my breath that a few inches of good soil, water crystals, a permanent sprinkler, and mulch will make that habitable.

Today, it happened – the first bloom. Dream Keeper. I got up early to take photos and went back to bed (as I was up til after 2 AM doing homework). I love these spiders, so delicate. I love how the peddles twist and turn. And, hey, this one looks like its photo. Here is Dream Keeper from my yard. I purchased this one from Blueridge Daylilies. They send healthy big plants!

And, here is the one from the web. Mine actually looks a little more vibrant!

So, I take a deep breath that my new babies are happy out there. I don’t think I’ll have another bloom for a few days. But, in someways it is nice because I can savor each one.

For anyone looking for Ned Roberts southwestern cultivators, here is a list of growers who I purchased from the last couple of years (in no particular order):

Blueridge Daylilies/Blooming Auction
Crossview Gardens
Daylily Diva
Earthly Treasures
The Lily Auction (Brooks, Connie Horner, Floota, Amy Garden, Parklane)
Smokey’s Garden
Oak Hill Nursery
Shady Rest Gardens

First bloom

June 11, 2016June 11, 2016Leave a comment

Today came the first bloom. Electric Lizard opened it’s bud as the first daylily for the season, 2016. It is a pale and anemic bloom . . . just like Indian Sky was when it bloomed in March. For some reason, both evergreens bloomed early despite scraggly foliage. It is still pretty, it just looks very different from its online photo.

I could be upset of disappointed. Mostly, though, I am curious about how to be a successful daylily gardener. It fascinates me how the color can be so off. So, I asked the American Hemerocallis Association Facebook page. One of the nice hybridizers inquired about fertilizer and gave me suggestions. He also said this one is a hybrid from Ohio, even though it is evergreen, so it could probably be left outside in the winter.

OK, so I am curious about differences in climate between Western Colorado and Ohio. I found a website where I can compare Denver to Dayton. The main thing I see there is that Ohio gets more moisture and isn’t quite as cold, on average. Oh course, Denver is on the other side of the Rockies, so I am unsure how true the comparison is to my garden. More than those items, I wonder about how our crazy Rocky Mountain springs impact the more delicate daylilies. It will be 75 one day and 25 the next, over and over. I am sure that is what got two of my evergreens this spring. That is what makes this Western Slope gardening so interesting. (I bet the soil is way different, too!)

So, of course, the dilemma is to leave it out or not leave it out next winter? First, though, I have got to treat the anemia. If I can get it to flourish (I adopted it in the fall last year so it is still a baby), then I would consider leaving it out. At any rate, tomorrow I will get some slow release fertilizer for the two spindly ones and watch for the next bloom.

What is next? I am not sure but Happy Returns is an early bird. Mesa Verde, Dream Keeper, Kokopelli (and a couple of others in the new garden), Early Bird Cardinal, etc. all have some decent sized buds forming. Lots of scapes out there. Oh, and The Colorado Kid! I can’t wait to see how close the colors on that are to the logo on this blog. I don’t think any will open tomorrow . . . but soon, very soon.

Leaping Lizards!

June 9, 2016June 9, 2016Leave a comment

One of the interesting things about adopting some evergreens this year is watching them adapt to life outside of the winter porch, again. I had one premature bloom on Indian Sky in March and had to cut the fans back because they were a little anemic looking after that. It seems to be recovering.

The other one that I have been keeping an eye on because it looks a little scraggly is Electric Lizard. This guy is special to me because he was one of my very first Lily Auction buys. I remember that day so well. I was editing a final paper for one of my first term courses while I waited to participate in the bidding on a couple of daylilies that I really wanted for my Southwestern garden. Well, the first one came and went with me totally losing out to a flurry of bidding. Total neophyte at online auctions, I was. And, I really wanted the other one that was up for bid later.

It became obvious that I needed to find some affordable lilies that were up for bid between now and the time of the second Southwest bloom. Why? So I could figure out the system. I ended up winning three before that second lily came up on the clock. And, I figured it out. First, on a slow item . . . then I slowly turned up the volume.

Electric Lizard was my first fast bidding experience. And, I obviously won the iridescent bloom. Won, of course, is a misnomer because you pay more when you battle the competition. And it’s addicting. I have never done a full-day like that since.

So, now this somewhat skinny-leafed friend has a scape with a bud that looks ready to open soon. Very soon. Maybe tomorrow. It has to think spring started in February on my porch to be the first bloomer of 2016, because it is supposed to wait until mid-season. Happy Returns is always the first, but it looks like it will get beaten this year. And, once the daylily popcorn starts to pop, it’s just going to keep going. Can’t wait . . . time to charge the camera battery because this blurry cell phone shot does not do it justice.

(PS the Electric Lizard bloom photo is from the Lily Auction).

Getting my Kicks

June 8, 2016June 8, 2016Leave a comment

As the scapes grow in preparation for blooms and the outdoor thermostat gets turned up, I think about the first sign of spring. For me, that is my Southwest road trip. It is a new tradition for the last three years. When you drive south from Colorado, it is nearly impossible not to hit #Route66.

The first year, it was the goal to travel Route 66. We took the old road as much as we could, and took the Route 66 turnout at our end point, the Petrified Forest. I love this old car at the turn-out!

The Petrified Forest/Painted Desert have become favorite stops because they are #dogfriendly. There are very few National Parks with such open rules about dogs. So, it is a great ice cream and a hike stop.

And, the scenery is like something out of Jurassic Park. What was once the far point of my trip is now more of a gateway to the Senora Desert.

So, what does this matter to a daylily blog? Well, first of all, I take the trip about the time that the daylilies are starting to send up new growth for the year. But the other really cool part is that after that first trip to Route 66, I came home to find a daylily named Route 66.

I found it in the local garden shop, before I got addicted to the mail order daylilies. It was one of those strange coincidences, just like my 6/5/16 blog about finding a local Stephanie Returns daylily the year my daughter, Stephanie, returned to Colorado. Route 66 is an older daylily that was hybridized in 1967. The colors match my Route 66 tea shirt. It is a hardy daylily and I look forward to seeing it again in 2016!