I have exciting news! My Etsy Store is up and running. And, I am having a Fall Daylily Sale. I actually divided several of my Ned Roberts spiders. I have the following listed on Etsy for sale (link to my shop click here):
So, what have I been up to the last month? Starting my business on Etsy and working in nursing academic leadership 3 days a week. Some year, I am going to blog every day in August! I have Purple Grasshopper still in bloom – she was one of the first and will be the last. It is like she is on steroids this year.
Anyway, please visit my Etsy Shop for photos and more info on the daylily sale. It only goes until 9.11 due to the fact the freeze will get here in October. If the daylily you are interested doesn’t have a listing, please email me at cathy.hartt55@gmail.com to see if I have it available. Growing in fairly small pots means I usually only get 2-4 extra fans when I divide.
I will be back with my end of month list of bloomers for August in a couple days. See you then!
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???
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!
I Dig The Mamas And The Papas At “The Trip, “ Sunset Strip In L.A. And They Got A Good Thing Goin’ When The Words Don’t Get In The Way.
I chuckle today at the double meaning in the old Peter, Paul and Mary song. I do dig the Mamas and the Papas – literally and figuratively. Mama Cuna and Papa Longlegs, that is. Well, hey, today they showed up on the same day so the song has been in my head all day. See the featured photo for the cultivator blooms together today.
And, all day, I have been working in the daylily garden or on my photos because another record was broken today . . . 69 cultivators in bloom. It is partially bloom rate and partially bud count. These guys are blooming for weeks instead of days. I do have other things I need to do . . . I am glad I cleaned the house before this hit!
OK, so in addition to Mama Cuna of the Mamas and Papas, I had 6 premiers today – 7 total. We are still on top of the Grand Daylily Mesa with the blooms – this high plateau is like watching COVID cases last summer – but hopefully it dies down without a real epidemic because I have altitude sickness already.
Coburg Fright Wig 7.11 – I ordered this years ago for my front garden when I was filling it out with daylilies.Fairy Tale Pink 7.11 – I believe this was a bonus several years ago. She is doing better with a drip system!Lime Frost 7.11 – I wouldn’t mind a lime frost from the 7.11 about now. She was mail order several years ago, I believe. I really need to move my daylily software to my functioning computer because it knows.Mama Cuna 7.11 – all wrapped up in the yucca. She has great big blooms.Nearly Wild 7.11 – She was a bonus and I think she got her name because she looks like her ditch lily ancestor. Purple de Oro 7.11 – A small grape colored bloom. I have never been super attached. Her pot is full of grass. Maybe I should put another mini in with her? Red Hot Returns 7.11 – A parent to Passionate Returns. Local nursery cultivator.
This is usually about the time of year when I see the peak fading and I hate my bloom rate so I head to the nursery for a couple that still have buds so I can have a few more blooms. I am not doing that this year – although there is a Ned Roberts that I may add to the collection next year. Help me, I am drowning in the Mamas and the Papas! Please, dig me out of these blooms!
So, here are the finales so far this year.
Saratoga Springtime finale 6.23Yellow Punch finale 7.4Stella finale 7.1Funny Valentine finale 7.8Petite Petticoats finale 7.10Alabama Jubilee finale 7.10Scorpio finale 6.29Mauna Loa finale 7.10Platinum Pink Pallet Whispers finale 7.2Land of Enchantment finale 7.11Apache Bandana finale 7.10Purple Moonrise finale 7.5Orchid Moonrise finale 7.8Dream Keeper finale 7.1Echo Canyon finale 7.10Comanche Princess finale 7.11NOID Big Red Rhyme finale 7.11NOID Red Riddle finale 7.9Feather Woman finale 7.11Pink and Cream finale 7.11
That is 117 in and 20 out, meaning I have 90 some actively blooming and others with premiers coming soon.
High, hot and a hell of a lot is a type of enema that nurses use to give more frequently than we do today. I had to learn about them in school many years ago. Suffice it to say you put a lot of water (with soap) in an enema bucket and hang it high so gravity does its thing. Oh, and make that water hot just to give it an extra twist.
For some reason the words came to mind when thinking about my garden today. Not enemas – but altitude, temperature and the number of cultivators I had today. Almost 60, again. So, the peak this year is more like the Grand Mesa . . . you get to the top but it plateaus for a while before it starts going down.
As far as new blooms today – I had two birds. Maybe I should have titled this “Giving you the birds” or something. These are both Roberts spiders.
7/8 Aztec Firebird – one of my original 3 Southwestern daylilies in my garden pilot. I had it, Kokopelli and Dream Catcher only the first year. Big lesson when I enlarged it is that where you water large surface areas, you attract lots of tree roots. I love the bright colors of the Aztec bird – she is a little late this year. The daylilies that thrived the most in-ground are pretty slow to bloom this year, whereas those that were being strangled in roots before bloomed early and lots.Raven Woodsong – I love the color of this one.
And – while not a premier, Chief Four Fingers finally had a picture perfect bloom. The bugs got the early buds but it got better when I improved the water flow so the plant got stronger.
Chief Four Fingers perfect bloom (or close)
I painted another painting last night – Canyon Colors. I have put a lot of energy into my art business the last couple of days so I can get some inventory built up. I plan more than daylily paintings, but I am starting there because I have done more of them than anything else and it is a good way to get my skills back. Yesterday, I worked on lighting for the Art Cove. Today, I got tiles, oil paints, and canvas. Please follow my business page (link at bottom) for more info.
My Art Cove – back in business!
As far as finales – I may go to once a week because it is too confusing when I have 60 in bloom. Easier to do when I cut spent scapes once a week.
This time of year, it feels like daylilies are my life. I have had about 30 blooms in the garden for several days. Yesterday, we hit 40. Today, we hit 60!. It took me almost an hour just to photograph them – let alone photo editing and posting. Last night, I took a lot of photos of fireworks – It felt very similar in my garden today. A few pauses, but mostly lots of action. Do I think we are at peak – no. But it is getting closer.
Here are the premiers for today. Hang on – there are 10 (so about 80 cultivators have bloomed so far). Today, there were several of my favorite hybridizer’s blooms that opened (Ned Roberts). Daylily season is like Christmas . . . the peak is a little overwhelming. At the same time, it is like old friends who visit once a year.
Chokecherry Mountain 7.5 (A Ned Roberts Spider)Feather Woman 7.5 (A Ned Roberts spider)Heavenly Curls – one of my favorite bonus daylilies!Longlesson Show-off – Not one of my favorite bonus daylilies, but the bloom looked fuller and more colorful today than usual. Maybe the soil change and drip system.Medicine Feather – A lanky Ned Roberts spiderAnother bonus – Nona’s Garnet Spider – I have always liked her.Pueblo Dancer – 7.5 – another Roberts spider but I have always questioned her ID. Her blooms are larger this year with the soil change!Ruby Stella 7.5Strutter’s Ball – 7.5 – a late bloom start for this long-time member of my daylily packTalon – 7.5 Another old friend from my Roberts collection
Finales have started to add up a little, too. I missed Platinum Pink Palette Whispers. Today was the last of Funny Valentine’s show for 2021.
Platinum Pink finale 7.2Funny Valentine finale 7.5
Wholly cow! This took all day. It’s 4:30! Hopefully, I got the bugs worked out of my back-up system so it doesn’t take as long tomorrow. I gotta get painting and get my business inventory going! Follow my business blog for updates, too.
Finally caught-up taking photos off my camera. Never let that go for a week or two this time of year – you play heck catching-up. So, I thought I would get the blog fully up-to date by sharing our July 1-3 premier blooms for this year. Enjoy. Hopefully, tomorrow I start get back in daily sync. The good news is I got my art cove all cleaned, decluttered and added some fun stuff. That means the daylily paintings are coming – for sale through my business Art and Nature From the Hartt http://artandnaturefromthehartt.com
Bella Boo premier 7.2Black Eyed Susan premier 7.2Black Ice premier 7.2Candy Cane Dreams premier 7.1Cheddar Cheese premier 7.3Coral Taco premier 7.2Cricket Call premier 7.3Fol de Rol premier 7.3Jungle Queen premier 7.1Lacey Doily premier 7.3Papa Long Legs premier 7.2Prairie Blue Eyes premier 7.1Prelude to Love premier 7.3Route 66 premier 7.1Santa Fe Christmas premier 7.2Soco Gap premier 7.2Thin Man premier 7.3Wild Rose Fandango premier 7.1
That’s 18 more in 3 days (wholly cow)! That brings our total to 70 that have bloomed so far. Happy 4th – hope to post the morning daylilies tomorrow.
I can’t believe it has been almost 10 days since my last post. That doesn’t mean that daylilies aren’t blooming – although I think peak bloom is going to be a week or so later than usual. Maybe the drought . . . maybe some late cool days in the spring?
All I can say is life is in transition, so blogging had taken a back burner while I continue my job (part-time), clean and organize my house (also put on the back burner too long), and start a business. It is 11 PM (or later) when I finally have time to blog, but my heart and soul need rest.
So, since my last blog on 6.12, there have been a lot of premier blooms! (Premier meaning first bloom of the season) and I have 120 in bloom or with scapes. Here we go:
Rich-colored Canyon Colors made her debut on 6/15. She didn’t bloom last year so I had to dig her roots out of grass that had taken over her pot. She is recovering, but I don’t anticipate more than one scape this year.Comanche Princess had a premier bloom on 6.18. She looks vigorous in both locations this year.Echo Canyon made her debut today with three blooms. Our lead photo is her other two blooms.Funny Valentine had her first blooms open when I returned from camping on Sunday. She has a ton of buds and scapes this year.Mesa Verde showed up on 6.15. I love her colors, too. Makes me want to take a roadtip . . . actually, I will be at Mesa Verde next month.Orchid Moonrise had her premier-premier bloom on 6.17. That means, despite having her in my garden for 4ish years, this is the first bloom year. She likes being in the pot away from the tree roots, I think.Platinum Pink Pallet Whispers premiered today. Who names these daylilies, anyway?Purple Grasshopper premiered on 6.11 but I can’t remember if I included her in my last blog. Ruby Spider – One of my first and favorite daylilies. Premier was 6.21.Wild Horses bloomed for the first time this season on 6.15. Always a stunning bloom.Yellow Punch, my Lowe’s special a few years ago, opened on 6.15.My first yellow Stella de Oro opened on 6.18. She is a very different color than my golden Stella and rates her own listing.
That’s about 12 premiers since the last blog. 100++ more to go. What’s next? I guess we will see tomorrow. I would like to get back to blogging regularly, at least on Sunday. I feel like daylily season will come and go so quickly this year. The plants (mostly) appreciate all the work I did potting them and/or refurbishing the soil. A few are too crowded now and seem hesitant to send out a scape. Fortunately, I can divide and sell them this fall.
Speaking of which – please drop by my Art and Nature from the Hartt website to see what I plan to carry in my Etsy store. I have lots of begonias and coleus cooking now . . . and some succulents. I can’t wait to start making daylily art, again, too. I will clean my house first, though. Come visit us at this link – http://www.artandnaturefromthehartt.com
Not much new today. 65 or 70 daylilies with scapes. No new premiers today. Some days, this is my favorite part of the season because everything is still a mystery and my other flowers don’t get lost in the crowd.
Dream Keeper 6.12
Stella de Oro 6.12
The heat is hot (we will reach 00 this week and are in exceptional drought. I still have daylily water, but the insects are bad.
Saratoga Springtime 6.12
I think the “but it’s a dry heat” doesn’t apply to daylilies.
Happy Returns 6.12
Follow our #Art and Nature from the Hartt blog and FB page for updates on plants and (daylily) artwork available for sale. Currently we have Coleus, Campfire Crassula, and Paper Spine cactus plus some misc orchids.
