Celestial Daylilies

July 13, 2018Leave a comment

Today was a celestial day in the garden. Heavenly Curls bloomed for the first time since 2016. I added her as a bonus plant in 2015. She did not bloom in 2017. She is clearly happier in the buried pot – very nice bloom this year. She has the most awesome shape of any of my curly daylilies! And, more than a couple buds (so far). Still no rain, so I am seeing a few buds dry up around the garden despite my endless watering.

Joining Heavenly Curls in the heavens is Marque Moon with a first bloom for 2018. Mr. Moon has been around the yard for several years – I have 2 pots, actually. I purchased a second one on sale, forgetting that it was one I already had. I don’t mind some doubles . . . if I ever want to add more varieties, I can give one of the pots away.

Lastly, one of my favorite red daylilies bloomed for the first time this year – Baja. This is the deepest, velvet red color – such a proud daylily.

I had a total of 49 blooms today. The Southwest Garden is past peak. The Mural and Rainbarrel Gardens are also past peak. Pooh Corner is peaking now. And, the Walkway Garden is close to peak or peaking. That means things will be slowing down shortly. Sort of bitter/sweet to me. It is too busy for a few weeks, but there is an excitement in a bunch of new blooms every day.

Speaking of the Southwest Garden and peak – that garden is largely my Ned Roberts Southwest name spider daylilies. I have 65 total of Ned’s Southwest cultivators – all but a couple in that garden. 34 have bloomed so far. That is a 52% bloom rate so far. I think we may see 3-6 more – so maybe around 60% this year. Not perfect, but we have had 25 bloom this year that never bloomed in my yard before. That means last year’s bloom rate was only around 15%. Not perfect, but quadrupled. Always more work to do to improve the outcomes.

Other blooms today were Aztec Firebird, Happy Hopi, Purple Grasshopper, Kachina Firecracker, Soco Gap, Papa Longlegs, Navajo Rodeo, Dream Catcher, Wineberry Candy, Cheddar Cheese, Dark Mystery, Lady Fingers, Canyon Colors, Heron’s Cove, El Desperado, Purple de Oro, Mildred Mitchell, Stephanie Returns, Isaac, Mini Pearl, South Seas, Red Hot Returns, Chaco Canyon, Inwood, Fox Ears, Wild Horses, Prairie Blue Eyes, Hesperus, Route 66, Yellow Punch, Pink and Cream, Jungle Queen, Indian Sky, Prelude to Love, Mellon Balls, Chorus Line, Lullaby Baby, Early Bird Cardinal, Return a Smile, Ruby Spider, Primal Scream, Lacy Doiley, Passionate Returns, Red Hot Returns, Black-Eyed Susan, Lady Fingers, Bela Lugosi, Comanche Princess.

What will tomorrow bring? I am not sure there will be anything new. Maybe? I think I said I would like to get to 130 blooms for the year to hit 75% bloom rate. We have now had 105 blooms and are at 60%. That means we need 25 more . . . and that is through fall. And that means that it will slow down soon. Thank heavens!

It’s in the Genes!

July 12, 2018Leave a comment

Whew – the peak slowed just a bit today. No new blooms tonight. That is not to say that I didn’t have 50 blooms in my yard today . . . and we will have some new faces tomorrow. Today, I traveled out of town to meet my surgeon for a consult, so it was good to have less photo pressure!

So, a bit of a side trip tonight – let’s look at some genetics for my Ned Roberts spiders.

According to the Lakota, Iktomi is a spider trickster spirit and hero. I liked the name, so had to have the cultivator in my Southwest Garden. Iktomi is the parent of several of my other daylilies. Let’s see if we can see the family resemblance.

Here is Iktomi:

Iktomi 2018

Apache Bandana is a child of Iktomi:

Apache Bandana 2018

Chaco Canyon is another kid:

Chaco Canyon 2018

Dream Keeper has Iktomi and Dream Catcher as parents:

Dream Keeper 2018

Black Arrowhead is another offspring:

Black Arrowhead 2018

Laughing Feather is also in the sibling mix:

Laughing Feather 2018

I think the resemblance is kind of cool – they all have the midrib strips, although Dream Keeper looks more like Dream Catcher than Iktomi to me. What do you think?

Dream Catcher 2018

OK – Here is another one. Remember our Chokecherry Mountain?

Chokecherry Mountain 2018

Well, she is the offspring of Talon . . . do you see it?

Talon 2018

Sort of interesting to see side-by-side. Of course, I am a midwife. I don’t think I would ever want to try to hybridize, though. Never say never. I really like the look of all my Ned Roberts spiders . . . I wish I had his creativity.

Oh, and I have a confession. I got confused on labels – the photos I posted of Echo Canyon are really Kachina Firecracker. So sorry! She has the stripes but is not a child of Iktomi.

Kachina Firecracker 2018

OK – so bloomers today were: South Seas, Papa Longlegs, Comanche Princess, Navajo Rodeo, Taco Twister, Desert Icicle, Aztec Firebird, Purple Grasshopper, Pink Rain Dance, Soco Gap, Cheyenne Eyes, Talon, Mesa Verde, Canyon Colors, Heron’s Cove, Purple de Oro, Cheddar Cheese, Nosferatu, Purple Mystique, Prairie Blue Eyes, Wineberry Candy, Bluegrass Music, Blue Beat, The Colorado Kid, Mildred Mitchell, Mellow Balls, Chorus Line, Return a Smile, Longlesson Show-off, Passionate Returns, Anasazi, Indian Sky, Lady Fingers, Black Eyed Susan, Pick of the Litter, Prairie Wildfire, Stephanie Returns, Yellow Punch, Pink and Cream, Ruby Stella, Nurse’s Stethoscope, Strutter’s Ball, Wild Horses. I think that is it . . . tomorrow, more new faces!

Quick and Dirty

July 11, 2018July 11, 2018Leave a comment

Today has been a little crazy and I had business stuff to work on after I got off at 8 PM. Oh, and then I go to download photos and I got 80 something today. Overkill because Zuni Thunderbird looked so good. Tomorrow, i have a morning doctor’s appointment in the city, so tonight is quick and dirty.

New blooms – Mama Cuna is a Ned Roberts spider that I added in the last couple years. First bloom today. She is big and purple. Looks like Purple Many Faces!

Mama Cuna 7.10

Adios Albuquerque was another of Ned’s blooms – this is a second year for her here. Need more water for more buds in the Southwest Garden. Come on, Monsoons.

Adios Albuquerque 7.10

Hesperus is a first-ever bloom. I got her a few years ago, but she didn’t bloom until I moved her to the Rain Barrel Garden this year.

Hesperus 7.10

El Desperado is an old favorite. She lights up Pooh Corner with Heron’s Cove, Canyon Colors and Mesa Verde. Quite a show!

El Desperado 7.10

Tomorrow maybe no new bloomers. I can rest. Oh, we will have blooms. I think it was 54 today. I am not listing them because tonight is quick and dirty.

When it Doesn’t Rain, It Pours!

July 10, 2018July 10, 2018Leave a comment

The drought is still on. We have had hints of monsoons, but no real rain. I think there are close to a dozen wildfires in Western Colorado now. My water bill is awful and my lawn is still brown. But, somehow, the daylilies keep pouring. I wonder what my bloom rate would be WITH rain? It won’t be perfect this year but improved already. We will return to that in a minute.

New flowers today – Let’s start with the surprise! So, when I planted the Southwest Garden, I ended up with lots of bonus plants that were the same plants that I had ordered from someone else. So, I combined them. I had Fox Ears next to Happy Hopi – and I had 2 Happy Hopis. I thought. So, last fall when I did the containers, I thought I had put one of the Happy Hopis in a pot in the mural garden. Joke is on me . . . this is Fox Ears. I love that she seems to be in love with the solar light. Like a cartoon where a person falls in love with a robot. This is obviously a first-ever bloom.

Fox Ears 7.9

My other new (for 2018) Ned Roberts spider is Desert Icicle. Man, I could use an icicle about now. And, some rain!

Desert Icicle 7.9

Indian Sky had a first bloom for 2018 – she bloomed later last year, I believe.

Indian Sky 7.9

Speaking of later, Anasazi showed up early this year. She is an early re-bloomer, but did not bloom until August last year – and gave pretty double blooms. It will be interesting to see if she returns with those in the fall.

Anasazi 7.9

Fairytale Pink is such a pretty little bloom. I nearly lost her last year before I put them in pots. She had a few scrawny fans and put out only two buds last year. I think this year will be better.

Fairytale Pink 7.9

Last, but never least, is Cheddar Cheese. She has not bloomed since 2016! She is one of my older daylilies and bloomed reliably for a few years. Same pot, same place – stopped blooming. Now, she has a new pot and is in the Border Garden (a change) this year.

Cheddar Cheese 7.9

OK – so last night, I was counting daylilies to put myself to sleep. As of today, we are up to 98 cultivators for the year that have bloomed. Remember less than a week ago when we were trying to get to 69? Man, I am a little burned out with all the photos! That means, for this year so far we have a 56% bloom rate. Last year, we only made it to 48%. I count 25-30 scapes on daylilies that have yet to bloom. I figure we might see 5 late scapes (hopefully more, but I will stick with this for now). So, if I add 32 blooms to out 98, that brings us to 130. That’s about 75%. Not bad for the first year of a new pot system . . . in a horrific drought. The new faces should be slowing down shortly. I’m ready.

Other blooms today were Navajo Rodeo. Black Ice, Comanche Princess, Soco Gap, Happy Hopi, Iktomi, Laughing Feather, Dream Catcher, Aztec Firebird, Nosferatu, Dark Mystery, Red Riddle, Lady Fingers, Red Hot Returns, Jungle Queen, Prairie Wildfire, Prairie Blue Eyes, Blue Beat, The Colorado Kid, Mildred Mitchell, Mesa Verde, Heron’s Cove, Purple de Oro, South Seas, Passionate Returns, Stephanie Returns, Alabama Jubilee, Longlesson Showoff, Nurse’s Stethoscope, Petite Petticoats, Funny Valentine, Ruby Spider. I think that is all . . . I am too tired to think about it any more 🙂

It’s The Peak – Sunday Roll Call

July 9, 2018July 9, 2018Leave a comment

Well, I tried to post on Friday night, but no internet. Saturday, some internet, but my phone is crashing all of the apps since the last android update. Yes, right in the middle of peak season.

So, here are the new faces from Friday

Skinwalker 7.6.18

Echo Canyon 7.6

Iktomi 7.6

Chorus Line

Blue Beat 7.6

Bella Lugosi 7.6

And here are Sunday’s additions:

Lacy Doily 7.8

Nosferatu 7.8

Red Hot Returns 7.8

South Seas 7.8

So, that is 10 new additions since my last post – and I missed a couple of new faces while camping yesterday, but they will have another chance. For now, let me finish roll call. All daylilies that bloomed between 7/2 and today – here we go. Which is your favorite?

Alabama Jubilee 7.3

Aztec Firebird 7.8

Black Arrowhead 7.2

Black Eyed Susan 7.6

Black Ice 7.5

Bluegrass Music 7.3

Canyon Colors 7.5

Catherine Irene 7.6

Chaco Canyon 7.5

Cheyenne Eyes 7.6

Chokecherry Mountain 7.3

Comanche Princess 7.6

Dark Mystery 7.5

Dream Catcher 7.5

Early Bird Cardinal 7.3

Electric Lizard 7.6

Funny Valentine 7.8

Happy Hopi 7.6

Happy Returns 7.3

Heron’s Cove 7.5

Holy Sombrero 7.5

Hopi Jewel 7.3

Indian Giver 7.3

Inwood 7.6

Isaac 7.5

Jungle Queen 7.8

Just Plum Happy 7.3

Lady Fingers 7.5

Laughing Feather 7.2

Longlesson Show-off 7.6

Lullaby Baby 7.8

Mellon Balls 7.5

Mesa Verde 7.4

Mildred Mitchell 7.5

Mini Pearl 7.5

Navajo Rodeo 7.8

Nurse’s Stethoscope 7.8

PaPa Longlegs 7.6

Passionate Returns 7.6

Petite Petticoats 7.3

Pick of the Litter 7.5

Pink and Cream 7.6

Pink Raindance 7.4

Prairie Blue Eyes 7.5

Prairie Wildfire 7.6

Prelude to Love 7.5

Primal Scream 7.4

Purple de Oro 7.6

Purple Grasshopper 7.4

Purple Many Faces 7.5

Purple Mystique 7.5

Raven Woodsong 7.4

Red Riddle 7.5

Return a Smile 7.6

Route 66 7.4

Ruby Spider 7.8

Ruby Stella 7.5

Shape Shifter 7.6

Soco Gap 7.5

Stella 7.5

Stephanie Returns 7.5

Strutter’s Ball 7.5

Taco Twister 7.6

Talon 7.8

The Colorado Kid 7.6

Thin Man 7.5

Treasure of the Southwest 7.4

Wild Horses 7.5

Wild Rose Fandango 7.4

Wineberry Candy 7.4

Yellow Punch 7.6

Zuni Thunderbird 7.4

The Company They Keep

July 6, 2018July 6, 2018Leave a comment

Today brought 40+ blooming cultivators to the yard. The interesting thing is that only two of these were new faces for 2018. It is safe to say it is the peak! One of the things I love about looking at photos of the peak is that there are lots of other flowers in the background of a lot of the photos. It isn’t always other daylilies, either. The daisies and bluebells add interest. (I hate how invasive the bluebells are – the pots are helping.)

So, new blooms are Heron’s Cove. She was added Fall of 2016 and bloomed last year. I had her in the Near Blue section of the Walkway Garden, but she didn’t look that blue. So, I up-potted her and moved her to the NW corner of the house with Mesa Verde, Canyon Colors, and El Desperado. I’ve decided to call it the Garden at Pooh Corner. She looks way bluer to me this year. Maybe it is she gets less sun here. Or, maybe she looks bluer away from the other near blue daylilies.

Heron’s Cove 7/5

There was also another tiny bloom from Pooh Corner . . . Purple de Oro. She is such a generic looking mini. I have considered getting rid of her . . . and I had 2 for awhile. But, there is something cute about her petite purple smile.

Purple de Oro 7/5

OK – so it is late and tomorrow is my early work day. And, I leave to camp tomorrow so need to finish packing. There was no internet there last year, so I may not be able to post until Sunday. There will, no doubt, be new faces by then. I am beat . . . need shut-eye. Adding daylilies to my beat-the-clock schedule is rough right now . . . but, I feel it is a positive, too.

Southwest Garden at Peak

Other blooms today were: Purple Many Faces, Comanche Princess, Navajo Rodeo, Papa LongLegs, Holy Sombrero, Soco Gap, Black Ice, Hopi Jewel, Dream Catcher, Aztec Firebird, Happy Hopi, Prairie Blue Eyes, Purple Mystique, Red Riddle, Lady Fingers, Canyon Colors, The Colorado Kid, Mildred Mitchell, Jungle Queen, Pick of the Litter, Prelude to Love, Catherine Irene, Mini Pearl, Isaac, Stephanie Returns, Happy Returns, Ruby Spider, Thin Man, Passionate Returns, Mellow Balls, Route 66, Ruby Stella, Yellow Punch, Black-eyed Susan, Stella de Oro, Nurse’s Stethoscope, Strutter’s Ball, Chaco Canyon, Wild Horses, Return a Smile, Funny Valentine. I think that is it.

Yanky Doodle Daylilies

July 5, 2018July 5, 2018Leave a comment

Blooming on the 4th of July . . . four more cultivators! That means we have already had the same number different daylilies bloom that we did all season last year. Those buried pots help . . . this is an extreme drought and we had a better bloom rate. Still, in adding 2018 photos to my daylily software, there are a lot we have not seen yet this year. I don’t know if some are slow or some are recuperating from the move to the pots. I am about to tag the non-bloomers for more bloom boost fertilizer this fall. Still . . . this is a marked improvement because we have many, many with scapes that have not bloomed yet. The fireworks have just begun! Any guesses on final bloom rate? I am going to say around 80%. That

So, new today for the first time ever in my yard are a couple more Ned Roberts spiders. My bloom rate with those babies is making a huge difference in the overall bloom rate. Anyway, I mentioned earlier that Zuni Thunderbird is my all-around favorite. She has disappointed some this year. She got off to a bad start but rebounded after bug spray. I think it affected her buds. That said, one of the newbies today reminds me of her – Raven Woodsong. She has the dark colors and amazing curls that I miss in Zuni Thunderbird this year (so far).

The other new Roberts spider is Wild Rose Fandango. Now, she has some crazy curls and had a double bloom day one. I like her, too. Welcome to the yard, finally . . . year 3 for both the spiders.

Just Plum Happy was one of my first daylilies. She was in a planter box with Ruby Spider and Return a Smile. She was little and she struggled. This is first year in several that she has bloomed. I gave her a pot of her own last year, and she even hangs from my front porch . . . sort of a special place for her now.

Last, but not least, is Longlesson Showoff. This was a bonus flower that bloomed for the first time last year. She is a big daylily and brightens the Walkway Garden for several weeks.

That is it . . . mellow 4th. Not a ton of energy. Was late to the parade. Didn’t take photos. Did go for lunch on the brewery. Then home to water and do the blog. Now, maybe a walk for ice cream after my sandwich leftovers. I dreamt of my Southwest Garden – it was about huge, colorful blooms. Actually, they really do stand out.

Here are the Yankee Doodle Daylilies of today: Talon, Black Ice, Chokecherry Mountain, Pink Rain Dance, Zuni Thunderbird, Purple Grasshopper, Aztec Firebird, Dream Catcher, Chaco Canyon, Treasure of the Southwest, Dark Mystery, Prairie Blue Eyes, Bluegrass Music, The Colorado Kid, Mesa Verde, Mildred Mitchell, Jungle Queen, Prelude to Love, Stephanie Returns, Ruby Spider, Return a Smile, Funny Valentine, Petite Petticoats, Nurse’s Stethoscope, Passionate Returns, Primal Scream.

Tis the Season!

July 4, 2018Leave a comment

Oh, man, I jinxed myself. Last night, I said that we only needed 12 more cultivators to bloom to match last year’s total bloom rate. We need 79 cultivators total to tie! My count says we are now at 75. Last night, we were at 67. Do the math – we had 8 new cultivators today. Oh, help. And, I went and had my labs drawn before work and still got everything photographed. All we need is 4 more tomorrow – and judging from buds, we will surpass last year’s bloom rate on July 4th! Last year, we did not have this many different cultivators until November!

So, away we go with new intros. I had two new Ned Roberts spiders today. The first one is Taco Twister. She reminds me of Happy Hopi – guessing they are related. It is her first bloom ever in my yard. The Southwest Garden upgrades last year are primarily responsible for the better bloom rate – and Taco Twister is one of the helpers!

Taco Twister 7/3

Shape Shifter also made her first-ever visit today to the Southwest Garden. She lives up to her name.

Shape Shifter 7/3

The Walkway Garden is starting to pop – so that was where the newest blooms came from. Most of those are old, familiar faces. The first one is Mellon Balls. I have had her a couple years – she was a bonus mini.

Mellon Balls 7/3

Prairie Wildfire is one of my older daylilies that got moved to the Walkway garden a couple years ago and she is so much happier. Love her red!

Prairie Wildfire

Then there is my sweet little pastel Lullaby Baby. I have had her several years, too. Her blooms are much healthier looking now that she is in a pot.

Lullabye Baby 7/3

Pick of the Litter was a bonus daylily a couple years ago – she has been a reliable bloomer even before the pots. She will do even better this year, I think.

Pick of the Litter 7/3

Black Eyed Susan is in a planter out in the front yard with Stella and Candy Cane Dreams. She put on quite a show last year, so I can hardly wait.

Black Eyed Susan 7/3

Mildred Mitchell is over in the Blues section of the Walkway Garden. She is an older cultivator that I added a 2-3 years ago – at the same time as my other near blues. I like her flair.

Mildred Mitchell 7/3

Other blooms today were Talon, Comanche Princess. Navajo Rodeo, Chokecherry Mountain, Hopi Jewel, Happy Hopi, Zuni Thunderbird, Aztec Firebird, Catherine Irene, Happy Returns, Stephanie Returns, Alabama Jubilee, Stella, Route 66, Ruby Stella, The Colorado Kid, Bluegrass Music, Canyon Colors, Passionate Returns, Early Bird Cardinal, Red Riddle, Lady Fingers, Ruby Spider, Return a Smile, Funny Valentine, Petite Petticoats, Indian Giver, Yellow Punch, Wineberry Candy, Wild Horses,

Exponential!

July 3, 2018Leave a comment

Daylily peak is just around the corner . . . many ripe buds in the Walkway Garden now. Honestly, it is a bit daunting to photograph them all and do this job when I worked 12 hours today. First of the month is busy, especially when there is a holiday involved.

I noticed My Memories on Facebook today with some interest. Last year, I posted 19 cultivators in bloom this day. In 2016, it was three. In 2015 and 2014, it was one. 2014 was the first year that I posted photos daily to Facebook. Today, it was 35! It is like an exponential deal, a little. I think this year is enough to let me know I have enough! I have had 67 cultivators this year – 38% bloom rate. The total bloom rate for all of 2017 was 47%. To get to that number we need 79 cultivators. That is 12 more. I guestimated it would happen on July 4th. That’s 12 more in 2 days. Might happen . . . let’s see.

So, today we added 3 to our total. The first one is my biggest daylily of all – Dream Catcher. She was one of my 3 pilot daylilies in the Southwest Garden. I am not sure why she loves her spot so much, but she is big and puts on quite a show. She is another Ned Roberts spider – and related to Dream Keeper!

The Walkway Garden is my oldest daylily garden – and some of the faces have been around for several years. Prelude to Love is one of them. I know exactly where her spot is and what she looks like.

The last one for this July 2nd is Isaac. He is in the family garden – for my grandson, Isaac. A pretty yellow flower that is a bit different shape than the standard trumpet – and bigger. I was hoping for more than one scape. Oh well, last year I only had one bud. This flower brings hope that someday Isaac might be part of my life. It will take more than hope alone to make this dream come true. For today, I have a special flower.

Tomorrow, I am off to the lab early for a bunch of tests. But, first, I will try to photograph a whole bunch of blooms that I am pretty sure will be waiting for me.

Today’s other blooms were Happy Hopi, Hopi Jewel, Black Arrowhead, Black Ice, Comanche Princess, Papa Long Legs, Canyon Colors, Bluegrass Music, The Colorado Kid, Primal Scream, Red Riddle, Purple Mystique, Prairie Blue Eyes, Lady Fingers, Route 66, Pink and Cream, Yellow Punch, Ruby Stella, Jungle Queen, Nurse’s Stethoscope, Inwood, Strutter’s Ball, Return a Smile, Ruby Spider, Funny Valentine, Chaco Canyon, Wild Horses, Soco Gap, Dark Mystery, Happy Returns, Apache Bandana, Laughing Feather, Pueblo Dancer, Cheyenne Eyes, Wineberry Candy, Mini Pearl. I think that is it. Too many to keep track of. And, tomorrow could be worse!

July 1: Daylily Roll Call!

July 1, 2018Leave a comment

It is Sunday and the peak is starting. It will probably take me an hour to get this bog with all the photos for the week published. I am doing it this way so that each daylily comes up on a couple searches of the blog. My job entails creating about 20 template emails a day for the following day – it is a lot of looking up progress and pasting from my last note. Not a creative’s dream. So, when I save my drafts for the day, I have a blank email to note that it is a new day – and that email is always named after a daylily. The most creative 5 minutes/day of my job is picking this daylily. The collages just don’t work.

So – We will start with the newbies. Primal Scream is in bloom for the 3rd year. Last year, the blooms were small and anemic. She is now in an above ground put inside the Walkway Garden. I hoped for more scapes, but 2 is OK for this year, gives the fall transplant. Nothing beats her vibrant color.

Primal Scream 7/1

Indian Giver was a newbie in the Southwest Garden. She is a small daylily and was a bonus plant 3 years ago. She only gets a couple buds every year. She needs to be dug up and put in a buried pot, but the yucca is close, so not sure how I will get this done. I would like to have more blooms. She is adorable.

Indian Giver 7/1

Last but not least, from my Family Garden is Stephanie Returns. This flower makes my heart sad. Losing a family member who is still alive is horrid. Losing several is bitter and cruel. Please don’t tell people you understand or offer advise while you are surrounded with family. Please don’t tell people God is giving you this lesson for some reason or other. Do bookmark this page and come back here and look at this flower and help send positive vibes to anyone in the universe who had ever known the heartbreak such a loss can bring.