Land of Enchantment

August 24, 2019August 24, 2019Leave a comment

I love New Mexico. It is, indeed, lives up to its motto of being the Land of Enchantment. I have a fair number of daylilies named after New Mexico places. More than any other State with the exception of Colorado. Probably largely because Spiderman, Ned Roberts, (my favorite hybridizer) lived in Albuquerque for several years.

Land of Enchantment 2019

We traveled through New Mexico on our April Southwest road trip this year. We saw badlands, flea markets, monuments, ruins, and white sands. It was awesome . . . at least until norovirus hit and wrecked havoc on the last 4 days of a 9 day trip. But, I was well until we were in Arizona and headed back toward the 4-corners.

Chaco Canyon 2019

We will be down in the 4-corners area for Labor Day. I am looking forward to it . . . I should say we were also near there on our summer road trip, but not in New Mexico.

Chama Valley 2019

I have actually visited places in New Mexico because I have daylilies with that name. Like Ghost Ranch – totally put it on the map because of my daylily.

Ghost Ranch 2019

Chaco Canyon I visited long before my daylily collection – It is such a sacred place with the roughest 20 something mile road in the world. But worth it.

Santa Fe Christmas 2019

Santa Fe is a pretty yuppie town (is that still a word?) Artists abound and it is kind of pricy, but we were near there a few years ago passing through New Mexico.

Truchas Sunrise – 2019

Truchas, New Mexico is about halfway between Santa Fe and Taos. I actually contemplated driving there just because of my daylily, but didn’t like the traffic of Santa Fe.

Star over Milagro 2019

I’ve never been to Milagro – but it isn’t too far from the Salinas Pueblo Mission Ruins south of Albuquerque that we have visited a couple of times. Next time, maybe I will plan to go watch stars over Milagro.

Moon over Chimayo

Chimayo, New Mexico is east of Espanola, where my favorite Aunt Pearl once lived. The road trips have taken us close to Chimayo . . . maybe next time.

Navajo Grey Hills 2019

Navajo Grey Hills is likely named after Two Grey Hills Trading Post. This is a place I have driven through between Shiprock and Window Rock on the Navajo reservation. Honestly, it must have been before one of my daylilies was named after the place because I had to look up where the name came from. Again . . . future destination.

Adios Albuquerque 2019

I have been to Albuquerque many times. I don’t like cities – but there are also some cool smaller towns and attractions near Albuquerque. I like Petroglyph National Monument! US Highway 550 starts in my hometown of Montrose, CO and ends just north of Albuquerque – 305 miles from my door (+/-). Chaco Canyon is along that route. I often take the backroads, though.

So, tonight I am using internet explorer to blog. Still glitchy (my photos keep disappearing) but faster than Edge. Ugh . . . I may just have to switch out of S Mode and go back to Chrome. This would be murder during peak season.

Flowers for Maia

August 23, 2019August 23, 20192 Comments

Today is my granddaughter, Maia’s, birthday. I limit my words on the anniversary of her birth. Honestly, there are no words for all I feel about her

Adios Albuquerque 8.22

I will say I had a nice bouquet for her today. And, I wanted to see if my computer would run smoother on WordPress tonight. The blog post I did yesterday crashes the app on my phone . . . I don’t know why.

Fox Ears 8.22

Anyway – enjoy Maia’s flowers. The featured photo is Maya Cha Cha – not in bloom today but a great tribute to my beautiful granddaughter.

Frans Hals 8.22

PS – Blogging is a bit easier with this new Lenova 300e tonight – but there is still something funky about Microsoft Edge and WordPress. Is it just me?

Heirloom Heaven 8.22

Mama Cuna 8.22

Purple Corn Dancer 8.22

Cripple Creek 8.22

Shape Shifter 8.22

Ruby Stella 8.22

Faster!

August 22, 2019August 23, 2019Leave a comment

My new little 2 in 1 laptop showed-up. Same brand and size as my last one – different model. Five years since I updated. It is faster – and my last computer got glitchy and finally lost its wifi driver. Plus it moved miscellaneous files to my memory card with the last update. This model was less expensive – by a lot. But, sick dogs, car wrecks and travel meant a budget model.

I need to get on and save stuff other places. You know, like my daylily software. I hope this Windows S mode will allow me to do that. Honestly, I hate new technology like I hate new hiking shoes. You have to break them in before they are comfortable.

Autumn Jewels 8.21

So, back to daylily land . . . nearly 11 today. Photo editing is faster, but I am several days behind, again, due to no computer access

I teach all day tomorrow . . . until evening. So, for now, enjoy the photos.

Cripple Creek 8.21

Oh, PS – Blogging was a tad rough. I don’t like the way Microsoft Edge and WordPress are interacting. Maybe it is just my learning curve. I did name my new computer Zuni Thunderbird after my favorite daylily. I always name my computers . . . but never after a daylily.

Golden Eclipse 8.21

Navajo Curls 8.21

Purple Corn Dancer 8.21

Purple Grasshopper 8.21

Purple Thunderbird 8.21

Royal Palace Prince 8.21

Treasure of the Southwest 8.21

Tired

August 21, 2019August 21, 2019Leave a comment

It’s crazy – I had 13 cultivators in bloom today. Hello . . . It’s August 20th. The weather is now acting like desert weather. Hot and dry. It was in the 90s today.

Purple Corn Dancer 8.20

It’s been a year tomorrow since my surgery. After that, I could not be in the sun for a few months, so the blog just stopped . . . Until the poinsettias bloomed. I only had Purple Corn Dancer in bloom, anyway. Healing was a journey.

Purple Thunderbird 8.20

I never know what to think this time of year. Tired of the heat but dreading the cold, dark seasons ahead. Tired of my camera but don’t want to miss the late bloomers. Hate to see camping season end but ready for some mellow hikes around home. I think my daylilies are in a similar place with life right now – still blooming but longing for a rest.

Cripple Creek 8.20

PS – I ordered my new 2 in one laptop. My old one was tired, too.

Shape Shifter 8.20

Purple Grasshopper 8.20

Indian Sky 8.20

Orange Flurry 8.20

El Desperado 8.20

Chaco Canyon 8.20

Coberg Fright Wig 8.20

Ruby Stella 8.20

Frans Hals 8.20

Chaos and Routine

August 20, 2019Leave a comment

The school year feels like it has started. The new faculty are awesome. Eventually, the routine will settle in, but the chaos takes time to run its course.

Indian Sky 8.19

And, as that happens, the daylilies thin. I have maybe 18 cultivators with buds. Probably about 100 buds. It’s hot, some of them are too thirsty. I lost a few this week.

Shape Shifter 8.19

I start to think about fall chores. Should I put a drip system in the front garden? I need to fix some things in the Southwest garden.

Purple Grasshopper 8.19

By the time the final grades come in, we will be talking about Santa Claus. And, my poor poinsettias. Why aren’t they growing faster. I usually start forcing the first ones about now. I have 2 of 6 that are blooming size. Maybe I need to up their water? Why did 2 grow big?

Frans Hals 8.19

And, my amaryllis have bloomed more this summer than last winter. I had 4 blooms this summer, though my seeds haven’t sprouted.

Navajo Curls 8.19

Fall and winter start to occupy my mind. Air plant decorating . . . They look cool in with cactus, which gives me all sorts of ideas.

Cripple Creek 8.19

For now, I need to focus on this week. Looks like I need a new computer. Sigh. I’m hoping Santa can still afford to bring me a new camera for Christmas.

Heirloom Heaven 8.19

Last Firsts

August 19, 2019August 19, 2019Leave a comment

This weekend took us to the Colorado National Monument. It’s a beautiful place that has been close to my heart since college. I returned home to find my last, of final, first bloom of 2019.

Royal Palace Prince was another bonus. It’s a late bloom for him.

I swear I won’t let myself get so sleep deprived this week. And, then the wifi driver disappears from my laptop. Sigh – good thing for phones because I left my camera home this weekend, too.

Boil it Down!

August 16, 2019August 16, 2019Leave a comment

Today, I feel the need to simplify life. I worked from 8 to 7. My orchids cry for water. They aren’t doing well splitting time with the daylilies in summer. I am ambivalent about losing some of them. I need to pack for my camping trip. Laundry needs to be done. I haven’t gotten 8 hours of sleep in nearly a week.

Raven Woodsong 8.15

I got hobbies when I was trying to balance life and find purpose when working from home. I took a more challenging away-from-home-job a year ago. Now, the mania of the first of a term with nearly all new faculty, new programs, new campuses has hit. I am attempting to shift the work culture, and it feels like my life balance is taking a hit.

Cripple Creek 8.15

What could I eliminate? Not my dogs or my daylilies. Not my camping or road trips. Orchids can be thinned. I want to get into air plants – why don’t I just leave it? IDK. I like plants. And, I don’t want to give up my hobbies. It took me years to finally get some because career was my life. I think they are essential – but I need to boil them down to the essentials.

Orange Vols 8.15

Best of Intentions

August 15, 2019August 15, 2019Leave a comment

I had the best intentions of writing a blog about my New Mexico named daylilies tonight – it’s too late. I had the best of intentions getting to bed on time last night – until the police scene unfolded outside my bedroom window at 10PM (right next to my Southwest daylily garden . . . was that really a SWAT truck?) I had so many good intentions about a smooth start to the semester and some of those have been overruled by life.

Tonight, I must get to bed. Another very full day tomorrow. I had intentions of slowing down . . . yea, right. I work in rural America. Someday, I’ll get ‘er done. I’ll retire and play with daylilies between road trips.

Adios Albuquerque 8/14

So, tonight I leave you with my favorite picture of Adios Albuquerque – the sun was perfect for the 7 PM shot. The 7 AM shot missed the mark. The lead photo is Treasure of the Southwest with a nice sun angle, too. Now, I intend to sleep. Wish me luck.

The Amazingly Huge Spiders of August

August 14, 2019August 14, 2019Leave a comment

Oh, my – school starts tomorrow. I worked early and late. My daylilies had 12 hours between my first round of photos and my second.

I am not sure what to say tonight – my brain is mush and I crave ice cream. But, I do want to highlight three big, colorfast Ned Roberts spiders that are late bloomers. Colorfast becomes obvious when we photograph at 7 AM and 7 PM. And, my photos of these three look good both times – wide awake all day.

Purple Corn Dancer steals my heart with every bloom. I have her in two locations so I may get 3-4 weeks of blooms.

Purple Corn Dancer 8/13/1

Mama Cuna is a HUGE spider. She, also, wears make-up that lasts all day – she adds an amazing highlight to the Southwest garden late season.

Mama Cuna 8/13

Purple Thunderbird is CRAZY HUGE – and also looks great all day. Very colorfast.

Purple Tunderbird 8/12

I am guessing they are related because they all make me smile.

PS – My orchid cactus did not bloom last night – this waiting is the stuff of my midwifery days! I even got up briefly at 3 AM to check.

Orchid Cactus bud 8/12

Cowboys and Indians

August 13, 2019August 13, 2019Leave a comment

I’m not sure if I have ever mentioned that my grandfather knew Butch Cassidy. My grandfather was a cowboy – well, a sheepman. He hired Butch’s men when they weren’t out being desperados in the wild west of Wyoming and Colorado.

Fast forward to my yard today – there was my Premier El Desperado bloom. My big old plant died from the hard spring so I bought a new one. It isn’t getting quite enough light in its new location so the blooms are a little small. I will move her this fall.

Oh, and one of my favorite late-season Ned Roberts spiders was a premier – Navajo Curls. I have so much heart for the Native Americans that my garden is full of blooms to honor their culture. The Navajo are my neighbors here and I learn so much from my visits to their lands. It was nice to have them in my yard.

I only got a few hours of sleep last night . . . and what happens? Well, I go out in my outside back porch after a long day of work to find a bottle to use with my auto-watering spike and what do I see???? My orchid cactus blooming. Like, people host all-night watch parties for this. I have been out a few times for pictures. I don’t know how long I will stay up. Why can’t this be Friday or Saturday night? These plants are spring bloomers, after all.

Still 28 in bloom today. That’s crazy. Almost out of premiers for 2019, though. Not out of buds.

Colorado Kid Daylilies

A Blog About My Western Colorado Daylily Adventure

Category: daylily container garden