Spikes or Waves

June 25, 2020Leave a comment

Ah, the talk of pandemics. Nothing like having a doctorate in nursing at a historic time like this. I almost wish I was back in biostats or epidemiology class right now.

People debate if this is a spike in the first wave or a second wave. Hmmm, well, it reminds me a little of the epidemic of daylily blooms in summer. There are days with 8+ premier blooms (new cases) and days with only 1 or 2. Are the busy days waves or spikes within a wave? IDK that there is a right and wrong answer – but I would say the second.

Like the epidemic, we will see a peak and a decline after that. Fortunately or unfortunately, daylilies are seasonal. There will be no second wave during flu season . . . or Christmas.

So, today was a good day if you are into low numbers. I only had 2 premiers. Both are old daylilies from my early days of collecting these plants. Lady Fingers is one I got for my landscaping circa 9 years ago. It is simple yellow – but a spider, not a trumpet. I like the green throat.

The other one from today is Inwood, who is having a better than average year. Her buds are healthy and she has more spikes than average. I was delighted to see such a pretty bloom. She reminds me a bit of Canyon Colors, who is having a bad year and I think it is because the grass is taking over her pot. As soon as her sad scape gets done blooming, I will dumb her our and dig the grass off of her roots.

Fall project – I think I will start working on putting my Southwest Garden daylilies in better pots, like my daylilies out front. I think they are more protective against tree roots AND after my sewer issue last winter, I am reminded that my garden is on the easement. That means if the water pipe gives, the City digs. If they are potted, it will be much easier to deal with. I have them in pots, just not better quality ones. I may do half this year and half next. It will be way easier than digging them up the first time!

Anyway – We will see if tomorrow brings a peak, but I think it is all one big summer wave. PS – I have 32 folders of cultivators on my computer now – out of 171 possible. That’s almost 20% bloom rate. Less than 3 weeks since the first bloom. Let’s see where we are in a week. I should do a graph like the epidemiologists. Really.

Short and Sweet

June 23, 2020Leave a comment

Tonight, my blog will be short and sweet so that I can get enough shut-eye. I will tell you that I wish my evening hadn’t been such a wreck. My old dog is still sick and needs to go into isolation and get treated again. I have to clean everything with bleach, again. If I didn’t work hard at my day job or if I had help around the house . . . tonight it seemed overwhelming.

I feel a little underwhelmed by my bud count. I still have about 110. That number has been flat for a week. Unlike Coronavirus, I hope for another spike in scapes. And, I must have broken a scape off of Heron’s Cove while working on the drip system. Ugh.

My premiers – the mascot for my blog, The Colorado Kid opened today. She is my favorite near blue.

And, simple Pink and Cream, another Stella cousin, had her premier today.

I had 12 total. Still a lot of yellow trumpets. Let’s see what the sun brings tomorrow.

Freedoms

June 20, 2020Leave a comment

Today, I woke-up late because I worked until midnight on a supply list for one of our new programs. It is busy on top of COVID-19 – the world of nursing academics is and will stay upside-down.

I was foggy . . . but when consciousness returned, I realized it was Juneteenth. I knew nothing about Juneteenth until I lived in Galveston and read a book by the same name. It is a day worth remembering.

We live in a world that seems shaken by so much right now. But, I am free to go out in my yard and take photos of the 13 bloomers of the day. All are different colors, and I treat each the same. I am free to write the blog. I can put just about anything I want in this blog – that is freedom. I can be a crazy daylily lady – that is freedom.

The other cool thing about today is that my Nurse’s Stethoscope daylily bloomed her premier bloom. She is the one I suggested the name for through the Daylily Society. She is named for the Show Me Your Stethoscope episode of the View. Maybe COVID-19 has helped the world understand all of the capabilities of my profession.

I had a few other premiers – I do believe the peak is beginning to build. Canyon Colors had a premier bloom today. There is so much grass in her put that she didn’t put out many scapes. I was going to replant her in March, but couldn’t get out to buy the soil before she got too big.

Indian Love Call had a nice first bloom. She is loaded with buds.

Land of Enchantment had a premier bloom that looks almost as beat-up as Kokopelli did yesterday. I think it is bud damage from the big windstorm a couple weeks ago.

It is Friday, summer solstice is tomorrow. It just feels like a significant day.

My flowers today are dedicated to those who don’t know the same freedoms that I have known. And, they are dedicated to the frontline workers during COVID-19 – my Nurse’s Stethoscope seems to say “thanks” to my colleagues.

It’s my home weekend tomorrow. A few things planned around the yard. Solstice . . . Summer Solstice. And, I get a little sad knowing that the days will start shrinking, again.

Enjoy the show below . . . almost time to limit to just premier blooms in the daily blog.

The Big Parade

June 19, 2020June 19, 2020Leave a comment

I think that, in the song, 75 trombones lead the big parade. Well, in my yard, it is a handful of yellow(ish) trumpets. But, it is a big parade . . . Christmas in July.

Today was an odd day. It was cold last night – I crawled back under the covers because my bedroom window was cracked.

When it is cold the daylilies usually open later in the day. Today, it was noonish before some were open enough for photos. The problem with that is the lack of humidity in Colorado means the UV is intense. And, so some of my blooms looked frazzled by the time I could take a photo of them open.

I had three premiers today. Jungle Queen – one of my early Lily Auction adoptees – marched proudly in the parade. I have always thought her colors were some of the most stunning in my yard.

Jungle Queen with her big, showy flowers 6.18.20

The other two premiers looked like they would have been better off to stay in bed and sleep late. Oh, wait, they did. Anyway, Mildred Mitchell had beautiful near blue bloom that didn’t open until the sun got the best of it’s splendor.

Mildred Mitchell looking weathered on her premier bloom day 6.18.20

And, oh poor Kokopelli. This cultivator’s name comes from the Native American legend of a traveler, trader, and turner of seasons. I knew something was up with her bud. Maybe wind damage, maybe insects. IDK, but I hope the other buds do a little better. Kokopelli is such a favorite that this poor bloom makes me sad.

The saddest Kokopelli on the planet 6.18.20

Ojo de Dios was back, probably the star of today’s parade because the show went on despite the cool night.

Ojo de Dios shows resilience after a cold night 6.18.20

Mesa Verde had another couple of blooms. Those ruffles had a rough time wanting to open today.

Funny Valentine has nice, rich color this year.

And, the trumpets – Saratoga Springtime had a nice little clump of marchers.

Stella has grit – always putting on a show. Both Stella colors.

And, their cousin, Yellow Punch.

I wonder who will lead tomorrow’s parade?

Here Comes the Color

June 17, 20202 Comments

Yellow trumpet daylilies are like appetizers before a 6 course meal. They let you know that the season is coming but leave you wanting more. It always feels like I get 2 weeks of yellow trumpets, and then the action starts. Somehow, colorful spider Dream Keeper shows up with the yellow trumpets – ahead of her time.

So, today I had some colorful premier blooms. First, Funny Valentine. She is an older daylily that I keep on my porch. She budded at the same time as Saratoga Springtime, so I have been waiting for her appearance on stage.

And, another Robert’s spider joins Dream Keeper as a premier today – Ojo de Dios. I love the stately color combo of this neatly curled spider.

And, my first near-blue for 2020 gave a premier showing – Blue Beat!

And, there are still yellow trumpets blaring out their tune – Stella de Oro – the most popular trumpet in town.

Happy Returns, who looks almost like a twin to Stella this year.

And, Saratoga Springtime.

I think there will be more premiers tomorrow. Laughing Feather is close . . . so close. And, I am up to about 100 cultivators in scape. Hopefully, peak happens before my camping road trip next month. I just extended by a day.

The Colorado Kid

May 23, 2020May 24, 20201 Comment

No blog about Southwest (and West) daylily names would be complete without a blog about our namesake, The Colorado Kid.

So, what say we take a ride down the Colorado River for a spell. It is only an hour from my house and runs through some of my favorite camping and hiking spots.

The mighty Colorado starts in Rocky Mountain National Park, not too far from where I grew up (in Estes Park). Born in the Colorado snowpack, it (like me) heads straight the desert.

The Colorado runs through Grand Junction – I love camping at Colorado River State Park and exploring the Colorado National Monument. It is amazing the force of wind and water on sandstone.

So, on my February trip, we took the back road (Utah 128) that runs by the Colorado River.

Fisher Towers formed by the Colorado River – 2020

The river then runs through Dead Horse Point – a favorite, dog-friendly hiking spot.

From there, it heads down through Lake Powell.

And on to the Grand Canyon.

Horseshoe Bend, five miles downstream from Lake Powell – 2015

The Colorado Kid daylily was a must-have daylily when I first started collecting daylilies for their place names.

The other reason I picked her is that she is near blue. I was absolutely infatuated with near-blues when I first discovered that daylilies didn’t come in blue. I guess we want what we can’t have. At any rate, her color is best before the sun hits her – she is on the north side of the house. Once the light hits, her blue is decidedly purple.

She is one of my favorite near-blues in my near-blue pot section of the yard. And, she is the namesake of this blog. And, another reason to go road trippin’ vicariously through my daylilies during the COVID pandemic.

Where Have All the Daylilies Gone???

January 5, 2020January 5, 20201 Comment

It is January. Cold, black and white, slippery January. Christmas is done and work starts Monday. And, for some reason, my mind craves the color of my daylily garden. So, I went through and made a video (pardon the length) with all nearly 200 of my cultivators from 2019. It was a crazy summer in the garden – even though I had to work most of it, I still saw a lot of blooms.

I am jazzed to see how my new camera does next summer. Come on June!!!

My Colorado Kids

August 8, 2019August 8, 2019Leave a comment

Faculty comes back to work tomorrow (except me – because the boss gets to work all summer 😉 ) Still, I had 40 cultivators in bloom today. Last year at this time, I was having surgery in a week, in-process with interviewing for this job . . . and I had only a handful of daylilies. There were none left to bloom. And, mid-August, the blog dropped into nothingness until poinsettia time. It is Jugust in my yard – my poinsettias look like it’s June and my daylilies think it is July . . . and faculty come back to work tomorrow.

Anyway – I still have 5ish that have scapes and have not bloomed yet and a lot with buds left – this blog season is not close to being over yet. So, what to talk about today? Well, I was going to talk about my daylilies with Colorado names. A couple are in bloom today – but let’s look at the summer.

Cripple Creek is a golden Ned Roberts spider that I assume is named for the gold rush town of Cripple Creek in Colorado. Ned, the hybridizer, lived fairly near Cripple Creek, CO.

Cripple Creek – 2019

I believe Echo Canyon is named for a canyon near the Royal Gorge. Ned Roberts lived closeby in Colorado Springs.

Echo Canyon – 2019

Glen Eyrie IS a place in Colorado Springs – no doubt about it! It is an old castle and new conference center. Another Ned Roberts spider.

Glen Eyrie 2019

Hesperus is the name of a sacred (to the Navajo) mountain in the San Juan Mountain Range near my home. I have no idea if the cultivator was named after the mountain, but I like the theory enough that I bought the daylily.

Hesperus – 2019

Mount Echo Sunrise – I am guessing this is named after Echo Mountain that is the tallest mountain visible from Denver. It is a guess because it is another Ned Roberts daylily.

Mount Echo Sunrise – 2019

Rocky Mountain Pals was named for the folks at the University Cancer Center in Denver – there Ned Roberts went for treatment later in his life. At least that is the story I was told.

Rocky Mountain Pals – 2019

The Colorado Kid is named after the movie – but when I saw the name early in my place name and blue daylily addiction, she had to be mine. She is the mascot of this blog!

The Colorado Kid – 2019

Singing the Blues

July 31, 2019July 31, 2019Leave a comment

Why is it that we always want what we can’t have? Early in my daylily addiction, when I had planted my first mail-order roots, I became fascinated with blue daylilies. Well, actually, daylilies lack the genetics to make blue. So, you know, I became infatuated with “near blue” daylilies whose mosiac genetics lead them to look blue. This predates my addiction to Ned Roberts spiders. All my near blues are in pots and come into the back porch for the winter because they are evergreen daylilies and prefer warmer temps. My near blues have a special spot in the front yard where the pots live from March-October.

So, one of my Premiers today is a new near blue added last year called Baby Blue Eyes. I honestly thought I had killed her because the drought hit and, after my skin cancer surgery, I just gave up on the yard. I kept her on the porch, though, despite the fact she looked dried up. And, come spring, she came to life. I love the colors – she is a true near blue.

Baby Blue Eyes 7/30

I am going to show off my other near blues because their bloom cycle is nearing an end. My favorite is The Colorado Kid. I was just googling place names to see if there were daylilies with that name – and she popped up. I think this is year 4 for her – she is our mascot flower. She had a lot of blooms this year and has a couple of buds left. Baby Blue Eyes has similar coloring.

The Colorado Kid – July, 2019

I also have Blue Beat, an early addition and a nice blue replica.

Blue Beat – July, 2019

Bluegrass Music is a must-have blue daylily. I got pretty ripped off by the place I bought her from, but she has paid off with several years of blooms.

Bluegrass Music – July, 2019

Mildred Mitchell is an older cultivator, but she caught my eye as having a nice blue -looking color in the right light.

Mildred Mitchell – July, 2019

Prairie Blue Eyes is not in my blue section, but she also has a blue hue at times.

Prairie Blue Eyes – July, 2019

I got Heron’s Cove as a near blue – but moved her because she rarely looks blue – but occasionally, I see a bit of a bluish tint in her.

Heron’s Cove – July, 2019

OK – So I had two other Premiers today – both Ned Roberts spiders. Golden Eclipse showed her first bloom in my yard today. I have had her 2-3 years. The grower is someone I got a lot of my Neds from and she said it was an ugly brown color and to be sure I really wanted it. I think she is a pretty gold – a unique color for a daylily.

Golden Eclipse 7/30

And, big bloom Purple Thunderbird is back this year.

Purple Thunderbird 7/30

I will be out of premiers soon with three in one day. I maybe have 6-12 left in my whole yard. Honestly, I will be glad for it to slow down. I had 58 today.

Daylily Photobombs

July 27, 2019July 27, 2019Leave a comment

The peak lives on with 72 blooms today. One of the things about photographing so many daylilies before I have to leave for work is that I get in a rush. I focus on the flower and hit the shutter button. Sometimes, when I am editing later, I find stuff that I didn’t notice at the time.

My favorite photobombs have other daylilies that I didn’t notice in the background – like Happy Hopi today:

Happy Hopi with friends Laughing Feather and Zuni Thunderbird 7/26

And, the most common photobombs are when I cut off a petal in the shot by a lot. Why am I struggling to get photos of Navajo Grey Hills?

Navajo Grey Hills 7/26

Of course, there are occasionally cat photobombs:

Skinwalker and my cat, Sokasbai – 7/25

Or, dog photobombs:

Blue Beat and my dog, Maizzy – 7/25

The most embarrassing, though, are the foot photobombs. The flower is at a weird angle, so you try to bend over so you can get a front shot. What was I thinking?

Black Ice and my feet – 7/26

OK – so what about Premiers. Only three today. The pace slows a bit, although I saw my neighbors at dinner and the first thing they talked about was my giant daylilies. So, it isn’t over yet!

Nona’s Garnet Spider was a bonus. She hasn’t been a consistent bloomer but is putting on a good show of buds this year.

Nona’s Garnet Spider – 7/26

Autumn Jewels . . . I think this was a bonus, too. She is related to El Desperado. I had a huge El Desperado for years but lost it to the weird, cold, wet spring. I lost a couple and several had setbacks . . . but so many are blooming this year that haven’t before or the regulars have a higher bud count than usual. It’s interesting the yin and yang of this year. Anyway – I got a new El Desperado and it is just putting up scapes now. I like both of these cultivators.

Autumn Jewels – 7/26

And, Nearly Wild is another bonus plant – she looks like her ancestor, the ditch lily or Fulva. I am sure that is where she gets her name.

Nearly Wild – 7/26

It is raining, again. We will see what that brings.

Colorado Kid Daylilies

A Blog About My Western Colorado Daylily Adventure

Category: near blue daylilies