Oh, the Places We’ll Go: Ghost Ranch

May 8, 2020May 8, 2020Leave a comment

I live for my spring road trip, my summer camping trips and my daylilies. The first was knocked out by COVID-19. The second is on hold for an undetermined amount of time. The daylilies are my hope right now.

Ghost Ranch, NM on a windy day in 2016

I’m a nurse, I have no issues with staying home and taking care of myself – except for the obvious grief for things I love way more than Christmas.

Old log cabin at Ghost Ranch, 2016

So, Saturday Night, I decided to watch City Slickers on Amazon. I haven’t seen that movie since it came out. It was funnier than I remembered. But, something looked different this time . . . the scenery on the first shots. I knew where it was filmed – instantly. De ja voo. Because of my road trips. It was Ghost Ranch!

The Colorado Plateau from Ghost Ranch, 2016

The funny thing about that scenery is that I would never have visited the place except that I had a daylily by that name. Ghost Ranch named for Ghost Ranch in New Mexico.

Hike at Ghost Ranch, 2016

It has been a few years since that road trip. I remember the big wind storm that started the day before as we drove through the ruins near Albuquerque. But, by the next day, it was a full-blown Southwestern windstorm. I hit one almost every spring road trip. Not this year, though.

Dust storm at sunset over Farmington, NM – 2016

This one I remember because I was excited to see Ghost Ranch, but the short hike was a little uncomfortable with the winds. And, the landscape wasn’t as vibrant because of the dust. But, I understood why the hybridizer (Ned Roberts) thought the place was worth naming a daylily after.

Ghost Ranch Daylily in Bloom – 2019

My Ghost Ranch daylilies have struggled a bit. I lost a couple. Last year, I tried again. And, they survived the winter. So, I guess we will see what summer brings. I hope the blooms with my favorite road trip names aren’t cancelled.

Ghost Ranch Daylily in Bloom – 2016

I think I will kick-off my 2020 daylily blog with all of my road trip named daylilies – Adios Albuquerque, Anasazi, Aztec Firebird, Chaco Canyon, Cripple Creek, Glen Eyrie, Hesperus, Land of Enchantment, Mesa Verde, Mount Echo Sunrise, Route 66, Trochas Sunrise. Oh, the places we will go – right in my own back yard.

Happy Nurses Daylilies

May 7, 2020Leave a comment

I can’t believe it has been 4 months since I logged in to do a blog. Work has been a bit over-the-top this term. It seems there is never enough faculty to pump new blood into the profession. And, then when Corona Virus hit, it meant moving our entire nursing program online. Even clinicals have been virtual.

I have had more time at home, so I can run out and turn the water on and off on the daylilies. They are getting big enough to start bearing scapes soon. My cacti have moved out, and I am starting to slowly move some others out – knowing full-well that the weather will likely turn into springtime in the Rockies in the next couple of weeks.

Nurses Stethoscope 2019

I thought that for Nurses Day, it would be fun to share some of my cultivators with medical sounding names. Of course, the one I suggested the official name for – Nurses Stethoscope – is the first choice for a Nurses Day Daylily.

Medicine Feather 2019

Medicine Feather is a runner up. Medicine feathers are eagle feathers used in healing through lining up energy.

Rocky Mountain Pals 2019

Rocky Mountain Pals was named in honor of the specialists who were treating the hybridizer. Seems another appropriate cultivator to honor the nursing profession.

Apache Bandana 2019

I am throwing one more in here for Corona Virus and all of my front line colleagues who need the PPE to provide safe care to all of us – Apache Bandana.

Seeing the color makes me excited for the first scapes . . . then blooms. Nothing safer than one’s own garden. Happy Nurses Day!

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!!!

What Do Daylilies and Gratitude Have In Common?

November 30, 2019Leave a comment

I made my annual Gratitude Day video late last night. It features several of my Ned Roberts spider daylilies. And, a quote about gratitude from a book called “Thanks” by Robert Emmons, Ph.D. Please take a moment to think spring thoughts. https://youtu.be/4A4KsO5XeAw

The Last Bud

September 11, 2019Leave a comment

Hundreds of scapes. Hundreds more buds. Purple Corn Dancer is the finale of the finales. I think she will have her last bloom tomorrow.

And, so, I focus more on my houseplants. Landscaping a little, too. But, the blog will rest now. I’ll log on if I have some interesting houseplant blooms. But, until June 2020, the daylilies will rest.

Purple Corn Dancer 9/9/19

The Last of August

September 1, 2019September 1, 2019Leave a comment

I’m sitting in my tent, dosed in natural melatonin. There is cool air . . . It feels nice. Desert camping was hot all but about 2 hours a night. It will get down to 50 or so tonight. Good sleeping weather.

Purple Grasshopper 8.31

This shift also means only 3 blooms today. Honestly, it is a little bit nice to not have a million photos to take. But, I already miss the excitement of checking the garden for Premieres.

Frans Hals 8.31

Today brought travel to the 4-corners region. If you know Colorado, you know that means a drive over the San Juan Mountains. 10 k feet above sea level.

Ruby Stella 8.31

The largest city in the area is Durango and I wanted to see if their nursery had any nice succulents or air plants. The best route is over Red Mountain pass, which is high, curvy and no guard rail. I got vertigo and was sick for 2 days last time I drove it, so I take the longer route now. Adds an hour but oh well. I use to drive Red Mountain in chains in a blizzard at night. Those days are gone.

Animas River 8.31

So, I ended up with 2 bromeliads – one in bloom and one with 2 pups. I also got a small red desert rose (succulent) and another cool succulent. I was thinking of what I read about not having too much variety. The bromeliads are the same family as air plants so they bring familiar features.

My new baby red Desert Rose 8.31

I want air plants and succulents/cactus to be my core plants. The other major groups I’ll keep are orchids, begonias, poinsettias, amaryllis, calathea, African violets. I have a few others, but I’m giving a lot of miscellaneous plants away. Since you can decorate most plants with air plants, that should help blend things in together.

My white Desert Rose in bloom – taken a few days ago.

I have my new plantlets in the hatch covered by a blanket. The bromeliads are far from their natural habitat. The succulents won’t care. No clue what I’m doing tomorrow. It’s a nice problem to have.

Feng Shui

August 30, 2019August 30, 2019Leave a comment

I had a peer who was into feng shui when I lived in Boulder, CO. I actually did my house in a feng shui color pattern for awhile. I don’t claim to know much about it, but it was a creative project. Cleaning closets, etc, to make room for more good energy is also part of it.

Cripple Creek 8.29

Currently, I am doing houseplant feng shui. I spend all winter counting the days until the plants go outside and I can have more space. And, there are some plants I am bonded with and some that I am just tired of looking at. Not that many, maybe half dozen.

Purple Corn Dancer 8.29

I found homes for them with friends on Facebook. It is kind of hard – but I still have more than I need. My problem is that new plants help me pass the winter doldrums. But, as I have said before, the orchids are kind of high needs – and they always seem fragile – ready to rot or have the leaves drop off from dryness.

Indian Sky 8.29

I’m not giving my orchids away – but there will be natural attrition and I just won’t keep buying them. The rex begonias, African violets, calathea are all staying put, too.

Frans Hals 8.29

My new theme is cool succulents and air plants. I have a good bunch of Southwest plants from my road trips – but you can always find a fun new species. And, air plants are fun to decorate with! I got my first batch of mail order ones today – all 6 in a box that is maybe 5 inches square. They are space efficient and fairly resilient to a bit of neglect if the summer gets busy. Also, pretty cost effective except the big, fancy ones.

Purple Grasshopper 8.29

I had five in bloom today – daylilies, that is. That’s a good number for the last Thursday in August. It won’t last long, though. They have been in bloom for nearly 90 days. So, I am happy for the little air plants today. Gives me something to look forward to this winter.

My mail order air plants 8.29

Dwindle

August 29, 2019August 29, 2019Leave a comment

Tonight, life seems right, again. Or at least blogging seems right. I ditched the S mode deal on the new 2 in 1 and now have straight windows 10 pro. I can download a printer driver and Chrome. That makes the whole computer more functional. I actually read a techie column that said it was a much more functional computer and didn’t loose that much speed or security by ditching the S deal.

Purple Corn Dancer 8.28

So, my daylilies dwindle. Today, it seems like the reality of season end is hitting. Soon, there may be 0 daylilies some days . . . then most days . . . then all days.

Frans Hals 8.28

My mind turns to fall daylily work. Nearly all effort now goes into building healthy plants for next season. The little sprinkler system and trimming the plants back to encourage new growth. I need to level and mulch the Southwest garden – well, at least level it. As the earth settles from burying all those daylily pots 2 summers ago – well, there are some low patches and some plants that need their soil level increased.

Ruby Stella 8.28

After that, I will see what, if anything, needs to be divided. Maybe some fertilizer.

Then, the leaves come and I bury my buddies until March. Leaves are pretty, but winter is bland. The roads are slick. The days are short. And, daylight savings time comes. I can’t wait to see what I can do with my air plants this winter!

Speaking of dwindling . . . this will likely be my last week of nightly blogs. Weekly, then prn until the buds open, again.

Stay of Execution

August 28, 2019August 28, 2019Leave a comment

So, my day job is busy, although the buzz of the term is settling down some. My evening job this week is tweaking the new drip system. Last night, it was staples and stakes. Tonight, I tried sprayer heads on a couple of the larger pots that were hogging water. I think the little sprayers will work better without a much water waste.

I can’t believe I still have 7 in bloom today. But, the buds become rare and every day I say goodbye to at least one cultivator for another year.

Purple Corn Dancer is in 2 locations and so she has most of her buds left in location #2.

Purple Corn Dancer 8.27

Frans Hals has maybe 10 buds left – +/-

Frans Hals 8.27

Purple Grasshopper and Ruby Stella have a handful of buds left.

Purple Grasshopper 8.27

I think both Navajo Curls and Cripple Creek have a bud or two left.

Navajo Curls 8.27

Purple Thunderbird maybe has one bud left (max).

And, then it ends. Except that I found one of my Lowe’s Stella hybrid rebloomers with a new scape. It only has a few buds, but it is still 90 degrees. So, my hope is that the new drip system might give me a few more reblooms. My stay of execution.

Ruby Stella 8.27

My poinsettias seem to be perking up – but it is not a good year for them. I need to start forcing the big ones so they can all cycle through the bloom closet.

El Desperado 8.27

I’m camping this weekend and maybe looking for succulents down in SW Colorado. Oh, and I mail ordered my first air plants. They should be here tomorrow. I was reading that too many varieties of plant detracts from all of them. I honestly am OK with having less and getting more air plants and succulents. All my super market specials make the place look cluttered . . . we will see. The long and boring winter is less than 4 months away. My stay of execution is only temporary.

Dog Day Bouquet

August 27, 2019Leave a comment

It’s National Dog Day!!! Dogs and daylilies are my two most expensive hobbies. LOL. Well, my dogs help me garden to earn their keep. They take naps in the sun for me and chase off every other dog who dares walk past my daylily garden. My dogs have been sick a lot this summer, unfortunately. Maizzy, the larger, short-haired chi, is just senior and Sazi, the small long-haired chi, has disc disease and was paralysed in June. She slowly regains function – she is walking and running but lost a lot of feeling in her back legs. I do blame that for part of the fact that my yard is not at its best. Of course, they are a happy part of my camping travels and the best companions ever! Happy Dog Day pups!

Kachina, Sazi, and Maizzy at Monument Valley last month.

What bloomed for them today?

Purple Corn Dancer is doing yoga around her bud. I have a few more blooms to look forward to from her.

Purple Corn Dancer doing yoga 8.26

Royal Palace Prince is on the new drip line and opened his last bud today. Hoping for more blooms next year.

Royal Palace Prince 8.26

Mama Cuna also opened her last bud. She is so big and showy – I may see if I can divide her and put a couple fans up in the front yard.

Mama Cuna 8.26

Indian Sky – and I am not sure if she has buds left. Maybe. But, not many.

Indian Sky 8.26

Purple Grasshopper – this would be Kachina’s favorite. She loves to chase those things! (Kachina is the Terrier).

Purple Grasshopper 8.26

Ruby Stella – she is a champion bud maker this year and I have a few left to bloom.

Ruby Stella 8.26

And, as the blooms fade away, the weeds seem more noticeable. My front yard looks as gross as ever. Don’t plant grass on a hill in the desert. And, the daylilies can disrupt the sprinkler flow . . . which doesn’t help. I am thinking of thyme or sedum for part of it – and maybe ornamental grass. Thrilling to dig in this mud. Can’t wait. LOL.

Colorado Kid Daylilies

A Blog About My Western Colorado Daylily Adventure

Category: Southwest Name Daylilies