Prepping the Daylily Beds is a Bunch of BS!

August 15, 2016August 15, 2016Leave a comment

So, first there are the first fans of spring. Actually, other than my garlic and spring bulbs, one of the very first signs of spring in my yard. Then, there come the scapes followed by peak bloom season. And, then the lovely late bloomers signal time to start preparing for another cycle. I think of the Native Americans and their focus on the changing seasons.

I did have bloomers this weekend. So, I will show those first, followed by the tale of BS in my garden.

Tiger Kitten only produced two buds. This was a one fan root last summer. It’s making progress. Can’t wait for next year!

Tiger Kitten – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Stella, of course, was here with me all weekend, in both yellow and gold.

Yella Stella – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Orange Stella – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

And, Orange Flurry lit up my smaller zeriscape garden in the rocks.

Orange Flurry – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

So, here is my Ned Roberts Southwest spider garden that I put in this spring. The first two pictures are before. It is of note on the second photo that the earth no longer comes up to the top of the bricks. PS – I would have done a higher raised bed, but the yuccas won.

Ned Roberts Southwest spider patch (before) – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Note the level of the soil and mulch within the bricks.

Here is the after picture. Probably no different to most people. The difference is that the earth is now back up to the top of the brick. Because daylilies are funny about planting depth, this meant raising the grade of the garden by first loosening up each daylily, putting the growing medium underneath, and then surrounding each cultivator with the medium. It reminds me of the tale of raising Galveston Island several feet after the 1900 Great Storm. They did it one structure at a time, too. It took all afternoon yesterday.

Southwest lily patch (after) – a lot of work for something that looks pretty much the same. Just ask the daylilies, though, it has been a weekend of prep for a new season.

Today, I filled the gaps with the remaining medium because the daylilies were all in mounds after being raised. Sounds easy enough, except I was mixing up a concoction of steer manure, compost, peat moss, water crystals, soil acidifier, and time release fertilizer. Oh, and given that I tromp around pretty hard with my camera, I also added some little stepping stones so the soil could stay fluffy. I think my motivation is not only the anticipation of the blooms (a type of savoring), but also the number of little gardens that I see on my dog walks that have gone untended. I think how cool the initial intention was . . . . but it is long gone. This Colorado Plateau is a different ecosystem than the South.

I read yesterday that with plenty of water, amendments, and the right amount of fertilizer you can get 2-3 x as many blooms. Might as well give it a shot. For tomorrow, we will talk about grass weeds vs daylily sprouts. Maybe someone out there can help me with that issue!!!

My Last Ned Roberts Spider :-(

August 12, 2016August 12, 2016Leave a comment

Skinwalker adorned my yard with its last bloom for 2016. My Ned Roberts and Southwestern named daylily garden is off to a good start. I had 10 blooms out of that garden this year. There are 50 or so cultivators out there. More on that in a minute.

Other late bloomers were Apache Uprising. I think I have one more bud to go.

And, Yella Stella. She has a brand new scape, so I am still hopeful to make it to freeze. Plus, Red Hot Returns (sounds like a political statement to me) and Heirloom Heaven have still not bloomed. Heirloom Heaven is a ways off, too, from the scape size. September?

OK, so back to my Ned Roberts garden. I carefully built it over spring break, moving buckets of rocks and pebbles that had been there for decades. Then, I dug down deeper, a few inches down into the clay soil. And, I added the brick border. I then filled it with good soil and water crystals. Then, I planted the daylilies.

Now, the earth has settled and the roots are too close to the clay for best production, me thinks. Tomorrow, I gently lift each cultivator up, hopefully without totally dislodging roots, and I fill in with compost, manure, peat, and more good dirt. Back up to the top of the bricks. And, then re-mulch it. Optimistically, that boosts the year two bloom. I think garden spaces take a while to be fertile. It took my garlic patch a few seasons. Good dirt rocks!

Before the Last Bloom?

August 11, 2016August 11, 2016Leave a comment

Today seemed a bit cooler in my garden. We are decidedly on the downside of summer. My friend Frans Hals showed up, again. I put this guy in a few years ago and forgot about it . . . I was later surprised to find it blooming in September.

Frans Hals – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Pizza Crust was back today, as well. It has about 3 more buds.

Pizza Crust – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Orange Flurry is a cool little bloom. Always a joy to have the late bloomers. Each bloom can be savored. And, this one is growing on me.

Orange Flurry – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

And, my Stellas showed up again. I have a feeling I will be giving these away right and left as they are very fast growers. And, easy care.

Yella Stella – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Golden Stella – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

That is it for this day . . . about 2 months out from freezing. About time to get the couple of fall plants that I ordered online in the mail. Probably next week. I am considering one more . . . and I hope for a new job that brings me half the joy that growing these bright blooms does. Soon. Before the last bloom?

Tigers, Skinwalkers, Apaches, and Princes. Oh My!

August 10, 2016August 10, 20164 Comments

Yesterday was my first no bloom day since early June. Today brought several blooms, including my very first Tiger Kitten.

Tiger Kitten – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

And, after a few weeks of deformed Skinwalkers, today comes a picture perfect bloom. I think the early blooms were premature. What a great Ned Roberts bloom!

Skinwalker – Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Apache Uprising made a huge show with three blooms.

Apache Uprising – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

And, how awesome it is to see my last two Royal Palace Princes in full bloom.

Royal Palace Prince – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Stella also showed up to meet this crowd in the garden – both my golden and yella Stella.

Yella Stella – Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Golden Stella – Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

And, calm little Orange Flurry was present in the background.

Orange Stella – Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

That leaves only two unbloomed cultivators . . . Heirloom Heaven and Red Hot Returns. However, that is not bad for mid-August. And, nine total have unbloomed buds. Will I make it until freeze?

This weekend, I start the work of fall mulching. I’m learning more about promoting my rebloomers. And, so more improvements in store for the future.

Daylily Blooms Last Forever!

August 8, 2016August 8, 2016Leave a comment

Perhaps it is the blog. Or, perhaps it is painting with my granddaughter a few days ago. And, maybe it is because I want to keep peak season alive all year. At any rate, I broke out the paintbrush in an attempt to keep my last Zuni Thunderbird alive forever. It was fun. And, it’s been 9 months since I painted one of my cultivators. That’s too long. So, I got my fix.

Zuni Thunderbird – Painting by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Frans Hals appeared for the first time since 2014. I like this older daylily so much that I bought one online only to discover that I had one in my yard from the years when I wasn’t quite this addicted. I like bi-tone daylilies – I think that they are stunning.

Frans Hals – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Other blooms today in my thinning garden included my last Marque Moon:

Marque Moon – Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Pizza Crust:

Pizza Crust – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Apache Uprising among the Prickley Pear:

Apache Uprising with Prickley Pear Cactus – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

And, Orange Flurry:

Orange Flurry – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

My mind is shifting to fall. I’ll be a doctor in a little over a month. I hope that there is a bloom on the day I give my presentation. That would rock. If there isn’t, I will still wake up to my favorite blossoms.

Savoring the Four Seasons with Daylilies

August 7, 2016August 7, 2016Leave a comment

Savoring is the art of being in the moment and totally immersing ourselves into an experience. It means no multi-tasking or thinking about chores. It also includes planning for experiences, as well as reminiscing about the past good times.

So, today my yard takes on all of the above. Here are my in the moment blooms:

Apache Uprising:

Apache Unrising – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Royal Palace Prince:

Royal Palace Prince – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Fairy Tale Pink:

Fairy Tale Pink – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Marque Moon:

Marque Moon – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Orange Flurry:

Orange Flurry – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Stella do Oro:

Stella de Oro – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

In savoring the 2016 daylily season, I write this blog. Last night, I actually looked through every post I made this summer. It will be so cool to read back on things this winter, while I am painting these beauties. I have tile paintings of Inwood, Cheddar Cheese and Route 66 in my room. I said I didn’t want to ever have a day of the year where I didn’t wake up to daylily blooms. And, so it is. I cannot wait to add a few paintings of my new Ned Roberts Spiders.

And, that is a perfect segway into savoring through planning. I have a few interventions for my Ned Roberts garden to start this month. Things to empower more blooms next year. Last night, I also found a Ned Roberts spider that is pretty rare on the auction, and put in a bid (it’s under $10). I got my potted ones planted yesterday . . . the ones that were only temporarily in pots. And, I fertilized. It’s all part of beginning to savor next season.

The seasons of savoring daylilies:

Spring: Looking for the baby fans, cleaning out beds, watering on nice days, fertilize a little, early bloomers show-up!

Summer: Bloom fest! Photography and active blogging. Savor each colorful bloom. Also, water, weeds, insects, and dead-heading.

Fall: Savor the late bloomers. Take time to smell each one. Begin preparing beds for fall. Fall planting. Begin to consider which cultivators will make the best paintings.

Winter: Break out the paints! Be creative – what new ways can daylilies be painted objects that I see every day during the cold, bleak months? Paint daylilies on pumpkins. Hey, what about daylily ornaments? (I just thought of that one and need to consider how I might accomplish that before Christmas.) I love the daylily solar lights in my garden. More for this winter, too. Oh, the list goes on. And, hey, what about searching for a few rare daylilies to add to my garden in the spring? Look, winter is the busiest season of savoring of all!

Three is a crowd!

August 6, 2016August 6, 2016Leave a comment

Today, there are only three daylilies in bloom. Pizza Crust and both the yellow and gold (or light orange) Stellas. The season winds down, and yet I still have nine cultivator scapes with unbloomed buds. Three of those have not bloomed yet this year. And, of course the Stellas are still making new scapes. That is why I got them.

Pizza Crust – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

My Yella Stella – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Gold Stella – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Heirloom Heaven Scapes – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

It’s threatening rain, but not doing much yet. I did fertilize my pots, so a good drench like we had yesterday would be OK with me. I also got about half the potted lilies that I am moving to the garden in before the thunder started to pop. So, here comes the beginning of the transition to fall chores. Such is the life of a daylily addict.

Sweet the Rains New Fall

August 5, 2016August 6, 2016Leave a comment

Cool, rainy weather is welcome after a month of pretty warm weather. Still, I dread the end of daylily season. Summer is the time when I live outdoors. My daylilies get love and attention at some cost to my routine housekeeping duties. And, when it is not daylilies, it is hedge, lawn, veggie garden, or weeds. And, then there is school and the job search. However, arranging my day to increase positive emotion means time with the daylilies . . . broaden and build.

So, today is a low-census day in the daylily garden. The blooms rest as the rain falls. Still, I have baby scapes starting on some . . . like the May ones on most of my plants. Can I extend my bloom for two more months? Until first freeze? We will see . . . always a stretch goal. When it comes to goals, I am a maximizer. Or so say my Gallup strengths.

So, for today, there is Fine Time Lucille:

Fine Time Lucille – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt.

Fairy Tale Pink:

Fairy Tale Pink – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Royal Palace Prince:

Royal Palace Prince – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Orange Flurry:

Orange Flurry – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Both yellow and orange Stella de Oros:

Yellow Stella de Oro – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Orange Stella – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

And, little Purple de Oro:

Purple de Oro – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Tomorrow is another day . . . and my focus may just turn to transplanting some of my potted daylilies into the garden. If the rain stops.

Praise for the Sweetness of the Wet Garden

August 4, 2016Leave a comment

The rain came. Finally. Not much monsoon activity this year . . . so the big, cool storm is welcome. I got up reasonably early and several of the flowers had not bloomed all the way. Cool, wet weather. It is a nice break.

I’m two months into this daylily journey 2016. I hope for another two. It won’t peak again, but plateaus are good, too. And, then, comes the paintings. The cool weather and the presence of my granddaughter put me in the mood, a little. Ah, but alas, homework calls. Because the grandkids will be back through Sunday on their way home and due dates loom.

Enjoy the collage for today! This weekend, I am also going to try to sink some of my smaller potted daylilies into the ground. The rain will be good prep for that chore.

From L to R: Top Row – Stella de Oro, Orange Flurry, Prelude to Love, Royal Palace Prince, Marque Moon. Second Row – El Desperado, Primal Scream, Apache Uprising, Purple de Oro. Bottom – Pizza Crust.

Morning Has Broken

August 4, 2016Leave a comment

Today was an early day in the garden before a hike with my family. I love having my daughter and grandkids in Colorado so I can see them every couple of months. Grandkids are the best blooms of all.

The morning brought two very first blooms to my yard. The first is Nona’s Garnet Spider. Sadly, Nona only produced one viable bud year. (So far – keep hoping!) She was another small root planted last fall. I really like her. I hope Nona brings more buds next trip.

Nona’s Garnet Spider – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Apache Uprising was also added late fall and was pretty small. I added a couple of intentional late bloomers. It’s a pretty flower.

Apache Uprising – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

It was also a day of hiking and swimming, so I am beat. But it is making me smile to have 13 blooms on an August day. My dream is May – October. This year started early June. Let’s see where it ends. (71 blooms so far – so I made my 50% goal.) I have noticed Heirloom Heaven with brand new scapes forming. Plus Tiger Kitten and Frans Hals are growing scapes. I may hit 74. And, who knows, I may have another scape or two join the show.

From L to R: Top Row – Lime Frost, Fine Time Lucille, Nona’s Garnet Spider. Row Two – Royal Palace Prince, Purple de Oro, Marque Moon, Stella de Oro, Orange Vols. Bottom Row – Apache Uprising, El Desperado, Pizza Crust.

Colorado Kid Daylilies

A Blog About My Western Colorado Daylily Adventure

Category: Uncategorized

Prepping the Daylily Beds is a Bunch of BS!

My Last Ned Roberts Spider :-(

Before the Last Bloom?

Tigers, Skinwalkers, Apaches, and Princes. Oh My!

Daylily Blooms Last Forever!

Savoring the Four Seasons with Daylilies

Three is a crowd!

Sweet the Rains New Fall

Praise for the Sweetness of the Wet Garden

Morning Has Broken