Colorful Daylily Showcase: Latest Blooms and Seasonal Garden Tasks

When I logged off on Sunday, I didn’t think it would be almost a week before I got a chance to write another blog. The heat is on!!! Camping, the 4th of July, and lots of daylilies have happened since I last posted.

What’s New in the Daylily Garden?

Let’s start with 7/1: Hopi Jewel and Lady Fingers.

On 7.2, we were on our camping trip to Vega State Park. Here is a post I did for my travel blog about the trip. There were so many gorgeous wildflowers up there – The wild Colorado Columbines are my favorite.

On 7.3, we returned home. The daylilies where pretty sunburnt by the time I got pictures. Canyon Colors and Maya Cha Cha made their debut in my Southwest Road Trip Garden.

Yankee Doodle Daylily blooms where Strutter’s Ball, Mini Pearl, Chaco Canyon, and (our namesake/mascot) The Colorado Kid.

Those that bloomed the first time on the fifth of July were: Melon Balls, Lime Frost, Pueblo Dreamer, Chief Four Fingers, and Pink and Cream.

Today was a gorgeous slue of new blooms: South Seas, Heron’s Cove, Papa Longlegs, Chokecherry Mountain, Kachina Dancer, Stephanie Returns, and Cheddar Cheese.

Summertime Work in the Daylily Garden

The work of summer is waiting, watching, watering, weeding, dead-heading, counting, photographing, photo editing, making Instagram posts, and writing this blog. It is more than it seem. It takes all day. I started this morning and here I am at 5 PM, still working.

And, this summer is slow. Some of the early bloomers no-showed. I am currently in the low 100s with plants that have scapes, are in bloom, or have finished blooming. Forty one out of 198 have bloomed so far this season. That’s 21%. So, it’s either going to be a wild late summer peak or a boring season. Likely somewhere in-between.

I’m up to 12 Ned Roberts spiders now. Most of my Neds are in the Southwest Road Trip Garden that is likely going to have the lowest bloom rate of any of my gardens.

I do know that I have fall work ahead to improve next year’s bloom rate. And, I will likely fertilize in a few weeks – I will time it around the monsoons, again, if possible. I will also be planting my new daylily roots from Shady Rest once they arrive in late August.

Until the Last Daylily Blooms + Hypertufa Planter Sale on Etsy

Just a quick reminder that all of my Etsy shop daylily artwork – wall art, clocks, pots, paintings – is on sale “Until the Last Daylily Blooms” in my yard. If you follow this blog, you know the photos and paintings are original Colorado artwork. On July 21st, this discount goes from 25% to 30% off. On August 20th to goes from 30% to 35% off. In September it will jump to 40% off. Will I still have blooms in mid to late October? IDK but if I do, my art will be 45% off. How low can you go??? Don’t miss the bus!!! Click here or on the photo below for the specific listing – and be sure to check out all my sale items.

Original wood panel painting of Skinwalker daylily from my Etsy Shop.

I also make hypertufa (a mix of Portland cement, sphagnum moss, and vermiculate) planters that are 25% off on Etsy during July. My planters are too small for daylilies, but I know many of us adore a wide variety of flora. Hypertufa is porous, similar to terra cotta. So, it lets the roots breath. It has thick walls for stability and can be left outdoors in winter. I do put mine in a protected area (shed) for winter due to freeze, thaw. All of my handmade hypertufa pots are put in a vinegar bath for several days to assure that the pH is favorable to plants of all types. Planters can be used indoors or outdoors. I also make some fun art with hypertufa that is also on sale during July. Click here or on the photo to go to the listing – be sure to check out my other hypertufa pots and art that is on sale during July. Love this one of the cat petroglyph at Petrified Forest

Petrified Forest Cat Petroglyph Replica Pot

Valentines and Show-offs

Two more beautiful daylilies joined the 2023 party today: Funny Valentine and Longlesson Show-off.

Funny Valentine first bloom 7.3

Funny Valentine was one of my early landscaping daylilies. She produces a huge number of blooms from her pot.

Longlesson Show-off first bloom 7.3

Longlesson Show-off was a bonus daylily. I recently moved it to the back patio to give more room to some new favorites. I think the color is nicer in the new spot.

What will the 4th of July bring?

Visit my website http://www.ArtformtheHartt.com

The First Three Days

Finally caught-up taking photos off my camera. Never let that go for a week or two this time of year – you play heck catching-up. So, I thought I would get the blog fully up-to date by sharing our July 1-3 premier blooms for this year. Enjoy. Hopefully, tomorrow I start get back in daily sync. The good news is I got my art cove all cleaned, decluttered and added some fun stuff. That means the daylily paintings are coming – for sale through my business Art and Nature From the Hartt http://artandnaturefromthehartt.com

Bella Boo premier 7.2
Black Eyed Susan premier 7.2
Black Ice premier 7.2
Candy Cane Dreams premier 7.1
Cheddar Cheese premier 7.3
Coral Taco premier 7.2
Cricket Call premier 7.3
Fol de Rol premier 7.3
Jungle Queen premier 7.1
Lacey Doily premier 7.3
Papa Long Legs premier 7.2
Prairie Blue Eyes premier 7.1
Prelude to Love premier 7.3
Route 66 premier 7.1
Santa Fe Christmas premier 7.2
Soco Gap premier 7.2
Thin Man premier 7.3
Wild Rose Fandango premier 7.1

That’s 18 more in 3 days (wholly cow)! That brings our total to 70 that have bloomed so far. Happy 4th – hope to post the morning daylilies tomorrow.

The Independence Thirteen

Wow . . . It was slow on Solstice and I have only thirteen on the 4th of July. Last year, I had 40 something. And, for the last several years, I’ve had white daisies, blue bells, and Ruby Spider all in close enough proximity for a July 4th shot. Not this year.

Today isn’t only the 4th, but also the day before my trip. It was my dad’s birthday and my due date with my youngest daughter. My family have been a bit like daylilies in my life . . . Enjoy them when they last and consider each day a new beginning. Still, the 4th is both a community day and a time PTSD can rear its ugly head.

Cricket Call 7/4

So, here we go with the one Premiere for today:

And, 11 sweet reruns.

Canyon Colors 7/4

Hopi Jewel 7/4

Land of Enchantment 7/4

Mesa Verde 7/4

Comanche Princess 7/4

Purple Many Faces 7/4

Ojo de Dios 7/4

Petite Petticoats 7/4

Golden Stella 7/4

Yellow Stella 7/4

Saratoga Springtime 7/4

Yellow Punch 7/4

Maybe not red, white and blue – But the Southwest and Native American names certainly honor our heritage.

Oops, missed one!

Chama Valley 7/4

Yanky Doodle Daylilies

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).

Raven7.4.2.jpg

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.

WildRose7.4.1.jpg

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.

JustPlumHappy7.3.1.jpg

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.

Longlesson7.4.2.jpg

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.

SWGarden7.3.1.jpg

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.

 

Where have all my daylilies gone?

Hey, it is the 4th of July weekend.  Normal daylily peak bloom in my yard is the next couple of weeks.  I look at my posts to Facebook the past two years, and those blooms are behind. After cool, rainy weather for the last couple of days, I only had three blooms today.  Look, I’ve got over 100 varieties in my yard . . . so three?  Really?

What can you do but sit and wait?  And, take photos of your new hostas. Yes, that is how I decided to balance my yard a little . . . with shade foliage plants.  My yard has sunny spots where the daylilies flourish.  It also had a lot of established trees and, therefore, shade. Those areas just aren’t good for daylily blooms.  So, this year I have found some great online hosta sites and I am trying a few out to see how they do.  I love that the color is permanent, whereas the daylilies bloom for one day.  It seems like yin and yang.  The hot colors of the sun-loving daylilies and the cool colors of the shade-loving hosta.

Before I share my (still very much) baby hosta photos, let’s visit the daylilies.  Since it is red, white, and blue weekend, let’s start with Ruby Spider.  As always, stunning.

RubySpider31.7.2

Then that mystery daylily that is, most likely Primal Scream and not Desert Flame.  Very eye-catching, even in the muted light.

PrimalScreamorDF14.7.2

Lastly, poor little Black Ice who did not want to bloom in the rain.  I had to go out after lunchtime to finally find it fully open for the day.  With a name like Black Ice, you would think it would appreciate the cooler weather.  No, wait, it’s a daylily.

BlackIce27.7.2

OK, so here are my baby hosta plants.  I love the blues, yellows and variegated ones.  The adult plants are much showier.  I can’t wait to see them in a year!  But, starting with roots is economical beyond belief.  And, they can grow into their space in a few years.  Like daylily roots, buying this way means you wait a bit longer.  And, it’s usually worth the wait.

4thofJulyHostaCollage

Tomorrow, it looks like there is a possibility of more blossoms. Maybe even some new faces. And, more sun.  I sure hope so.  My dogs are in hoodies and I want to crawl under my blanket.  Happy 4th of July weekend from the Colorado Plateau.