Catching Up is Hard to Do

July 19, 2020July 19, 2020Leave a comment

I spent some time today trying to re-orient myself to the new lot of daylilies that are in bloom since I got home from my road trip. I got the spent scapes cut off and tried to make a list of finales. I would like to make a list of all the ones with scapes not yet bloomed and all the ones that aren’t trying.

Anyway, I went back through the 7.8 and 7.16 photos and found more premiers. Plus, there were 5 premiers today (at least first bloom since I got home). The total is 114 that have bloomed. That’s a 67% bloom rate. To hit 80%, we will need 37 cultivators to bloom. Twenty-three more. That’s tight but we can hope. I’ll count unbloomed scapes tomorrow.

Here are the premiers from today:

And, to backtrack, here are the premiers from 7.16.20 that I finally had time to look at today. I always come home to rain – so these guys look like they just showered.

Autumn Jewels looks sad but she bloomed 7.16.1

Papa Long Legs first and last bloom 7.16.20

So, that is it . . . back to a normal pace except work starts Monday. However, I am suppose to have July off so I plan to work from home unless they demand otherwise. Plus, I am waiting out the two-week COVID risk.

I worked on transplanting succulent cuttings and transplanting a few succulents into larger pots. I don’t have tons of love left for my orchids . . . so I use those pots but fill the holes with moss. It takes a while but it is relaxing.

Just for the record, here is a list of all of the finales so far for 2020: Apache Uprising (I missed this one but it did bloom), Ruby Spider (today), Lime Frost, Return a Smile (unless she reblooms), Early Bird Cardinal, Prairie Wildfire, Catherine Irene, Thin Man, Comanche Princess, The Colorado Kid, Blue Beat, Mildred Mitchell, Mauna Loa, Mesa Verde, Heron’s Cove, Canyon Colors (today), Jungle Queen, Wineberry Candy, Just Plum Happy, Raspberry Propeller, Santa’s Pants, Red Mystery, Bella Boo, Nosferatwo, Coral Taco, Pink Enchalada, Pink Rain Dance, Zuni Eye (I missed this one but it did bloom), Papa Long Legs, Land of Enchantment, All American Chief, Purple Many Faces, Indian Love Call, Laughing Feather, Coyote Laughs, Kokopelli, Hopi Jewel, Mount Echo Sunrise, Holy Sombrero, Ojo De Dios, Rocky Mountain Pals, Kachina Firecracker, Kiva Dancer, Echo Canyon, Indian Giver, Funny Valentine, Wild Horses, Inwood, Primal Scream, Lacy Doily, Nurse’s Stethoscope, Canyon Colors (today), Kachina Dancer (today), Apache Bandana (today). Not bad for 6 weeks!

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.

I Have My Droughts

June 24, 2020June 24, 2020Leave a comment

I left the new sprinkler system on too long – I got on a video meeting and totally forgot. I am sure I will have the water bill from h@## this summer. Why??? Because see the map below – the darkest red is an “exceptional drought”. The blue circle is my home region. It is a drought year, and getting worse each day.

It’s the kind of year where there are less scapes and more buds that just turn brown and fall-off. Two years ago, we were probably in worse shape at this point . . . and that is why I started to think about more drip systems. I mean, mine are DIY but they do the trick to make the ground moist. Even if they cost more than mom nature. Water now . . . before the restrictions!

I had a few premiers today. Let’s start with Ruby Spider. While I always liked daylilies, she is the first one I looked forward to every year. She is the first one that had her own unique flower-ality.

Primal Scream – I had to have this one early in my daylily days because of the name! I got this sad, inexpensive fan that took a couple years to bloom. Then, the garden store sold me something they labeled as Desert Flame – but I am 99.9% sure it is also Primal Scream. So, I have one on the porch that is big and blooming.

Mount Echo Sunrise – A Robert’s spider with the coolest green throat and beautiful light yellow color. She lives up to her name.

Then – one of my mystery daylilies that were dying in a garden I put them in before I was into daylilies. They were little seedling sized things. I noticed that about the same time I realized my potted daylilies were 2-3 X the size as my in-ground babies. So, I put them in a pot together not having a clue what was what. I think this may be Nosferatu but I really don’t know, so she is called Nosferatwo for now.

I have my droughts that it will be as high of a bloom rate as last year. There are some cultivators who are still small and scapeless. These poor babies came from down South – daylily land. Here they are in the stinkin’ desert doing their best despite their droughts. (I had 21 in bloom today . . . let’s see what tomorrow brings.)

Four for the Price of One

June 16, 2020Leave a comment

Wow – no blog since Thursday. Why? First – it is pretty much the same 4 bloomers off and on every day. Second – it is camping season and still busy at work. I blog about my travel on my on another blog – so I just didn’t have time for both last night.

Where are my other blooms? Well, last year, I was behind this year with bloom rate. But it was rainy and my overall bloom rate was the highest ever. But, the year before that was an exceptional drought and I already had several more cultivators in bloom, but a lower overall bloom rate for the season.

My only premier since last post: Happy Returns 6.15.20

My theory is easy – the rain is the stimulant to form scapes and decide to bloom for another year. It happens in March and April, the rain. I can water, but in a desert, I can’t keep up with mom nature. When it finally warms up, there are lots of scapes ready to ascend into full blooms.

Drought years tend to warm-up quickly. So, those daylilies that did form scapes because they did OK on less rain emerge earlier due to the daily temps. But, overall, there are fewer scapes that formed because of less moisture in March and April.

This year, we are somewhere in between. I have 85 in scape now – about half. I always start to worry if I don’t see scapes by late June – perhaps this cultivator needs a year off.

I have several that look ready to pop. Laughing Feather, Ojo de Dios, Mesa Verde, Funny Valentine to name a few. I guess I need to wait until tomorrow to see what opens up. For tonight, you get four nights of blog for the price of one read. Soon, I won’t be able to do that and stay caught-up.

Route 66

July 24, 2019Leave a comment

Route 66 is, of course, a famous highway that runs partially through the Southwest. We usually pass over it going and coming from our spring road trip to the desert. Route 66 is also the name of one of my favorite daylilies. It was the first place name daylily that I got and after that, I was hooked. My daylily names are like points on a road trip a lot of the time.

Route 66, Flagstaff, Arizona

Today, I had 66 cultivators blooming in my yard. I was thinking about Route 66 (she was in bloom and is the lead photo) and my own route to having 66 daylilies in bloom in one day. In 2015, I had 7. I now have 10X the number of daylilies. How did I get here? . . . well, I started at local nurseries. Then I tried one online site, then another. Eventually, I got attached to my Ned Roberts spiders and found a couple growers with good supplies of those. (I now have around 70 of his cultivators.) I also found the lily auction – which was fun but I get into trouble on that site. LOL.

Some of the daylilies I got in 2015/16 are having their first bloom this year. I think it takes them time to adapt to the desert – and last year, we had the exceptional drought. The year before that, I transplanted them into buried pots – so that was another adjustment. Anyway – it is cool to finally see some of these after tending them for a few years.

A couple of our Premiers today have been around that long and finally blooming. One is Navajo Grey Hills and another is Fringe Benefit. Navajo Grey Hills was a sought after Ned Roberts Southwest named daylily. Fringe Benefit, on the other hand, was a bonus plant that looks nothing like the Fringe Benefit I see online. But, oh well. I honestly had no idea what it looked like until today. I like both of them a lot!

So, without further ado, here are the Premiers (it’s not slowing down – So far, 133 blooms or about 74% bloom rate. Last year this date we were at 123 – and I have a lot more scapes left this year.):

“Fringe Benefit” bonus plant 7/23

Navajo Grey Hills 7/23

Fol da Rol 7/23

Lime Frost 7/23

Glen Eyrie 7/23

Adios Albuquerque 7/23

Bold Tiger 7/23

Eye-70

July 22, 2019July 22, 2019Leave a comment

Oh, perhaps more like aye yi yi. I woke up to 70 cultivars in bloom today. Let’s see, I had 13 the day I left on vacation on 7/5. I’ve slept in my own bed 5 going on 6 nights since then.

Thirteen is a good number of blooms. Interesting but not overwhelming. But now, just 5 days at home later, I’m at 118/180 daylilies that have bloomed. We went from 7% to 66%.

The problem is that I had trips and conferences to prepare for along with two sick dogs . . . And, work. So, I’ve been using my cellphone for daily shots. I use my Powershot, too, but haven’t edited or organized anything since June 25 or something.

Today, I got 2 days organized and played a bit with my daylily software. Here it is midnight thirty but I am more caught up. I just know that I’ve been so distracted this year that the blog in mediocre because my passion is not here yet.

Next weekend, I stay home. Hopefully, I can keep catching up. Aye yi yi, I need to stay on the Interstate of progress after I get some sleep. The daylilies are already blooming. Can you hear them?

Fine Time Lucille 7/21

Heron’s Cove 7/21

Truchas Sunrise 7/21

Best Seller 7/21

Taco Twister 7/21

Fox Ears 7/21

We will see what the dawn brings.

Yanky Doodle Daylilies

July 5, 2018July 5, 2018Leave a comment

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Going to Pot

July 23, 2017July 23, 2017Leave a comment

It’s Colorado, but not that kind of pot. I mean that I sunk about a dozen daylilies from my walkway garden into buried pots. I look at the fans and they look so sad compared to the daylilies in pots around the yard. So, that made me consider bloom rate (and volume) of pot vs in the soil daylilies. I figured out my bloom rate in the pots is 70% +. My overall bloom rate is going to be around 50%. The pots have better bud count, too. So, we will see what spring 2018 brings.

So, believe it or not, I had two new faces today. First off, Fairytale Pink. I love the color and shape of this one. It needs a pot when it is done with its few buds.

Next is a cute little red miniature and I have no clue on the name. It is one I rescued from the shady garden near the back fence last year. I put those in before I knew this much about daylilies, so did not keep track of names. It is cute. I’ll have to research it, I guess. Maybe it is a Ruby Stella?

Well, I must be running out of new faces . . . but I do have scapes around on a few that are still small. So, who knows. I am working around the ones with scapes for now on the potting. So far, I have about 20 that bloomed last year that didn’t bloom this year. And, I have about the same number that bloomed this year and not last year. Last year, I spent so much time mulching and fertilizing each walkway garden daylily, but the grass and other flowers liked the treat as well as the daylilies. I have daisies and blue bells that are invasive. And so, I will go broke buying plastic pots!

Black Eyes and Twirls

July 19, 2017July 19, 2017Leave a comment

Today, two brand new faces joined the yard. I am most excited about Twirling Pinata. It’s a new Ned Roberts spider that I added last fall. I just love the curly ones! The color is nice, too.

The other one joined this spring after a trip to the nursery in Grand Junction. The name caught my eye – Black Eyed Susan. I like the color of those flowers. And, the daylily version does not disappoint with the rich golden yellow-orange. It has a LOT of buds, too. It was an early addition, so I think it is happy here.

The blooms continue at a steady pace. I am disappointed so many are dropping buds. In continuous improvement, we make changes at a rapid pace to improve outcomes. Daylilies are slower. I can try adding more water or fertilizer, but the die have been largely cast for the year. I’m at 35% bloom. If all bloom with scapes (help me out here insects), then it climbs to 45%. I am sure I will get a handful of late ones to add. Maybe 50% for the year.

At some point, you go from having a few daylilies in your yard to being a hobbiest/collector. For me, I think that happened at about 50. In a way, it becomes more work at that point. There is an art and science that you have to learn. Most do better in pots here, a few prefer the ground. Most all prefer the drip system on my porch. Some areas get more sun. I have a ton of work to do on those who didn’t bloom for the next cycle. But, will it work for next year?

Life goes on, and the years we have left with the flowers shrinks. Heaven help me, I will be at 80% bloom long before I run out of time.

Engagement

July 13, 2017July 13, 2017Leave a comment

Smiles are a sign of human engagement. And, for now, my smiles are daylilies. I miss my mornings in the garden and am thankful for my photos.

Last night, I praised my Ruby Spider for having the most days of blooms. Tonight, I praise Return A Smile for having the longest run of blooms. She was the first one, and she was blooming on Monday when I left. She has scapes that survived that late snow storm. She was purchased at the same time as Ruby Spider . . . maybe 8 years ago. They live in the same planter – which seems too small but they thrive. Return a Smile, Like Ruby, has been divided and lives in 2 locations in my yard.

It gives me some faith to see them flourish. I figured it out, and if all those with scapes bloom, I’ll be at 42% bloom this year. I hope a few more produce. I have to dig some more up and put them in pots. I may bury the pots – but they need better soil and less competition to stand a chance of blooming. I wonder if I’ll need to do that in the Southwestern Garden? For this year, I think I’ll try breaking through the clay a little deeper and see what next year brings.

Farming is hard work, yet it brings a sense of engagement and purpose to life. All of the world’s longest living people garden. I can understand why.

Colorado Kid Daylilies

A Blog About My Western Colorado Daylily Adventure

Tag: bloom rate