Tag: Buried pots

It’s Almost Daylily Season!

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Maybe even tomorrow!  Kokopelli is busting at the seams – so soon, for sure.

It is interesting to watch the variables at work.  Last year, Kokopelli bloomed on June 21st.  Almost 3 weeks early this year.  Why?  Is it that she is in a buried pot?  Is it the new soak hose watering system? Is it the lack of one tree what was blocking light?  Is it the extreme drought that has been upon us since last fall (and winter watering)?   Is it just that she is older?  Who knows?

Kokopelli bud 6/2/2018

Last year, my new Lowes daylilies (Stella offspring) gave my first bloom.  Then, my old Stella,  Then Return a Smile.  My Stella offspring do not have scapes yet, but the other two have early ones.

Another big shift this year is 20 daylilies with scapes in my Southwestern garden . . . already.  Last year, I don’t think I got that many blooms all season.  So, something I did shifted the ecosystem . . . or the extreme drought.  Or, the plants are just more mature.  Or, a combo.  I vote for the latter.  Here are a couple of comparison shots – a year apart late May/early April.  Bigger plants!

Southwest Daylily Patch: End of April, 2017

Southwest Daylily Patch: Early May, 2018

 

Bets on a bloom greeting me tomorrow?

 

 

Indian Sky

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Indian skies remind me of camping trips to the Southwest.  And, today, my Indian Sky bloomed for the first time.  Well, second time.  But the first time it was still on the back porch for the winter and it was April.  It only had 2 buds then, and the blooms lasted 2-3 days on the cool porch.  They were faded, but I could see the shadow of what they would be someday.

IndianSky1.3.20

Today’s bloom was so much more colorful than that poor anemic bloom.

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But, still some difference from the more colorful (with yellow) web images.  See below.

Indian Sky

I loved the colors enough to superimpose Indian Sky a sunset from last summer near Monument Valley, UT/AZ.  I think it turned out cool.

IndianSkyCollage

Other first blooms (I don’t want to use them all up at once, but I had 3 today) included Best Seller.  I am so jazzed that this one finally bloomed . . . a gift plant the summer of 2014, I believe.  I like the purple hue and ruffles! I was so impressed with this one when it arrived – it’s been a long wait.

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Lastly, an inexpensive late bloomer that I got to put in last year, Little Cadet.  It is the first bloom in my yard.  It is a cute little thing, and the scapes are too short this year.  But, it is here.

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Honorable mention to my best (and last) Zuni Thunderbird for the season.

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After work, I ventured to Home Depot for supplies to start my daylily buried pot project.  I figured out that I have lost 1.5 daylilies in the front part of the walkway garden to competition.  So, tomorrow, I move the ones who have virtually no chance of blooming this year into pots – then back in that garden.  I feel overwhelmed – I have around 20-30 in the front area that may benefit from a pot.  I need to plug away at it, because I need to be done in about 6 weeks so they can resettle before freeze.

I have decided that I need to learn how to get daylilies to flourish in the desert before I get too many more new ones . . . and that means trying different things. I read somewhere recently that you should put your daylily where it can grow huge before putting it in less desirable places.  My potted daylilies are so much happier than my in-grounds for the most part.  I am curious to see what happens.  Oh, and then there are those who need to be divided.  Some, I’ll keep.  Others will need to find new homes.

Where is the Rain?

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Today, we were supposed to get a lot of rain.  Maybe flash floods.  I wasn’t sure I would get any work done in the yard on split-shift, but I worked outside the whole afternoon. More on that in a minute.

Today brought 2 new blooms.  Royal Palace Prince was a bonus plant a couple years ago.  It has done better than some of the purchased plants.  It reminds me of Pick of the Litter.

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The second new face for the year is Apache Uprising.  It is the second year for this one.  I like the red.  It reminds me of Baja a little.

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I also like this photo of some of my last near blues today – Blue Beat, The Colorado Kid, and Bluegrass Music.

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I don’t know about a later peak this year.  Bud counts down and buds dropping.  March was warmer than April.  And, we had the late May snow storm . . . then no rain.  Last year was better in the front garden.

I feel like I am freeing hostages.  Daylilies that are not flourishing, but could under different circumstances.  Buried pots in order for several in the front garden.  Today, Catherine Irene and Happy Happy.  Neither has ever bloomed here, and this is going on 3 years.  Others that need a transplant include Alabama Jubilee, Coburg Fright Wig, Navajo Blanket, Primal Scream, Lacy Doily, and Heavenly Curls.  All have had either extremely low bloom this year or have never bloomed.

When I dug up the two today, I was amazed at the other roots that were woven in with theirs.  And, in one case, an ant hill.  The whole front garden looks so dry.  I have the sprinkler on daily.  I need to get a sprinkler hose or something.  I wonder if eventually, all 100 plus of my in-ground daylilies will be in buried pots.  That makes me tired to think about it . . . but it worked well for the veggies.  Come on monsoons.  Where are you?

Engagement

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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.

ReturnaSmile1.6.30

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.