50 Startling Southwest Spider Daylilies!

August 1, 20191 Comment

Only 40 something daylilies today and no Premiers. So, it leaves time to talk about some of my daylily categories. I have talked a lot about my Ned Roberts spiders. I originally started collecting them after seeing Kokopelli on the Lily Auction – I love the Southwest and had to have her (I got the bid)! From there, I added more = lots more. At first, it was all fully Southwest names. Then, I gathered some animal and insect names to my Ned collection. And, some stellar names. IDK, is Dancing Maiden a name from the Southwest?

So, tonight, I will show you my purely Southwest named daylilies – the obvious names from the Southwest. But, first, Mildred Mitchell had an extra petal today – a genetic flaw that made her look pretty cool.

OK – Here are my Southwest Ned Roberts spiders. (These are the ones that have bloomed the last two years. Mostly this year, except Kokopelli did not bloom this year – which is unusual).

Adios Albuquerque – 2019

Apache Bandana – 2019

Apache Beacon – 2019

Aztec Firebirds – 2019

Black Arrowhead – 2019

Chaco Canyon – 2019

Cheyenne Eyes – 2019

Chief Four Fingers – 2019

Chokecherry Mountain – 2019

Comanche Princess – 2019

Coral Taco – 2019

Desert Icicle

Dream Catcher

Echo Canyon – 2019

Feather Woman – 2019

Ghost Ranch – 2019

Glen Eyrie – 2019

Happy Hopi – 2019

Iktomi – 2019

Kachina Firecracker – 2019

Kokopelli – 2018

Land of Enchantment – 2019

Laughing Feather – 2019

Mama Cuna – 2019

Maya Cha Cha – 2019

Medicine Feather – 2019

Mount Echo Sunrise – 2019

Navajo Curls – 2018

Navajo Grey Hills – 2019

Navajo Rodeo – 2019

Ojo de Dios – 2019

Pink Enchalada – 2019

Pink Rain Dance – 2019

Purple Corndancer – 2018

Purple Many Faces – 2019

Purple Thunderbird – 2019

Santa Fe Christmas

Shape Shifter – 2019

Skinwalker – 2019

Spirit of the Morning – 2019

Star Over Milagro – 2019

Taco Twister – 2019

Talon – 2019

Truchas Sunrise – 2019

Twirling Pinata – 2018

Wild Rose Fandango – 2019

Zuni Eye – 2019

Zuni Thunderbird – 2019

A Celebration of Spiders! (Ned Roberts)

August 7, 20183 Comments

The days grow August-quiet. It seems a dream that I had nearly 60 blooms per day just a month ago. So, today, we will do finales. And, then, a roll-call of my Ned Roberts spiders.

Finales:

Chorus Line 8.5

Rosie’s Red 8.6

So, maybe if I do the Ned Roberts spider roll-call it will entice one more into bloom this year. My Ghost Ranch is a fall bloom, but I am having a rough time getting her to thrive here. Maybe some fish fertilizer? Our temps are still above average with little rain.

Ned Roberts Spiders for 2018 Season:

Adios Albuquerque

Apache Bandana

Aztec Firebird

Black Arrowhead

Black Ice

Chaco Canyon

Cheyenne Eyes

Chokecherry Mountain

Comanche Princess

Desert Icicle

Dream Catcher

Dream Keeper

Fox Ears

Happy Hopi

Iktomi

Kachina Firecracker

Kokopelli

Laughing Feather

Mama Cuna

Moon Over Chimayo

Navajo Curls

Navajo Rodeo

Papa Longlegs

Pink Rain Dance

Pueblo Dancer is her label, but she doesn’t look like that one. So???

Purple Corn Dancer

Purple Grasshopper

Purple Many Faces

Purple Moonrise

Purple Thunderbird

Raspberry Propeller

Raven Woodsong

Rocky Mountain Pals

Santa Fe Christmas

Shape Shifter

Skinwalker

Taco Twister

Talon

Twirling Pinata

Wild Rose Fandango

Zuni Eye

Zuni Thunderbird

Out of interest, here are my Ned Roberts spiders that bloomed last year but did not bloom this year:

Coral Taco 2017

Glen Eyrie

Pink Enchilada 2017

And, we had a few in 2016 that have not bloomed again:

Chief Four Fingers 2016

Ghost Ranch

Winds of Love 2016

I have around 64 of Ned’s spiders in my garden. I had 42 bloom this year or about 65%. Last year, I had 13 (about 20%) bloom. Marked improvement. All total, to date, I have had 48 (or 75%) bloom. That is a long way from 100%. But, marked improvement. I think some of the ones that bloomed in 2016 were put in that year (still flourishing from the nursery), struggled last year in the clay soil, and are recovering (growing new roots) this year in their pots. I am sure that the drought had an impact, as well.

So, for fun, here are the ones I have that have never bloomed (photos from the web):

Apache Beacon

Coyote Laughs

Cricket Call

Cripple Creek

Dancing Maiden

Echo Canyon

Feather Woman

Golden Eclipse

Kachina Dancer

Kiva Dancer

Land of Enchantment

Maya Cha Cha

Medicine Feather

Mount Echo Sunrise

Navajo Grey Hills

Ojo de Dios

Orchid Moonrise

The Real Pueblo Dancer

Spirit of the Morning

Star over Milagro

Truchas Sunrise

Wildwood Flower

We made improvements, but we have aways to go. That’s life

It’s in the Genes!

July 12, 2018Leave a comment

Whew – the peak slowed just a bit today. No new blooms tonight. That is not to say that I didn’t have 50 blooms in my yard today . . . and we will have some new faces tomorrow. Today, I traveled out of town to meet my surgeon for a consult, so it was good to have less photo pressure!

So, a bit of a side trip tonight – let’s look at some genetics for my Ned Roberts spiders.

According to the Lakota, Iktomi is a spider trickster spirit and hero. I liked the name, so had to have the cultivator in my Southwest Garden. Iktomi is the parent of several of my other daylilies. Let’s see if we can see the family resemblance.

Here is Iktomi:

Iktomi 2018

Apache Bandana is a child of Iktomi:

Apache Bandana 2018

Chaco Canyon is another kid:

Chaco Canyon 2018

Dream Keeper has Iktomi and Dream Catcher as parents:

Dream Keeper 2018

Black Arrowhead is another offspring:

Black Arrowhead 2018

Laughing Feather is also in the sibling mix:

Laughing Feather 2018

I think the resemblance is kind of cool – they all have the midrib strips, although Dream Keeper looks more like Dream Catcher than Iktomi to me. What do you think?

Dream Catcher 2018

OK – Here is another one. Remember our Chokecherry Mountain?

Chokecherry Mountain 2018

Well, she is the offspring of Talon . . . do you see it?

Talon 2018

Sort of interesting to see side-by-side. Of course, I am a midwife. I don’t think I would ever want to try to hybridize, though. Never say never. I really like the look of all my Ned Roberts spiders . . . I wish I had his creativity.

Oh, and I have a confession. I got confused on labels – the photos I posted of Echo Canyon are really Kachina Firecracker. So sorry! She has the stripes but is not a child of Iktomi.

Kachina Firecracker 2018

OK – so bloomers today were: South Seas, Papa Longlegs, Comanche Princess, Navajo Rodeo, Taco Twister, Desert Icicle, Aztec Firebird, Purple Grasshopper, Pink Rain Dance, Soco Gap, Cheyenne Eyes, Talon, Mesa Verde, Canyon Colors, Heron’s Cove, Purple de Oro, Cheddar Cheese, Nosferatu, Purple Mystique, Prairie Blue Eyes, Wineberry Candy, Bluegrass Music, Blue Beat, The Colorado Kid, Mildred Mitchell, Mellow Balls, Chorus Line, Return a Smile, Longlesson Show-off, Passionate Returns, Anasazi, Indian Sky, Lady Fingers, Black Eyed Susan, Pick of the Litter, Prairie Wildfire, Stephanie Returns, Yellow Punch, Pink and Cream, Ruby Stella, Nurse’s Stethoscope, Strutter’s Ball, Wild Horses. I think that is it . . . tomorrow, more new faces!

It’s The Peak – Sunday Roll Call

July 9, 2018July 9, 2018Leave a comment

Well, I tried to post on Friday night, but no internet. Saturday, some internet, but my phone is crashing all of the apps since the last android update. Yes, right in the middle of peak season.

So, here are the new faces from Friday

Skinwalker 7.6.18

Echo Canyon 7.6

Iktomi 7.6

Chorus Line

Blue Beat 7.6

Bella Lugosi 7.6

And here are Sunday’s additions:

Lacy Doily 7.8

Nosferatu 7.8

Red Hot Returns 7.8

South Seas 7.8

So, that is 10 new additions since my last post – and I missed a couple of new faces while camping yesterday, but they will have another chance. For now, let me finish roll call. All daylilies that bloomed between 7/2 and today – here we go. Which is your favorite?

Alabama Jubilee 7.3

Aztec Firebird 7.8

Black Arrowhead 7.2

Black Eyed Susan 7.6

Black Ice 7.5

Bluegrass Music 7.3

Canyon Colors 7.5

Catherine Irene 7.6

Chaco Canyon 7.5

Cheyenne Eyes 7.6

Chokecherry Mountain 7.3

Comanche Princess 7.6

Dark Mystery 7.5

Dream Catcher 7.5

Early Bird Cardinal 7.3

Electric Lizard 7.6

Funny Valentine 7.8

Happy Hopi 7.6

Happy Returns 7.3

Heron’s Cove 7.5

Holy Sombrero 7.5

Hopi Jewel 7.3

Indian Giver 7.3

Inwood 7.6

Isaac 7.5

Jungle Queen 7.8

Just Plum Happy 7.3

Lady Fingers 7.5

Laughing Feather 7.2

Longlesson Show-off 7.6

Lullaby Baby 7.8

Mellon Balls 7.5

Mesa Verde 7.4

Mildred Mitchell 7.5

Mini Pearl 7.5

Navajo Rodeo 7.8

Nurse’s Stethoscope 7.8

PaPa Longlegs 7.6

Passionate Returns 7.6

Petite Petticoats 7.3

Pick of the Litter 7.5

Pink and Cream 7.6

Pink Raindance 7.4

Prairie Blue Eyes 7.5

Prairie Wildfire 7.6

Prelude to Love 7.5

Primal Scream 7.4

Purple de Oro 7.6

Purple Grasshopper 7.4

Purple Many Faces 7.5

Purple Mystique 7.5

Raven Woodsong 7.4

Red Riddle 7.5

Return a Smile 7.6

Route 66 7.4

Ruby Spider 7.8

Ruby Stella 7.5

Shape Shifter 7.6

Soco Gap 7.5

Stella 7.5

Stephanie Returns 7.5

Strutter’s Ball 7.5

Taco Twister 7.6

Talon 7.8

The Colorado Kid 7.6

Thin Man 7.5

Treasure of the Southwest 7.4

Wild Horses 7.5

Wild Rose Fandango 7.4

Wineberry Candy 7.4

Yellow Punch 7.6

Zuni Thunderbird 7.4

July 1: Daylily Roll Call!

July 1, 2018Leave a comment

It is Sunday and the peak is starting. It will probably take me an hour to get this bog with all the photos for the week published. I am doing it this way so that each daylily comes up on a couple searches of the blog. My job entails creating about 20 template emails a day for the following day – it is a lot of looking up progress and pasting from my last note. Not a creative’s dream. So, when I save my drafts for the day, I have a blank email to note that it is a new day – and that email is always named after a daylily. The most creative 5 minutes/day of my job is picking this daylily. The collages just don’t work.

So – We will start with the newbies. Primal Scream is in bloom for the 3rd year. Last year, the blooms were small and anemic. She is now in an above ground put inside the Walkway Garden. I hoped for more scapes, but 2 is OK for this year, gives the fall transplant. Nothing beats her vibrant color.

Primal Scream 7/1

Indian Giver was a newbie in the Southwest Garden. She is a small daylily and was a bonus plant 3 years ago. She only gets a couple buds every year. She needs to be dug up and put in a buried pot, but the yucca is close, so not sure how I will get this done. I would like to have more blooms. She is adorable.

Indian Giver 7/1

Last but not least, from my Family Garden is Stephanie Returns. This flower makes my heart sad. Losing a family member who is still alive is horrid. Losing several is bitter and cruel. Please don’t tell people you understand or offer advise while you are surrounded with family. Please don’t tell people God is giving you this lesson for some reason or other. Do bookmark this page and come back here and look at this flower and help send positive vibes to anyone in the universe who had ever known the heartbreak such a loss can bring.

Stephanie Returns 7/1

OK – Enough heavy stuff. Onward to the roll call. Here go the A-Z blooms from 6/25 through today. Enjoy.

Alabama Jubilee 6/27

Apache Bandana 6/29

Aztec Firebird 7/1

Black Arrowhead 6/30

Black Ice 6/27

Bluegrass Music 6/27

Canyon Colors 6/30

Catherine Irene 6/30

Chaco Canyon 6/30

Cheyenne Eyes 6/29

Chokecherry Mountain 6/26

Comanche Princess 6/26

Dark Mystery (noid) 6/29

Dream Keeper 6/25

Early Bird Cardinal 7/1

Electric Lizard 6/30

Funny Valentine 6/30

Happy Hopi 6/30

Happy Returns 6/29

Holy Sombrero 6/28

Hopi Jewel 6/27

Indian Love Call 6/28

Inwood 6/30

Jungle Queen 6/29

Lady Fingers 7/1

Laughing Feather 6/27

Mesa Verde 6/29

Mini Pearl 6/30

Navajo Rodeo 7/1

Nurse’s Stethoscope 7/1

Papa Longlegs 6/30

Passionate Returns 6/29

Petite Petticoats 6/29

Pink and Cream 6/26

Pink Rain Dance 6/26

Prairie Blue Eyes 6/25

Pueblo Dancer 6/30

Purple Many Faces 6/29

Purple Mystique 6/30

Red Riddle 6/30

Return a Smile 7/1

Rocky Mountain Pals 6/29

Route 66 6/27

Ruby Spider 6/29

Ruby Stella 6/30

Saratoga Springtime 6/28

Soco Gap 7/1

Stella de Oro 6/26

Strutter’s Ball 6/29

Talon 6/29

The Colorado Kid 6/29

Thin Man 7/1

Treasure of the Southwest 7/1

Wild Horses 6/29

Wineberry Candy 6/26

Yellow Punch 6/26

Zuni Eye 6/26

Zuni Thunderbird 6/30

Daylily Days Keep the Doctor Away

June 27, 2018Leave a comment

Daylilies are happy beings. They bring smiles to the faces of passersby. They give me something to look forward to all year . . . and every day. I am sure they are good for my health. Well, other than not enough sleep for a few weeks every year during peak.

Today, the doctor (well, nurse practitioner) was not kept away. Time for a visit to check on some things. Not all the news was good. I am once again reminded that all my extra energy now needs to go into a resilience plan. The daylilies are part of that plan.

So, I had a few new blooms today. I think my favorite is Chokecherry Mountain. It is another Ned Roberts spider. I wasn’t sure at first if that name was really Southwestern – but I think it is named after a Mountain in Nevada, so that is good enough for me. I love the patterns in the pedals.

Soco Gap also appeared in the Southwest Garden today. Soco Gap is a Native American name and she was a gift plant my year of the pilot out there. I stuck her small fans between 2 yuccas. It was quite a surprise the first year when she got as big as the yuccas. I can’t dig her up now without stabbing myself, so she stays.

Another favorite is Thin Man. This was one of my first mail order daylilies. I really had no idea the roots generally don’t bloom for a season, sometimes longer. Thin Man has been a reliable bloomer. I totally love the shape of this guy!

Ruby Stella was one I added to the pot with Route 66. She bloomed forever the first year – into November. No blooms last year. She is in the Rain Barrel Garden, so she gets her drip, drip, drip now. Curious to see is she does her late-blooming act this year.

Pink and Cream was a Lowe’s daylily that I picked up last year with Yellow Punch. These are Stella hybrids. Pink and Cream is my favorite of the two. I like her flowing shape.

That’s all folks. The other blooms today were Talon, Comanche Princess, Navajo Rodeo, Apache Bandana, Indian Love Call, Pueblo Dancer, Chaco Canyon, Mesa Verde, The Colorado Kid, Happy Returns, Stella, Jungle Queen, Route 66, Funny Valentine, Dark Mystery, Platinium Palette Pink Whispers, Wineberry Candy, Nurse’s Stethoscope, Zuni Eye, Pink Rain Dance, and Hopi Jewel. Goodness, we are not even at peak yet, though the Southwest Garden is right on the cusp of that stage. I am bummed the bugs got all but one bud on Rocky Mountain Pals. Overall, though, it hasn’t been a bad bug year.

Tiny Dancer

July 7, 2017July 7, 2017Leave a comment

“Hold me closer tiny dancer
Count the headlights on the highway
Lay me down in sheets of linen
You had a busy day today” Elton John

The new face today is a bloom that was labeled Pueblo Dancer, another Ned Roberts spider. My 6th “Ned” this year in that garden. Except, I don’t think it is Pueblo Dancer. It’s pretty small for 40-inch scapes (try 12), and it is not the right colors. Oh boy, the only one it looks like is Chokecherry Mountian . . . but that is in a different part of the garden. I guess I will post it to the Daylily Society and see what they think.

For tomorrow, there will be new ones. I think Route 66. I saw some others that were close but I don’t remember which now. It has been a day of pushing hard at work when I could use some healing. So, like the daylilies, it is time to let go and bloom again, tomorrow.

Colorado Kid Daylilies

A Blog About My Western Colorado Daylily Adventure

Tag: Chokecherry Mountain

50 Startling Southwest Spider Daylilies!

A Celebration of Spiders! (Ned Roberts)

It’s in the Genes!

It’s The Peak – Sunday Roll Call

July 1: Daylily Roll Call!

Daylily Days Keep the Doctor Away

Tiny Dancer

“Hold me closer tiny dancer
Count the headlights on the highway
Lay me down in sheets of linen
You had a busy day today” Elton John

“Hold me closer tiny dancer Count the headlights on the highway Lay me down in sheets of linen You had a busy day today” Elton John

“Hold me closer tiny dancer
Count the headlights on the highway
Lay me down in sheets of linen
You had a busy day today” Elton John