Twin Firebirds

July 16, 2016July 16, 2016Leave a comment

Today was much less overwhelming than peak day yesterday. Every bloom was a return. However, the bloom(s) that caught my eye were twin Aztec Firebirds. There is something about two blooms together, facing the same direction. They look like dancers.

Aztec Firebird – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

The name brings to mind Aztec Ruins, an Anasazi site close by in the Four Corners. I need to superimpose these blooms on the ruins picture from my spring Southwest road trip this spring. They are awesome ruins, just like the blooms.

Aztec Ruins National Monument – Photo by C. Hartt

Since I have no new blooms, I will highlight a couple of other Ned Roberts spiders in bloom today. Desert Icicle is a beautiful bloom.

Desert Icicle – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

And, poor Zuni Thunderbird was invaded by thrips and looks like it has reverse measles. I did some photo touching with it to make it presentable. One thing about having over a hundred cultivators – you begin to learn the work of farming daylilies.

Zuni Thunderbird in enamel – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

So, here is the collage for today. Some really nice blooms, all in all.

Left to Right: Top Row – Just Plum Happy, South Seas, Desert Icicle, Lady Fingers. Row Two: Chorus Line, Ruby Spider, Soco Gap, Lullaby Baby. Bottom Row: Purple de Oro, Aztec Firebird, Zuni Thunderbird.

Not Southwestern, but Native American

July 7, 2016July 7, 2016Leave a comment

I sit in a hotel so that I can attend a clinical conference the next few days. It’s going to be good, I think. Still, I hate missing daylily blooms.

Today’s featured bloom is Soco Gap. It was sent as a gift plant last fall. I had no clue what the name meant so I Googled it and found out that it does link to Native Americans. Soco Gap was a place in North Carolina where the Shawnee were defeated by the Cherokee. Therefore, it is in my Southwestern (mostly) Ned Roberts garden. It is a pretty bloom amongst the yucca plants. I like the red-orange color.

Soco Gap – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

The other new face today is Mildred Mitchell. The name reminds me a bit of Watergate, but it is really named for the hybridizers family member. It is a near blue, which was clear to my eye. It was too bright by the time I got out and it does not look blue to the camera under the sun. It is a pretty flower, just the same.

Mildred Mitchell – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

The other bloom that I will mention in the text is Return A Smile. She had blooms in her container on the porch and in the front garden. It is a division of the same plant. I am amazed by the difference that the sun exposure makes to color. It makes identification much more interesting because these guys are not color stable in bright sun.

And, my collage for today. Best day yet – that is nine blooms if you count both Return a Smile blooms. (Flowers moving clockwise from top left – Mesa Verde, Early Bird Cardinal, Primal Scream, Ruby Spider, and Lady Fingers (center).

Mesa Verde, Early Bird Cardinal, Primal Scream, Ruby Spider, and Lady Fingers – Photos by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Can’t wait to see what is up next when I return home! I am considering finding high country flowers as I walk around this area and blogging a bit about those. I am at 9,000+ feet above sea level. And, I have empty nest for my own garden already. 🙂

Red, White, and Blue

July 4, 2016July 4, 2016Leave a comment

Today is Independence Day, and my dad’s birthday. He is gone now, but the day is always a memory of him. It is also the first day of my last term at school. In 11 weeks, I am a doctor! I hope my daylily blooms have peaked by then.

I am so glad I have Ruby Spider in the front garden now, with separating my original plant last year. Why? Because it is peak bluebell and daisy season. Makes for a great red, white and blue photo.

Ruby Spider with daisies and blue bells – photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Other than a hint of patriotic hues in the garden, it was another slow day. At first I thought I had no blooms in my Ned Roberts southwestern spider garden. It wasn’t until we got home from the downtown events that I noticed Winds of Love. It was pretty burned out by the time I got the photo.

Winds of Love – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

What is cool, though, is that to the yucca in that garden are in love with more water . . . and one I have never seen blooming is doing so now. It was a much smaller yucca garden for several years. One put in to hide the blemish of a tree removed to replace the sewer line. It got it got ignored more than not. But the yucca grew, so I figure there would be enough sun for daylilies. I can’t wait until the space has matured a bit, because I think the yuccas and daylilies will look fabulous together.

Yucca Bloom – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

All of that said, I would give the prize for best flower to The Colorado Kid. Once again, fabulous vibrant color.

The Colorado Kid – photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Wild Horses came to march in the parade of color today. Always a favorite.

Wild Horses – photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

And, Early Bird Cardinal tried to look patriotic, as well.

Early Bird Cardinal – photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

And, hey, one of my favorite daylily companions, Flamingo Grass, is blooming. Come on daylilies, lets roll!

So, that is it for the Fourth of July. I think we may see Canyon Colors tomorrow. Slo-mo daylily season.

Jungle Queens and Voodoo Dancers, Oh My

July 3, 2016Leave a comment

The storm is passing, slowly but surely. It should start warming up by the end of the week. However, it wasn’t a bad daylily day. A Jungle Queen and a Voo Dancer showed up! Now, that is something to blog about.

Jungle Queen was amongst my first Lily Auction purchases. It was the day I needed to figure out how to win stuff so that I would get Kokopelli when the bidding closed. After losing on an earlier Ned Roberts daylily, I was determined to figure out the system. Jungle Queen caught my eye . . . and now she lives in my garden.

Jungle Queen – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

VooDoo dancer is one I purchased locally this year to go in a beautiful Mexican pot that my daughter bought me when they came to visit for Memorial Day. It should be a double bloom, so still adapting to its new surroundings. I’m hoping to see doubles soon! It is really pretty in the picture . . . more purple, too. I’ll put the web picture below. Hopefully, it wasn’t mislabeled 😦

Two of my Ned Roberts spiders are in bloom today. For fun, I put together a collage of all the blooms I have had from his creations to date. Five so far. I have 40+ Neds in my yard – so 10%. The larger ones (Chief FOUR Fingers and Kokopelli) are from today. This is the first FOUR finger bloom on the Chief! The smaller ones are Black Ice, Dream Keeper, and Winds of Love.

Ned Roberts collection to date – Photos by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Other bloomers were Ruby Spider, who adds visual splendor to both the front and side garden today. In front, it was a little red, white, and blue. And, on the porch garden, it was a pose with a friend (Return a Smile – I think).

Early Bird Cardinal landed again, too.

Early Bird Cardinal – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

I have had 18 different blooms so far this year. It is a start! Tomorrow, I am betting on Canyon Colors. Can’t wait to see it!

Where have all my daylilies gone?

July 2, 2016July 2, 2016Leave a comment

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

After the Rain

June 30, 2016June 30, 2016Leave a comment

Rain is not a common thing on the Colorado Plateau. But, early this morning, the rain came. I could smell it from my bedroom window. It always looks like pearls on the petals to me.

It’s also interesting how much the backdrop for photos can change its emotional tone. When I got Ruby Spider a few years ago, it was to hide the timer for the drip system. And, I have always thought it looked majestic with the rock masonry from my house in the background. Last fall, I divided it into three Rubys because it had outgrown the planter that it shares with Return a Smile and Just Plum Happy. So, the two extra Rubys were relocated to my front walkway garden (which I converted to more of a daylily theme last summer).

Ruby Spider – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Today, I had the first Ruby bloom in the new setting. I was taken back by the contrast with the clematis in the background. It looks a little like Christmas. I also like the one with the bluebells.

Ruby and Friends – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

No new faces today, but another mystery. When I divided up Ruby and her planter-mates last fall, the tags for Return a Smile and Just Plum Happy got (perhaps) mixed up. These two look just enough alike, that I decided I would have to wait for blooms this year to decide which was which. So, I think the photo taken today (below) is Return a Smile (although, I have changed my mind a few times).

Return a Smile – Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Here are web photos of Just Plum Happy . . .

And, Return a Smile.

Any votes?

Other visitors today are Chief Four (Three) Fingers,

Chief Four (Three) Fingers – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Hopi Jewel,

Hopi Jewel – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

and Wild Horses.

Wild Horses – Photos by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

I also went out and snapped a couple more of Chama Valley last night, in less intense sun. Much better.

Chama Valley – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Enjoy your pictorial visit to my Colorado Western Slope garden. I think we will see peak bloom in a week or so. Hopefully, I won’t miss too much when I am at the National Nurse Practitioner Symposium next week. I wish my cats could take pictures.

There is a fire in the garden! No, scream!

June 29, 2016June 29, 2016Leave a comment

The Southwest (mostly) Ned Roberts spider garden has had a new kid in bloom almost every day. As I toured my gardens last evening, I noted that one labeled Desert Flame was obviously about to bloom. So, this morning, I headed out to see if it had given birth. And, there was a gorgeous orange bloom. Breath taking.

Primal Scream or Desert Flame? – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

So, I scurried in to attend a webinar after getting some photos. When the webinar was cancelled, I played with the photos a bit and posted the beauty to the American Hemerocallis Society page. And, immediately several posted that my bloom was no Desert Flame . . . it looks like Primal Scream. It’s one I bought locally to fill in some left over space in the new Southwestern garden. I have another new Primal Scream in the main garden. Maybe I should move them together once its blooms are done. [The ones below are web photos of Desert Flame and Primal Scream (in that order). What do you think?]

Interestingly enough, that same nursery had some unmarked daylilies. I asked what they were. They had no idea. None of the tags matched. They sold me one for half price . . . and I took their advise to pot it until it blooms. So, it sits (unbloomed) on my front porch. And, now I wonder if that will be the real Desert Flame. (PS Primal Scream is more popular/expensive, so the daylily folks think I got a good deal). I guess it is good just to savor the beauty.

Primal Scream or Desert Flame??? – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Other blooms today:

Mesa Verde – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Mesa Verde is back

Chief Four (Three) Fingers – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

As is Chief Four (Three) Fingers

Hope Jewel – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

And, Hopi Jewel

Add old favorites, Ruby Spider

Ruby Spider – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Chama Valley

And, Early Bird Cardinal

Early Bird Cardinal – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

As we move into peak season, I may post photos of the new blooms as big photos. And, make a collage or two with the others. Maybe themes – like by color or garden. I don’t know. But it calls on my creativity strength. So, it will be fun. Too bad I can’t count this toward my clinical hours. It’s positive psychology related!

Southwest Spiders in the Garden

June 28, 2016June 28, 20161 Comment

I find spider daylilies mesmerizing. Something about the shape, the twists. Each bloom is so unique. Not that I don’t love the traditional shapes. But, there is something about a spider in the garden. And, I don’t mean the insect kind that live in my rock garden this time of year.

Today, another new Ned Roberts bloom: Winds of Love. It was a bonus plant that came with some others that I bought from the Lily Auction from a seller named Floota. At first, I thought it didn’t belong with the Southwestern named ones. But, then, I remembered those spring desert windstorms that blow the warmer weather in each year. You know, the ones that formed the Grand Canyon? Well, they can be serious show stoppers if you are on a road trip. But, what about reframing them to mean something more positive? Cognitive behavioral therapy for weather. So, Winds of Love is in with the other Southwestern named blooms.

Winds of Love – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

I also played with the macros feature on my camera more today. I got some cool close-ups of today’s blooms – all are Ned’s daylilies. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy. PS – I am writing this as I wait for a 5PM job interview. It’s a bit too early to start preparing. It’s weird to interview via the web, so I need to vacuum 🙂 Blogging about daylilies is the BEST way to stay focused in the moment. Well, next to taking photographs and painting them, that is.

Here are my three beautiful spiders of today up close and personal:

Winds of Love – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Kokopelli – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Black Ice – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

OK, and one more of Kokopelli from a little further back. The first bloom had some issues with color, but this one is gorgeous! So perfect. Can’t wait to paint it. I love the colors! It almost has a hint of blue between the yellow and pink . . . OK, light purple.

Anyway, about time to prep for that interview. I need a job after graduation so I can pay for my daylily habit 🙂 Well, actually, it is a really cool job.

That’s all folks!

Mesa Verde

June 26, 2016June 26, 2016Leave a comment

I love Mesa Verde. It’s just a couple of hours south of where I live. It’s made of the Colorado Plateau, just like my daylily garden. I love the history and the culture. I love the colors enough that I painted my kitchen in Southwestern colors. And, so, when I found a daylily with that name, I knew it had to move to my garden. Today, it bloomed for the first time, taking me back to the Anasazi ruins that I love to explore. Check out the color change from sun (orange) to shade (pink) tones.

Mesa Verde in the sun – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Mesa Verde in the shade – Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

The other blooms today were all repeats. Chief Four Fingers (the one I thought was mislabled) is looking more and more like it should, less one finger. I asked on the American Hemerocallis Society Facebook page today and it blooms with four “fingers” 80% of the time. It is probably still settling into my garden, they said. Conserving energy for new roots, I would guess. Below are today’s bloom compared with the internet photo. Yes, it is looking closer this time!

Chief Four Fingers web photo

Chief Four (or Three) Fingers in my yard – Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Hopi Jewel was in flower, again. I really like the color combo in this one.

Hopi Jewel – Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

And, Early Bird Cardinal is flying high today with two pretty blooms. I got the cardinal flag in the background this time!

Early Bird Cardinal – Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

So, I am taking about 50 photos a day now. What will happen when I have a dozen in bloom? I am also looking at buying a book on flower photography . . . although I am not sure that will decrease the number of photos that I am snapping. Thank heaven for memory cards . . . remember film and developing?

Colorado Kid Daylilies

A Blog About My Western Colorado Daylily Adventure

Tag: Daylily photography

Twin Firebirds

Not Southwestern, but Native American

Red, White, and Blue

Jungle Queens and Voodoo Dancers, Oh My

Where have all my daylilies gone?

After the Rain

There is a fire in the garden! No, scream!

Southwest Spiders in the Garden

Mesa Verde