Are you ready for a beautiful July parade? Here goes – a listing of all of my daylilies that had first blooms in July. I count 81. Enjoy!
July’s Colorful Parade
Tag: Desert Icicle
Catching Up is Hard to Do
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.
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!
50 Startling Southwest Spider Daylilies!
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
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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
The Daylilies of Winter
The heat of July is upon us! I got stung by a wasp last night and I get a local, allergic reaction. So, my hand is red, swollen, blistered and itches horribly. Summer . . . one of my favorite seasons. Yet, those bugs . . .
So, to shift thoughts to times where wasps are non-existent, let me shift to our one and only Premier daylily bloom today. (I still had almost 60 in bloom). Her name is Candy Cane Dreams and I got her as a bonus with Santa’s Pants. I had no idea where to put her, so she is in the barrel planter with Black-Eyed Susan and Stella. She is kind of cool – she does look like Santa’s Pants!
Candy Cane Dreams 7/29
OK – So that always gets me thinking of the winter named daylilies. Here is Santa’s Pants from a few days ago:
Santa’s Pants – July 2019
What others that bring to mind winter . . . surely Lime Frost (in bloom today)
Lime Frost 7/29
And, Black Ice (from a few days ago):
Black Ice – July, 2019
What about Desert Icicle? – here she is from this weekend:
Desert Icicle – July, 2019
Santa Fe Christmas, of course, blooming today:
Santa Fe Christmas 7/29
Oh, and Funny Valentine from a couple weeks ago:
Funny Valentine – July, 2019
Orange Flurry from today sounds like snow:
Orange Flurry 7/29
What about Autumn Jewels from today to start to cool off?
Autumn Jewels 7/29
I’m feeling cooler already – now for the antihistamine and hopefully some sleep.
Dusky Daylilies: (when your plane lands at 7:50 PM)
What a long day. I started at 6:30 AM ET and it’s now tomorrow ET. But, I’m back on MT. And, I’ve been home since 8 PM MT. It’s the time of year where there is still a little light. So, of course, I raced to take daylily photos. Not the best photography AND the poor flowers have had a long day, too. I had 72 cultivators today – it’s another record breaker.
I’m just do Premiers because I’m fading, too.
Ruby Stella 7/20
Wild Horses 7/20
Mayan Poppy 7/20
Chorus Line 7/20
Nosferatu 7/20
Red Bird Mary
Star over Milgro 7/20
Skinwalker 7/20
Lobo Lucy 7/20
Santa Fe Christmas 7/20
Dream Catcher 7/20
Spirit of the Morning 7/20
Shape Shifter 7/20
Desert Icicle 7/20
A Celebration of Spiders! (Ned Roberts)
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
New Faces, Finales, and Roll Call
It is time for Sunday roll call. But first, a couple cool new Roberts Spiders. Meet Mount Echo Sunrise – She is a big spider that reminds me of Dream Catcher. This is her first-ever bloom in my yard – I put her in a couple years ago.
Then there is Sante Fe Christmas – And she looks like a Christmas bow. Red, green with curly petals. I really love her – too bad she lost her other buds. Despite the improved bloom rate, the drought has taken a toll.
Next up – Finales. Of course, Santa Fe Christmas is a finale today 😦
Primal Scream is another finale.
Primal Scream 7.10
Jungle Queen had finale blooms on both pots I have of her.
Jungle Queen 7.12
Iktomi is another finale. I have enjoyed seeing the patterns in her offspring.
Iktomi 7.9
Happy Hopi gave a finale bloom today. I really enjoyed her big, bold, blonde blooms.
Happy Hopi 7.12
Now, on to our roll call. These are the blooms from 7/9 through today. But, first, we have about 12 with unbloomed scapes remaining and mid-50s with no bloom/no scape. We are at 107 cultivators (+/-). Add 12, and we get close to 120. I am still hoping for 130 total this year.
Adios Albuquerque 7.10
Alabama Jubilee 7.11
Anasazi 7.13
Aztec Firebird 7.14
Baja 7.14
Bela Lugosi 7.9
Black Arrowhead 7.10
Black Eyed Susan 7.14
Black Ice 7.10
Blue Beat 7.11
Bluegrass Music 7.11
Canyon Colors 7.15
Catherine Irene 7.15
Chaco Canyon 7.12
Cheddar Cheese 7.12
Cheyenne Eyes 7.8
Chorus Line 7.13
Classy Lady 7.14
Comanche Princess 7.11
Dark Mystery 7.12
Desert Icicle 7.15
Dream Catcher 7.15
Early Bird Cardinal 7.10
El Desperado 7.13
Fairytale Pink 7.14
Funny Valentine 7.10
Heavenly Curls 7.12
Heron’s Cove 7.13
Hesperus 7.15
Holy Sombrero 7.10
Indian Sky 7.15
Inwood 7.12
Isaac 7.12
Just Plum Happy 7.10
Kachina Firecracker 7.12
Lacy Doily 7.10
Lady Fingers 7.12
Laughing Feather 7.9
Lime Frost 7.15
Longlesson Showoff 7.13
Lullabye Baby 7.14
Mama Cuna 7.13
Marque Moon 7.15
Mellon Balls 7.11
Mesa Verde 7.13
Mildred Mitchell 7.15
Mini Pearl 7.15
Navajo Rodeo 7.13
Nosferatu 7.15
Nurse’s Stethoscope 7.11
Papa Longlegs 7.15
Passionate Returns 7.10
Petite Petticoats 7.10
Pick of the Litter 7.14
Pink and Cream 7.11
Pink Rain Dance 7.11
Prairie Blue Eyes 7.10
Prairie Wildfire 7.11
Prelude to Love 7.15
Purple de Oro 7.14
Purple Grasshopper 7.11
Purple Mystic 7.11
Raspberry Propeller 7.14
Red Hot Returns 7.15
Red Riddle 7.10
Return a Smile 7.10
Route 66 7.13
Ruby Spider 7.14
Ruby Stella 7.15
Shape Shifter 7.13
Skinwalker 7.10
Soco Gap 7.14
South Seas 7.14
Stella de Oro 7.13
Stephanie Returns 7.14
Strutter’s Ball 7.11
Taco Twister 7.11
Talon 7.11
The Colorado Kid 7.10
Thin Man 7.15
Treasure of the Southwest 7.13
Wild Horses 7.11
Wineberry Candy 7.12
Yellow Punch 7.13
Zuni Thunderbird 7.13
When it Doesn’t Rain, It Pours!
The drought is still on. We have had hints of monsoons, but no real rain. I think there are close to a dozen wildfires in Western Colorado now. My water bill is awful and my lawn is still brown. But, somehow, the daylilies keep pouring. I wonder what my bloom rate would be WITH rain? It won’t be perfect this year but improved already. We will return to that in a minute.
New flowers today – Let’s start with the surprise! So, when I planted the Southwest Garden, I ended up with lots of bonus plants that were the same plants that I had ordered from someone else. So, I combined them. I had Fox Ears next to Happy Hopi – and I had 2 Happy Hopis. I thought. So, last fall when I did the containers, I thought I had put one of the Happy Hopis in a pot in the mural garden. Joke is on me . . . this is Fox Ears. I love that she seems to be in love with the solar light. Like a cartoon where a person falls in love with a robot. This is obviously a first-ever bloom.
Fox Ears 7.9
My other new (for 2018) Ned Roberts spider is Desert Icicle. Man, I could use an icicle about now. And, some rain!
Desert Icicle 7.9
Indian Sky had a first bloom for 2018 – she bloomed later last year, I believe.
Indian Sky 7.9
Speaking of later, Anasazi showed up early this year. She is an early re-bloomer, but did not bloom until August last year – and gave pretty double blooms. It will be interesting to see if she returns with those in the fall.
Anasazi 7.9
Fairytale Pink is such a pretty little bloom. I nearly lost her last year before I put them in pots. She had a few scrawny fans and put out only two buds last year. I think this year will be better.
Fairytale Pink 7.9
Last, but never least, is Cheddar Cheese. She has not bloomed since 2016! She is one of my older daylilies and bloomed reliably for a few years. Same pot, same place – stopped blooming. Now, she has a new pot and is in the Border Garden (a change) this year.
Cheddar Cheese 7.9
OK – so last night, I was counting daylilies to put myself to sleep. As of today, we are up to 98 cultivators for the year that have bloomed. Remember less than a week ago when we were trying to get to 69? Man, I am a little burned out with all the photos! That means, for this year so far we have a 56% bloom rate. Last year, we only made it to 48%. I count 25-30 scapes on daylilies that have yet to bloom. I figure we might see 5 late scapes (hopefully more, but I will stick with this for now). So, if I add 32 blooms to out 98, that brings us to 130. That’s about 75%. Not bad for the first year of a new pot system . . . in a horrific drought. The new faces should be slowing down shortly. I’m ready.
Other blooms today were Navajo Rodeo. Black Ice, Comanche Princess, Soco Gap, Happy Hopi, Iktomi, Laughing Feather, Dream Catcher, Aztec Firebird, Nosferatu, Dark Mystery, Red Riddle, Lady Fingers, Red Hot Returns, Jungle Queen, Prairie Wildfire, Prairie Blue Eyes, Blue Beat, The Colorado Kid, Mildred Mitchell, Mesa Verde, Heron’s Cove, Purple de Oro, South Seas, Passionate Returns, Stephanie Returns, Alabama Jubilee, Longlesson Showoff, Nurse’s Stethoscope, Petite Petticoats, Funny Valentine, Ruby Spider. I think that is all . . . I am too tired to think about it any more 🙂
Grit
Today was split shift . . . a day of grit to get more daylilies protected from the soil and roots in my home ground. I gotta tell you, I am ready to be done. And, yet, I have barely started in the Southwest garden. Ugh, that clay soil is definitely part of the problem in the area where the daylilies are not thriving as much. I put my first two full pots out there, buried. The challenge is to make sure the sprinkler hose hits them. Some others are in bottomless pots, and some in the black nursery containers, mostly without bottoms. We will see what works. It is possible that what works is just digging deeper in that clay and replacing it with real soil. But, the pots keep the unwanted roots out. Grit.
So, I had no new blooms. Decided to play with my photo editor. So, here is Indian Sky from today in colored chalk.
Also, I am resharing my Ned Roberts spider collage because I forgot Glen Eyrie. I guess 19 out of 69 could be worse. Almost 30%. But, that clay has to get split up to improve things. Next year, I would like to hit 40. Keep on digging. Grit! Except, this weekend I have a date with my tent.
Left to Right: Top Row – Adios Albuquerque, Aztec Firebird, Black Ice, Chaco Canyon, Chief Four Fingers, Coral Taco. Middle Row: Desert Icicle, Dream Catcher, Dream Keeper, Ghost Ranch, Glen Eyrie, Kokopelli, Papa Longlegs. Bottom Row – Pink Enchilada, Pueblo Dancer, Rasberry Propeller, Skinwalker, Twirling Pinata, Zuni Thunderbird
Web of Spiders
Today, I think I got my last NEW Ned Roberts bloom for the year. The new one is Coral Taco. The challenge is taking a photo of a flower doing yoga. Yes, both me and the flower!
I started collecting Ned’s spiders a couple years ago when I saw one named Kokopelli on the auction. I cannot believe how little I knew about daylilies then!!! Anyway, once I figured out they were hybridized close to home and there were lots of Southwestern and Colorado names, I had to have more. And, most have not ever bloomed yet, although this year most of them grew big and healthy.
From L to R: Top Row: Adios Albuquerque, Aztec Firebird, Black Ice, Chaco Canyon, Chief Four Fingers. Middle Row: Coral Taco, Desert Icicle, Dream Catcher, Dream Keeper, Ghost Ranch, Kokopelli. Bottom Row: Papa Longlegs, Pink Enchilada, Pueblo Dancer, Skinwalker, Raspberry Propeller (not a Southwestern name), Twirling Pinata, Zuni Thunderbird.
It is sort of disappointing that several that bloomed last year did not bloom this year. My Southwest garden was where a pine was planted until they uprooted it for a new sewer a decade or more ago. A pine in the middle of a rock garden. So, I work on water and soil. There is clearly a part of the patch with bigger plants and a part with strugglers. And, so I am working on that, too. Maybe a tree trim???
Despite the disappointment of wanting more bloom, I was impressed when I put these all together in one collage. I cannot wait to see them all!!! I think I have around 50 total.
I think there will be a break for several days before any more new blooms. So, like these cool spiders, I will be thinking of themes to highlight certain daylilies.
Colorado Kid Daylilies 