Why is it that we always want what we can’t have?   Early in my daylily addiction, when I had planted my first mail-order roots, I became fascinated with blue daylilies.  Well, actually, daylilies lack the genetics to make blue.  So, you know, I became infatuated with “near blue” daylilies whose mosiac genetics lead them to look blue.  This predates my addiction to Ned Roberts spiders.  All my near blues are in pots and come into the back porch for the winter because they are evergreen daylilies and prefer warmer temps.  My near blues have a special spot in the front yard where the pots live from March-October.

So, one of my Premiers today is a new near blue added last year called Baby Blue Eyes.  I honestly thought I had killed her because the drought hit and, after my skin cancer surgery, I just gave up on the yard.  I kept her on the porch, though, despite the fact she looked dried up.  And, come spring, she came to life.  I love the colors – she is a true near blue.

Baby Blue Eyes 7/30

I am going to show off my other near blues because their bloom cycle is nearing an end.  My favorite is The Colorado Kid.  I was just googling place names to see if there were daylilies with that name – and she popped up.  I think this is year 4 for her – she is our mascot flower.  She had a lot of blooms this year and has a couple of buds left.  Baby Blue Eyes has similar coloring.

The Colorado Kid – July, 2019

I also have Blue Beat, an early addition and a nice blue replica.

Blue Beat – July, 2019

Bluegrass Music is a must-have blue daylily.  I got pretty ripped off by the place I bought her from, but she has paid off with several years of blooms.

Bluegrass Music – July, 2019

Mildred Mitchell is an older cultivator, but she caught my eye as having a nice blue -looking color in the right light.

Mildred Mitchell – July, 2019

Prairie Blue Eyes is not in my blue section, but she also has a blue hue at times.

Prairie Blue Eyes – July, 2019

I got Heron’s Cove as a near blue – but moved her because she rarely looks blue – but occasionally, I see a bit of a bluish tint in her.

Heron’s Cove – July, 2019

OK – So I had two other Premiers today – both Ned Roberts spiders. Golden Eclipse showed her first bloom in my yard today.  I have had her 2-3 years.  The grower is someone I got a lot of my Neds from and she said it was an ugly brown color and to be sure I really wanted it.  I think she is a pretty gold – a unique color for a daylily.

Golden Eclipse 7/30

And, big bloom Purple Thunderbird is back this year.

Purple Thunderbird 7/30

I will be out of premiers soon with three in one day.  I maybe have 6-12 left in my whole yard.  Honestly, I will be glad for it to slow down.  I had 58 today.