Three Standard Deviations

August 18, 2018Leave a comment

What a strange week . . . 3 standard deviations from the mean. So, I apologize for no blog since Sunday. The reorganization has hit at work. I worked 12 hour days on Monday and Thursday. Tuesday, I had this skin cancer removed . . . long story short is that I hope like heck it stays healthy until the graft next Tuesday. Wednesday was my eye exam – and I worked until 10 PM. And, today – a steady 6 hours of work with everything in motion. I will get even more new students, I got a new boss (3rd boss in as many weeks), I haven’t even gotten all the new students from the last batch re-settled. And, then, I heard my calling. Doors may open. Let’s leave it at that for now.

My yard has fallen way down on my priority list. I have no idea if I can dig up any lilies this fall with all this noise in my life. Really, my energy has changed this year and the noise is deafening. Speaking of deaf . . . yea, that, too. That said, things are beginning to move in new directions. I let go and started living for a new vision. This created some feng shi space, I guess. Things are moving after a very long, stagnant period. How long do we fertilize something that never blooms?

So, enough of my excuses – here are my flowers for the week:

Finales:

Blue Beat 8.16

Pink and Cream 8.17

Other bloomers:

Purple Corn Dancer 8.13

Indian Sky 8.16

Heirloom Heaven 8.13

Ruby Stella 8.13

Dream Catcher 8.16

No August scapes – no returns, yet, from my “returns” daylilies. No rainy season. A quiet fall in the garden. Which is probably good given everything else in my life. It is a camping weekend and I am home. Too much going on today . . . and this week. I may try for a one-night wonder trip near home tomorrow if I feel up to it. I need to focus on healing my life.

The Three Amigas

August 11, 2018Leave a comment

My dogs earned the reputation of being the Three Amigas last year at a dog Halloween party. They won a prize for the funniest dog costumes. It was a good time.

Kachina, Maizzy, and Sazi

So, today when I had only three blooms, I thought about my dogs. I think Blue Beat is my oldest dog, Maizzy. She is mellow (blue) and has a heart condition (Beat). So, it fits her. Indian Sky is my youngest dog, Kachina. Not only do the names work together, but Kachina is the red-orange sky color. Then comes little goofy Sazi, my newest addition (although she is middle-aged). Heirloom Heaven fits her because she is a small late bloomer. Who else has canine garden helpers?

Today’s Blooms (no finales):

Blue Beat 8.10 – Maizzy’s bloom

Maizzy

Indian Sky 8.10 – Kachina’s bloom

Kachina

Heirloom Heaven 8.10 – Sazi’s bloom

Sazi

The Last Dozen Daylilies

August 9, 2018August 9, 2018Leave a comment

Today, we got a late burst of activity in the daylily garden. A nice dozen showed up today. Given I only have 11 with buds left, I believe it is the last dozen. And, we had several finales. Now comes the time that I contemplate what to do with the ones that have never bloomed. Do I toss them and put divisions of some of my more reliable ones in their place? Or give them another year? Or a little of both?

Finales:

El Desperado 8.8 – blooming since 7.10

Cherokee Star 8.8 – blooming since 7.16

Orange Vols 8.8 – blooming since 7.23

Other bloomers today:

Pink and Cream 8.8

Mini Pearl 8.8

Indian Sky 8.8

Heirloom Heaven 8.8

Blue Beat 8.8

Dream Catcher 8.8

Navajo Curls 8.8

Purple Corn Dancer 8.8

Royal Palace Prince 8.8

The next dozen will be next June. I start to plan poinsettia and amaryllis forcing . . . oh, one of my amaryllises is putting up a scape right now. The ugly daylily.

The First Sunday of August

August 6, 2018Leave a comment

It was camping weekend, which is good because I need the stress relief. Work is too busy and I am too exhausted. So, I returned to an encore – Stella de Oro has been out of bloom for 3 weeks and she is back. I will just leave her in the roll call. Our last roll call of 2018. We had 37 in bloom this week. We had 56 last week and I predicted half as many this week. Actually – more like 2/3rds. When you look at all the finales this week (see photos below), I will make the same prediction for next week. That’s about 18 for the week. We don’t have many scapes yet, and the ones mostly only have a bloom or two left. Heirloom Heaven, Indian Sky, Pink and Cream, Dream Catcher, and Purple Corn Dancer have some life left in them. I am hoping Passionate Returns, Stephanie Returns, Ruby Stella and Red Hot Returns all return.

Here Goes Roll Call 7/31-8/5:

Anasazi 7.30 – has had finale bloom

Apache Uprising 7.30 – Has had finale bloom

Baja 7.30 – Has had finale bloom

Blue Beat 8.2

Cherokee Star 8.2

Chorus Line 8.5

Classy Lady 7.31 – Has had finale bloom

Comanche Princess 8.2

Dream Catcher 7.30

El Desperado 8.5

Fox Ears 7.30 – Has had finale bloom

Heirloom Heaven 8.2

Heron’s Cove 7.30 – Has had finale bloom

Hesperus 7.30 – Has had finale bloom

Indian Love Call 8.2 – Has had finale bloom

Indian Sky 8.5

Lady Fingers 7.30 – Has had finale bloom

Marque Moon 8.1 – Has had finale bloom

Mini Pearl 8.3

Moon Over Chimayo 8.1 – Has had finale bloom

Navajo Curls 8.1

Nearly Wild 7.31

Orange Vols 8.3

Passionate Returns 7.31 – Has had finale bloom

Pink and Cream 8.1

Pizza Crust 7.30

Prairie Blue Eyes 7.30 – Has had finale bloom

Purple Corn Dancer 8.5

Purple Thunderbird 8.1 – Has had finale bloom

Rosie’s Red 8.3

Royal Palace Prince 7.30

Ruby Stella 8.3

South Seas 7.30 – Has had finale bloom

Stella 8.5 – Encore bloom today

Tiger Kitten 8.3

Twirling Pinata 7.30 – Has had finale bloom

Yellow Punch 7.31 – Has had finale bloom

Last Sunday in July

July 30, 2018Leave a comment

Wow – It will be August next weekend. The daylily peak has come and gone. The cultivators were in the teens today . . . a massive drop off from 2-3 weeks ago. It is funny how the first 3 weeks of June are slow progress, then it explodes, then it goes to just a few here and there for months.

Today, we had one new cultivator. Heirloom Heaven bloomed for the first time in 2018. She is an adorable late-blooming mini. She is my last unbloomed scape on a cultivator that hasn’t bloomed yet. This could be it. It seems like I usually get some August scapes . . . not many, but a handful. I don’t know with this drought, though.

Heirloom Heaven 7.29

And, I had a rude awakening last night – because Mount Echo Sunrise doesn’t look anything like Mount Echo Sunrise. I looked at her tag, and she has two. The other one says Moon over Chimayo . . . and she looks like that one. So, I assume . . .

Moon over Chimayo 7.27

Finales:

Lullabye Baby 7.29

Roll Call 7/23-29:

Adios Albuquerque 7.26

Anasazi 7.27

Apache Uprising 7.25

Aztec Firebird 7.27

Baja 7.25

Bela Lugosi 7.24

Blue Beat 7.25

Bluegrass Music 7.24

Bold Tiger 7.23

Cheddar Cheese 7.24

Cherokee Star 7.28

Chorus Line 7.26

Classy Lady 7.27

Comanche Princess 7.28

Dream Catcher (with Navajo Curls) 7.27

El Desperado 7.24

Fox Ears 7.25

Heron’s Cove 7.27

Hesperus 7.25

Indian Love Call 7.24

Indian Sky 7.24

Lady Fingers 7.25

Lime Frost 7.26

Longlesson Show-off 7.23

Marque Moon 7.24

Mildred Mitchell 7.23

Mini Pearl 7.29

Navajo Curls 7.24

Navajo Rodeo 7.23

Nearly Wild 7.28

Nosferatu 7.26

Orange Vols 7.24

Passionate Returns 7.29

Pick of the Litter 7.23

Pink and Cream 7.29

Pizza Crust 7.28

Prairie Blue Eyes 7.28

Prelude to Love 7.25

Purple Corn Dancer 7.26

Purple de Oro 7.24

Purple Moonrise 7.27

Purple Thunderbird 7.26

Raspberry Propeller 7.28

Rosie’s Red 7.23

Route 66 7.26

Royal Palace Prince 7.27

Ruby Stella 7.28

South Seas 7.27

Stephanie Returns 7.23

Tiger Kitten 7.27

Twirling Pinata 7.24

Yellow Punch 7.26

56 for the week . . . that is all! I bet we are down to half of that by next week.

Eclipse!

August 22, 2017Leave a comment

Today brought the solar eclipse . . . and the first ever Anasazi bloom in my yard! There is a connection between the Anasazi (Ancient Pueblo Indians) and total solar eclipses. The eclipse of 1097 likely mplayed a part in the Ancient Pueblos leaving the Four Corners area. It was one of many celestial events that may have made this civilization decide that they were being given messages to leave.

I saw a video this AM of a Navajo talking about how the eclipse is seen as spiritual by their tribe. They see it as a time of new beginnings . . . a time to make resolutions. Like New Year, he said. My resolution is a big long pause on some things in my life that were not good for my spirit. I love them too much to ever do harm to them . . . or to ignore harm being done. That is a BIG resolution for me. I am glad I won’t have to do that for another 100 years 🙂

I wish I had realized how the sun reflects in the drops on the petals of the daylilies. I missed my 100-year chance to capture the eclipse within one of the daylilies in my yard. This photo was taken several minutes before the peak. If you look closely in the background, you can see some crescents in the shadows of the tree leaves. It was weirdly dark . . . but I never thought of focusing on the drops. Dang!

I nursed Anasazi from a 3.50 cent fan to a blooming size pot . . . it took 2 years. She is in a pot, of course. I smile for my progress. I had Heirloom Heaven and Cherokee Star also today. Somewhat sad to say this will be my last new bloom for the year . . . unless I get a surprise.

It’s Late

August 21, 2017August 21, 2017Leave a comment

Camping weekend, but still time for an afternoon of fun putting daylilies in underground pots. My carpal tunnel is acting up from the trowel, my back hurts from the shovel. So, I switch back and forth. Five more moved. I have 7 more pots – so that is all I am doing this fall. I should be done by next weekend. In fact, the whole fall daylily thing should be wrapping up soon. I prefer the blooms to the digging. And, having more time to savor camping. 🙂

Here are a few from the last few days.

Coral Taco, Heirloom Heaven, Pink and Cream, Passionate Returns, Indian Sky

And – Three weeks after I discovered the scape, Anasazi is looking ready to bloom. Now, how cool if a flower with that name blooms on the eclipse day? I need to sleep first!

Under the Surface

August 16, 2017Leave a comment

Today brought a good variety of color. From the yellow-pink blooms of Pizza Crust and Pink & Cream to the deep red of Cherokee Star and Heirloom Heaven. In the middle was pretty Indian Sky.

I am keeping a close eye on the Southwest garden since the replantings. Some yellow leaves here and there. Overall, they are in much better shape despite looking a bit frazzled.

It makes me think of our humanity. Sometimes everything can look pretty perfect on the surface. The garden had mulch and few weeds. The sprinkler ran regularly. And, the lilies looked pretty much OK. But, several were too small and one died. The bloom rate was poor and the blooms looked stunted. I wondered about the sunlight, mostly. Something was off, but the thought of fixing what lay under the surface was something I wanted to deny.

It was odd to deny it . . . I knew what was underneath. Somehow, I hoped top soil would be enough to get the lilies started. I mean, maybe they could do OK in the clay . . . that is what it says on the internet. Seriously, this Colorado Plateau clay is like an abusive, addictive relationship. Not only does it not provide nutrition, it is like cement. I have never seen it get damp more than a couple inches below the surface. The roots that do penetrate are stuck forever, unable to move yet starving for a better existence.

Diving under the surface and fixing the real problem is hard, hard work. And, I am sure there is more of it ahead in this adventure. I could continue to ignore it . . . normalize it. You know, just keep watering harder and hope somehow it corrects itself. But, then it comes time to stop the cycle and do something different. I hope it will pay off and that everything flourishes and blooms. Then, it will be worth it for daylily generations to come.

Just A Flower I Can Help Along

August 14, 2017Leave a comment

Today was the day I finally got the Southwestern Garden mostly redone. What a lot of work . . . seriously, my back is DONE digging for a bit. I thought it might be fun to show a couple photos. So, this side is the one I have been working on. All but a handful of daylilies now rests within a nursery pot that is buried under ground. These ones have been trimmed so that they can focus on some new roots before freeze.

And, this is the other side, where the daylilies are blooming size. Much happier than the other side. There used to be a pine tree out there, then a new sewer where I think they used a sandier fill dirt on the side with the happier daylilies. Perhaps water, too. Today, I got my soak hose system in. I am pretty jazzed. I think it will prove to be the best system I have ever had. It is amazing how the clay soil is always hard and dry, no matter what.

So, today I had some great blooms. I barely had time to notice them, but they did remind me that the backbreaking work will pay off in blooms (I hope). (In order – Featured photo is Heirloom Heaven; Pictured first below is Passionate Returns, then Western Sandstone, Pink and Cream and Pardon Me.

I also divided daylilies for friends. That was kind of fun, actually. Beats digging holes in adobe clay soil with roots. I could make a good mud house with that stuff, though. I went through 8 big bags of soil this weekend. Crazy!

Savoring

August 8, 2017Leave a comment

Savoring is a concept that I learned about over a decade ago as a student of positive psychology. Savoring is what I do in the garden every morning – I immerse myself in the color and shape of each bloom. It is a sense of awe, really. And, fall seems to turn up the volume of appreciation for each bloom. July feels almost rushed to get photos of each flower . . . but August slows it down enough to notice each individual bloom.

It is almost funny that today brought two new faces. I only have three unbloomed (for 2017) cultivators left to bloom now. Today brought an old favorite, Heirloom Heaven. A sweet, petite late bloomer.

And, it brought the first Passionate Returns (except the one that I missed Saturday). This is a new plant just a couple weeks ago when I was craving some more late bloomers. I love the color and the ruffles.

Now, it is fall chores. This year, that is a lot due to the decision to put almost everyone in pots of some sort. I’m maybe 2/3 finished. Then, I have several that need to be divided and given to friends/coworkers. I have turned into a serious hobbiest, and the transition is a bit painful at times. I am hopeful that next year will be easier. More time to savor.

Colorado Kid Daylilies

A Blog About My Western Colorado Daylily Adventure

Tag: Heirloom Heaven

Three Standard Deviations

The Three Amigas

The Last Dozen Daylilies

The First Sunday of August

Last Sunday in July

Eclipse!

It’s Late

Under the Surface

Just A Flower I Can Help Along

Savoring