Tag: Kokopelli

Web of Spiders

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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.

 

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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.

The Longest Day

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I love solstice because I like long days.  And, today was long with paid work and yard work.  My split shift was spent in my Southwestern garden.  I have two in bloom today, Papa Long Legs and Kokopelli. (Kokopelli is immediately below and Papa Long Legs is the second photo on this page). A spider and an Anasazi pipe player.  Funny names.

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The strugglers got some attention.  In fact, turning hard adobe earth into a garden requires more attention than photographs of the fruits of the labors.  I have two brand new ones that have shrunken into small fans.  Like seedlings.  I think sometimes Southern daylilies go into shock with the soil, lack of rain, and dry air.  I lost a couple last year, and I have 4 currently in ICU, one in critical condition.

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My new ICU approach is to cut the bottom out of a cheap plastic pot and use it as a buried container . . . bottomless.  Sort of a hybrid situation.  I am hoping it aids soil retention and keeps the soil more acidic, at least until they get started.  I also installed a sprinkler hose on the side that gets less water.  Boy, do I loose a lot of water with the regular sprinkler, and there are so many barriers between the sprinkler and some parts of the garden.  There is clearly one side where the plants are more anemic, and I think it is a water difference.  I guess we will see.

As for tomorrow, I think Jungle Queen will make a debut.  She came in the same order as Kokopelli – practice bidding on the auction.  It is interesting to look back and see what was in bloom this day last year.  Lots the same.  But, some of the Southern daylilies that I put in last spring bloomed pretty early due to being from another zone.  Not sure if they will bloom this year.  And, old timers like Early Bird Cardinal were putting on a show last year, but this year the scapes are still developing.  At the same time, I think I have more scapes total this year.  Bigger plants (mostly).  Lots of time and effort in making the ground more fertile in the past 12 months.

Kokopelli brings the summer!

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Kokopelli is a Hopi word meaning wooden backed.  The Kokopelli is truly a legend of the Southwest.  Lots of folklore. . . the character who changes winter to spring.  And today, Solstice, brings the blooms. The equinox and solstice were both amazingly powerful in the Anasazi culture.  Back on the equinox, Kokopelli was one of my first daylilies to show its fans.

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With my love of the Southwest and spider daylilies, a bloom with this name surely caught my eye.  My first purchase on the lily auction.  The start of my Southwest garden. Still a gamble of a biology project.

I am in awe at how perfect this first bloom looks.  Last year’s first blooms were a little scraggly.  I put it in in Fall 2015, the same year I started my doctorate.  I guess we are both more established now.

Not sure on new faces in the garden tomorrow.  I think next up is Jungle Queen. Sometime this week.

Valentine’s Day: The Day Before Solstice

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What an interesting year.  Lots of blooms and lots of work hours.  Finding whatever balance there is in the mix.  So different from last year.  Time and money . . . sort of.  So, limiting to new blooms despite a dozen cool photos of seven different daylilies is like narrowing a doctoral project topic.  So much cool stuff, but only so much time.

So, today was the first bloom of Funny Valentine.  Last year, she did not like her location and she gave me only a couple scrawny blooms.  Funny what improving drainage, sun, and water can do for a daylily.  Always a few out there that are not happy.  You tweak, you hope.  And, sometimes they send you Funny Valentines.  Tomorrow, Kokopelli for Solstice, perhaps.  Turning winter to summer, that’s what Kokopellis and Solsti do.

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Estimated Day of First Daylily: Tomorrow

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Stella in half bloomed, so I think it’s safe to say my first daylily of the year shows up tomorrow. I have to give up AM news for camera time in the garden. It’s better, the garden.

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I killed my very first Stella a few years back. Then, I got into daylilies, and Stella seemed too common. But they bloom all season. So, last year, I hit the sales and got a few.

I have a growing number of scapes popping up. It’s like watching popcorn start to pop. Kokopelli, Soco Gap, Papa Long legs,  Hopi Jewel, Happy Returns, Ruby Spider, Chama Valley, Strutters Ball,  Wild Horses, Ghost Ranch, Funny Valentine,  Inwood, Jungle Queen, Return A Smile. All have scapes. And, it’s just the beginning.  I guessed Juneteenth (16th) for bloom 1. Off by 9 days. I’m good with it.

I have a lot of friends who think I’m a Lily expert. Daylilies are not really lilies. They are more closely related to Olathe Sweet Corn. And, I hope they do as well in my high desert garden.

Just a Painter Passing Through in History

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“If you want to know my secret don’t come runnin’ after me
For I am just a painter passing through in history” – Gordon Lightfoot

“A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is to be ultimately at peace with himself. What a man can be, he must be” – Abraham Maslow

 

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Painting of Kokopelli by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

 

And, so it is.  Yesterday, I painted Kokopelli.  One of my early bloomers is now always in bloom in my house.  It settles my nerves.  Lots going on in my life – but I slept like a baby.

I woke up to a pretty bloom from Red Hot Returns.  Nice way to start the day.

 

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Red Hot Returns – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

 

 

Return a Smile :-)

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Today, no new blooms.  I am impressed, however, that Return a Smile returned.  It’s the one I divided into the front garden last year.  It has never rebloomed in the container.  That is cool.  The old gal has grit.

 

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Return a Smile: Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

 

In my positive psychology course, we are talking about how we tend to mimic the faces of those who we make eye-to-eye contact with.  Smiling does usually get returned.  And, they are calling this a form of love.  So, I will credit my daylily for reminding me of that lesson today.

I decided to update my collage of Roberts daylilies that bloomed this year, as I think Ghost Ranch may be the last.  I am still hopeful for late bloomers, but no scapes yet.  This can always be updated. If I get 80% next year, It will be 40 or so cultivators.

 

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Ned Roberts Spiders as of 7/29/2016 L to R: Top Row – Winds of Love, Black Ice, Aztec Firebird, Chief Four Fingers, Desert Icicle. Center: Skinwalker.  Bottom Row: Ghost Ranch, Kokopelli, Dream Catcher, Zuni Thunderbird, Dream Keeper.

 

And, here is the collage of today’s blooms.  Gratitude . . .  Love, joy, and gratitude.  A garden of positive emotion.

 

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7/29/16 L to R: Top Row: Fine Time Lucille, Lullaby Baby, Dream Catcher, Baja, Return a Smile.  Bottom Row: Orange Vols, El Desperado, Ghost Ranch, Marque Moon, Prelude to Love.

 

A Classy Lady Comes to Town!

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Ah, now I think, perhaps, the season of blooms is slowing down a bit.  At least as far as having a new cultivator every day or so.  But, hey, today I had several plants with three or four blooms at once.

But, hold on!  I did have a new girl today.  Her name is Classy Lady.  She was one of my fall auction purchases, along with Electric Lizard, Kokopelli, and Quilt Patch.  It looks like Quilt Patch will be my only non-bloomer this year.  I like this bloom – it has a shape like a gymnast.  And, a nice color to match.

 

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Classy Lady – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

 

Now, for my multiples – Marque Moon, Zuni Thunderbird, and South Seas.  The only down side is they burn buds fast this way.

 

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Marque Moon – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

 

 

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

 

 

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South Seas – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

 

And, today brought another visit from the monarch butterfly.  This time, she chose the Mexican Daylily (Shellflower).  I got several photos – the center of the collage is my favorite.

 

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From L to R: Top Row – Chorus Line, Lullaby Baby, Pick of the Litter, Lime Frost. Row Two: Classy Lady, Mexican Daylily with Monarch Butterfly, Thin Man.  Bottom Row: South Seas, Marque Moon, Stephanie Returns, Zuni Thunderbird.

 

Thank you, garden, for the therapy.  Great positive emotion to get me through a Monday. Only 5 months until Christmas.  I have a ton of painting to do this year 😉

The Daylily Dozen (plus one)

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Today, I finally had a dozen different daylilies in bloom in my yard.  I limited photos, but it still took forever to go through them 😉  I decided to put today’s collage in some sort of order by color from purple to yellow.

I want to keep this short, but also share some new faces.  First is a brand new face, Indian Love Call.  It is a pretty dark bloom with thin peddles.  Nice addition to the front yard.

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Indian Love Call – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

The next one is “almost” brand new.  I got South Seas toward the end of last season and I only got one bloom.  I love the bright colors and large bloom size.

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South Seas – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Then an old favorite, Route 66.  I found this one the year that Route 66 was the epicenter of my Southwest road trip. The hybridizer created this one back when Route 66 was still more of an American dream trip.  The colors are spot-on.

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Route 66 – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Another new face today is my first “Mexican Daylily” that is really called a Shell Flower.  These blooms got their nickname because each bloom only lasts one day.  I love the beautiful pattern on the bottom.  These are bulbs that I got for $1 at the grocery store in February (all 12 of them).

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“Mexican Daylily” – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

And, finally, below is my Daylily Dozen. It is of note that Colorado Kid almost looks like a different flower now that it is hot.  It is up with the dark reds but was a pink in earlier blossoms.

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From L to R. Top Row: Kokopelli, Purple de Oro, Black Ice, The Colorado Kid. Row two: Indian Love Call, Route 66, Ruby Spider, Early Bird Cardinal. Bottom Row: Mesa Verde, South Seas, Primal Scream, Lady Fingers.

What’s up for tomorrow?  Lucky 13.

Jungle Queens and Voodoo Dancers, Oh My

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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.

 

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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.

 

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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.

 

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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!