Tag: low humidity

Drought Impact on Daylilies: Black Canyon of the Gunnison South Rim Fire & Garden Update

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Hi Daylily Lovers,

The South Rim Fire, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

I want to start by saying a few words about the drought that has been growing in Western Colorado all season. Yesterday, in the early hours of the morning, a “dry lightning” storm came through and set off multiple fires in our region. This is like striking a match to dry kindling.

7.10 Colorado Drought Monitor

Now, the Black Canyon of the Gunnison is evacuated because of an active fire on the South Rim – about 15 miles away on the road – maybe 10 miles as the crow flies. The smoke and air quality are bad. The South Rim Fire is one of three very active fires in my county – the others are the Sow Belly Fire and the Deer Creek Fire. I can hear the aircraft humming almost constantly from my garden, about 2 miles from our airport.

Watch Duty screen shot 7.11.24 Montrose County, CO

So many daylily farmers live in places that get regular rain. Here, the daylilies often get their only water from my City water hose. But, beyond the daylilies, please keep our firefighters in your thoughts as they battle these blazes in 90+ degree weather and single-digit humidity.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park photo (credit Facebook) 7.11.25

Garden Update: First Blooms for 2025 Since July 4th

I’ve had a lot of bloomers since I last posted on July 4th. It’s hot now, too uncomfortable to garden. And, now there is smoke. But, I still manage to get out everyday for my photos and a jog around the neighborhood.

I hit peak bloom 2 days ago, with 60+ in bloom that day. As of today, I have had 113 total cultivators in bloom this season for a bloom rate of 60%. I am hoping to make it to 80% this season. If I keep all the current buds and add a few more, I’ll be OK. Bud blast happens in these conditions, thought. I need 39 more!

Apache Bandana first bloom 7.5
Baja first bloom 7.5
Cherokee Star first bloom 7.7
Cheyenne Eyes first bloom 7.6
Chokecherry Mountain first bloom 7.8
Dr. Doom first bloom 7.9
Fairy Tale Pink first bloom 7.9
Heavenly Curls first bloom 7,5
Hesperus first bloom 7.8
Ink Heart first bloom 7,8
Laughing Feather first bloom 7,5
Lobo Lucy first bloom 7,9
Marque Moon first bloom 7,11
Memories of Oz first bloom 7,5
Mesa Verde first bloom 7.10
Mildred Mitchell first bloom 7.5
Nearly Wild first bloom 7.10
Orange Flurry first bloom 7,5
Painted Petroglyph first bloom 7.9
Petite Petticoats first bloom 7.10
Pink Enchalada first bloom 7,8
Prelude to Love first bloom 7.8
Red Bird Mary first bloom 7,6
Rocky Mountain Pals first bloom 7,8
Ruby Stella first bloom 7.8
Soco Gap first bloom 7.8
Star Over Milagro first bloom 7.8
Talon first bloom 7.8
The Colorado Kid first bloom 7.6
Treasure of the Southwest first bloom 7.8
Truchas Sunrise first bloom 7.8

I continue with my community volunteer work. I feel that is my priority this summer, but I miss my more frequent and in-depth posts about daylily gardening. Fortunately, it has been a better bloom year than I expected with the drought. And, I am getting a couple of hours on my porch editing my photos every day. It is a joyful escape (even in the heat) from today’s politics. I am grateful for my daily daylily escape!

Until next week, keep blooming! Cathy H

June Daylily Highlights: Thriving in the Heat

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Hello Daylily Fans,

It’s gotten hot, and my yard is exploding with many daylilies. Peak season is still a couple of weeks away, and I have about 130 cultivators with scapes! I lost a couple over the winter, so I need to update my total number one of these days.

Last post, I talked about my first 3 cultivators to bloom: Saratoga Springtime, Dream Keeper, and Stella de Oro. Since then, I have had the following:

All American Chief first bloom 6.22
Bluegrass Music first bloom 6.23
Burgundy Crab first bloom 6.18
Candy Cane Dreams first bloom 6.22
Comanche Princess first bloom 6.21
NOID Dark Mystery first bloom 6.20
Happy Returns first bloom 6.21
Hopi Jewell first bloom 6.20
Jungle Queen first bloom 6.16
Land of Enchantment first bloom 6.23
Orchid Moonrise first bloom 6.21
Prairie Wildfire first bloom 6.19
Primal Scream first bloom 6.23
NOID Red Riddle first bloom 6.22
Return a Smile first bloom 6.18
Ruby Spider first bloom 6.18
Stephanie Returns first bloom 6.23
The Potter’s Touch first bloom 6.23
Wild Horses first bloom 6.16
Yellow Punch first bloom 6.22

Wow! That’s 20 more cultivators in bloom since my first post of the year! My very large array is getting larger! Today, I celebrate 3 years retired from 40 years of nursing. Quite a retirement anniversary bouquet.

I will say that some of my buds opened funny today – Stephanie Returns and Bluegrass Music both look like they wanted to sleep in. We have had days of fire weather with highs in the 90s, wind speeds 35+ MPH, and humidity under 15% (often single digits). And, we are still in extreme drought here (although no water restrictions yet). I think the buds get dried out! I will also say that the super ruffled blooms just don’t open right in such low humidity. I stay away from super ruffles now.

My community work consumes me. I don’t feel as retired as I did last year. I have always made time for the daylily blog. This year, I feel what I am doing is time-sensitive, and I need to balance my time with that in mind. I am not doing daily Instagram posts this year. I think I will update my latest blooms and gardening tips here about once a week.

Tip for today: Deserts don’t have ruffles! They have ridges.

Which of my blooms from this blog is your favorite?

See you soon! Cathy

Wax Daylily Booms of Independence Day

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Today started with a parade and will end with fireworks. Must be July 4th, In between, I visited my daylilies. I think in July in Colorado (or the desert States) that we should call them 7-11 lilies, because after about 11 AM, the blooms start to melt. I mean, they literally look like melting wax to me. Our UV is just so high for them here when the humidity drops towards the single digits. Maybe that is why I take so many photos and paint the blooms. There is no hanging out with them all day because it is just too hot and I melt, too.

Anyway – I had 43 in bloom today, including 3 premiers. No finales today. Oh, and add Maya Cha Cha = who premiered yesterday but I missed her photo with the camera. I actually take pictures with both cell and camera. I post the cell shots to my Facebook page ASAP. That is a great back-up to the camera and helps me remember what is what if I get behind on camera shots. Maya is on the phone yesterday, but not in my computer library. I guess that puts us at 76, which is a patriotic number.

Bella Lugosi premier 7.4
Just Plum Happy premier 7.4 – One of my very first daylilies. I divided her and put half in the boarder garden. The potted half died this year, but the one in the ground is doing OK.
Lullaby Baby premier 7.4 – a favorite pastel daylily
Maya Cha Cha premier 7.3
Pink Enchilada premier 7.4
Pink Rain Dance premier 7.4

It is hard to believe only 40% of my daylilies have bloomed. I probably have a dozen or so without scapes so who knows if they will skip or be late? If they don’t bloom – that means we have 92 more premiers and our bloom rate will be 93%. That’s an A in my book. I am just waiting for water cost to shoot up because they declared a state of drought emergency in my part of the State yesterday.

Keep on blooming. Happy 4th!