New Faces, Finales, and Roll Call

July 16, 2018July 16, 20181 Comment

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

It’s The Peak – Sunday Roll Call

July 9, 2018July 9, 2018Leave a comment

Well, I tried to post on Friday night, but no internet. Saturday, some internet, but my phone is crashing all of the apps since the last android update. Yes, right in the middle of peak season.

So, here are the new faces from Friday

Skinwalker 7.6.18

Echo Canyon 7.6

Iktomi 7.6

Chorus Line

Blue Beat 7.6

Bella Lugosi 7.6

And here are Sunday’s additions:

Lacy Doily 7.8

Nosferatu 7.8

Red Hot Returns 7.8

South Seas 7.8

So, that is 10 new additions since my last post – and I missed a couple of new faces while camping yesterday, but they will have another chance. For now, let me finish roll call. All daylilies that bloomed between 7/2 and today – here we go. Which is your favorite?

Alabama Jubilee 7.3

Aztec Firebird 7.8

Black Arrowhead 7.2

Black Eyed Susan 7.6

Black Ice 7.5

Bluegrass Music 7.3

Canyon Colors 7.5

Catherine Irene 7.6

Chaco Canyon 7.5

Cheyenne Eyes 7.6

Chokecherry Mountain 7.3

Comanche Princess 7.6

Dark Mystery 7.5

Dream Catcher 7.5

Early Bird Cardinal 7.3

Electric Lizard 7.6

Funny Valentine 7.8

Happy Hopi 7.6

Happy Returns 7.3

Heron’s Cove 7.5

Holy Sombrero 7.5

Hopi Jewel 7.3

Indian Giver 7.3

Inwood 7.6

Isaac 7.5

Jungle Queen 7.8

Just Plum Happy 7.3

Lady Fingers 7.5

Laughing Feather 7.2

Longlesson Show-off 7.6

Lullaby Baby 7.8

Mellon Balls 7.5

Mesa Verde 7.4

Mildred Mitchell 7.5

Mini Pearl 7.5

Navajo Rodeo 7.8

Nurse’s Stethoscope 7.8

PaPa Longlegs 7.6

Passionate Returns 7.6

Petite Petticoats 7.3

Pick of the Litter 7.5

Pink and Cream 7.6

Pink Raindance 7.4

Prairie Blue Eyes 7.5

Prairie Wildfire 7.6

Prelude to Love 7.5

Primal Scream 7.4

Purple de Oro 7.6

Purple Grasshopper 7.4

Purple Many Faces 7.5

Purple Mystique 7.5

Raven Woodsong 7.4

Red Riddle 7.5

Return a Smile 7.6

Route 66 7.4

Ruby Spider 7.8

Ruby Stella 7.5

Shape Shifter 7.6

Soco Gap 7.5

Stella 7.5

Stephanie Returns 7.5

Strutter’s Ball 7.5

Taco Twister 7.6

Talon 7.8

The Colorado Kid 7.6

Thin Man 7.5

Treasure of the Southwest 7.4

Wild Horses 7.5

Wild Rose Fandango 7.4

Wineberry Candy 7.4

Yellow Punch 7.6

Zuni Thunderbird 7.4

Exponential!

July 3, 2018Leave a comment

Daylily peak is just around the corner . . . many ripe buds in the Walkway Garden now. Honestly, it is a bit daunting to photograph them all and do this job when I worked 12 hours today. First of the month is busy, especially when there is a holiday involved.

I noticed My Memories on Facebook today with some interest. Last year, I posted 19 cultivators in bloom this day. In 2016, it was three. In 2015 and 2014, it was one. 2014 was the first year that I posted photos daily to Facebook. Today, it was 35! It is like an exponential deal, a little. I think this year is enough to let me know I have enough! I have had 67 cultivators this year – 38% bloom rate. The total bloom rate for all of 2017 was 47%. To get to that number we need 79 cultivators. That is 12 more. I guestimated it would happen on July 4th. That’s 12 more in 2 days. Might happen . . . let’s see.

So, today we added 3 to our total. The first one is my biggest daylily of all – Dream Catcher. She was one of my 3 pilot daylilies in the Southwest Garden. I am not sure why she loves her spot so much, but she is big and puts on quite a show. She is another Ned Roberts spider – and related to Dream Keeper!

The Walkway Garden is my oldest daylily garden – and some of the faces have been around for several years. Prelude to Love is one of them. I know exactly where her spot is and what she looks like.

The last one for this July 2nd is Isaac. He is in the family garden – for my grandson, Isaac. A pretty yellow flower that is a bit different shape than the standard trumpet – and bigger. I was hoping for more than one scape. Oh well, last year I only had one bud. This flower brings hope that someday Isaac might be part of my life. It will take more than hope alone to make this dream come true. For today, I have a special flower.

Tomorrow, I am off to the lab early for a bunch of tests. But, first, I will try to photograph a whole bunch of blooms that I am pretty sure will be waiting for me.

Today’s other blooms were Happy Hopi, Hopi Jewel, Black Arrowhead, Black Ice, Comanche Princess, Papa Long Legs, Canyon Colors, Bluegrass Music, The Colorado Kid, Primal Scream, Red Riddle, Purple Mystique, Prairie Blue Eyes, Lady Fingers, Route 66, Pink and Cream, Yellow Punch, Ruby Stella, Jungle Queen, Nurse’s Stethoscope, Inwood, Strutter’s Ball, Return a Smile, Ruby Spider, Funny Valentine, Chaco Canyon, Wild Horses, Soco Gap, Dark Mystery, Happy Returns, Apache Bandana, Laughing Feather, Pueblo Dancer, Cheyenne Eyes, Wineberry Candy, Mini Pearl. I think that is it. Too many to keep track of. And, tomorrow could be worse!

Drizzle

July 29, 2017July 29, 2017Leave a comment

It’s Friday! So, after work, I dashed out to continue the daylily potting project. Ran out of potting soil after the first two, so ran to Home Depot. Came home and was working on another two when the rain started. It is a nice rain . . . drizzle, but enough to cool things off and wet the garden.

No new faces today. Tiger Kitten lost his only bud 😦 For tomorrow, I think maybe Nearly Wild might bloom. At any rate, I decided to make a collage like I did every day last year during the peak. I don’t have enough time do to that this year, but wanted something to show for the last of the big bloom days of July.

The rain on Wednesday bought mushrooms to my Southwest garden . . . guessing the mushroom compost come to life. Weird, in the desert.

Tomorrow, the journey continues. I wanted to be camping, but decided to plan 3 camping trips for August this weekend AND STICK TO IT!!!! But, for now, I am making good progress on the daylily potting. And, not camping in the rain. I have so much to do before freeze and Amazon is slow with my second order of pots. Oh, well, like the daylily, all we really have is this moment.

Double-Take

July 6, 2017July 6, 2017Leave a comment

The Fourth of July came and went with no blog post, so I have three new blooms to share tonight. But, before I do, I want to share this fused Ruby Spider bloom from the 4th of July. Talk about fireworks. Mother nature gave this bloom double DNA! Some experts say that weather is a factor. It got over 100 likes on the Daylily Society page!

As for new blooms, I will start with my favorite first – its name is Indian Giver. This was a bonus plant that I put in the Southwest garden last spring. I don’t have many buds this year, but I am hoping for more fans and more productive scapes next year. I love the white border!

Another new addition is Wineberry Candy – added to one of my pots that just got a drip system. The two daylilies in the pot from previous are struggling, but hopefully will come back with water. I didn’t have any of the many “candy” named ones, so I guess I do now.

Prelude to Love showed up today for the first time this year. It is a favorite. It was this afternoon that I noticed my early AM shot was blurred, so this one is what it looks like with 6 hours of high UV in nearly 100-degree heat and probably 10% humidity. Not too bad.

It’s funny how being a daylily farmer brings you closer to the earth. Some pots that were quiet last year are thriving this year, and visa versa. I am disappointed in the Southwest garden bloom rate. I did discover another cultivator with a scape today. Last year, 10 bloomed. This year, it is 13 so far have blooms or scapes But, it is somewhat different ones that bloomed this year. Of the 5 that did not repeat a bloom this year, I still have some hope for Skinwalker because it is a late bloomer. But, what causes the shift? I would guess it is that they were newly planted from the South last spring and still are adapting. It takes time for them to get established and I can’t claim that the high desert of the Colorado Plateau is natural for them. And, the trees probably need to be trimmed, but the fact that the blooms are scattered throughout the garden says that the sun issue is not profound.

For tomorrow . . . I don’t know about new blooms. I have lots of scapes in the front garden so we will see what Mother Nature brings. Work brings a 10 hour computer day!

Praise for the Sweetness of the Wet Garden

August 4, 2016Leave a comment

The rain came. Finally. Not much monsoon activity this year . . . so the big, cool storm is welcome. I got up reasonably early and several of the flowers had not bloomed all the way. Cool, wet weather. It is a nice break.

I’m two months into this daylily journey 2016. I hope for another two. It won’t peak again, but plateaus are good, too. And, then, comes the paintings. The cool weather and the presence of my granddaughter put me in the mood, a little. Ah, but alas, homework calls. Because the grandkids will be back through Sunday on their way home and due dates loom.

Enjoy the collage for today! This weekend, I am also going to try to sink some of my smaller potted daylilies into the ground. The rain will be good prep for that chore.

From L to R: Top Row – Stella de Oro, Orange Flurry, Prelude to Love, Royal Palace Prince, Marque Moon. Second Row – El Desperado, Primal Scream, Apache Uprising, Purple de Oro. Bottom – Pizza Crust.

Like a Box of Chocolates!

August 2, 2016August 2, 2016Leave a comment

So, today I applied for two more jobs and tomorrow my family comes. After that, it is some catch-up work with school. I can’t believe I am done in 6 weeks – I’ll have my Doctorate in Nursing Practice! It’s wonderful and frightening. The downside of online school is that it can be isolating. It seems especially pronounced now that we are almost done.

So, I promise myself one trip away from the dogs every couple of days. It gets me out with real humans and no leashes. Now, I love my dogs but I also enjoy feeling human. So, today I visited a local nursery that is having a plant sale. Four dollar daylilies – cool. I’ve decided to put Stellas in a couple more of my containers so they have season long bloomers. It may be good motivation to water them more – and get more blooms from the more specialty plants.

So, welcome to the yard Orange Flurry (in bloom today with scapes and buds):

Orange Flurry – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

And, another couple of Stellas. I thought it might be interesting to show the ones I got over the weekend with the new one. The new one is definitely more orange tone.

The other new ones have buds and scapes, but not in bloom today . . . so we wait. And one is a mystery label one, so like Forest Gump said . . .

Other blooms are Pizza Crust:

Pizza Crust – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Lime Frost:

Lime Frost – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Marque Moon:

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

Prelude to Love:

Prelude to Love – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Orange Vols:

Orange Vols – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

El Desperado:

El Desperado – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Royal Palace Prince:

Royal Palace Prince – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

With any luck, I’ll have blooms until Jack Frost shows. Here is to hoping I have a job by then, too! And, by next spring there will be more flourishing at my home than ever!

Return a Smile :-)

July 29, 2016July 29, 2016Leave a comment

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Fruit Doesn’t Fall that Far from the Daylily

July 26, 2016Leave a comment

Today, I got the coolest bouquet from Mother Nature. And, while I am a little sorry to be cutting so many finished scapes, I welcome some great fall bloomers. Today, a favorite that joined my yard last year – El Desperado.

I bought this one last year because it still had unbloomed scapes when I walked through the nursery one Sunday. I wasn’t sure where to put it, so I potted it and put it in the center of the yucca garden. That was the beginning of my idea to make a southwestern garden out of that space. I love the yucca, but the space needed more color, more inspiration. And, from there I got into Ned Robert’s blooms.

El Desperado – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

I obviously love daylilies. But, I don’t know if I could ever be a hybridizer. I do, however, sometimes looking at the genetic similarities of the blooms. And, El Desperado is the parent to another bloom that showed up today, Autumn Jewels.

Autumn Jewels – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

It doesn’t take much imagination to see the genetics at work. So, for fun, I looked up the other parent, Calico Jack, and found this picture. What do you think, does baby look like its parents?

Calico Jack – Google Image

The other eye-catching blooms in my yard today where Primal Scream (amidst the Potentilla).

Primal Scream – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

And, Zuni Thunderbird. Break out the paint brush. The buds are getting used up . . . one left?

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

So, here is the collage. I’m at 13 today. Without the additions of last fall and this spring, I believe I would be at two. I can live with that. Viva La Daylilies!

L to R: Top Row – Marque Moon, Soco Gap, Isaac. Second Row – Prelude to Love, El Desperado, Primal Scream, Autumn Jewels, Zuni Thunderbird. Bottom Row – Skinwalker, Mini Pearl, Orange Vols, Melon Balls, Lime Frost.

Peaks and Troughs

July 23, 2016Leave a comment

In medicine, we draw peak and trough levels after giving some meds. It tells us where the medication reaches its highest and lowest levels. So, yesterday, I got my daylily peak with 26 cultivators in bloom. It’s a high therapeutic level. For me, anyway.

Today, the level dropped off a bit. Only 9. So, I am highlighting my Mexican Daylily (Shell Flower) in the background. Those bulb blooms look like blown glass. Really nice complementary flowers in my yard.

From L to R: Top Row – Aztec Firebird, Soco Gap, Dream Catcher. Row Two – Purple De Oro, Prelude to Love, South Seas, Orange Vols. Bottom Row – Blue Beat, Chorusline.

So, some statistics – I have 135 cultivators living in my yard. Fifty-seven of those have bloomed this year, 78 wait in the wings. Most of the new garden will wait until next year, although I am approaching a bloom rate of 20% out there. Who knows what will happen when you turn a rock pile into a garden?

I have some in pots that did less well – much less well – than average. I am not sure what happened to Cheddar Cheese, but all it’s buds fell off. Nosferatu did not bloom, nor did Funny Valentine. Inwood put forth 3 blooms and Strutter’s Ball, only one. Next spring, more water earlier in the season. Because, next year, my goal is 80% bloom rate. Or, bust!

Colorado Kid Daylilies

A Blog About My Western Colorado Daylily Adventure

Tag: Prelude to Love