Tag: Prelude to Love

The Monarch Has Landed!

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Today, I continue the wait for news.  I worry some, and know that my daylilies will pull me back into the moment. I step outside, with camera in hand (and a queezy stomach) to admire my days blooms.  I work it from the porch to the west edge of the walkway garden.  Then out to check some of my pots and the xeriscaped area before going out to check on my Southwest named Ned Roberts garden.  I am almost done, but decide to stop for one more shot of South Seas next to Primal Scream.  Routine.

And, then, I spot it . . . a large Monarch butterfly on Thin Man.  I quickly take my PowerShot out of close-up mode and attempt to focus on the distant flower.  The Monarch was flower-hopping.  From one to the next.  I got a few good shots . . .  in others, she seemed intent in hiding from me.  Here are my favorites.

 

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Monarch on an old Orange Vols bloom – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

 

 

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Monarch in the South Seas – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

 

 

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Monarch on the Orange Vols – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

 

The only new bloom for 2016 today is Baja.  For some reason, this is one of my favorites each year.

 

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Baja – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C  Hartt

 

Of note, my other Primal Scream bloomed.  The one that was labeled Primal Scream (and not Desert Flame).  This was one of my <$5 fall sale daylilies.  It struggled with insects when I planted it.  I was unsure if it would come back in the spring, let alone bloom.  But, her it is.  The bloom is smaller than on the new nursery-bought plant that I thought was Desert Flame.  But it is a different location and year one for a smaller fan.  What do you think, same flower?  (Today’s bloom is on the left.)

Today’s collage is by garden area.  The top blooms are in my walkway garden.  The middle ones are in the xeriscaped area of my front lawn.  And, the last ones are in my Southwest named daylily (mostly Ned Roberts) to the West of my house.  Sadly, I believe we have seen the last Ruby Spider for the year 😦

 

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From L to R: Top Row: Mini Pearl, Chorus Line,  Prelude to Love, Primal Scream.  Second Row – Baja, South Seas, Thin Man.  Third Row – Indian Love Call, Lady Fingers, Fooled Me.  Bottom Row – Dream Catcher, Zuni Thunderbird, Aztec Firebird.

 

I wonder what blooms today’s monsoon will bring tomorrow?  Hopefully blooms of news!

And, the Peak Goes On! (In Colorado)

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I walked out the door to over twice as many blooms as yesterday.  Twenty-one!  So, we are continuing to climb to the apex of the season.  Interesting that in this bouquet that there are no new cultivators.  So, what to talk about?  Perhaps what the sun does to color in daylilies.  I am no hybridizer, but I was a printer at one point much earlier in my life.  I learned about color then . . . additive and subtractive.  

It is my understanding that daylilies don’t have genes to make blue.  So, the near blue flowers are a mosaic.  Additive color is what I use when I paint my blooms.  It is easy compared to subtractive color . . . which is done with light and filters.  If I was issuing a somewhat educated guess, I would say this must be a subtractive process.  

So, here is my stunning Blue Beat before the rays of sun hit it directly: 

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Blue Beat – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

 

And here it is just 5-10 minutes later, as the first rays of sun found its pedals: ( It shifts from blue, green, and light pink to peach, yellow, and purple).  I would love to hear a hybridizer’s take on this!

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Blue Beat – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

 

I had a lot of cool spiders today – Ruby Spider, Thin Man, Aztec Firebird, Zuni Thunderbird, and Desert Icicle.  Here is one with Ruby and the Thin Man.

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Ruby Spider with Thin Man in the distance – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

 

Also, three out of five in my family garden are blooming today: Here are all three: Isaac (grandson), Mini Pearl (Minnie Pearl – grandma), and Stephanie (daughter).  The colors are nice together.  Maya Poppy (for granddaughter, Maia) is going to blend right in.  Hopefully, soon.  Catherine Irene, momma’s namesake, looks like it is waiting for now.

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All in the Family from L to R: Isaac, Mini Pearl, and Stephanie Returns – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

 

So, here are today’s 21.  Busiest day of 2016 so far.  At least until I start trying to paint all of these for Christmas presents!  Oh, help!

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In alphabetical order from L to R: Top Row – Aztec Firebird, Blue Beat, Desert Icicle, Early Bird Cardinal, Isaac.  Row Two – Lady Fingers, Mesa Verde, Mini Pearl, Pick of the Litter, Prelude to Love, Purple de Oro. Row Three – Razzamatazz, Return a Smile, Route 66, Ruby Spider, Soco Gap, South Seas.  Bottom Row – Stephanie Returns, Thin Man, VooDoo Dancer and Zuni Thunderbird.

 

So, I am ready for a nap!

Climbing to the Peak of Daylily Color

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If yesterday was a little quiet (for July) in my garden, today was a bit overwhelming.  There were several new faces.

Thin Man bloomed for the first time ever – the biggest bloom (12 inches) in my garden.

 

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Thin Man – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

 

One of my Ned Roberts Southwest spiders also showed his colors for the first time ever in my yard.  Meet Aztec Firebird.

 

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Aztec Firebird – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

 

And, a nice little addition called Pick of the Litter was also a first-time in my yard bloomer today.  Funny, this was a gift plant and I don’t remember the plant it came with – or if that plant has bloomed.

 

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Pick of the Litter – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

 

First blooms for 2016 in my existing daylilies included one that I don’t have a name for – so I decided to call it Montrose Sunset.  I picked this up when I xeriscaped a few years ago . . . before I was a true hobbiest.  And, I cannot find the name but I like the bloom a lot.

 

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??? “Montrose Sunset” – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

 

Prelude to Love is a pretty dark red/purple bloom that reappears each year, as well.

 

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

 

Strutter’s Ball is one I added last year and (like its neighbors, Inwood and Funny Valentine) it is astruggling to produce blooms this year.  I decided today that when my blues finish blooming in a week or two, I will switch their locations and see what happens.  The issue, I believe, is figuring out which pots the sprinkler system over-waters, and which it under-waters.  And, then, balancing that.

 

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Strutter’s Ball – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

 

Cheddar Cheese, aptly, lives near my outdoor grill and is back to top-off our hamburgers.

 

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Cheddar Cheese – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

 

Blackthorn is one I put in last year – I really like this bloom!

 

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Blackthorne – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

 

And, here is today’s collage.  I tried to put this is semi-rainbow order.  It is a lot of color, for sure.  The peak has come to this yard on the Colorado Plateau.

 

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From L to R: Top Row: Route 66, ? “Montrose Sunset”, Isaac, Mildred Mitchell, Razzamatazz, Prelude to Love. Row Two: Indian Love Call, Soco Gap, Aztec Firebird, Lady Fingers, Purple De Oro, Strutters Ball.  Row Three: Early Bird Cardinal, Thin Man, Cheddar Cheese, (Lady Fingers), Blackthorn, VooDoo Dancer.  Bottom Row: Stephanie Returns, Pick of the Litter and Return a Smile.

 

Hey, folks, that is eight new blooms in the yard today.  That puts me at circa 45 different blooms this year. (That means about 90 have not bloomed – but many are year ones or small year twos.)   I only need 20+ more to hit 50%.  I have a lot of scapes – so maybe . . . stay tuned.