And, decidedly into the fire. Several new blooms for 2022 doesn’t sound like many. It really isn’t too bad. Going from less than a dozen in bloom/day to almost 2 dozen today felt like daylily season.
Chaco Canyon 6.29
I have 72 cultivators with scapea and or bloomed in the Southwest Visions garden. I don’t have more than a handful with nothing. It’s the same everywhere in my yard this year.
Purple Moonrise 6.29
I had 2 premiere Ned Roberts spiders. Chaco Canyon and Orchid Moonrise.
Other premiers are Jungle Queen, Early Bird Cardinal, Thin Man, Primal Scream, and Mesa Verde.
. . . and dried up all the rain. And, I ended up with over 60 cultivators, again!
Rain is a rare thing here in Western Colorado. The US average is 38 inches of rain a year, we get 11 on a good year here in Montrose. The South, where many of my bloomers came from, gets an average of 45 inches or more. Rain is a good thing – it brings the temps down, too.
Today, we will get back to the high 80s and it is sunny. We are sunny here 245 days/year. That is 40 more days than the national average. My daylilies probably wonder what planet they landed on.
Anyway – I had 3 premiers and 5 finales. The output is higher than the intake, which means we are on the downside of peak but it hasn’t really shown in our bloom count yet. It is like hospitalizations vs positive tests with COVID. It takes a while for the change to show up in both areas.
Premiers . . .
Zuni Eye 7.15 – Never has a high bud count but the size of the bloom makes up for it. This is Zuni Eye next to Purple Grasshopper for size comparison. I love this big guy!Treasure of the Southwest 7.15 – A late first bloom for this guy. Guessing the move to the pot. I have several that need to be divided now because of their pot confinement.Frans Hals 7.15 – And, my later bloomers are starting to show up. Frans Hals use to be my season finale daylily. I got him when I first started mail order. I thought it was the most beautiful daylily I ever saw and wondered why anyone would want anything else. LOL. Seriously.
Finales . . .
Return a Smile 7.14 FinaleNOID Fringe Benefit 7.14 finaleOjo de Dios 7.15 finaleChief Four Fingers 7.15 finalePrimal Scream 7.15 finale
Weirdly, Bella Boo, Purple Mystic, and Just Plum happy put out blooms today after I said finale. It isn’t a rebloom, it is me missing a bud.
Next week is my camping road trip. I will only be out of the garden for 4 days. Honestly, I am ready to take some scenic photos and get a little breather from the garden. Yeez, though – my hedge needs to be trimmed before I go. I can tell we got rain.
I’m back! My house is cleaner and I feel like I can pick-up the blog, again. Don’t worry, I spent my usual amount of time with my daylilies in the AM. I love getting photos of them – something to get out of bed for. After three years of a stressful job and a commute, I just had to clean because my poor home has been like a neglected garden. I needed to pull weeds and plant some new seeds.
I am going to show off my June blooms (A to Z) for June in this post. I am going to have a good bloom rate this year and it sort of scares me what peak will be like with all my plants so happy. Good thing the house is clean. I count 51 cultivators for June 2021. Last year, it was 50 in June – so close. I think I have about 180 cultivators now – almost 30% have bloomed.
Alabama Jubilee – premiered 6.26All American Chief premiered 6.22Apache Bandana premiered 6.30Big Red Rhyme (my NOID name for her) premiered 6.22Canyon Colors premiered 6.15Catherine Irene premiered 6.24Chaco Canyon premiered 6.27Chief Four Fingers premiered 6.27 (with some bug damage but more buds ahead)Comanche Princess premiered 6.18Dream Keeper premiered 6.11, finale was 7.1Early Bird Cardinal premiered 6.27Echo Canyon premiered 6.21“Fringe Benefit” premiered 6.27 (mislabeled bonus but I still call her that)Funny Valentine premiered 6.20Happy Returns – I believe the real cultivator is yellow and some of my gold ones are actually Stella – this one premiered 6.25Hopi Jewel premiered 6.27Indian Giver premiered 6.30Inwood premiered 6.22Kachina Dancer premiered 6.30Kokopelli premiered 6.25Lady Fingers premiered 6.23Land of Enchantment premiered 6.23Mauna Loa premiered 6.27Mesa Verde premiered 6.15Mini Pearl premiered 6.26Mount Echo Sunrise premiered 6.28Nurse’s Stethoscope (the only registered daylily I helped to name) premiered 6.24Ojo de Dios premiered 6.28Orchid Moonrise premiered 6.17Pardon Me premiered 6.30Passionate Returns premiered 6.28Petite Petticoats premiered 6.26Pink and Cream premiered 6.24Platinum Pink Pallet Whispers premiered 6.21Primal Scream premiered 6.25Purple Grasshopper premiered 6.11Purple Moonrise (larger bloom on the R, to the left is Orchid Moonrise) premier bloom 6.15Purple Mystic (my name for NOID) premiered 6.24Red Riddle (my name for NOID) premiered 6.23Return a Smile premiered 6.25Ruby Spider premiered 6.22Santa’s Pants premiered 6.26Saratoga Springtime premier 6/3, finale 6.23 – The star of early daylily season. A big, fancy yellow trumpet.Scorpio premier 6.26, finale 6.29. Only two buds for the first bloom ever after 5 years in my yard.South Seas premier 6.30Stella premier 6.7 and dwindling – I don’t think we have a finale yet but maybe.Stephanie Returns premier 6.30The Colorado Kid premier 6.23Wild Horses premier 6.15Yellow Punch premier 6.15Yellow Stella premier 6.18
Let’s close the book on June for 2021 – It’s a wrap!
What a long day . . . meetings, packing, daylilies. The day before a roadtrip making I have insurance and AAA cards, etc. And, the first time I went into work since March 13! How crazy is that?. Gosh, I don’t miss spending 4-5 hours/week on the road.
Talon threw a double today 7.7.20
Anyway – let’s get today tied up since it is already tomorrow – which means I’m on vacation. Except I have to do some work before I leave tomorrow. But, well, who cares.
Coyote Laughs 7.7.20
Premiers – a huge event in the Southwest Garden – Coyote Laughs bloomed! After 4 years in my garden – she bloomed for the very first time. She looks like Winds of Love.
Lobo Lucy 7.7.20
And, speaking of 4-legged dog-type wild beasts – Lobo Lucy also premiered for 2020 today.
Nosferatu 7.7.20
The REAL Nosferatu also premiered – the Nosferatwo mystery is similar, but redder.
Lacy Doily 7.7.20
Lacy Doily is the cutest little mini double bloom. She also premiered.
Just Plum Happy photo from 2018
I am going to mention the elusive Just Plum Happy here because she is growing sort of under a shrub in the border garden and I missed her premier yesterday. This is the first time ever for her to bloom in the border garden (I have another one potted) – thank you drip system.
Ojo de Dios 7.7.20
Now, some finales 😦 Two Roberts Spiders – Ojo de Dios has been an amazing bloomer this summer.
Purple Many Faces 7.7.20
Purple Many Faces is also calling it a year.
Primal Scream 7.7.20
And, Primal Scream is going quiet until 2021.
Nurse’s Stethoscope 7.7.20
Last but not least – my Nurse’s Stethoscope is off-shift until next year.
It will be weird to miss nearly a week of bloomers – I hope I don’t miss any few-buds wonders all together. I will blog tomorrow, then break-time while I blog about my trip for my grands and anyone else who likes SW travel on my other blog.
PS – We have hit 80 cultivators for 2020. Fourty-seven percent. Seems like more when I am going through all the photos.
So many people wonder why I am so into daylilies. Afterall, they only last one day. I have orchids, but I am growing pretty bored and letting them go – maybe because the blooms last so long that, after a while, you stop noticing.
Primal Scream 7.2.20
Novel experience (as long as it is positive) boosts human wellbeing. We get a dopamine rush when we see something new! Novel experiences boost our memory and improve our longevity. I’m a creative – I need novel experiences to feel alive.
Pink Rain Dance 7.2.20
It is funny, because life was in a horrible rut before the novel coronavirus entered my life. Suddenly, the world turned upside-down. My onground job went online. My whole routine changed. Life was novel. Not to say that a novel virus (one that is a whole new experience to the human immune system) is good for us because it is not a positive kind of experience.
Hopi Jewel 7.2.20
So, yea, each bud opens and last a day (two in cold weather). But, if you get enough buds on enough plants, it plays this beautiful melody that is unique each and everyday.
Talon 7.2.20
I had 40 today. I’m beat going through photos, but had some great premiers. My strange and handsome Talon gave me a premier bloom for 2020 today.
Cherokee Star 7.2.20
And, Cherokee Star, who chose not to bloom last year, returned for a 2020 premier today. She looks like velvet.
Happy Hopi 7.2.1
Speaking of happiness, Happy Hopi showed up today for another bloom year. She has the most interesting shape – definitely NOT a trumpet.
Indian Giver 7.2.20
Indian Giver opened her first bud of the year today – a fun bonus daylily in the Southwest garden.
Prairie Wildfire 7.2.20
The front garden is coming to life a little more with some fun color – Prairie Wildfire showed up and looks ready for July 4th in Red, White and Blue.
Black Eyed Susan 7.2.20
Black Eyed Susan also came into view today – she adds some new color to my Stella pot.
Stephanie Returns 7.2.20
And, in my family garden, my Stephanie Returns returned. Maybe, someday she will return into my life. For now, the flower reminds me of her beautiful spirit.
Rocky Mountain Pals 7.2.20
Daylily Savings Time should mean we only need 4 hours of sleep so we have enough time for the peak. I guess there can be too much novelty. I read we need to balance it with daily routine . . . except, each bloom lasts only one day.
Last year, I posted all my blooms each week on Sunday since it is too much to do daily. This year, I am going to try to do a recap at the end of the month. So, for June 2020, we had the following 50:
All American Chief 6.26.20Blue Beat 6.2020Canyon Colors 6.19.20Catherine Irene 6.28.20Chaco Canyon 6.25.20Cheyenne Eyes 6.30.20Comanche Princess 6.29.20Coral Taco 6.30.20Dream Keeper 6.7.20Early Bird Cardinal 6.29.20Echo Canyon 6.29.20Funny Valentine 6.19.20Happy Returns 6.21.20Hopi Jewel 6.28.20Indian Love Call 6.25.20Inwood 6.24.20Jungle Queen 6.21.20Kachina Dancer 6.30.20Kokopelli 6.25.20Lady Fingers 6.30.20Land of Enchantment 6.20.20Laughing Feather 6.26.20Mauna Loa 6.28.20Mesa Verde 6.28.20Mildred Mitchell 6.24.20Mini Pearl 6.28.20Mount Echo Sunrise 6.30.20Name Unknown “Nosferatwo” 6.25.20Nurse’s Stethoscope 6.22.20Ojo de Dios 6.28.20Petite Petticoats 6.24.20Pink and Cream 6.24.20Pink Enchilada 6.30.20Pink Rain Dance 6.29.20Prairie Blue Eyes 6.29.20Primal Scream 6.30.20Purple Many Faces 6.25.20Return a Smile 6.25.20Rocky Mountain Pals 6.29.20Ruby Spider 6.24.20Santa’s Pants 6.28.20Saratoga Springtime 6.18.20Golden Stella de Oro 6.18.20Yellow Stella de Oro 6.28.20The Colorado Kid 6.24.20Thin Man 6.30.30Wild Horses 6.29.20Wineberry Candy 6.28.20Yellow Punch 6.19.20
I left the new sprinkler system on too long – I got on a video meeting and totally forgot. I am sure I will have the water bill from h@## this summer. Why??? Because see the map below – the darkest red is an “exceptional drought”. The blue circle is my home region. It is a drought year, and getting worse each day.
It’s the kind of year where there are less scapes and more buds that just turn brown and fall-off. Two years ago, we were probably in worse shape at this point . . . and that is why I started to think about more drip systems. I mean, mine are DIY but they do the trick to make the ground moist. Even if they cost more than mom nature. Water now . . . before the restrictions!
Ruby Spider 6.23.20
I had a few premiers today. Let’s start with Ruby Spider. While I always liked daylilies, she is the first one I looked forward to every year. She is the first one that had her own unique flower-ality.
Primal Scream 6.23.20
Primal Scream – I had to have this one early in my daylily days because of the name! I got this sad, inexpensive fan that took a couple years to bloom. Then, the garden store sold me something they labeled as Desert Flame – but I am 99.9% sure it is also Primal Scream. So, I have one on the porch that is big and blooming.
Mount Echo Sunrise 6.23.20
Mount Echo Sunrise – A Robert’s spider with the coolest green throat and beautiful light yellow color. She lives up to her name.
Mystery Daylily – “Nosferatwo” 6.23.20
Then – one of my mystery daylilies that were dying in a garden I put them in before I was into daylilies. They were little seedling sized things. I noticed that about the same time I realized my potted daylilies were 2-3 X the size as my in-ground babies. So, I put them in a pot together not having a clue what was what. I think this may be Nosferatu but I really don’t know, so she is called Nosferatwo for now.
Indian Love Call 6.23.20
I have my droughts that it will be as high of a bloom rate as last year. There are some cultivators who are still small and scapeless. These poor babies came from down South – daylily land. Here they are in the stinkin’ desert doing their best despite their droughts. (I had 21 in bloom today . . . let’s see what tomorrow brings.)
So, I had a record number of cultivators in bloom the day before my trip, but no time to blog. Tomorrow, I’m home but too late to see any blooms. So, here is the 7/16 batch. Honestly, I don’t remember which were new bloom, but I’ll try. It’ll be good to see what’s new on Sunday!
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.
Colorado Kid Daylilies 