Pizza Crust for Lunch

July 31, 2016Leave a comment

Pizza crust is what I had for lunch. I shared a bite with my doggies . . . and then I found my daylily, Pizza Crust, in bloom. This is a brand new baby to my yard. I really love the mottling. The colors are neat – and it is tall enough to go perfect in a back space in my flower garden. You see, I planted the daylilies in that garden last summer, then dug out the old red concrete bed in the fall. The bed is bigger than I thought, but the grass had grown over the edge. I added bricks to the outside of the bed so that should not happen, again.

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

Another new bloom today is Royal Palace Prince. It is a nice one that was a gift plant last summer. I have found that my gift plants have had a higher rate of bloom this year (in my main garden) than the ones I picked. I am guessing the hardy ones are generally the ones the sellers use as bonuses.

Royal Palace Prince – Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Here are the other bloomers – the two small orange gals, Mini Pearl and Mellon Balls:

Lime Frost – I wish it was a lime Frosty:

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

Primal Scream:

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

El Desperado:

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

Ghost Ranch:

Ghost Ranch – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Marque Moon:

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

Soco Gap:

Soco Gap – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

And, by golly, Miss Stella. I am still chuckling at the poor nursery person who was trying to be nice and explain daylilies to me. I said, “Yea, they are cool. I have 130 varieties in my yard.” Oh, the look on his face. He went immediately back to watering. Here is Stella:

Stella de Oro – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

And, my mind is now thinking of where to put the gift plants that I put in pots and they didn’t bloom. I have ideas . . . now, wait for September.

Winding down . . . a little

July 28, 2016Leave a comment

The daylily peak has come, and gone, for another year. With my intense focus on savoring it during this summer of my doctorate, I am almost glad. Heavy on the almost. As with all things, we assimilate over time. If I did not get my daylily withdraw pains from November through March (yes, fans count!), I would not have time to think creatively about daylilies in a new way. Last year, I made tile coasters, tiled tables, self-watering jars, and solar lit mason jars all with the images of my daylily heavy summer.

Dream Catcher – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

If I have any regrets about this year, it is not the yard improvements that I have made. It is that some of my regulars did not bloom . . . or had much-reduced bloom. I am not sure why . . . well, probably water and sunshine. I am sure I played into it by putting pots in places that were too shady or not pre-watering enough in the spring. But, there is something bigger, because two of my three clumps of flamingo grass also did not bloom. Strange.

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

I’ve already made changes in the last couple of weeks. Amended soils, moved pots, changed watering systems. It’s a long quality improvement cycle until next spring. Oh, how I wish daylilies could talk. That said, I have a few sending up scapes for later blooms – one that last bloomed 2 years ago. At any rate, last count I have had 64 of 135 bloom this year. That’s 47%. I have 4 more with scapes that have not bloomed yet. If they all survive, I will hit 50. That’s good, but leaves room for some quality improvement to make sure all my new additions this year can flourish. Look out, 2017!

From L to R: Top Row – El Desperado, Dream Catcher. Second Row – Marque Moon, Lime Frost, South Seas. Third Row – Primal Scream, Soco Gap, Melon Balls.

Back to the Drawing Board

July 27, 2016Leave a comment

Going back to the drawing board is both literal and figurative for me this day. And, when you are a creative, drawing boards can help generate positive emotion.

When I buy daylilies with southwestern names, I usually am attracted to names like Mesa Verde and Chaco Canyon – places where I have been. With Ghost Ranch, I put the cart before the horse. Or, the daylily before the trip.

Oh, the name sounded southwestern, and it is a Ned Roberts bloom, so I Googled it. Much to my surprise, this place called Ghost Ranch was just over in my neighbor, New Mexico. At first, I saw it said no dogs. But, I did call the morning we were driving through that area on the road trip. Dogs, sure! Just bring a leash.

This is a beautiful place that is the subject of Georgia O’Keefe’s paintings. It is clearly on the Colorado Plateau – I knew as soon as saw the rock structures. The only downside was that we got there during the beginning of a good size windstorm, so hiking was not as fun and the light was rather muted. At any rate, here is Ghost Ranch on Ghost Ranch . . . my drawing board.

Ghost Ranch was the only new bloom today. I had 10 different cultivators today. Nice little smiles, each. My last Blue Beat, though. See you next year! No, wait. See you when I break out the Christmas present paint.

From R to L: Top Row – Classy Lady, Fine Time Lucille, Desert Icicle, Blue Beat, South Seas. Row Two: Primal Scream, Lullaby Baby, Ghost Ranch, Marque Moon, Mini Pearl.

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.

First Frost! (and 26 daylilies)

July 23, 2016July 23, 2016Leave a comment

No, it’s really 88 degrees. It would be warmer if the monsoon clouds weren’t providing some shade. No real rain yet, but cooler than the last few weeks. In fact, cool enough for frost. Well, Lime Frost.

When I arranged daylilies last summer, I put plant labels and entered each location in my software. However, it doesn’t really sink in what is where until they bloom and then you remember to color. So, when I was checking for buds last night, I was surprised that Lime Frost looked full-term. This is booked as a very late season bloomer, but it is still mid-July. Oh, well, we had Desert Icicles so welcome to our delusion of cold weather.

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

Another brand new face is Autumn Jewel. This was a gift plant – this spring. A later gift plant, even. I love the bloom. It is a relative of El Desperado. It’s slated as another late bloomer. But, here it is anyway.

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

Fine Time Lucille is another brand new face today. I ordered her last summer when I was first learning the online order thing. The name sold this one . . . I have been humming the song all day.

Fine Time Lucille (with Primal Scream) – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

And, Skinwalker showed up in my Southwestern garden today . . . these first blooms are sometimes a little rough looking. Hoping for more soon from this one!

Skinwalker – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Of mention is that Electric Lizard, having been fertilized, put in another pale bloom. I now wonder if it has too much sun. I am getting some more fans at a summer sale, as I think it would look better a little fuller.

Electric Lizard – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

So, here is the collage with all 26 blooms. I tried for rainbow order, as I had both a near-blue and a green in bloom today.

From L to R: Top Row – Baja, Indian Love Call, Ruby Spider, Thin Man, Soco Gap. Second Row – Orange Vols, Primal Scream, Aztec Firebird, South Seas. Third Row – Mini Pearl, Mayan Poppy, Pick of the Litter. Fourth Row – Skinwalker, Electric Lizard, Dream Catcher, Lullaby Baby. Fifth Row – Lime Frost. Sixth Row – Blue Beat. Seventh Row – Stephanie Returns, Prairie Blue Eyes, Return A Smile, Fine Time Lucille. Eighth Row – Blackthorne, Zuni Thunderbird, Purple de Oro, Autumn Jewel.

As peak lingers, I begin to think of next year. I want to do more work with the Southwest garden. Maybe some compost or manure around each plant. Loosen the soil around the roots and add the amendments. That area has been sterile of plants so long, it probably could use some bio additives. Pots, yes, some need to be relocated. Others need pebbles in the bottoms. It will be fun moving them inside the porch this winter – the evergreens. I have had 57 different cultivators bloom so far this year. Next year, 100 by this time! Let’s do it!

The Monarch Has Landed!

July 20, 2016July 20, 2016Leave a comment

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.

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

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

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.

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 😦

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!

The Daylily Dozen (plus one)

July 12, 2016July 12, 2016Leave a comment

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.

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.

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.

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).

“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.

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.

Not Southwestern, but Native American

July 7, 2016July 7, 2016Leave a comment

I sit in a hotel so that I can attend a clinical conference the next few days. It’s going to be good, I think. Still, I hate missing daylily blooms.

Today’s featured bloom is Soco Gap. It was sent as a gift plant last fall. I had no clue what the name meant so I Googled it and found out that it does link to Native Americans. Soco Gap was a place in North Carolina where the Shawnee were defeated by the Cherokee. Therefore, it is in my Southwestern (mostly) Ned Roberts garden. It is a pretty bloom amongst the yucca plants. I like the red-orange color.

Soco Gap – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

The other new face today is Mildred Mitchell. The name reminds me a bit of Watergate, but it is really named for the hybridizers family member. It is a near blue, which was clear to my eye. It was too bright by the time I got out and it does not look blue to the camera under the sun. It is a pretty flower, just the same.

Mildred Mitchell – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

The other bloom that I will mention in the text is Return A Smile. She had blooms in her container on the porch and in the front garden. It is a division of the same plant. I am amazed by the difference that the sun exposure makes to color. It makes identification much more interesting because these guys are not color stable in bright sun.

And, my collage for today. Best day yet – that is nine blooms if you count both Return a Smile blooms. (Flowers moving clockwise from top left – Mesa Verde, Early Bird Cardinal, Primal Scream, Ruby Spider, and Lady Fingers (center).

Mesa Verde, Early Bird Cardinal, Primal Scream, Ruby Spider, and Lady Fingers – Photos by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Can’t wait to see what is up next when I return home! I am considering finding high country flowers as I walk around this area and blogging a bit about those. I am at 9,000+ feet above sea level. And, I have empty nest for my own garden already. 🙂

Where have all my daylilies gone?

July 2, 2016July 2, 2016Leave a comment

Hey, it is the 4th of July weekend. Normal daylily peak bloom in my yard is the next couple of weeks. I look at my posts to Facebook the past two years, and those blooms are behind. After cool, rainy weather for the last couple of days, I only had three blooms today. Look, I’ve got over 100 varieties in my yard . . . so three? Really?

What can you do but sit and wait? And, take photos of your new hostas. Yes, that is how I decided to balance my yard a little . . . with shade foliage plants. My yard has sunny spots where the daylilies flourish. It also had a lot of established trees and, therefore, shade. Those areas just aren’t good for daylily blooms. So, this year I have found some great online hosta sites and I am trying a few out to see how they do. I love that the color is permanent, whereas the daylilies bloom for one day. It seems like yin and yang. The hot colors of the sun-loving daylilies and the cool colors of the shade-loving hosta.

Before I share my (still very much) baby hosta photos, let’s visit the daylilies. Since it is red, white, and blue weekend, let’s start with Ruby Spider. As always, stunning.

Then that mystery daylily that is, most likely Primal Scream and not Desert Flame. Very eye-catching, even in the muted light.

Lastly, poor little Black Ice who did not want to bloom in the rain. I had to go out after lunchtime to finally find it fully open for the day. With a name like Black Ice, you would think it would appreciate the cooler weather. No, wait, it’s a daylily.

OK, so here are my baby hosta plants. I love the blues, yellows and variegated ones. The adult plants are much showier. I can’t wait to see them in a year! But, starting with roots is economical beyond belief. And, they can grow into their space in a few years. Like daylily roots, buying this way means you wait a bit longer. And, it’s usually worth the wait.

Tomorrow, it looks like there is a possibility of more blossoms. Maybe even some new faces. And, more sun. I sure hope so. My dogs are in hoodies and I want to crawl under my blanket. Happy 4th of July weekend from the Colorado Plateau.

There is a fire in the garden! No, scream!

June 29, 2016June 29, 2016Leave a comment

The Southwest (mostly) Ned Roberts spider garden has had a new kid in bloom almost every day. As I toured my gardens last evening, I noted that one labeled Desert Flame was obviously about to bloom. So, this morning, I headed out to see if it had given birth. And, there was a gorgeous orange bloom. Breath taking.

Primal Scream or Desert Flame? – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

So, I scurried in to attend a webinar after getting some photos. When the webinar was cancelled, I played with the photos a bit and posted the beauty to the American Hemerocallis Society page. And, immediately several posted that my bloom was no Desert Flame . . . it looks like Primal Scream. It’s one I bought locally to fill in some left over space in the new Southwestern garden. I have another new Primal Scream in the main garden. Maybe I should move them together once its blooms are done. [The ones below are web photos of Desert Flame and Primal Scream (in that order). What do you think?]

Interestingly enough, that same nursery had some unmarked daylilies. I asked what they were. They had no idea. None of the tags matched. They sold me one for half price . . . and I took their advise to pot it until it blooms. So, it sits (unbloomed) on my front porch. And, now I wonder if that will be the real Desert Flame. (PS Primal Scream is more popular/expensive, so the daylily folks think I got a good deal). I guess it is good just to savor the beauty.

Primal Scream or Desert Flame??? – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Other blooms today:

Mesa Verde – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Mesa Verde is back

Chief Four (Three) Fingers – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

As is Chief Four (Three) Fingers

Hope Jewel – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

And, Hopi Jewel

Add old favorites, Ruby Spider

Ruby Spider – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Chama Valley

And, Early Bird Cardinal

Early Bird Cardinal – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

As we move into peak season, I may post photos of the new blooms as big photos. And, make a collage or two with the others. Maybe themes – like by color or garden. I don’t know. But it calls on my creativity strength. So, it will be fun. Too bad I can’t count this toward my clinical hours. It’s positive psychology related!

Colorado Kid Daylilies

A Blog About My Western Colorado Daylily Adventure

Tag: Primal Scream

Pizza Crust for Lunch

Winding down . . . a little

Back to the Drawing Board

The Fruit Doesn’t Fall that Far from the Daylily

First Frost! (and 26 daylilies)

The Monarch Has Landed!

The Daylily Dozen (plus one)

Not Southwestern, but Native American

Where have all my daylilies gone?

There is a fire in the garden! No, scream!