Tag: Quality Improvement

Black Eyes and Twirls

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Today, two brand new faces joined the yard.  I am most excited about Twirling Pinata.  It’s a new Ned Roberts spider that I added last fall.  I just love the curly ones!  The color is nice, too.

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The other one joined this spring after a trip to the nursery in Grand Junction.  The name caught my eye – Black Eyed Susan.  I like the color of those flowers.  And, the daylily version does not disappoint with the rich golden yellow-orange.  It has a LOT of buds, too. It was an early addition, so I think it is happy here.

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The blooms continue at a steady pace.  I am disappointed so many are dropping buds.  In continuous improvement, we make changes at a rapid pace to improve outcomes.  Daylilies are slower.  I can try adding more water or fertilizer, but the die have been largely cast for the year.  I’m at 35% bloom.  If all bloom with scapes (help me out here insects), then it climbs to 45%.  I am sure I will get a handful of late ones to add.  Maybe 50% for the year.

At some point, you go from having a few daylilies in your yard to being a hobbiest/collector.  For me, I think that happened at about 50.  In a way, it becomes more work at that point.  There is an art and science that you have to learn.  Most do better in pots here, a few prefer the ground.  Most all prefer the drip system on my porch.  Some areas get more sun.  I have a ton of work to do on those who didn’t bloom for the next cycle.  But, will it work for next year?

Life goes on, and the years we have left with the flowers shrinks.  Heaven help me, I will be at 80% bloom long before I run out of time.

Winding down . . . a little

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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.

 

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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.

 

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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!

 

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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.