Colorado Foothills

Gradual increases in elevation as we climb to the peak. Today, it felt like the peak was not too much more of a climb. Grab your oxygen, here are the new blooms for today:

Cricket Call 7.7 (Ned Roberts spider #15)
Maya Cha Cha 7.7 (Ned Roberts spider #16)
Mayan Poppy 7.7
Nona’s Garnet Spider 7.7
Prairie Blue Eyes 7.7
Prelude to Love 7.7
Quilt Patch 7.7
Return a Smile 7.7
Rocky Mountain Pals 7.7 (Ned Roberts spider #17)

That’s 9 new, 44 in bloom today, and 70 total that have bloomed this year. That’s a 40% bloom rate and we are headed for around 90%. 70 down, almost 100 to go to reach that goal. Makes me tired but tomorrow, we climb, again. Good thing for our Rocky Mountain Pals.

July Daylily Round-up N-Z

Here is part 1 of this blog post These posts include all daylilies that were in bloom in July in my yard. Please see first post for more details.

Navajo Grey Hills 7.16-present
Nearly Wild 7.11-7.31
Nona’s Garnet Spider 7.5-7.18
Nosferatu 7.12-7.19 (end 7.19-7.24 during vaca)
Nurse’s Stethoscope 6.24-7.16
Oh Erica 7.17 (end 7.19-7.24 during vaca)
Ojo de Dios 6.28-7.15
Orange Flurry 7.10-7.26
Orange Vols 7.27-present
Orchid Moonrise 6.17-7.8
Papa Longlegs 7.2-7.17
Pardon Me 6.30-7.18
Passionate Returns 6.28-7.29
Petite Petticoats 6.26-7.10
Pink and Cream 6.24-7.11
Pink Enchalada 7.4-7.18
Pink Rain Dance 7.4-7.25
Pizza Crust (started week of 7.19)-present
Platinum Pink Pallet Whispers 6.21-7.2
Prairie Blue Eyes 7.1-7.27
Prelude to Love 7.3-8.1
Primal Scream 6.25-7.15
Pueblo Dreamer 7.5-7.19
Purple Corn Dancer 7.27-present
Purple de Oro 7.11-7.16
Purple Many Faces 7.17-7.27
Purple Thunderbird 7.26-present
Purple Grasshopper 6.11-present. Non-stop!
Purple Moonrise 6.15-7.5
“Purple Mystic” NOID 6.24-7.16
Quilt Patch 7.9-7.19
Raven Woodsong 7.8-present
Red Hot Returns 7.11-7.19 (ended 7.19-7.25 during vaca)
Red Riddle (NOID) 6.23-7.9
Return a Smile 6.25-7.14
Rocky Mountain Pals 7.9-7.28
Rosie’s Red 7.9-present
Route 66 7.1-7.19
Royal Braid 7.18 (ended 7.19-7.25 during vaca)
Royal Palace Prince 7.25-present
Ruby Spider 6.22-7.19 (ended 7.19-7.24 during vaca)
Ruby Stella 7.5-present
Santa Fe Christmas (right) 7.2-7.26
Santa’s Pants 6.26-7.9
Skinwalker 6.19 to present
Soco Gap 7.3-7.19
South Seas 6.30-7.25
Spirit of the Morning 7.12-8.1 (unless I missed a bud)
Stella 6.7-7.1
Stephanie Returns 6.30-7.28
Strutters Ball 7.5-7.27
Taco Twister 7.12-present
Talon 7.5-7.18
The Colorado Kid 6.23-7.18
Thin Man 7.3-7.18
Treasure of the Southwest 7.15-present
Truchas Sunrise 7.10-7.19

No U, No V – I need to fix that with some new flowers 🙂

Wild Horses 6.15-7.3
Wild Rose Fandango 7.1-7.19
Winds of Love 7.13-7.27
Wineberry Candy 7.4-7.13

No X, either!

Yellow Punch 6.15-7.4 (first encore 7.31)
Zuni Eye 7.15-present
Zuni Thunderbird 7.19-present

That is all for July, folks. Look for our Colorado Day (8/1) blooms up next!

Grand Daylily Mesa, Colorado

What an interesting year! Not only have I reached semi-retirement age, I am having an amazing daylily bloom year. The drip systems with miracle grow soil replacement paid off in spades. It is honestly overwhelming because it takes an hour just to photograph them. I spend about 5 hours a day (not counting the painting) on daylilies right now.

I would not call this a peak – because on 7/3 we hit 60. It has been in the 50s and 60s each day since. And . . . drumroll . . . today I had 63. Last year, I charted the peak and it was clearly one day at 40, the other days were 20s at best. Granted, I was on vacation the last 2 years this week, but I think the numbers are an accurate reflection of a short, less intense peak. This isn’t a peak, it is a Southwest Mesa – and a grand one, at that.

I had 6 premiers today. Laudy. Here they are:

Quilt Patch 7.9 – I am headlining this one because I got her on the auction at the same time I got Kokopelli. The start of being a serious hobbiest. I put her in a different pilot garden and she almost died – she became a seedling in size. I moved her to a pot out front after a year out there and put her in the front garden. Each year, she gets a little stronger. Today, the first ever bloom came. Now I see why I had to have her!
Blue Beat 7.9 – One of my early near blues. I must say it is my near blues that need repotting once we get over the Grand Mesa and things settle down. They are not at their best this year.
Cherokee Star 7.9 – A pretty velvet cultivator that fits with my Southwest collection. She is from the local nursery.
Iktomi – This is a classic Robert’s spider. I see his DNA in so many of his hybrids. Reminds me of Chaco Canyon but I also see Apache Bandana and Black Arrowhead.
Rocky Mountain Pals 7.9 – Another Roberts cultivator. I understand it was named for his cancer treatment team in Denver.
Rosie’s Red – Another cool bonus bloomer who is usually one of the later bloomers in the front garden. This year, she is at the top of the Mesa with everyone else.

That’s all folks! Off to paint some daylilies in the basement while the temps reach 100 today.

Click photo to visit our business page with updates about daylily plant and artwork for sale.

A Classy Lady Comes to Town!

Ah, now I think, perhaps, the season of blooms is slowing down a bit.  At least as far as having a new cultivator every day or so.  But, hey, today I had several plants with three or four blooms at once.

But, hold on!  I did have a new girl today.  Her name is Classy Lady.  She was one of my fall auction purchases, along with Electric Lizard, Kokopelli, and Quilt Patch.  It looks like Quilt Patch will be my only non-bloomer this year.  I like this bloom – it has a shape like a gymnast.  And, a nice color to match.

 

ClassyLady3.7.25

Classy Lady – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

 

Now, for my multiples – Marque Moon, Zuni Thunderbird, and South Seas.  The only down side is they burn buds fast this way.

 

MarqueMoon12.7.25

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

 

 

ZuniThunderbird61.7.25

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

 

 

SouthSeas49.7.25fourblooms

South Seas – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

 

And, today brought another visit from the monarch butterfly.  This time, she chose the Mexican Daylily (Shellflower).  I got several photos – the center of the collage is my favorite.

 

Collage 2016-07-25 15_58_11

From L to R: Top Row – Chorus Line, Lullaby Baby, Pick of the Litter, Lime Frost. Row Two: Classy Lady, Mexican Daylily with Monarch Butterfly, Thin Man.  Bottom Row: South Seas, Marque Moon, Stephanie Returns, Zuni Thunderbird.

 

Thank you, garden, for the therapy.  Great positive emotion to get me through a Monday. Only 5 months until Christmas.  I have a ton of painting to do this year 😉