Hey, Guys, I’m super tired after a long day. Want to share my newbies from today.
Spirit of the Morning is a unique cultivator. I absolutely adore her. She earns her name. These blooms are wasted by noon.
Spirit of the Morning 7.25
Raven Woodsong is a gorgeous near black. It is such a stunning color and form. (That makes 57 Ned Roberts spiders so far this summer).
Raven Woodsong 7.25
El Desperado is actually the first daylily I put in the Southwest Visions garden area a few years before I put in the garden. Wasn’t well planned out for irrigation and he moved back closer to the house. Then, I lost him a few years later and immediately replaced him. Definitely, a late bloomer.
El Desperado 7.25
Bloom rate headed for high 80s, but the Southwest Visions garden is nearly 100%. Except Truchas Sunrise, Navajo Gray Hills, the other 70 something have bloomed or have scapes.
High, hot and a hell of a lot is a type of enema that nurses use to give more frequently than we do today. I had to learn about them in school many years ago. Suffice it to say you put a lot of water (with soap) in an enema bucket and hang it high so gravity does its thing. Oh, and make that water hot just to give it an extra twist.
For some reason the words came to mind when thinking about my garden today. Not enemas – but altitude, temperature and the number of cultivators I had today. Almost 60, again. So, the peak this year is more like the Grand Mesa . . . you get to the top but it plateaus for a while before it starts going down.
As far as new blooms today – I had two birds. Maybe I should have titled this “Giving you the birds” or something. These are both Roberts spiders.
7/8 Aztec Firebird – one of my original 3 Southwestern daylilies in my garden pilot. I had it, Kokopelli and Dream Catcher only the first year. Big lesson when I enlarged it is that where you water large surface areas, you attract lots of tree roots. I love the bright colors of the Aztec bird – she is a little late this year. The daylilies that thrived the most in-ground are pretty slow to bloom this year, whereas those that were being strangled in roots before bloomed early and lots.Raven Woodsong – I love the color of this one.
And – while not a premier, Chief Four Fingers finally had a picture perfect bloom. The bugs got the early buds but it got better when I improved the water flow so the plant got stronger.
Chief Four Fingers perfect bloom (or close)
I painted another painting last night – Canyon Colors. I have put a lot of energy into my art business the last couple of days so I can get some inventory built up. I plan more than daylily paintings, but I am starting there because I have done more of them than anything else and it is a good way to get my skills back. Yesterday, I worked on lighting for the Art Cove. Today, I got tiles, oil paints, and canvas. Please follow my business page (link at bottom) for more info.
My Art Cove – back in business!
As far as finales – I may go to once a week because it is too confusing when I have 60 in bloom. Easier to do when I cut spent scapes once a week.
Hi all – When it is Saturday and it hasn’t been the fun day that I planned. COVID had driven the world mad – and they seem to all be mad at me. So, how about a little Ned Robert’s daylily therapy? I fell in love with Ned’s southwestern named daylilies after finding Kokopelli on Lily Auction 5 years ago. I have a collection of 70 ish now. I am including a few from 2019 if they didn’t bloom this year. Comment with your favorite! Direct from Montrose, Colorado . . .
Adios Albuquerque 2019Apache Bandana 2019Apache Beacon (w Dream Catcher) 2019Aztec Firebird 7.19.20BlackArrowhead 7.19.20Black Ice 7.21.20Chaco Canyon 7.29.20Cheyenne Eyes 6.30.20Chief Four Fingers 2019Chokecherry Mountain 7.20.20Comanche Princess 6.26.20Coral Taco 6.30.20Cricket Call 2019Coyote Laughs 7.20.20Cripple Creek 7.21.20Dancing Maiden 7.20.1Desert Icicle 8.8.20Dream Catcher 7.28.20Dream Keeper 6.6.20Feather Woman 2019Fox Ears 2019Ghost Ranch 2019Echo Canyon 6.25.20Glen Eyrie 7.21.20Golden Eclipse 7.30.20Happy Hopi 7.3.20Iktomi 7.21.20Kachina Firecracker 7.30.20Kachina Dancer 7.20.20Kiva Dancer 7.1.20Kokopelli 7.20.20Land of Enchantment 6.20.20Laughing Feather 6.26.20Lobo Lucy 7.19.20Mama Cuna 8.4.20Mauna Loa 6.26.20Maya Cha Cha 7.17.20Medicine Feather 2019Moon over Chimayo 8.8.20Mount Echo Sunrise 6.23.20Navajo Curls 8.4.20Navajo Grey Hills 7.23.20Navajo Rodeo 2019Ojo De Dios 6.23.20Papa Longlegs 7.18.20Pink Enchilada 7.5.20Pink Rain Dance 7.2.20Purple Corn Dancer 8.5.20Purple Grasshopper 2019Purple Many Faces 6.24.20Purple Thunderbird 8.5.20Raspberry Propeller 7.17.20Raven Woodsong 8.8.20Rocky Mountain Pals 7.17.20Santa Fe ChristmasShape Shifter 7.27.20Skinwalker 7.29.20Spirit of the Morning 7.23.20Star Over MilagroTaco Twister 7.20.20Talon 7.27.20Twirling Pinata 7.27.20Wild Rose Fandango 2019Winds of Love 7.22.20Zuni Eye 2019Zuni Thunderbird 7.22.20
I spent some time today trying to re-orient myself to the new lot of daylilies that are in bloom since I got home from my road trip. I got the spent scapes cut off and tried to make a list of finales. I would like to make a list of all the ones with scapes not yet bloomed and all the ones that aren’t trying.
Anyway, I went back through the 7.8 and 7.16 photos and found more premiers. Plus, there were 5 premiers today (at least first bloom since I got home). The total is 114 that have bloomed. That’s a 67% bloom rate. To hit 80%, we will need 37 cultivators to bloom. Twenty-three more. That’s tight but we can hope. I’ll count unbloomed scapes tomorrow.
And, to backtrack, here are the premiers from 7.16.20 that I finally had time to look at today. I always come home to rain – so these guys look like they just showered.
Autumn Jewels looks sad but she bloomed 7.16.1Desert Icicle 7.16.20Indian Sky 7.16.20Just Plum Happy 7.16.20Lime Frost first and last bloom 7.16.20Papa Long Legs first and last bloom 7.16.20
So, that is it . . . back to a normal pace except work starts Monday. However, I am suppose to have July off so I plan to work from home unless they demand otherwise. Plus, I am waiting out the two-week COVID risk.
I worked on transplanting succulent cuttings and transplanting a few succulents into larger pots. I don’t have tons of love left for my orchids . . . so I use those pots but fill the holes with moss. It takes a while but it is relaxing.
Just for the record, here is a list of all of the finales so far for 2020: Apache Uprising (I missed this one but it did bloom), Ruby Spider (today), Lime Frost, Return a Smile (unless she reblooms), Early Bird Cardinal, Prairie Wildfire, Catherine Irene, Thin Man, Comanche Princess, The Colorado Kid, Blue Beat, Mildred Mitchell, Mauna Loa, Mesa Verde, Heron’s Cove, Canyon Colors (today), Jungle Queen, Wineberry Candy, Just Plum Happy, Raspberry Propeller, Santa’s Pants, Red Mystery, Bella Boo, Nosferatwo, Coral Taco, Pink Enchalada, Pink Rain Dance, Zuni Eye (I missed this one but it did bloom), Papa Long Legs, Land of Enchantment, All American Chief, Purple Many Faces, Indian Love Call, Laughing Feather, Coyote Laughs, Kokopelli, Hopi Jewel, Mount Echo Sunrise, Holy Sombrero, Ojo De Dios, Rocky Mountain Pals, Kachina Firecracker, Kiva Dancer, Echo Canyon, Indian Giver, Funny Valentine, Wild Horses, Inwood, Primal Scream, Lacy Doily, Nurse’s Stethoscope, Canyon Colors (today), Kachina Dancer (today), Apache Bandana (today). Not bad for 6 weeks!
The days grow August-quiet. It seems a dream that I had nearly 60 blooms per day just a month ago. So, today, we will do finales. And, then, a roll-call of my Ned Roberts spiders.
Finales:
Chorus Line 8.5
Rosie’s Red 8.6
So, maybe if I do the Ned Roberts spider roll-call it will entice one more into bloom this year. My Ghost Ranch is a fall bloom, but I am having a rough time getting her to thrive here. Maybe some fish fertilizer? Our temps are still above average with little rain.
Ned Roberts Spiders for 2018 Season:
Adios Albuquerque
Apache Bandana
Aztec Firebird
Black Arrowhead
Black Ice
Chaco Canyon
Cheyenne Eyes
Chokecherry Mountain
Comanche Princess
Desert Icicle
Dream Catcher
Dream Keeper
Fox Ears
Happy Hopi
Iktomi
Kachina Firecracker
Kokopelli
Laughing Feather
Mama Cuna
Moon Over Chimayo
Navajo Curls
Navajo Rodeo
Papa Longlegs
Pink Rain Dance
Pueblo Dancer is her label, but she doesn’t look like that one. So???
Purple Corn Dancer
Purple Grasshopper
Purple Many Faces
Purple Moonrise
Purple Thunderbird
Raspberry Propeller
Raven Woodsong
Rocky Mountain Pals
Santa Fe Christmas
Shape Shifter
Skinwalker
Taco Twister
Talon
Twirling Pinata
Wild Rose Fandango
Zuni Eye
Zuni Thunderbird
Out of interest, here are my Ned Roberts spiders that bloomed last year but did not bloom this year:
Coral Taco 2017
Glen Eyrie
Pink Enchilada 2017
And, we had a few in 2016 that have not bloomed again:
Chief Four Fingers 2016
Ghost Ranch
Winds of Love 2016
I have around 64 of Ned’s spiders in my garden. I had 42 bloom this year or about 65%. Last year, I had 13 (about 20%) bloom. Marked improvement. All total, to date, I have had 48 (or 75%) bloom. That is a long way from 100%. But, marked improvement. I think some of the ones that bloomed in 2016 were put in that year (still flourishing from the nursery), struggled last year in the clay soil, and are recovering (growing new roots) this year in their pots. I am sure that the drought had an impact, as well.
So, for fun, here are the ones I have that have never bloomed (photos from the web):
Apache Beacon
Coyote Laughs
Cricket Call
Cripple Creek
Dancing Maiden
Echo Canyon
Feather Woman
Golden Eclipse
Kachina Dancer
Kiva Dancer
Land of Enchantment
Maya Cha Cha
Medicine Feather
Mount Echo Sunrise
Navajo Grey Hills
Ojo de Dios
Orchid Moonrise
The Real Pueblo Dancer
Spirit of the Morning
Star over Milagro
Truchas Sunrise
Wildwood Flower
We made improvements, but we have aways to go. That’s life
Well, I tried to post on Friday night, but no internet. Saturday, some internet, but my phone is crashing all of the apps since the last android update. Yes, right in the middle of peak season.
So, here are the new faces from Friday
Skinwalker 7.6.18
Echo Canyon 7.6
Iktomi 7.6
Chorus Line
Blue Beat 7.6
Bella Lugosi 7.6
And here are Sunday’s additions:
Lacy Doily 7.8
Nosferatu 7.8
Red Hot Returns 7.8
South Seas 7.8
So, that is 10 new additions since my last post – and I missed a couple of new faces while camping yesterday, but they will have another chance. For now, let me finish roll call. All daylilies that bloomed between 7/2 and today – here we go. Which is your favorite?
Blooming on the 4th of July . . . four more cultivators! That means we have already had the same number different daylilies bloom that we did all season last year. Those buried pots help . . . this is an extreme drought and we had a better bloom rate. Still, in adding 2018 photos to my daylily software, there are a lot we have not seen yet this year. I don’t know if some are slow or some are recuperating from the move to the pots. I am about to tag the non-bloomers for more bloom boost fertilizer this fall. Still . . . this is a marked improvement because we have many, many with scapes that have not bloomed yet. The fireworks have just begun! Any guesses on final bloom rate? I am going to say around 80%. That
So, new today for the first time ever in my yard are a couple more Ned Roberts spiders. My bloom rate with those babies is making a huge difference in the overall bloom rate. Anyway, I mentioned earlier that Zuni Thunderbird is my all-around favorite. She has disappointed some this year. She got off to a bad start but rebounded after bug spray. I think it affected her buds. That said, one of the newbies today reminds me of her – Raven Woodsong. She has the dark colors and amazing curls that I miss in Zuni Thunderbird this year (so far).
The other new Roberts spider is Wild Rose Fandango. Now, she has some crazy curls and had a double bloom day one. I like her, too. Welcome to the yard, finally . . . year 3 for both the spiders.
Just Plum Happy was one of my first daylilies. She was in a planter box with Ruby Spider and Return a Smile. She was little and she struggled. This is first year in several that she has bloomed. I gave her a pot of her own last year, and she even hangs from my front porch . . . sort of a special place for her now.
Last, but not least, is Longlesson Showoff. This was a bonus flower that bloomed for the first time last year. She is a big daylily and brightens the Walkway Garden for several weeks.
That is it . . . mellow 4th. Not a ton of energy. Was late to the parade. Didn’t take photos. Did go for lunch on the brewery. Then home to water and do the blog. Now, maybe a walk for ice cream after my sandwich leftovers. I dreamt of my Southwest Garden – it was about huge, colorful blooms. Actually, they really do stand out.
Here are the Yankee Doodle Daylilies of today: Talon, Black Ice, Chokecherry Mountain, Pink Rain Dance, Zuni Thunderbird, Purple Grasshopper, Aztec Firebird, Dream Catcher, Chaco Canyon, Treasure of the Southwest, Dark Mystery, Prairie Blue Eyes, Bluegrass Music, The Colorado Kid, Mesa Verde, Mildred Mitchell, Jungle Queen, Prelude to Love, Stephanie Returns, Ruby Spider, Return a Smile, Funny Valentine, Petite Petticoats, Nurse’s Stethoscope, Passionate Returns, Primal Scream.
Colorado Kid Daylilies 