Engagement

July 13, 2017July 13, 2017Leave a comment

Smiles are a sign of human engagement. And, for now, my smiles are daylilies. I miss my mornings in the garden and am thankful for my photos.

Last night, I praised my Ruby Spider for having the most days of blooms. Tonight, I praise Return A Smile for having the longest run of blooms. She was the first one, and she was blooming on Monday when I left. She has scapes that survived that late snow storm. She was purchased at the same time as Ruby Spider . . . maybe 8 years ago. They live in the same planter – which seems too small but they thrive. Return a Smile, Like Ruby, has been divided and lives in 2 locations in my yard.

It gives me some faith to see them flourish. I figured it out, and if all those with scapes bloom, I’ll be at 42% bloom this year. I hope a few more produce. I have to dig some more up and put them in pots. I may bury the pots – but they need better soil and less competition to stand a chance of blooming. I wonder if I’ll need to do that in the Southwestern Garden? For this year, I think I’ll try breaking through the clay a little deeper and see what next year brings.

Farming is hard work, yet it brings a sense of engagement and purpose to life. All of the world’s longest living people garden. I can understand why.

21 Days!

July 12, 2017July 12, 2017Leave a comment

Sitting in a hotel room some 300+ miles from my blooms. I wonder what bloomed today? Best Seller was so close – I’ve waited 3 years! It was one of the first roots that I ordered. I hope is saves some buds.

So, I decided to make a chart showing which day each flower has bloomed. So far, I have had a 27% bloom. I hope I can get to 50. I don’t ever expect to hit 100. But, I do want to see it increase every year. I move them, I water more, I add fertilizer, I trim trees (pending). It is quite a learning curve . . .

In looking at the number of days each cultivator has bloomed, Ruby Spider definitely wins the prize of the most days in bloom. It helps that I have 3 of her in different places in the yard. She is one of the oldest ones, too. She is the icon of my daylilies. Bloom on, Ruby!

RubySpider2.6.25.jpg

Double-Take

July 6, 2017July 6, 2017Leave a comment

The Fourth of July came and went with no blog post, so I have three new blooms to share tonight. But, before I do, I want to share this fused Ruby Spider bloom from the 4th of July. Talk about fireworks. Mother nature gave this bloom double DNA! Some experts say that weather is a factor. It got over 100 likes on the Daylily Society page!

As for new blooms, I will start with my favorite first – its name is Indian Giver. This was a bonus plant that I put in the Southwest garden last spring. I don’t have many buds this year, but I am hoping for more fans and more productive scapes next year. I love the white border!

Another new addition is Wineberry Candy – added to one of my pots that just got a drip system. The two daylilies in the pot from previous are struggling, but hopefully will come back with water. I didn’t have any of the many “candy” named ones, so I guess I do now.

Prelude to Love showed up today for the first time this year. It is a favorite. It was this afternoon that I noticed my early AM shot was blurred, so this one is what it looks like with 6 hours of high UV in nearly 100-degree heat and probably 10% humidity. Not too bad.

It’s funny how being a daylily farmer brings you closer to the earth. Some pots that were quiet last year are thriving this year, and visa versa. I am disappointed in the Southwest garden bloom rate. I did discover another cultivator with a scape today. Last year, 10 bloomed. This year, it is 13 so far have blooms or scapes But, it is somewhat different ones that bloomed this year. Of the 5 that did not repeat a bloom this year, I still have some hope for Skinwalker because it is a late bloomer. But, what causes the shift? I would guess it is that they were newly planted from the South last spring and still are adapting. It takes time for them to get established and I can’t claim that the high desert of the Colorado Plateau is natural for them. And, the trees probably need to be trimmed, but the fact that the blooms are scattered throughout the garden says that the sun issue is not profound.

For tomorrow . . . I don’t know about new blooms. I have lots of scapes in the front garden so we will see what Mother Nature brings. Work brings a 10 hour computer day!

Ruby Friday

June 17, 2017June 17, 2017Leave a comment

Yesterday, Ruby Spider showed her first bloom. To me, she is an iconic daylily. I got her to hide a drip system hose, after the ornamental grass died. Hey, daylilies look like grass but you get flowers.

It’s been 10 years or so, and she has become 4 plants. It’s cool, because she blooms later in the front garden than in the patio pot. I always smile when she shows up with her huge red blooms.

Nightlilies

June 14, 2017June 14, 2017Leave a comment

Daylilies bring to mind blooms that come and leave with the daylight, each lasting only a day. Some, however, are called nocturnal or extended bloom. These open in the evening and bloom all night, perhaps until the following evening. This is Yellow Punch with a retro filter.

My Lowe’s newcomers seem to be nocturnal extended bloomers. This makes me even more curious about the genes, other than Stella.

PS – I had Indian Sky bloom in March in my fibreglass porch. The blooms (only 2) lasted 3 days each in that cooler, shadier place.

For tomorrow, I think Ruby Spider and Papa Long legs.

Estimated Day of First Daylily: Tomorrow

June 7, 2017June 7, 2017Leave a comment

Stella in half bloomed, so I think it’s safe to say my first daylily of the year shows up tomorrow. I have to give up AM news for camera time in the garden. It’s better, the garden.

I killed my very first Stella a few years back. Then, I got into daylilies, and Stella seemed too common. But they bloom all season. So, last year, I hit the sales and got a few.

I have a growing number of scapes popping up. It’s like watching popcorn start to pop. Kokopelli, Soco Gap, Papa Long legs, Hopi Jewel, Happy Returns, Ruby Spider, Chama Valley, Strutters Ball, Wild Horses, Ghost Ranch, Funny Valentine, Inwood, Jungle Queen, Return A Smile. All have scapes. And, it’s just the beginning. I guessed Juneteenth (16th) for bloom 1. Off by 9 days. I’m good with it.

I have a lot of friends who think I’m a Lily expert. Daylilies are not really lilies. They are more closely related to Olathe Sweet Corn. And, I hope they do as well in my high desert garden.

The longest blooming daylilies in my yard!

April 3, 2017April 3, 2017Leave a comment

As my daylilies begin to grow taller and taller, I begin to imagine the season ahead. I have a system for numbering photos that allows me to know start and stop blooming dates. As far as blooming for several weeks, I have several top performers.

The winner is probably Red Hot Returns, which started in August and was blooming in early November.

Ruby Stella also bloomed from early August into early November.

Of my peak season bloomers, several lasted for over a month with lots and lots of summer blooms.

Mesa Verde was profuse and bloomed for a month from 6/26 to 7/24

My old favorite, Ruby Spider, bloomed from 6/24 to 7/22. Not bad.

PrimalScream cheated a little with two different plants in two different locations. But all in all she lasted from 6/25 to 8/4!!!

South Seas rolled in from 7/11 – 8/4 (and I was out of town the week prior, so I may have missed a couple blooms.

And, lastly, Soco Gap produced big, gorgeous blooms from to 7/6 to 8/2.

Daylilies: My Gateway Addiction

March 19, 2017March 19, 2017Leave a comment

I want to start by saying that daylilies are a gateway addiction. They bring flow, or engagement, though. So, it’s an authentically happy addiction. This winter brought poinsettias, amaryllis, orchids, and calathea. Oh, and growth to my Rex Begonias. . . Maybe their colorful leaves are also a gateway.

My last post was about poinsettias in hybernation. I lost the one that I posted the picture of last time. Of 16, I’ve lost 2. The one in this photo (below) has beautiful purple bracks (or colored leaves). I think it’s going to pull through, though it has no leaves other than a couple sprouts like this. The releafing is in its early to middle stages on all of my babies, who live on the sun porch by day.

Purple poinsettia

The orchids are still blooming, mostly.

The Rexs and Calatheas just have showy leaves year around. I live the colors.

And, today, I turn to my outdoor garden, where daylily sprouts are everywhere. The ones in pots on my outdoor porch get the most southern exposure. They are getting big! This is Ruby Spider yesterday.

Spring is only hours away!

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!

Colorado Kid Daylilies

A Blog About My Western Colorado Daylily Adventure

Tag: Ruby Spider