Red, White, and Blue

July 4, 2016July 4, 2016Leave a comment

Today is Independence Day, and my dad’s birthday. He is gone now, but the day is always a memory of him. It is also the first day of my last term at school. In 11 weeks, I am a doctor! I hope my daylily blooms have peaked by then.

I am so glad I have Ruby Spider in the front garden now, with separating my original plant last year. Why? Because it is peak bluebell and daisy season. Makes for a great red, white and blue photo.

Ruby Spider with daisies and blue bells – photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Other than a hint of patriotic hues in the garden, it was another slow day. At first I thought I had no blooms in my Ned Roberts southwestern spider garden. It wasn’t until we got home from the downtown events that I noticed Winds of Love. It was pretty burned out by the time I got the photo.

Winds of Love – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

What is cool, though, is that to the yucca in that garden are in love with more water . . . and one I have never seen blooming is doing so now. It was a much smaller yucca garden for several years. One put in to hide the blemish of a tree removed to replace the sewer line. It got it got ignored more than not. But the yucca grew, so I figure there would be enough sun for daylilies. I can’t wait until the space has matured a bit, because I think the yuccas and daylilies will look fabulous together.

Yucca Bloom – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

All of that said, I would give the prize for best flower to The Colorado Kid. Once again, fabulous vibrant color.

The Colorado Kid – photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Wild Horses came to march in the parade of color today. Always a favorite.

Wild Horses – photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

And, Early Bird Cardinal tried to look patriotic, as well.

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

And, hey, one of my favorite daylily companions, Flamingo Grass, is blooming. Come on daylilies, lets roll!

So, that is it for the Fourth of July. I think we may see Canyon Colors tomorrow. Slo-mo daylily season.

Jungle Queens and Voodoo Dancers, Oh My

July 3, 2016Leave a comment

The storm is passing, slowly but surely. It should start warming up by the end of the week. However, it wasn’t a bad daylily day. A Jungle Queen and a Voo Dancer showed up! Now, that is something to blog about.

Jungle Queen was amongst my first Lily Auction purchases. It was the day I needed to figure out how to win stuff so that I would get Kokopelli when the bidding closed. After losing on an earlier Ned Roberts daylily, I was determined to figure out the system. Jungle Queen caught my eye . . . and now she lives in my garden.

Jungle Queen – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

VooDoo dancer is one I purchased locally this year to go in a beautiful Mexican pot that my daughter bought me when they came to visit for Memorial Day. It should be a double bloom, so still adapting to its new surroundings. I’m hoping to see doubles soon! It is really pretty in the picture . . . more purple, too. I’ll put the web picture below. Hopefully, it wasn’t mislabeled 😦

Two of my Ned Roberts spiders are in bloom today. For fun, I put together a collage of all the blooms I have had from his creations to date. Five so far. I have 40+ Neds in my yard – so 10%. The larger ones (Chief FOUR Fingers and Kokopelli) are from today. This is the first FOUR finger bloom on the Chief! The smaller ones are Black Ice, Dream Keeper, and Winds of Love.

Ned Roberts collection to date – Photos by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Other bloomers were Ruby Spider, who adds visual splendor to both the front and side garden today. In front, it was a little red, white, and blue. And, on the porch garden, it was a pose with a friend (Return a Smile – I think).

Early Bird Cardinal landed again, too.

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

I have had 18 different blooms so far this year. It is a start! Tomorrow, I am betting on Canyon Colors. Can’t wait to see it!

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.

After the Rain

June 30, 2016June 30, 2016Leave a comment

Rain is not a common thing on the Colorado Plateau. But, early this morning, the rain came. I could smell it from my bedroom window. It always looks like pearls on the petals to me.

It’s also interesting how much the backdrop for photos can change its emotional tone. When I got Ruby Spider a few years ago, it was to hide the timer for the drip system. And, I have always thought it looked majestic with the rock masonry from my house in the background. Last fall, I divided it into three Rubys because it had outgrown the planter that it shares with Return a Smile and Just Plum Happy. So, the two extra Rubys were relocated to my front walkway garden (which I converted to more of a daylily theme last summer).

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

Today, I had the first Ruby bloom in the new setting. I was taken back by the contrast with the clematis in the background. It looks a little like Christmas. I also like the one with the bluebells.

Ruby and Friends – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

No new faces today, but another mystery. When I divided up Ruby and her planter-mates last fall, the tags for Return a Smile and Just Plum Happy got (perhaps) mixed up. These two look just enough alike, that I decided I would have to wait for blooms this year to decide which was which. So, I think the photo taken today (below) is Return a Smile (although, I have changed my mind a few times).

Return a Smile – Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Here are web photos of Just Plum Happy . . .

And, Return a Smile.

Any votes?

Other visitors today are Chief Four (Three) Fingers,

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

Hopi Jewel,

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

and Wild Horses.

Wild Horses – Photos by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

I also went out and snapped a couple more of Chama Valley last night, in less intense sun. Much better.

Chama Valley – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Enjoy your pictorial visit to my Colorado Western Slope garden. I think we will see peak bloom in a week or so. Hopefully, I won’t miss too much when I am at the National Nurse Practitioner Symposium next week. I wish my cats could take pictures.

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!

The Colorado Kid: Our Mascot in Bloom

June 28, 2016June 28, 2016Leave a comment

It was odd how daylily fever gripped me last summer. I was just coming off a rough spot in my career and headed back to school for my doctorate. The more I figured out online ordering, the more I got into looking for specialty daylilies. And, for a few weeks, the near blues intrigued me deeply. I ordered a few . . . (3/5 I lost in the spring). But, I had ordered a couple more later on, because I thought they had nice blue. The Colorado Kid is in my yard both because of color and name. I am infatuated by my first near blue bloom. Do not ask how many photos I took of it this AM. This is that one that is the mascot of this blog! Check out our logo. The Colorado Kid is prettier than I imagined it.

The Colorado Kid in shade – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

The color is more purple in direct sunlight, but still an stunning color combination.

Colorado Kid in the sun – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Other bloomers today include Ruby Spider. I love those huge red peddles. I have painted them on so many Christmas gifts!

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

And Hopi Jewel.

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

And, last but not least, Early Bird Cardinal. His eyes were not quite open yet when I snapped this before work.

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

Tomorrow, I am not sure. I think Desert Flame. I guess that gives me a reason to get out of bed in the morning!

Black Ice on a Summer Day

June 24, 2016Leave a comment

Black ice reminds me of winter roads in Colorado. I live rural and often have had a hefty commute to work. Black ice is why I prefer to be off those roads by sundown. And, it has caused me to fall on my face walking the dogs a few times, too.

Today, though, Black Ice brings positive emotion. I love this new addition to my garden! First bloom today. It looks like black velvet to me. And, it spilled pollen down it’s front peddle. This is another Ned Roberts creation that is in my new Southwestern garden. Black Ice may not remind everyone of the Southwest. It does me. I live here.

Black Ice – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Other blooms are Early Bird Cardinal (That yard flag in the background has a red cardinal on it and next shot, I will untangle it for the photo. Those colors are very close!)

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

And, huge old Ruby Spider!

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

Lastly, poor frail Electric Lizard’s last bud (for now). I am cutting off its fans to see if it will thicken up. I am hopeful for a couple more blooms this year.

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

I have a bunch of buds that look nearly ready to bust. Wild Horses, Mesa Verde and Saratoga Springtime look the closest. It looks like more Black Ice is on the weather report for tomorrow (or soon), too. I can’t wait. It’s better than an Easter Egg hunt every morning!

Jewels of the Garden

June 22, 2016June 22, 2016Leave a comment

With the light of day, two jewels glimmered in my garden. One is my old favorite, Ruby Spider. Ruby is one of the oldest of my daylily collection. I have had her close to a decade. She was added to fill a planter box that hides my drip system controls. I used ornamental grass the first couple years, but it always died over the winter. So, why not daylilies? This one is still in the same planter (although divisions are now in the main garden) with Return a Smile and Just Plum Happy. Ruby’s bloom is so big and bright that it almost looks fake to me. I know daylily season has started when this one opens its first bloom.

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

The other jewel in bloom today is a new daylily called Hopi Jewel. My thanks to Blue Ridge Daylilies for picking up my Southwest name theme and sending this as a gift plant. It’s in with my new Ned Roberts garden, as are a select few other aptly named non-Neds.

Hopi Jewel – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies (C. Hartt)

I must be taken with Hopi Jewel, because I took a lot of photos of her. It is a nice shape and color combination. And, maybe it is just fun to see another new face in my new garden. It took me days to clear the rocks, dig out some of the hard clay desert soil (we call it adobe soil), and fill it in with topsoil and compost. And, now it is home to over 50 new daylilies, mostly my Southwest named Neds. It is nice, though, to have a few with rounder shapes.

Hopi Jewel – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies (C. Hartt)

I keep wondering if the daylilies will spread to take over or if they will stay in their current space. The desert has the sun these guys love, but the soil is hard clay and the rain virtually non-existent. It’s not Asia. It’s not even Georgia, where many of these plants came from. According to climatemps.com, Georgia gets about 5 times as much precipitation. That’s about 25 more gallons per square foot. One good thing about my Neds is that they were hybridized in New Mexico and Colorado. Still, they do so much better in bagged soil and added water crystals.

I am at a clinical conference out-of-town during the day tomorrow. I am unsure if anything else is on the verge of a bloom, but I am going to do my best to go out and check before I leave . . . sometime between 5 and 6 AM. Unlike my lilies, I do not bloom that early!

Mystery in the Daylily Garden

June 22, 2016June 22, 2016Leave a comment

So, the first blooms are appearing in my brand new Ned Roberts (mostly) daylily garden. And, today a plant clearly labeled as Chief Four Fingers bloomed. Beautiful bloom . . . but it doesn’t look like Chief Four Fingers. The label is from the grower, so I am guessing they were busy. I don’t care too much other than hoping it is in the right row for its height. So, here is the bloom from today:

And here is what Chief Four Fingers photo looks like (note the petal count discrepancy):

And here are the other ones ordered from that grower with that order:

Mount Echo Sunrise

Purple Many Faces

Aztec Firebird

So, any guesses? My own thought is Purple Many Faces. I guess we will see what the one labeled as such looks like when it blooms. And, PS, I mean nothing negative against the grower. These are the probably the best blooming sized plants that I get from any grower. It is just sort of funny and hopefully the Chief shows up this summer.

Also making an appearance in the front garden is Early Bird Cardinal. This one blooms early and is a repeat bloomer. The show has just begun. I think Ruby Spider is getting ready to hatch! Those are the biggest, most colorful blooms in my garden . . . and I divided my main plant into three last fall. So, I should have plenty of color soon! I also think Hopi Jewel is due soon. And, if Electric Lizard is strong enough now, I think there will be a new bloom there soon. She dropped her last buds so fingers crossed that she is growing stronger. Ta Ta Til Blooms.

Colorado Kid Daylilies

A Blog About My Western Colorado Daylily Adventure

Tag: Ruby Spider

Red, White, and Blue

Jungle Queens and Voodoo Dancers, Oh My

Where have all my daylilies gone?

After the Rain

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

The Colorado Kid: Our Mascot in Bloom

Black Ice on a Summer Day

Jewels of the Garden

Mystery in the Daylily Garden