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.

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.

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!

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.