The Mamas and the Papas

July 17, 2018July 17, 2018Leave a comment

This morning, I got that song from the Mamas and Papas “Monday, Monday” stuck in my head. Maybe it is because I had Mama Cuna and Papa Longlegs blooming next to each other. I had 51 today! Monday mornin’ you gave me no warnin’ of what was to be . . .

So, for fun, here are the Mamas (Mama Cuna – L) and the Papas (Papa Long Legs – R):

Mama Cuna

Papa Long Legs

So, we had 2 new faces today. The first one is such a pretty flower. Up until this year, when I started running out of blooms, I would go look for later bloomers. Anyway, I almost decided to not bring one home from the nursery . . . until I saw the name. Seriously, I squeezed her into one of the last Southwest Garden spaces. She looks like velvet to me.

Cherokee Star 7.16

The second new face is Bold Tiger. Well, I think that is her name. I got her on discount because they lost the tags and didn’t know what she was. I did a search and she looks most like Bold Tiger. So, we will go with that. I believe that makes 112 so far this year. We are at 64% bloom rate. Can we get to 75%?

Bold Tiger 7.16

Finales (last blooms unless they send reblooms) today:

Isaac 7.16

Catherine Irene 7.16

Taco Twister 7.16

Soco Gap

The Colorado Kid 7.16

Oh, and Papa Long Legs – but he has a photo at the top of the page. And, Desert Icicle retired yesterday, not Happy Hopi – I have one more Happy Hopi left. I will miss these blooms, especially The Colorado Kid. She had a great season this year – bloomed for a month! So, our numbers will drop off pretty rapidly by August. Still hoping for a few late scapes!

Other blooms today: Aztec Firebird, Mount Echo Sunrise, Dream Catcher, Skinwalker, Comanche Princess, Navajo Rodeo, Mama Cuna, Cheddar Cheese, Nosferatu, Heron’s Cove, Canyon Colors, El Desperado, Purple de Oro, Bluegrass Music, Mildred Mitchell, Blue Beat, Ruby Spider, Return a Smile, Longlesson Show-off, Passionate Returns, Lullaby Baby, Chorus line, Mellow Balls, Lacy Doily, South Seas, Marque Moon, Stephanie Returns, Mini Pearl, Prairie Wildfire, Prelude to Love, Bela Lugosi, Pick of the Litter, Raspberry Propeller, Black Eyed Susan, Baja, Prairie Blue Eyes, Hesperus, Indian Sky, Just Plum Happy, Pink and Cream, Ruby Stella, Strutters Ball and Nurse’s Stethoscope.

New Faces, Finales, and Roll Call

July 16, 2018July 16, 20181 Comment

It is time for Sunday roll call. But first, a couple cool new Roberts Spiders. Meet Mount Echo Sunrise – She is a big spider that reminds me of Dream Catcher. This is her first-ever bloom in my yard – I put her in a couple years ago.

Then there is Sante Fe Christmas – And she looks like a Christmas bow. Red, green with curly petals. I really love her – too bad she lost her other buds. Despite the improved bloom rate, the drought has taken a toll.

Next up – Finales. Of course, Santa Fe Christmas is a finale today 😦

Primal Scream is another finale.

Primal Scream 7.10

Jungle Queen had finale blooms on both pots I have of her.

Jungle Queen 7.12

Iktomi is another finale. I have enjoyed seeing the patterns in her offspring.

Iktomi 7.9

Happy Hopi gave a finale bloom today. I really enjoyed her big, bold, blonde blooms.

Happy Hopi 7.12

Now, on to our roll call. These are the blooms from 7/9 through today. But, first, we have about 12 with unbloomed scapes remaining and mid-50s with no bloom/no scape. We are at 107 cultivators (+/-). Add 12, and we get close to 120. I am still hoping for 130 total this year.

Adios Albuquerque 7.10

Alabama Jubilee 7.11

Anasazi 7.13

Aztec Firebird 7.14

Baja 7.14

Bela Lugosi 7.9

Black Arrowhead 7.10

Black Eyed Susan 7.14

Black Ice 7.10

Blue Beat 7.11

Bluegrass Music 7.11

Canyon Colors 7.15

Catherine Irene 7.15

Chaco Canyon 7.12

Cheddar Cheese 7.12

Cheyenne Eyes 7.8

Chorus Line 7.13

Classy Lady 7.14

Comanche Princess 7.11

Dark Mystery 7.12

Desert Icicle 7.15

Dream Catcher 7.15

Early Bird Cardinal 7.10

El Desperado 7.13

Fairytale Pink 7.14

Funny Valentine 7.10

Heavenly Curls 7.12

Heron’s Cove 7.13

Hesperus 7.15

Holy Sombrero 7.10

Indian Sky 7.15

Inwood 7.12

Isaac 7.12

Just Plum Happy 7.10

Kachina Firecracker 7.12

Lacy Doily 7.10

Lady Fingers 7.12

Laughing Feather 7.9

Lime Frost 7.15

Longlesson Showoff 7.13

Lullabye Baby 7.14

Mama Cuna 7.13

Marque Moon 7.15

Mellon Balls 7.11

Mesa Verde 7.13

Mildred Mitchell 7.15

Mini Pearl 7.15

Navajo Rodeo 7.13

Nosferatu 7.15

Nurse’s Stethoscope 7.11

Papa Longlegs 7.15

Passionate Returns 7.10

Petite Petticoats 7.10

Pick of the Litter 7.14

Pink and Cream 7.11

Pink Rain Dance 7.11

Prairie Blue Eyes 7.10

Prairie Wildfire 7.11

Prelude to Love 7.15

Purple de Oro 7.14

Purple Grasshopper 7.11

Purple Mystic 7.11

Raspberry Propeller 7.14

Red Hot Returns 7.15

Red Riddle 7.10

Return a Smile 7.10

Route 66 7.13

Ruby Spider 7.14

Ruby Stella 7.15

Shape Shifter 7.13

Skinwalker 7.10

Soco Gap 7.14

South Seas 7.14

Stella de Oro 7.13

Stephanie Returns 7.14

Strutter’s Ball 7.11

Taco Twister 7.11

Talon 7.11

The Colorado Kid 7.10

Thin Man 7.15

Treasure of the Southwest 7.13

Wild Horses 7.11

Wineberry Candy 7.12

Yellow Punch 7.13

Zuni Thunderbird 7.13

It’s The Peak – Sunday Roll Call

July 9, 2018July 9, 2018Leave a comment

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?

Alabama Jubilee 7.3

Aztec Firebird 7.8

Black Arrowhead 7.2

Black Eyed Susan 7.6

Black Ice 7.5

Bluegrass Music 7.3

Canyon Colors 7.5

Catherine Irene 7.6

Chaco Canyon 7.5

Cheyenne Eyes 7.6

Chokecherry Mountain 7.3

Comanche Princess 7.6

Dark Mystery 7.5

Dream Catcher 7.5

Early Bird Cardinal 7.3

Electric Lizard 7.6

Funny Valentine 7.8

Happy Hopi 7.6

Happy Returns 7.3

Heron’s Cove 7.5

Holy Sombrero 7.5

Hopi Jewel 7.3

Indian Giver 7.3

Inwood 7.6

Isaac 7.5

Jungle Queen 7.8

Just Plum Happy 7.3

Lady Fingers 7.5

Laughing Feather 7.2

Longlesson Show-off 7.6

Lullaby Baby 7.8

Mellon Balls 7.5

Mesa Verde 7.4

Mildred Mitchell 7.5

Mini Pearl 7.5

Navajo Rodeo 7.8

Nurse’s Stethoscope 7.8

PaPa Longlegs 7.6

Passionate Returns 7.6

Petite Petticoats 7.3

Pick of the Litter 7.5

Pink and Cream 7.6

Pink Raindance 7.4

Prairie Blue Eyes 7.5

Prairie Wildfire 7.6

Prelude to Love 7.5

Primal Scream 7.4

Purple de Oro 7.6

Purple Grasshopper 7.4

Purple Many Faces 7.5

Purple Mystique 7.5

Raven Woodsong 7.4

Red Riddle 7.5

Return a Smile 7.6

Route 66 7.4

Ruby Spider 7.8

Ruby Stella 7.5

Shape Shifter 7.6

Soco Gap 7.5

Stella 7.5

Stephanie Returns 7.5

Strutter’s Ball 7.5

Taco Twister 7.6

Talon 7.8

The Colorado Kid 7.6

Thin Man 7.5

Treasure of the Southwest 7.4

Wild Horses 7.5

Wild Rose Fandango 7.4

Wineberry Candy 7.4

Yellow Punch 7.6

Zuni Thunderbird 7.4

July 1: Daylily Roll Call!

July 1, 2018Leave a comment

It is Sunday and the peak is starting. It will probably take me an hour to get this bog with all the photos for the week published. I am doing it this way so that each daylily comes up on a couple searches of the blog. My job entails creating about 20 template emails a day for the following day – it is a lot of looking up progress and pasting from my last note. Not a creative’s dream. So, when I save my drafts for the day, I have a blank email to note that it is a new day – and that email is always named after a daylily. The most creative 5 minutes/day of my job is picking this daylily. The collages just don’t work.

So – We will start with the newbies. Primal Scream is in bloom for the 3rd year. Last year, the blooms were small and anemic. She is now in an above ground put inside the Walkway Garden. I hoped for more scapes, but 2 is OK for this year, gives the fall transplant. Nothing beats her vibrant color.

Primal Scream 7/1

Indian Giver was a newbie in the Southwest Garden. She is a small daylily and was a bonus plant 3 years ago. She only gets a couple buds every year. She needs to be dug up and put in a buried pot, but the yucca is close, so not sure how I will get this done. I would like to have more blooms. She is adorable.

Indian Giver 7/1

Last but not least, from my Family Garden is Stephanie Returns. This flower makes my heart sad. Losing a family member who is still alive is horrid. Losing several is bitter and cruel. Please don’t tell people you understand or offer advise while you are surrounded with family. Please don’t tell people God is giving you this lesson for some reason or other. Do bookmark this page and come back here and look at this flower and help send positive vibes to anyone in the universe who had ever known the heartbreak such a loss can bring.

Stephanie Returns 7/1

OK – Enough heavy stuff. Onward to the roll call. Here go the A-Z blooms from 6/25 through today. Enjoy.

Alabama Jubilee 6/27

Apache Bandana 6/29

Aztec Firebird 7/1

Black Arrowhead 6/30

Black Ice 6/27

Bluegrass Music 6/27

Canyon Colors 6/30

Catherine Irene 6/30

Chaco Canyon 6/30

Cheyenne Eyes 6/29

Chokecherry Mountain 6/26

Comanche Princess 6/26

Dark Mystery (noid) 6/29

Dream Keeper 6/25

Early Bird Cardinal 7/1

Electric Lizard 6/30

Funny Valentine 6/30

Happy Hopi 6/30

Happy Returns 6/29

Holy Sombrero 6/28

Hopi Jewel 6/27

Indian Love Call 6/28

Inwood 6/30

Jungle Queen 6/29

Lady Fingers 7/1

Laughing Feather 6/27

Mesa Verde 6/29

Mini Pearl 6/30

Navajo Rodeo 7/1

Nurse’s Stethoscope 7/1

Papa Longlegs 6/30

Passionate Returns 6/29

Petite Petticoats 6/29

Pink and Cream 6/26

Pink Rain Dance 6/26

Prairie Blue Eyes 6/25

Pueblo Dancer 6/30

Purple Many Faces 6/29

Purple Mystique 6/30

Red Riddle 6/30

Return a Smile 7/1

Rocky Mountain Pals 6/29

Route 66 6/27

Ruby Spider 6/29

Ruby Stella 6/30

Saratoga Springtime 6/28

Soco Gap 7/1

Stella de Oro 6/26

Strutter’s Ball 6/29

Talon 6/29

The Colorado Kid 6/29

Thin Man 7/1

Treasure of the Southwest 7/1

Wild Horses 6/29

Wineberry Candy 6/26

Yellow Punch 6/26

Zuni Eye 6/26

Zuni Thunderbird 6/30

Horses, Canyons, Rodeos, and Our Blooms for the Week!

June 25, 2018Leave a comment

Summer is here! I got home from camping 6 hours ago and am still trying to get everything done for the weekend! When I don’t take photos in the morning, the blooms are pretty sunburned by noon. And we had wind today. And single digit humidity. So, for today there were 5 new blooms.

Wild Horses is a favorite, dependable bloomer. I have had her 3 years and she puts on quite a show. Can you see the wild horses in her pattern?

Wild Horses 6/24

So, Chaco Canyon bloomed when we returned from this same camping adventure last year. I love her stripes!

Chaco Canyon 6/24

A brand new face for this year is Navajo Rodeo. Waiting 3 years to see some of these has taken patience. She reminds me of Talon, but redder. I am sure they are related.

Navajo Rodeo 6/24

Ruby Spider is one of my oldest blooms, and always a favorite. She is huge, and oh so red!

Ruby Spider 6/24

And little Happy Returns is back. She is such a delicate little yellow trumpet.

Happy Returns 6/24

And there is the long roster (with photos) of all or our blooms from 6/18 through today:

Bluegrass Music 6/21

Canyon Colors 6/21

Comanche Princess 6/22

Dark Mystery 6/20

Dream Keeper 6/22

Funny Valentine 6/19

Holy Sombrero 6/22

Hopi Jewel 6/20

Indian Love Call 6/20

Jungle Queen 6/20

Kokopelli 6/19

Laughing Feather 6/19

Mesa Verde 6/22

Nurse’s Stethoscope 6/21

Painted Petroglyph 6.21

Pink Rain Dance 6/22

Platinum Palate Pink Whispers 6/22

Prairie Blue Eyes 6/19

Pueblo Dancer 6/22

Purple Many Faces 6/22

Purple Mystic 6/20

Red Riddle 6/21

Return a Smile 6/19

Saratoga Springtime 6/21

Stella de Oro 6/19

Talon 6/21

The Colorado Kid 6/22

Treasure of the Southwest 6/21

Wineberry Candy 6/24

Yellow Punch 6/22

Zuni Eye 6/20

So far, that makes 36 that have bloomed in the yard. Of 170-something. 21% or so of my cultivators have bloomed so far. Tomorrow, it looks like more new faces will join the count!

The Colorado Kid: Our blooming mascot

June 19, 20182 Comments

“Monday, Monday. So good to me.” When it comes to new blooms – the song rings true. I feel the peak drawing close now.

First of all, our blog mascot The Colorado Kid had her first 2018 bloom. She seems to do well in my yard in a pot. Many hybridizers say they don’t get the color that I get. She is one of my near blues. I love her deep colors so much. Of course, her name is why I chose her. Then, the blog got named after here. This is her 3rd year blooming here!

The Colorado Kid 6/18

Then, Zuni Eye, one of my Ned Roberts southwest named daylilies bloomed for the first time ever here. So many of his are spiders. But she is a big, big round bloom. I think I am in love! She has been here 2-3 years, and she apparently likes the improvements to the Southwest Garden. Today, I finally met her.

Zuni Eye 6/18

Zuni Eye next to my hand

The other new bloom is out of the no-ID pot from the back corner garden. I named the first one Dark Mystery. This is the second cultivator from that big pot. I am calling her Purple Mystique.

“Purple Mystique” (No-ID)

So, today I shift to only sharing new blooms. I will have the full list for the week with photos each weekend. FYI, the other blooms today were Dark Mystery, Saratoga Springtime, Purple Many Faces, Comanche Princess, Stella de Oro, and Treasure of the Southwest.

I have had 20 cultivators bloom thus far this year – of 170. So, just over 10%. By this date last year, I had 7 that had bloomed. I have added a handful more, but I think I had 160 or so last year. So, less than 5%. It is all the Southwest Garden, the Border Garden and the Rainbarrel Garden that is boosting the total. All of those were added or greatly upgraded last year when I decided to stop buying new daylilies and help the ones that I have to thrive.

I think tomorrow is going to be busy at 6:30 AM. Good night!

Where is the Rain?

July 20, 2017July 20, 2017Leave a comment

Today, we were supposed to get a lot of rain. Maybe flash floods. I wasn’t sure I would get any work done in the yard on split-shift, but I worked outside the whole afternoon. More on that in a minute.

Today brought 2 new blooms. Royal Palace Prince was a bonus plant a couple years ago. It has done better than some of the purchased plants. It reminds me of Pick of the Litter.

The second new face for the year is Apache Uprising. It is the second year for this one. I like the red. It reminds me of Baja a little.

I also like this photo of some of my last near blues today – Blue Beat, The Colorado Kid, and Bluegrass Music.

I don’t know about a later peak this year. Bud counts down and buds dropping. March was warmer than April. And, we had the late May snow storm . . . then no rain. Last year was better in the front garden.

I feel like I am freeing hostages. Daylilies that are not flourishing, but could under different circumstances. Buried pots in order for several in the front garden. Today, Catherine Irene and Happy Happy. Neither has ever bloomed here, and this is going on 3 years. Others that need a transplant include Alabama Jubilee, Coburg Fright Wig, Navajo Blanket, Primal Scream, Lacy Doily, and Heavenly Curls. All have had either extremely low bloom this year or have never bloomed.

When I dug up the two today, I was amazed at the other roots that were woven in with theirs. And, in one case, an ant hill. The whole front garden looks so dry. I have the sprinkler on daily. I need to get a sprinkler hose or something. I wonder if eventually, all 100 plus of my in-ground daylilies will be in buried pots. That makes me tired to think about it . . . but it worked well for the veggies. Come on monsoons. Where are you?

Today, Our Mascot Bloomed!!!

June 29, 2017June 29, 2017Leave a comment

The Colorado Kid. I found her on some site and ordered her from far away. Near-blue, Colorado in the name . . . This is her second year in my yard. And, her blooms make me smile. They are so pretty in the morning before the sun hits and turns the near blue to a deeper, more lavender color. Still pretty, but the UV by mid day makes all the blooms frump a little.

Other first blooms today – the much awaited Pink Enchilada. This flower gives me hope that it just takes time for the bare roots to bloom in the new garden. It is year 2 in the garden, but a first bloom today.

The Southwest Garden also welcomed Indian Love Call. This flower seems happier here than in the pot I had it in last year . . . so that is a positive sign, too.

Soco Gap is a huge daylily in that garden. It was a bonus plant that I stuck between 2 yuccas before I enlarged the garden. It thrives, also a positive sign.

Those positives said, I only have 12 plants with scapes out of 76 plants in the Southwest Garden. Yard-wide (including the porch pots, front garden and Southwestern Garden, I have had 28 cultivators bloom so far (most in the front now have scapes). I have around 160 cultivators total. So, it’s under 20% still. Should be interesting to see what happens in July. (6 of 9 of my back porch pots have bloomed already – interesting on sun and drip systems).

In hindsight, I don’t think I did enough spring watering in the Southwest Garden. The new sprinkler hose also seems to give better coverage. I have also leaned on over fertilizing this year to get the plants some size before they invest in blooms. The soil will need more work – but it is decent for year 2. I wonder about the trees giving too much shade. I think I will go out and snap a cell photo every hour some day soon to see if each area gets 5 -6 hours. I think it is close, but I may invest in some tree trimming this fall. LOL – Who says skiing is the most expensive hobby in Colorado???

Up for tomorrow . . . maybe Bluegrass Music. Maybe Primal Scream or even Aztec Firebird. And, Indian Sky has some baby scapes, finally. The daylily garden is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get.

Singing the Blues

July 15, 2016Leave a comment

Today, all three of my near blues (with scapes) were in bloom; Blue Beat, Mildred Mitchell, and The Colorado Kid. (Sounds like a rock band.) They have all bloomed before this year, so I highlighted them in todays garden collage. I did want to share a large view of Blue Beat before the first rays of sun hit her. Very blue-looking!

Blue Beat – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

The other photo I really like from today is Jungle Queen. I caught the first rays of light on her pedals.

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

I had two new blooms and neither looked as healthy as I would like. Bugs, heat, water issues, etc. Who knows? They are pretty flowers and hopefully they will have their true colors shining through very soon.

Zuni Thunderbird – a neat Ned Roberts spider that I put in the new garden last fall.

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

And, Inwood – a beautiful flower with a frompy first bloom.

Inwood – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

Below are the bloomers for today.

Left to Right: Top row – South Seas, The Colorado Kid, Blue Beat, Mildred Mitchell, Soco Gap. Second Row: Inwood, Jungle Queen, Mini Pearl, Purple de Oro, Early Bird Cardinal. Bottom: Zuni Thunderbird.

Before I sign off, let me just say that I am writing this blog to share my experiences being a daylily hobbiest in the desert of Western Colorado. The soil is clay, so I have learned to amend it with good soil and water crystals. They help hold the moisture in – and I had my best garlic harvest ever after adding them to the mix. However, there can always be too much of a good thing and the crystals can harbor root rot is the drainage isn’t good, The last week, Colorado Kid has been fading. Today, I threw out the rotten dirt and cleaned up the roots. Hopefully, I didn’t over correct. It’s hard for humans to get the right balance of moisture in a place where mother nature falls short. And, that is the adventure. (RIP Navajo Rodeo – I am not sure what got you but something did 😦 )

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.