Tacos, Firebirds, and Skinwalkers: Come see what is new in my drought ridden daylily garden!

July 19, 2025July 19, 2025Leave a comment

Droughts, Wildfires, and Daylilies

Droughts and wildfires go together, daylilies not so much. The smoke has cleared (mostly) from the Black Canyon of the Gunnison South Rim Fire (<10 miles away), and they have the fire 15% contained. My last blog post talks more about the fire. Some rain has fallen on my garden since the last post, too. The drought continues, though. Keep reading to enjoy my daylilies from the past week!

Monitoring and Maintaining My Resilient Daylilies

I am surprised my daylilies have done as well as they have this year with the heat and drought. I have somewhere around 190 cultivators. I badly need to do inventory, maps, and labels this year. I love the Flower daylily software, but I struggle to keep it updated. I seem to lose a lot of the newer ones from other climates over the first winter/spring – but I am not even sure what I have lost until I do inventory because some lost tags.

Black Canyon South Rim Fire – Watch Duty from today. About 15% contained.

Honestly, though, I am limited by time and water. I may replace some cultivators if I lose them, but I won’t be adding many more to my total. I’m at capacity. I am growing ditch lilies in the desert drought. I love daylilies, and they are survivors! My time goes into keeping those I have alive and healthy. And, my money goes into city water. I can’t imagine trying to hybridize or sell in my situation.

New Blooms and Current Bloom Rate

I have had a total of 139 cultivators bloom this season (out of around 190). That is a 73% bloom rate. Last year, we only got to the mid-sixties, so I am thrilled. And, the season isn’t over. In the high desert, 80% is a huge win. I need to fertilize, but without the monsoon moisture and cooler temps, I am waiting until next month. With daylilies in pots, I find applying liquid fertilizer improves bloom rate for the following year because the plant is more resilient.

Here are my “first bloom for 2025” cultivators since my last post:

The bloom peak is now over the top and past the plateau. However, I still have 30-40 cultivators in bloom daily, with 2-3 new ones most days. My beloved Ned Roberts’ southwest names spiders are just now peaking! Life gets extremely busy during daylily season, especially with my business and volunteer work.

Which is your favorite daylily from this post? For me, Zuni Thunderbird has always been a favorite! This computer is even named Zuni Thunderbird after the daylily.

Keep flourishing, Cathy H

Exciting New Daylily Blooms of 2024: Ghost Ranch, Simmering Elephants, and More

July 31, 2024Leave a comment

I am posting a quick update. Several mid-late bloomers in the past week. I haven’t posted here because of brain fog (no AC), little dogs, other blogs (I have 4 active) and old frogs. I am just going to do a quick post to catch-up.

My 3 Special Needs/Senior Rescues Keep Me Busy!

On 7.24, Ghost Ranch bloomed with the first decent sized blooms ever in my yard. I replaced the first plant a couple years ago because it died. I also had a NOID Red Spider that may be another Skinwalker or Winds of Love, but doesn’t perfectly match either. It was suppose to be Coyote Laughs, but it clearly isn’t. I also had reliable El Desperado.

On 7.25 I had a first ever bloom from Simmering Elephants. I like it! I also had Kachina Firecracker and Laughing Feather, but Ned Roberts spiders

Then, 7.26 brought Apache Uprising, Mama Cuna and Little Cadet.

The days 7.27-28 brought Petite Petticoats, Purple Corn Dancer and Cripple Creek.

Today, the newbies (for 2024) were Royal Palace Prince and Frans Hals.

It’s an interesting year – I am still in the low 20s every day. My highest day was in the 30s or low 40s – nothing like 60-70. It has been a slow, steady season.

I am going to go to weekly with this blog now that the season is slowing. I will continue to blog until the last daylily blooms, but frequency will decrease as the yard slows. I need to get back to life!

And, a quick reminder about my Until the Last Daylily Blooms Etsy sale! I use my earnings to help support my rescue dogs, so I appreciate readers who take the time to visit my shop. Thank you!

Visit Art From The Hartt by clicking on picture.

Driving Me Buggy: How to Prevent Earwig Photobombs

July 21, 2024Leave a comment

Ugly, Smiling Pincers

How many of those of us who take photographs have ever been disgusted to take a closer look at our beautiful flower photo and see those ugly pincers (click link to find out more about earwig ID) were smiling at the camera when we clicked the otherwise gorgeous shot? Ugh!

Parts of earwig visible in the throat of the flower.

Manual Extraction of the Earwig

I am not here to talk about photoshop or insecticide. I am here to talk about twigs. That’s right, twigs. I don’t like to use insecticide because my earwig issues are usually only for a few weeks during hot weather and I worry about other pollinators.

I inspect the flower for earwigs before I take the photo. If I see the nasty little pincers, I grab a nearby twig. I want a fine enough twig not to damage the flower – but it also needs to be strong enough to grab the insect and allow me to drag it out of the flower. Below is a short video with my process. Sorry about the shakiness, I had to try to hold the camera while manually extracting the insect. Normally, I hold the flower steady with the other hand to minimize or prevent flower damage.

Manual extraction of earwig from throat of daylily.

PS – As a nurse-midwife, I occasionally had to manually extract a placenta. There are some similarities to the process. 🙂 Kind of like high, hot, and a hell of a lot!

Dog photo bombs are much cuter than earwig photobombs.

More Colorful Spiders: Reaching for My Stretch Goal . . . of 60% Bloom Rate

I had two first of the season blooms today – both Ned Roberts’ spiders. That makes 25 total for the year so far . . . out of 70+. 😦 That’s about 35%. As with the rest of the yard, I hope for 60%. That’s about 18 more cultivators. It’s my stretch goal!

Winds of Love is such a beautiful flower – she always looks like she is blowing in a gentle breeze. Golden Eclipse has unique coloring. I was cautioned by the grower that it looked a little brown to some buyers – but I adore the color.

When Will My Last Daylily Bloom?

Maybe I should run a contest! Last year, it was the day before Halloween. I have actually have had blooms into November some years, but I moved the plant into the lean-to so the buds didn’t freeze. Typically, late September/early October – about freeze time in Colorado zone 6.

My last bloom last year was Open My Eyes on10.29 – It was hit with freezing rain after blooming.

30% Off Art Sale: Until My Last Daylily Blooms!

I am running a sale. It includes my daylily wall art, tile art, planters, and greeting cards. I will be adding more items once I cut down on blogging in August. For the current 30% off sale (July 21-August 19), I threw in more items – yard art (more gnomes styles coming soon) and my pet memorials. I make pet ash memorials from hosta or begonia leaves and summer is the time to order for more leaf selection!

My dog Maizzy’s memorial leaf during it’s creation.

Yesterday, I decided to include my Colorado wildflower cards. These are made with my own photography of Pearl Lake State Park – the Park is named after my grandma.

Until the Last Daylily Blooms – 30% off art sale!

Visit my Etsy Shop! You can click the photo above, the icon below or this link to see all of my art!

Tie It Up

Today’s blog looked at non-techno, eco-friendly approaches to removing earwigs from your daylily photos. I shared photos of my latest beloved Ned Roberts spider daylilies. And, I shared updated information on my Until the Last Daylily Blooms art sale. I am seriously considering a contest for the person who guesses the last bloom date! What do you think?

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A post shared by Cathy Hartt (@artfromthehartt)

Illusion in the Garden

July 29, 2023July 29, 2023Leave a comment

Another warm (hot with UV of 9) in the desert daylily garden. Four new mif-late season cultivators. Winds of Love is suck a cool daylily because she always looks like a painting to me. Like an illusion of perfection in my imperfect garden.

The rains still have not come. They seem more a forecaster’s illusion than science at the moment. Looks like maybe some cooling and rain next week. I’ve said that before.

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A post shared by Cathy Hartt (@coloradokiddaylilies)

Please enjoy my IG reel from today. In order: Marque Moon, Western Sandstone, Winds of Love, Zuni Thunderbird.

Please visit my website Www.artfromthehartt.com

All Hell Broke Loose While I Was Camping

July 16, 2022July 16, 2022Leave a comment

I have no idea where to even start with premiers. I’m buried in catching up with daylily photos. I’ll give it a shot. Thank heaven I post to Facebook every day. Sometimes I do miss things, though.

7.11: Lobo Lucy, Laughing Feather, Happy Hopi, Chokecherry Mountain, Apache Uprising, and Soco Gap

7.14: Ruby Stella, Hesperus, Orange Flurry, Purple Many Faces, Kachina Dancer, Kiva Dancer, Cherokee Star, Papa Long Legs, Western Sandstone, Classy Lady, One of my new OZ daylilies that need labels (I believe).

7.15: Glen Eyrie, Scorpio, Route 66, Fooled Me, Echo Canyon, Twirling Pinata, Medicine Feather, Star Over Milgro, Black Ice, Winds of Love, Nearly Wild, Rosie’s Red, Mildred Mitchell, Fairytale Pink, and Navajo Rodeo

And, whatever I missed. And, my one bud on Lacy Doily bloomed when I was gone. So, if lighting strikes but no one is in earshot, is there thunder? Yes. To the bees and butterflies.

I need a stiff drink before I finish. Lol. That’s 31 new faces since I posted on Sunday. Sometimes, I wish we could flatten the curve of peak a little. Gonna be crazy for a bit.

Fall Daylily Sale! We got spiders!

August 29, 2021Leave a comment

I have exciting news! My Etsy Store is up and running. And, I am having a Fall Daylily Sale. I actually divided several of my Ned Roberts spiders. I have the following listed on Etsy for sale (link to my shop click here):

Aztec Firebird

Cheyenne Eyes

Comanche Princess

Desert Icicle

Dream Catcher

Moon Over Chimayo

Spirit of the Morning

Star over Milagro

Winds of Love

So, what have I been up to the last month? Starting my business on Etsy and working in nursing academic leadership 3 days a week. Some year, I am going to blog every day in August! I have Purple Grasshopper still in bloom – she was one of the first and will be the last. It is like she is on steroids this year.

Anyway, please visit my Etsy Shop for photos and more info on the daylily sale. It only goes until 9.11 due to the fact the freeze will get here in October. If the daylily you are interested doesn’t have a listing, please email me at cathy.hartt55@gmail.com to see if I have it available. Growing in fairly small pots means I usually only get 2-4 extra fans when I divide.

I will be back with my end of month list of bloomers for August in a couple days. See you then!

July Daylily Round-up N-Z

August 1, 20211 Comment

Here is part 1 of this blog post These posts include all daylilies that were in bloom in July in my yard. Please see first post for more details.

Nosferatu 7.12-7.19 (end 7.19-7.24 during vaca)

Oh Erica 7.17 (end 7.19-7.24 during vaca)

Pizza Crust (started week of 7.19)-present

Purple Grasshopper 6.11-present. Non-stop!

Red Hot Returns 7.11-7.19 (ended 7.19-7.25 during vaca)

Royal Braid 7.18 (ended 7.19-7.25 during vaca)

Ruby Spider 6.22-7.19 (ended 7.19-7.24 during vaca)

Spirit of the Morning 7.12-8.1 (unless I missed a bud)

No U, No V – I need to fix that with some new flowers 🙂

No X, either!

Yellow Punch 6.15-7.4 (first encore 7.31)

That is all for July, folks. Look for our Colorado Day (8/1) blooms up next!

Love Ya to the Moon!

July 13, 2021July 14, 2021Leave a comment

Holy cow! I had almost 70 again today. We have been hovering in the 60s since 7.5. That is definitely a record of some sort. That said, the finales are starting to outnumber the premiers, so it should start to die down soon. That being said, I have about 30 with scapes that have not yet bloomed. I think my bloom rate is around 66% currently. (I finally moved my daylily software from my old computer – which took an hour to boot up 😛 )

Here we go – today we had two loves, one moon and one timber wolf as premiers.

Winds of Love 7.13 – I love the mellow colors of this Roberts spider.

Indian Love Call 7.13 – Weirdly putting out a first bloom when it normally is in rebloom mode.

Marque Moon 7.13 – A funny, ruffley guy from the local nursery

Lobo Lucy 7.13 – Another Roberts spider out dancing with her Chokecherry Mountain cousin.

Finales for today were:

Wild Horses 7.13 finale. Was in bloom almost a full month.

Blackthorne 7.13 finale after producing only a few buds and not blooming for several years.

Mesa Verde finale 7.13. In bloom almost a month.

Wineberry Candy finale 7.13. This guy didn’t have a great year and likely needs some new soil.

I wonder what tomorrow will bring.

Sixty-Six Spiderman Daylilies for 2020

August 9, 2020Leave a comment

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 . . .