Tag: windstorms

Rode Hard and Put Away Wet

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It is an expression about horses – rode hard and put away wet means running a horse so hard that it sweats. Well, looking at my daylilies today, the expression came to mind. The Derecho followed by 2 more days of intense wind – then down to near freezing last night – that is a lot to ask of a daylily. And, the foliage is bent and after two days of dust bowl wind, the last rain was “dirty” so to speak. So, my leaves have a little debris on them.

Dream Keeper after the storm 6.9.20

I still had 4 blooms today. I think Dream Keeper looks so sad and faded today after the storm.

Dream Keeper before the storm 6.7.20 – see the color difference?

And, Saratoga Springtime broke a petal.

Saratoga Springtime – After the storm 6.9.20

Stella, and her cousin, Yellow Punch (a primier bloom today) look pretty normal. Except the buds (other than Saratoga Springtime) did not fully open until this afternoon about 2 PM. It is a clear sign that blooms are partially heat driven.

Stella – 6.9.20

What’s close – IDK, maybe Funny Valentine. I do have close to 70 scapes now. The wind is gone, like a case of Corona Virus is gone. And, it gets up to 75 tomorrow.

Yellow Punch with a first bloom 6.9.20

Oh, and my poinsettias are OK. Poinsettias will die if you expose them to temps under 50 in the winter, but I have found that during growing season, they are much more resilient.

Back to the Drawing Board

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Going back to the drawing board is both literal and figurative for me this day.  And, when you are a creative, drawing boards can help generate positive emotion.

When I buy daylilies with southwestern names, I usually am attracted to names like Mesa Verde and Chaco Canyon – places where I have been. With Ghost Ranch, I put the cart before the horse.  Or, the daylily before the trip.

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Oh, the name sounded southwestern, and it is a Ned Roberts bloom, so I Googled it.  Much to my surprise, this place called Ghost Ranch was just over in my neighbor, New Mexico.  At first, I saw it said no dogs.  But, I did call the morning we were driving through that area on the road trip.  Dogs, sure!  Just bring a leash.

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This is a beautiful place that is the subject of Georgia O’Keefe’s paintings.  It is clearly on the Colorado Plateau – I knew as soon as  saw the rock structures.  The only downside was that we got there during the beginning of a good size windstorm, so hiking was not as fun and the light was rather muted.  At any rate, here is Ghost Ranch on Ghost Ranch . . . my drawing board.

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Ghost Ranch was the only new bloom today.  I had 10 different cultivators today.  Nice little smiles, each.  My last Blue Beat, though.  See you next year! No, wait.  See you when I break out the Christmas present paint.

 

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From R to L: Top Row – Classy Lady, Fine Time Lucille, Desert Icicle, Blue Beat, South Seas.  Row Two: Primal Scream, Lullaby Baby, Ghost Ranch, Marque Moon, Mini Pearl.

 

 

Southwest Spiders in the Garden

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I find spider daylilies mesmerizing.  Something about the shape, the twists.  Each bloom is so unique.  Not that I don’t love the traditional shapes.  But, there is something about a spider in the garden.  And, I don’t mean the insect kind that live in my rock garden this time of year.

Today, another new Ned Roberts bloom: Winds of Love.  It was a bonus plant that came with some others that I bought from the Lily Auction from a seller named Floota. At first, I thought it didn’t belong with the Southwestern named ones.  But, then, I remembered those spring desert windstorms that blow the warmer weather in each year.  You know, the ones that formed the Grand Canyon?  Well, they can be serious show stoppers if you are on a road trip.  But, what about reframing them to mean something more positive?  Cognitive behavioral therapy for weather.  So, Winds of Love is in with the other Southwestern named blooms.

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

I also played with the macros feature on my camera more today.  I got some cool close-ups of today’s blooms – all are Ned’s daylilies.  So, sit back, relax, and enjoy.  PS – I am writing this as I wait for a 5PM job interview.  It’s a bit too early to start preparing.  It’s weird to interview via the web, so I need to vacuum 🙂  Blogging about daylilies is the BEST way to stay focused in the moment. Well, next to taking photographs and painting them, that is.

Here are my three beautiful spiders of today up close and personal:

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

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 Kokopelli – Photo by Colorado Kid Daylilies – C. Hartt

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

OK, and one more of Kokopelli from a little further back.  The first bloom had some issues with color, but this one is gorgeous!  So perfect.  Can’t wait to paint it.  I love the colors! It almost has a hint of blue between the yellow and pink . . . OK, light purple.

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Anyway, about time to prep for that interview.  I need a job after graduation so I can pay for my daylily habit 🙂  Well, actually, it is a really cool job.

That’s all folks!