What a difference a year makes... | Daylily Blog on WAITING!!



<posted June 19, 2013>  What a difference a year makes!  

Last year on this date, I had already exhibited in a show and my seedlings were almost all blooming.  

This year, I have two daylilies blooming and not a single seedling has bloomed yet.  And I think Im okay with that.  It allows me more time to focus on tasks that go by the wayside when bloom starts.  Things like edging, staking, pruning from spring growth.  I am also able to notice changes in the garden that I might not see if the daylilies were exploding, like how full the Cleveland pears have gotten in just a year, or how the hardy hibiscus look so pretty emerging from fresh wood.

Ive invested quite bit of time in the precariously placed robin's nests in my yard, too.  Today, the last baby left the nest we have been watching so intently for the last month.  She built this nest on my potting bench.


Wanda laid 4 eggs and all of them hatched.


It was special for us because the boys had never seen eggs or chicks or how protective and attentive the mother robins can be.  She sat on them during two near-tornadoes and several high-powered storms. Over the last month, one died leaving the nest, and I saw the other two Monday and yesterday  skittering about the yard and garden, hiding in clumps and perching on short sticks - learning to live.  

Here is the last remaining baby, yesterday, holding out for just the right moment.  This one stayed in the nest almost five days after the others had left.  Wanda kept feeding it and sitting with it at night, so we knew it was going to survive!


Today, this last baby bravely climbed onto the rim of the well-built nest and just flew.  

Wanda's nest is empty.

I'll miss them, but I'm glad to have my potting bench back.


You can see the start of Wanda's nest in this picture...I think Ill leave it there.

Here are some first pics of the earliest bloomers.  Not any of my earliest are yellows!  What do you think about that?!?

From top left, we have CHAOTIC EROTICA from Illinois hybridizer Martin Mayes.  Top right is Paul Owen's RUNNING FOR THE BORDER (which measured 8.5").  Bottom left is Michigan hybridizer Martin Kamensky's SHY PIROUETTE (which will rebloom until September) and bottom right is Nicole DeVito's FOREVER FASCINATED, blooming in a pot waiting for the Region 2 Summer Auction in Cincinnati at the end of the month.


 

C'mon, daylilies...


2 comments:

Roth Daylilies said...

I really enjoyed this story about the robins! The 4 daylilies are beautiful. See you

Unknown said...

Great story! I love when the robins are nesting here. You never know where they will nest next.

Karen

 

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