I have a stand of Kniphofia 'Flamenco' that I planted a few years back, that I've always enjoyed for their low-maintenance nature, their ability to overwinter just fine here in upstate NY with no special protection, and their continuous re-bloom through most of the summer and into early fall if I'm fairly diligent about cutting back expired flower stalks.

I cant help 'sah' but only say that I am very envious of your success with kniphofia. I have tried on several occasions (but not lately...hmm) to have these plants overwinter with very limited success.

(Do you have any pictures to share?)

Rouge: Here are two shots from the end of the June. The first is a more distant view of a area along our driveway with the Kniphofia, some Achillea, Alliums, the fading blooms of Penstemon strictus, Lilium and Ruellia humilis. You can see that the deer had already chomped a few of the Kniphofia flower stalks (along with the Lilium buds) at this point, but I think they clearly weren't fans, as they never sampled it again!

The second shot is a close-up of the blooms from a few days later where you can see the inflorescences already starting to fade at the bottom.

As far as overwintering success, we do have them in perhaps the best draining part of our otherwise clay-ridden property, and we leave the dead foliage on as a protective "mulch" until spring.

You have to remember, the plants design is to get pollinated. When that happens, there is no more reason for the flowers...thus short lived individual blooms. They weren't genetically engineered to last forever. It is what it is.

I view them more like peonies - one bloom time and they're done - than black-eyed susans or some other non-stop bloomer. I am psyched when they bloom., and admire the sword-like foliage the rest of the time.