Donald,
I can feel and understand your pain about the damage
that hail and storms can do to your irises.
Several years ago, my little brother joined the army
and was sent to Fort Bragg. That fall I found and
bought the iris Fort Bragg. In Feb of the following
yr, he was sent to Iraq..Spring came and FB put up a
bloom stalk, I checked on it every single day..twice a
day..
One morning, I saw it would be opened by the
afternoon..I was so excited...While at work, many
severe storms moved into our area..We didn't get hail
at work, but I didn't know what was going on here.
That afternoon, I came home and in the rain went
straight to my garden..All I found was a tattered
bloom, beat all to pieces. My heart broke, I honestly
stood out there and cried.
Even while I was on my way back to my school bus I
cried..no one understood what that iris meant to me..I
heard it's just a flower..Another will open..it's
really no big deal. But to me it was..there is nothing
like seeing that first bloom on one that you have been
waiting forever to open.
littlebit
--- donald <donald@eastland.net> wrote:
> Jan,
>
> >What kind of "rain" did you have? Solid? I can't
> believe rain did
> that much damage. It must have POURED for hours.
>
> Some of it was solid, yes. Hail. Not large hail
> like last year, but
> I was told it came down heavy for a brief period.
> Definitely ice is
> solid. And it also poured heavily for hours and was
> occasionally
> powered by strong winds. Most of the breakage is
> due to the hail,
> but heavy rain powered by strong wind can lay even
> strong stalks down
> and destroy any open blooms. At least we got the
> much needed rain.
> The larger hail last year had very little rain with
> it - less than
> half an inch - and it proved to be our last rain
> until some light
> showers in the fall. My treasured oak trees never
> fully recovered
> and I really want to see them get sufficient
> moisture this year.
>
> I'm sorry to see so many broken stalks and ruined
> buds, but a lot
> survived too and some things are running much later
> this year.
> Barring another disaster I'll still see some nice
> bloom. I'm
> naturally disappointed to miss - yet again - some
> seedlings I'd love
> to see and the timing will interfere with the
> daubing I'd like to
> try, but I'm very grateful for the rain.
>
> Donald
>
>
>
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