Are you sure it was Blue Moonlight? It consistently blooms above 36 inches
here spring and fall.
A lot of the most reliable rebloomers I have show slender stalks and
light substance. Many are limber, swaying in the strong winds, but
staying up (like MTBs). Putting a big, heavy bloom on that structure
is too much for it. I want the burly stalks of modern oncers.
Actually, the burly stalks don't look graceful at all to me. I would rather
have limber stalks that sway and come back up, rather than stiff stalks
that break off in the wind. But it's all about the bloom, and the strength
is required to hold up a big, heavy modern bloom.
A strong stalk that's yet graceful and limber - now that's rare as hen's teeth.
I had one, years ago. It was Mother Earth X Sugar Blues. Nice color - clean
white over bright yellow and bright blue, but retro form. Huge thing, chosen
by a van load of people on a windy day as their favorite. Blooms were head-high,
bouncing back and forth like ping pong balls.
Probably the best option for something homeowner-friendly would be a small-
flowered tall. Downsized ultra-modern blooms an limber TB stalks. Anybody
working on that? With, of course, high bud count and continuous rebloom.
Mary Lou, near Indianapolis, Z5
