Re: re: generic clump shots

Gee, your story reminds me of a Joni Mitchell song....

"They paved paradise and put up...in your case...the 405."

 

This iris bloomed for the first time for me this year.  It is stunning and stately as your pictures suggest.

 

Thanks for sharing

Kate - Aurora, ON Canada - zone 5b (4b US)



----- Original Message ----
From: Jan Lauritzen <janicelauritzen@yahoo.com>
To: iris-photos@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Friday, November 9, 2007 5:59:46 PM
Subject: Re: [iris-photos] re: generic clump shots

Wonderful picture, Donald.  The story is great as well.  It reminds me of one of my earliest iris encounters. 
 
During my childhood here in Los Angeles in the 50's there was a dead end road 1/2 block from my house.  At the bottom of the road was an area of weeds.  Every spring a huge clump of wonderful white and yellow irises would appear and bloom.  I dug some up and took them home.  Every spring they grew into a larger and more wonderful hedge. 
 
As I look back today I realize that they was probably I. orientalis (formerly I. ochroleuca and were the start of my love of irises.  That hedge was still growing larger and blooming in the back yard when my dad sold the house in the early 70's.  I still love spurias and grow many
AND, I do grow I. orientalis in my iris garden and attaching a photo.  Not as spectaular a picture as yours. 

 
Unfortunately, now that area where the "wild" irises grew is part of the 405 Freeway.
 
Jan in Chatsworth 

Donald Eaves <donald@eastland. net> wrote:
I wish Christian success with that project. A lot of success. The post
reminded me of my favorite photo taken this year. It's not the best - not
even the best that could be taken of the irises. These are growing on the
road ditch on the country road along the way to town. I've been passing
this spot off and on since we moved here in 1950. The big oak tree, the
iris clumps - they've migrated into about four clumps - and a fence with a
huge mess of trumpet vine are all that mark the spot as an old home site.
Mostly the clumps disappear under the trumpet vine in the summer. Unless
they bloom, I doubt anyone could even spy them growing among the weeds.
Often they don't bloom, but this year they bloomed prolifically. Here it
was still raining after a couple of days of battering rain, so they are
droopy. But they are so very white against the green and so unexpected when
they bloom. This area was mostly settled beginning in the late 1880's up to
about 1910. Since there was no structural signs of a dwelling in 1950,
these irises probably date several decades or more back from 1950. Those
were pretty hard scrabble times for rural folk, but still someone took the
trouble to plant plants like these irises and the trumpet vine to make it
home. I wish they could know how much I enjoyed the show this year. For a
week or so they were the brightest spot on the 7 mile drive to town and
work. Sometimes that trumpet vine does the same thing. Year before last it
was just spectacular with orange trumpet almost solid. Tempted me to bring
some of the invasive weed home. I resisted.

Donald Eaves
d*@eastland.net
Texas Zone 7b, USA

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