We had a brief taste of spring last weekend when temps reached into the
50's, but now it's freezing cold again and there's a freshly fallen inch
of snow on the ground.
I sowed my SIGNA seeds last week so they could get some stratification
gratification from this cold wet weather. I should have applied some
advanced sowing techniques, but I just potted them and set them
outside. I've had good results with this natural technique, provided
they get enough cold, wet weather.
When the weather breaks one of my first projects is to build a bog bed
for my Iris tridentata and Iris prismatica. I've got some pitcher
plants and sundews on order which will be the companion planting in this
new bed. This spark of interest in native carnivores has turned into a
bit of an obsession over one particular kind... butterworts. I don't
know why but I think they're just incredible! Their flowers are
absurdly beautiful and they seem quite care free.
I still can't figure out why Iris tridentata thrives in nutrient poor
soils in the wild, when here in my garden it loves fertile soil. Well,
this new bog bed will be my chance to study that and draw my own
conclusions. Perhaps it will make a worth SIGNA article in years to
come? :)
Well... time to go water my amaryllises..... this cabin fever is killing
me!!!!
Dennis in Cincinnati
