MED: First bloom

Hello all of you out there:
The first tiny Iris have made their appearance.  Several days ago,
blooms on a tiny purple unknown appeared. This is one I've had for a
very long time.  It's medium purple with light lavender beards.  Don't
know where I got it, and wonder if it might even be a seedling. 
Seedlings, unplanned, do sometimes appear.  This is a cutie and is
always the first to bloom so I've kept it even though so far it has no
name.
Two MDBs which have just opened are ORCHID FLAIR and FOOTPRINT, oldies. 
First of the SDBs is open today also.  It, too, is an oldie but has
always been a favorite of mine -- AMAZON PRINCESS.  The SDBs will be
coming on quickly now.  I was out looking over the garden this afternoon
and working on my inventory and there are a few missing Iris.  Mostly
they are some which were added last year, and were planted late. Did
lose JUAN VALDEZ though, which was a couple of years old.  Had to head
for the house when it clouded over and we had a brief thunderstorm. It
also rained in the night, and the weeders did not show up today.  The
crew has been here for two days and already things are looking much
better.  Although, I don't believe the weeds are as bad this year.  I'm
sure it has to do with the Surflan I applied last Fall. I'll give the
garden another shot when the weeders finish.  
I really hurt for all of you who have been adversely effected by El
Nino.  We, in the Northwest, had an unusually mild winter.  Don't know
if El Nino had anything to do with that.  We've And more rain, here in
the Columbia Basin, than usual.  And the Iris plants are looking great. 
We are so lucky that we don't have to fight borers or leafspot. Weeds
are the worst problem we have, and they are not the really obnoxious,
hard to get rid of, kind.  Dandelions are my worst.
I don't know whether it was our mild winter or the application of
5-10-10 over all of the garden, but the Spring flowers are especially
beautiful just now.  I have a very large variety of daffodils and they
seem to be larger, with longer stems than usual.  Hyacinths are still in
bloom, and Tulips have started, as well as flowering trees and shrubs. 
The Flowering Quince is lovely just now, and the Oregon Grape is yellow
with bloom.  The Pansies wintered over and are loaded with large
colorful faces, and the Johnny Jump Ups and Grape Hyacinths are putting
on a show.
Am still working on my catalog.  Don't know when it will be out. 
Looking forward to a wonderful bloom time, and wishing the same for you.

Lorraine Miller, in the beautiful Columbia Basin in the center of
Washington State.  Zone 6, I think.
LORRAINE'S IRIS PATCH   lcmiller@televar.com
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