Re: MED: Pele and pumila, etc.

From: z88keys@mindspring.com (L.Zurbrigg)

>From: Bill Shear <BILLS@hsc.edu>
>
>Looks like the SDB 'Pele' will be the first to bloom here--with 8 stalks on
>a first-year plant!  This in addition to a dozen increases.  Nice vigor.
>
>Sad that there is evidently to be no bloom on Iris pumila this year.
>Perhaps at last after ten years without disturbance, the planting needs
>renovation.  I grew my plants from SIGNA seed and got a nice blue, a purple
>and a light yellow, though none of them had much of the "pumila spot"
>pattern.  I crossed the yellow successfully with a purple I. aphylla and
>got an intermediate group of seedlings with rather greenish cream flowers.
>All these (or what remained of them) were sent to Tom T. Little, and if he
>is listening in, I wonder how they are doing for him.  The only things I
>have remaining from this little experiment are one or two seedlings from
>the aphylla x pumila seedlings crossed with unknown SDBs.  None of them
>were very attractive or vigorous.
>
>I was glad to see that I successfully rescued the only plant that ever
>germinated from my many attempts to grow I. variegata from seed.  This
>unusual specimen has the purple leaf bases, but the small, narrow flowers
>are entirely light yellow, without any trace of red on the falls.  It will
>not bloom this year but is showing extraordinary vigor.  Likewise some
>material of I. subbiflora, a rich deep violet median, was saved from being
>over-run by sedum and is doing famously in a new place.
>
>Bill Shear
>Department of Biology
>Hampden-Sydney College
>Hampden-Sydney VA 23943
>(804)223-6172
>FAX (804)223-6374
>email<bills@hsc.edu>
>Dear Bill: I think we just live too far south to be able to make I. pumila
>happy.  I still have three , no four, alive, but they do not thrive. I
>rely on pollen from John and Lucy Burton, and in the past from Lynda
>Miller, to make  my crosses on talls.  Thank you very much for the copy of
>your lovely book. Sincerely, Lloyd Zurbrigg Durham NC



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