OT: babysitting irises and rant

From: Ellen Gallagher <e_galla@moose.ncia.net>

	Linda aka the Rot Queen (but not this year) wrote:

>....and "babysitting" from listers.

	Yes, I sent Ms. Mann some irises to grow for me last year. This
	was done for several reasons but the main one is that I assumed
	that if they did well for her, they were sure hardy. :)

	However, move over Linda, I have stolen your crown and scepter
	as the Rot Queen. Yes, it is sad but true. Everyday, more soft
	rot appears here due to the early departure of our snow cover and
	I am very disturbed (no wise cracks, guys). Even some of the
	SDBs in very high raised beds are showing signs of stress. The
	soaking rain is not helping, BTW and I think I have moved to
	iris-hell in this new place. Strangly enough, the TBs are doing
	OK and have only lost one cultivar of LET IT RIDE (I had another
	one so it is OK). Walter Moore's irises are loving it here and
	CONFEDERATE ROYALTY is the star in growth but STEPPING OUT is
	giving it a run for star status. These cultivars are only a few
	inches high but some of the I. dandfordiae are looking like they
	might actually bloom soon.

	I have only been in the garden sparingly (temp. will reach a
	high of 35 degrees today and I had pneumonia last week
	which I thought was a cold) but will go out and rid the bearded
	of their superfluous black, dead frost-bitten fans.

	The Siberians are slow and of course doing well as are those
	from Tony Huber. By well I mean they are showing some green.
	We have a liberal interpretation of doing well for plants here
	in the tundra. If they live, they are doing well and if they
	bloom they do fabulously well. Hemerocallis (dormant) and
	herbaceous peonies plus most alpines are the stars along with
	lilium (Asiatic). Papaver (selected ones) also put on quite a
	show. Too cold for forsythia here...darn but we have lots of
	lilacs. :) Of course, daffodils, tulips and crocus are no
	problem. I only had a few roses in my old place but there
	were some on this new property and they did well last summer.

	Cheers,

	Ellen
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ellen Gallagher    /     e_galla@ncia.net
Northern New Hampshire, USA   /   Zone  3
Berlin, NH    in   'The Great North Woods'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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