TB: Snow Flurry & other early bloomers & misc gifts, swaps etc

From: Linda Mann <lmann@icx.net>

> A few early TB's are in glorious
> bloom right now (Snow Flurry, Jesse's Song

Aha! That provides a clue as to why SNOW FLURRY sometimes doesn't do
well "back east", but was used a lot in hybridizing.  An early bloomer,
subject to freeze damage and subsequent rot, less so in gardens with
smaller sudden temperature drops over the winter/spring, less so in
years with more consistent weather, like here this year.  

I am seeing buds on stuff I've never seen bloom here before.  A good
year for the ones sensitive to sudden hard freezes from Jan thru May 1. 
Gorgeous clump of I. pallida in full bloom in a fairly shady spot next
to the house.  Probably gets a lot of reflected light from the white,
west-facing siding.  Prettiest show I've seen of this sweetie.

My "garden" is full of presents, swaps & purchases from listers - lots
of early but otherwise tough stuff ("you've got to try this, Linda,
surely it will do well for you") has been trucking along, waiting for a
spring when the weather wouldn't hurt the blooms.  Big fat clump of pink
IB? from Larry Doucette (you still here Larry?) is LOADED with stalks
opening up (from 3 yrs ago).  Another unlabelled Larry D clump next to
it is a little less huge, but is also about to bloom for the first
time.  Even CRIMSON KING, from John Jones in California, via Donald
Mosser in South Carolina 3 yrs ago, managed to bloom this year.  Walter
Moores - ASCII ART has 2 big fat healthy stalks on it, and at least one
stalk on VIOLET SHIMMER, not to mention all the non-Moores' intros from
your 'basement' sale to listers last year.  And Arnold K, the seedlings
from the little, early Siberian cross seeds you sent have put on
phenomenal growth -- big enough to move out of the washtub if the
weather will cooperate with some cooler temps and rain.  And Barb J, the
surviving Muehler seedlings from the seeds you sent have SHOT up this
spring - where in the heck am I going to plant all these things??  I may
just have to sack them up and mail them back to you (no way, not till I
see them bloom :)).  Several of the things from Jeff Walters a couple of
years ago made it here for the first time -- PIPPI LONGSTOCKINGS, in
both full sun/gravel, and in shade with tree roots; SEASON TICKET
(nice!); stalks on some others.

After so many bad years in a row, I feel a bit euphoric and tipsy with
all this promised profusion of bloom...

Will try to post a final (hopefully) report on how the historic
ancestors handled the rollercoaster freezes thru this benign winter. 
Soon.

Linda Mann east Tennessee USA
today - LITTLE SHOWOFF, last bloom on RASPBERRY JAM, pink ?IB, last
bloom on CRIMSON SNOW, one of those BLESSED irises - BLESSED AGAIN?,
BLUE RHYTHM, SUMMER HOLIDAYS, SERENITY PRAYER, BLUE POOLS, first bud
almost open on JESSE'S SONG, gorgeous clump of little ruffled sky blue
with darker markings around the beard ?IB? tall SDB? from Mary Rogers in
Chattanooga, CUMQUAT (I think), last bloom on WIDOW'S VEIL, WILLOW WARE,
buds about to open on VIOLET CLASSIC & a ton of stalks on several clumps
of PERFUME COUNTER with buds showing color...  Even some of my F2
pallida seedlings have stalks.  These two are from bee pods and should
be exceptionally ugly.

Connie, are you taking notes, making a wish list?  When is our show?


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