CULT: best of the season (long)
- To: i*@egroups.com
- Subject: CULT: best of the season (long)
- From: M* M*
- Date: Wed, 23 Aug 2000 01:44:07 -0000
This is a very late bloom report.
SDBs
Finally found a spot that Eramosa Skies likes. It was a glorious
clump of sky blue blooms. Visitors all wanted divisions.
Scotch Hopper is a colour that you either love or hate. It does
actually look green in certain light conditions. I counted more than
19 stalks on a 3-year clump. A small division with 4 or 5 rhizomes
sold at the hort. auction for almost $20!
Beach Baby was the best first year plant giving 5 stalks and great
sequential bloom.
IBs
Sonoran Sands is a vigorous plant giving 10 stalks in its second
year. A lovely mass of brown speckles on yellow.
I'll be keeping an eye on Precious Little Pink and Champagne Encore
for rebloom (although we've moved them this year -- finally made a
rebloomer bed).
MTBs
This was the year for MTBs. They all grew and bloomed well despite
all the rain and lack of sun when there wasn't rain.
Chickee did its usually stuff -- I counted 17 stalks on a 4 year
clump.
Apricot Drops did well too with six stalks on a 3-year clump.
Reminiscence bloomed in its first year -- I'll be keeping an eye on
this beauty.
BBs
Sonja's Selah will get my vote for best BB every time. Very
consistent performer and stunning contrasts.
Canadian Border did well as a second year clump with three stalks --
very clean ruffled white with red beard.
TBs
Only a small fraction of TBs bloomed this year. Either they didn't
like the April snow dump or the surfeit of rain and cloudy skies. In
cleaning up, we found many rhizomes with aborted bloom stalks.
Superstition came through as old reliable. No matter what, we seem
to get at least 3 bloom stalks out of this old black cultivar.
And if you want a reliable gorgeous bright yellow, Prosperous Voyage
should fit the bill. It has done well through 3 very different
winters & springs.
Like Superstition, Blenheim Royal also came through with flying
colours. A number of garden visitors asked for pieces of this
vibrant blue.
Clarence looks like it will be a reliable performer too. It has been
consistent these past 3 years.
Mariposa Autumn is worth watching. After reblooming in the year it
was planted it also put up two bloom stalks this spring. It did get
battered by the rain though.
Other new ones that bloomed that I will watch with interest are:
Baltic Star -- very dark with a white blaze at the beard -- very
distinctive and shouts at you from the back of the border.
Toasted Watermelon -- indescribable pink blend that looked great
through the inclement weather and is a late season bloomer
Little John -- great bud count on first year stalk -- pink bitone
Wild Wings -- love the red bearded blacks, this one has great contrast
Night Game -- slightly different form and beard is more orange but
still nice
Skyetouch put out two bloom stalks on a first year planted but need
staking
Canadian Streaker -- fabulous variegated foliage that actually has a
nice ruffled white bloom.
Siberians
The siberians had a great year -- all that rain.
But the best performer was a first year clump of Banish Misfortune.
This one blooms with the early TBs and put up 6 bloomstalks, 26
increases with 6 to 7 buds on each stalk!
Trim the Velvet is another one that I'll be watching. It blooms
later with blooms held high with almost horizontal falls that are
edged white against very dark blooms. It put out 3 bloom stalks in
its first year.
Spurias
Halleluia. Now we know how to bloom spurias. After four or five
years, Tiger Blues finally bloomed. A few days later, Clara Ellen,
planted a year or two later, bloomed for the first time. Both
glorious and bloomed for almost two weeks. I'm going to have to find
more space for spurias.
My top three for year (made the biggest impression on me): Clara
Ellen, Banish Misfortune, Baltic Star.
Maureen Mark
Ottawa, Ontario (zone 4) where more rain is to arrive and more irises
yet to arrive that Sandy will have to plant
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