Re: REB & Landscape iris

From: <HIPSource@aol.com>

In a message dated 98-08-20 04:37:10 EDT, you write:

<< It seems to me that many modern TB iris simply increase much too
 quickly. Am I alone in thinking this? >>

I don't know how to quantify this sort of thing since increase is related to
further bloom, but I do think that many of them don't clump up very well. That
is, they don't increase in a way that makes an attractive older plant. So you
have to dig and reset before they need it for cultural reasons. They are not
alone in this for some historics also increase inelegantly, but one thing that
I like about some of the older irises--QUAKER LADY, the I. pallida complex and
some of the smaller irises such as HONORABILE and CAPRICE come to mind
immediately---is that they increase in an agreeable manner and make pleasant
clumps. This sort of thing is probably more significant to someone who is
growing them in a garden setting rather than as a row crop.  It is interesting
here to recall that FLUTTER-BY (Sturtevant, 1924) which is a nice little
butter-yellow "clumper" was introduced specifically for this fine garden
effect. The individual blooms are not compelling, but the little plant is
excellent for "landscape" uses, an idea which interested folks in the old
days, and is being discussed once again. 

Anner Whitehead
HIPSource@aol.com

------------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, or to change your subscription
to digest, go to the ONElist web site, at http://www.onelist.com and
select the User Center link from the menu bar on the left.
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index