Re: CULT: Adaptability of Irises (was broken color)

From: Sandy Ives <rives@home.com>

Interesting concerning the Kasperek/Ensminger lines.

We have had various Ensminger broken colour cultivars and have had mixed results
at best.  Maria Tormena has been his best so far in Ottawa; we lost the first
plant to borer and the second has been slow to increase.  Maureen likes Very
Varied, but we haven't had it really that long.  All and all, I find all to be
finicky, if not outright tender.  I have threatened several last fall with the
auction block or, gasp, the compost if we don't get better bloom in 2000.

The Kasperek cultivars have been much stronger.  Tiger Honey has performed
exceptionally well in our garden and Nigerian Raspberry (I believe) was so
strong and garish in Ian Efford's garden that he might try to pawn it off on us
;-).

We put together a good sized order last year to Zebra (combined with the Royal
Botanical Gardens in Burlington for interested parties in Region 16 and 2) and
planted six in a commercial garden outside the city.  Our intention is to self
these cultivars (as per Don Spoon's AIS article of last April (?)).  Therefore,
we should have a very good picture in a few years regarding the line breeding
problems of his broken colour plants.

Walter Moores mentioned that Keppel's Sneezy failed the first winter (MS).
While it did survive in Ottawa and it did have a lovely bloom, it was not in
class; more a border bearded than anything else.  Fortunately, it had been
planted in front of the rest; it was plainly visible and visibly not plain.

And Rusty's been up to his old tricks again. ;-)

Regards,

Sandy Ives in Ottawa (where the white mulch is making a late appearance.  Given
that Wierton Willie (Canada's Feb.2 weather prognosticator) is dead, will we
ever see spring again?)


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