Re: TB: Blacks and Growth and Spring
- Subject: Re: TB: Blacks and Growth and Spring
- From: l* M*
- Date: Sat, 12 Feb 2000 12:20:28 -0500
From: linda Mann <lmann@mailhub.icx.net>
TUXEDO is my super reliable black here. I rescued it from an abandoned
bed where it was not doing well buried in fescue, and now it is
rewarding me with good growth and bloom out in the 'killing fields'
(plowed rows on rich gravelly loam).
HELLO DARKNESS was a huge disappointment the first year. It tries to
bloom a bit too early, so is always going to have problems making it
past those innevitable late winter/early spring sudden drastic drops in
temperature down to the low 20s. I put three cola bottles full of water
around it (lying down, making a mini wall o'water around the rhizomes),
and it has since managed to bloom every year - the second year, it got
slaughtered by hailstones in a near miss with a tornado, the third year,
some of the buds got frozen. It has increased steadily but slowly here
and seems to be very healthy, plus tries to produce a nice garden clump
of bloom, which is more than I can say for most. So I'd give it an A
for more sheltered locations, but maybe it needs the super drainage my
gravelly soil gives. This thing has absolutely amazing blooms here -
huge, very black, very ruffled. The cola bottles add a permanent trashy
look to the garden, but what the heck....I keep planning to spray paint
them with camo colors....
HOLY NIGHT is more of a dark purple here (DUSKY CHALLENGER color), and
while it is pretty, and the fall bloom is VERY nice, it isn't exactly a
rambunctious performer. Few stalks, somewhat erratic, and prone to fall
over for me. It is gradually winning me over.
NIGHT RULER has been kind of not so great, but I've not grown it in the
killing fields - it's in a mixed bed with more of a clay loam soil.
Rots, poor increase, flowers prone to be more in the IB class in cold
dry bloom seasons.
I think I killed INTERPOL long ago - will have to check my records.
Haven't tried the others mentioned thus far.
Other than ..the recent Innerst Dykes medal winner whose name escapes me
at the moment. It doesn't do well at all here - doesn't seem to like
these erratic freezes. The flower is a dull black which I don't enjoy
as much as the sleek patent leather black of HELLO DARKNESS and NIGHT
RULER.
Linda Mann east Tennessee USA zone 7/8
where the first 'wild' daffodils opened yesterday and snow crocuses are
blooming their heads off. also, I think I heard the first Pine Warbler
of the year yesterday.
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