Re: TB: CULT: Recent Blyth and other irises in NC

Randy, I couldn't be happier if that happens--blooming this spring.

Robin Shadlow in Nebraska has said the Blyth new arrivals often bloom in July
for her, then take the next spring off.  One has to dehydrate then freeze the
pollen in order to get timely early crosses.  I've never successfully done
that, but am prepared to try.

We are enough warmer than NE and cooler in the spring than Southern CA that
bloom may come along the middle of June.  Occasionally some TB's have put up
"repeat" bloom late and might allow crosses.  Our primary TB season ranges
from May 1 to June 1 with the peak about the 10th or 12th of May.

Since my daughters in Tennessee live in an area that runs about a week ahead
of us (as do the lower elevations near here, such as Greenville/Spartenburg,
SC, and Charlotte, NC)  we have opportunity to spread our season out by
prowling through gardens down the mountain.  There are three extensive
collections, I believe, less than forty-five minutes from here--Ev. Lineburger
at Quail Hill, another commercial grower whose name escapes me at the moment
and Jim Rohrer at Inman, just across the SC line.  His is the closest TB
garden, but between here and there is a large collection of JI's.  We're
fortunate enough even to have a JI show in June in addition to the one timed
for beardeds, LA's, Siberians and arils, depending on one's location, around
the 12th of May, give or take a few days.

Our continental climate does not have the even, pleasant warmth of Southern
CA, even though we are at about the same latitude of San Jose or so.  We get
cold chill air coming down from the NE when a low cell sits just off the
coast.  Conditions here can switch from Gulf warmth to Labradorian chill in a
matter of hours.

Neil Mogensen  z  7  Western NC

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