Introductions
- Subject: Introductions
- From: m*@earthlink.net (Mike & Anne Lowe)
- Date: Sat, 3 Feb 96 15:39:24 MST
We are gardeners too dumb to say "NO" who struggle with too much ground
under cultivation and far too many commitments. My wife Anne, and I, raise
about 1400 varieties of iris, nearly all of the types save PCNs; a couple
hundred daylilies; peonies and Hosta by the score. Our hostas' keep a
bumper crop of voles fat and happy -- unfortunately only one of our cats
shows any interest in thinning the crop.
We always try to keep the vegetable garden on some modicum of parity with
the flowers but it tends to get a bit weedy as the season goes by. (As do
the flower borders, truth be told!) We both edit iris publications and I
photograph and (sometimes) sell into the horticultural market.
Our garden and home is 50 miles southwest of Richmond, Virginia. We have
worked long and hard on our soil but it tends to go acid, pH 4.5 to 5.5
unless abundantly limed. The heat and moisture makes humus a transitory
thing and we till in loads of leaves, compost and rotted sawdust to attempt
to stay even. We experimented with growing iris in mixed perennial borders
but the weeding was more than we could keep up with thus we are
transitioning back to growing iris as a row crop.
Professionally, I work with computers, have since the middle 50s. (No, I'm
NOT an antique!) Anne is a physical therapist, with a home therapy
practice. We are looking forward to interesting times with the Iris list
and no, we don't mean the old Chinese curse; "May you live in interesting
times!"
Best regards,
Mike & Anne Lowe mblowe@earthlink.net
