Re: Edith Wolford
- To: Multiple recipients of list <i*@rt66.com>
- Subject: Re: Edith Wolford
- From: P* W* <p*@televar.com>
- Date: Tue, 25 Feb 1997 19:59:29 -0700 (MST)
J. Michael, Celia or Ben Storey wrote:
>
> Clarence says:
> >Interestingly, in a recent article in The Garden magazine, Graham Stuart
> >Thomas cited EDITH WOLFORD as a prime example of "bad form" in modern irises,
> >and a picture of this iris accompanied the article. My own prejudice against
> >this cultivar is motivated by its rather poor performance as a garden iris in
> >northern Virginia, notwithstanding its winning the Dykes Medal or its
> >excellent colors. But when I look at its picture in comparison to an irises
> >such as POST TIME or OLA KALA, I do see Thomas's point about form. This is
> >one of the reasons I am delighted that some distinguished iris breeders such
> >as Paul Black have begun concentrating on smaller flowers with good garden
> >qualities. Clarence Mahan in VA
>
> Oh, you've gone now and broken my heart. Even though I knew I knew nothing
> about irises, I thought I knew that EDITH WOLFORD was pretty. And now you
> tell me she's not pretty? She's an awkward shape, topheavy and besides she
> doesn't grow worth a toot?
>
> Oh, dear. My life's ambition last summer was to make it to the CAIS rhizome
> sale early enough to grab a bit of EW, however tiny. But even though I woke
> up in time to arrive fifteen minutes early, she was all gone. Gone!
> Everyone else had already snatched her up. Everyone else agreed she was
> worth having. Everyone else wanted her, too.
>
> But now you tell me I shouldn't have bothered? She's a snotty girl with
> weak ankles and shoulders too fat for her thighs?
> Alas!
>
> celia
> storey@aristotle.net USDA Zone 7b
> Little Rock, Arkansas
Edith Wolford is an expensive but appealing date, wearing our school
colors of blue and gold (well, sort of) and in her best cheerleader
manner urging us to buy her. She is a one-season date in this area. I
have purchased her and purchased her--and purchased her. She is one of
the very few iris I am unable to keep alive in my garden. She has never
had more than one stem and never more than 3 blossoms on that stem. She
sings her siren song again this year and I am thinking about starting an
Edith Wolford Anonomys group to get support that will keep me from
throwing more good money after bad.
Patti Wenham <prw@televar.com>
USDA zone 5 in north central Washington State.
Alkaline sandy loam soil. Very low rainfall.
