Re: CULT:The ever changing color 'o iris

From: HIPSource@aol.com

 << Offer to buy her some new yellow ones if she digs out ALL the purple 
  ones and throws them away (plus all the soil around them)
  It shouldn't ever happen again then, and it saves all the stress of 
  trying to convince her that this is impossible. >>

Now wait a minute here....

I must just protest this course of action. 

Why throw out the purple irises? Even if the woman loathes them someone else
might enjoy them. Would it not be better to give her some yellows and suggest
she plant them elsewhere in the yard and keep them deadheaded?  

Or, I propose another solution for clubs. We hear that those reporting alleged
color changes tend to be peevish, adamant, and not terribly sophisticated in
the ways of irises. Why not just write a little one page handout on the
phenomenon--just hit the Archives and take a few notes--and keep this ever at
hand when encountering the general public. Talk about the necessity of
deadheading and the differences in vigor of one iris over another and the
importance of keeping herbicides away from the irises and the role of soil
chemistry in color saturation, the whole shebang. Candid and  informative, but
inconclusive. Fill the other side of the page with basic cultural information
or whatever. Next time it all starts up again, just hand the person a sheet.
This won't  change the opinion of someone who is convinced they have been
singled out for a miracle, or deter someone who likes to show up and bewilder
the experts for sport, but it is consistent with our duty to educate people
about irises.

Anner Whitehead--great fan of little educational handouts
HIPSource@aol.com 

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Is ONElist important to you?  Has it changed your life?
http://www.onelist.com
Come visit our new web site and share with us your stories
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index