CULT:Adaptability (was slough of despair )

In a message dated 1/27/2004 6:59:29 PM Central Standard Time, 
donald@eastland.net writes:

> about microclimates

I know it's been said before but . . . has anyone had good results in 
recreating the microclimates of the introducing hybridizer? Knowing the gardening 
practices of the home garden might help?  We can't do much about weather (well, 
some), but there are other contributing factors that can be adjusted.  

Several years ago (--mid to late 80's), I read anything and everything ANYONE 
wrote about iris and iris growing.  Walter M. and Bernice Miller both made a 
cross country move and stated that select introductions of theirs did not do 
well in the new locations.  This suggested weather conditions but could also be 
a result of soil type.  

One of the irises I could NOT grow was the beautiful RUFFLED BALLET.  I'd 
just moved from the area where Roderick grew his irises (within 15 miles) and I 
was well acquainted with the dolomite limestone in the general area. Somewhere 
out of all this I came up with the idea that I might be able to grow some of 
these 'difficult' irises if I gave them extra lime. I grew RB and others quite 
well for a couple of years.  Other things took my attention and I didn't take 
the experiment any further and these irises did eventually die.

Barry Blyth . . . page 5 of his 2003-2004 catalog is this statement.  "A 
heavy application of lime around your iris plants in winter will help to control 
leaf-spot in spring."  And somewhere, can't find it, he states that he applies 
lime so that it looks like a new fallen snow. 

My point?  Maybe Blyth irises need more lime than others?  

Betty W. in South-central KY Zone 6 . . . 

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