Raised Beds & Terraces

After answering Linda Mann's question about the width of ridges Gene Hunt used,
I got to thinking....   Yes, that can be dangerous -- but sometimes I do it
anyway.  I decided that some of you might like to know how he managed to grow so
many different types of iris in such a small area.

He lived some 40 miles northeast of Oklahoma City, in the hilly woodlands.  His
garden was on the south side of a hill -- the relatively gentle slope near its
crest -- and separated into different areas by terraces.  Not the precisely
level terraces I've described here in New Mexico where level is essential for
even watering, but large ones of size and shape that conformed closely to the
original contour of the land.

The top terrace had the ridges I described earlier.  All of his arils were
planted there, as were the arilbreds he had acquired from other hybridizers.
Some of his own selected seedlings were there, too -- apparently because he'd
run out of room in the main seedling area.  There were also a few TBs, but I
don't know whether this was because they were varieties that needed the superior
drainage, were there for hybridizing convenience, or that was just the only
available vacancy at planting time.

The main level contained all of his medians, most of his TBs, Gene's own
introductions (both TB & AB), and most of his seedlings.   This is the area that
had been the display garden, back in his commercial days.  It's hard to say
where the beds were raised and where  the paths were lowered, but the beds
themselves were relatively level.  They were edged with native sandstone and the
paths that wound through them were just enough lower to provide a means of
handling excess runoff.

The lowest level, containing the Louisianas, encircled a pool.  I don't recall
the construction details -- just that it provided a nice focal point to the
garden

Back in the 50s & 60s, when he was still doing a lot of work with TBs as well as
ABs and had the commerical garden, he had a separate garden set aside for
hybridizing.  It was across the road and far enough down the hill to be almost
level.   Years later, I asked him about that because it seemed to me the
conditions there weren't as good as in the main garden.  His concise response:
"I don't pamper my seedlings.  No one else will!"  That's where ESTHER, THE
QUEEN was born. 

Sharon McAllister (73372.1745@compuserve.com)
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