Re: CULT: Iris High 2K - general student body continued

Hello Folks,

Hello Folks,


Another long post.

So on to the class clown.  Since MOVE OVER didn't bloom, it has to
be EMERALD FANTASY (Tate '83 OGB+).  How else to explain a somber
colored iris with broad stripes bumping into each other.  And to top it all
off, the anther and pollen were bright, and I mean bright, turquoise green.
Thus the name, I'd guess.  I tried, but the pollen didn't give me anything.

The future model.  AT LAST (McAlister '93 OGB-).  Like JAZZ BABY,
the qualities I find appealing are hard to define.  But on this one it is
the
silhouette.  Elegant, graceful and proportioned to the height.  The colors
are not bright, but the intricate pattern derives from it's aril ancestry.
The
form is a wonderful combination of TB and Aril.  I was frustrated because
I like the form so well, but visitors were dismissing this one as one they
weren't fond of.  So I cut a stalk and took to work.  For the experiment I
also cut a stalk of VOLTAGE as well (I normally do NOT cut stalks and
can give people a pretty evil eye who suggest it, so there were other
choices which stayed in the garden).  I knew I could count on a fellow at
work to bring one as soon as mine put in an appearance.  He didn't let me
down, soon there was an enormous 8" bi-color purple beheaded (probably
less than 6" on the stalk) and set out by mine .  So it may not be exactly
fair, but it was telling in that the visitor who disparaged it in the garden
didn't recognize it on the table....and loved it.  So I guess context
counts.
Not for me though, I look at them both closely and from afar in the garden,
and I see in the garden what it took being put in a vase for others to
notice.

Most improved student.  Easy choice.  In a year in which most things
regressed, AMBER TAMBOUR (Ernst '91 TB) decided to grow and
bloom well.  Three stalks of respectable height in a near true mustard
yellow.  Quite nice against the limestone wall which is now causing it
to cook.  If suffering is what provoked it grow after languishing for
several
years in a kinder location, it should really be boffo next spring.

Special recognition for unique qualities not covered elsewhere.  ARABIAN
MIDNIGHT (Rich '89 OGB+) is for those who like the dark irises.  The
effect is black overall, but on close look it is dark, dark purple with a
black signal, a truly black signal.  As it grew here, I could not discern a
base color, though I would presume it would have been purple.  Not a
strong grower here, at least not yet.  KILT LILT (Gibson '70 TB) is a
Dykes winner about which much has been said.  It is certainly a unique
thing in appearance.  If the 3 stalks had gotten taller, it might have been
considered an outstanding student.  I'll wait another bloom season to see
how much I really like it.....this year I couldn't get past the individual
character it displayed and I've been curious for some time.  BOLD GOLD
(Gatty '87 TB) was not what I was expecting.  The brown veining was
truly special on the old golden/yellow.  Unfortunately the stalks were
too short, though as a plant it has grown pretty well.  SYRIAN PRINCESS
(Shockey '88 OGB+) is one of my more dependable arilbreds.  The
brown spot on the pinkish beige falls gives the impression of burgundy
on pink.  It also has more of a velvety finish than is usual in my
experience
for these colors.  RUSTY MAGNIFICENCE (Niswonger '95 TB) for being
the most different in color from the previous year.  Still not brown for me,
it lost much of the burnt orange look and was mainly an old gold color
veering toward the sunflower shades.  It had been moved, but I still
felt that was pretty drastic.  Still, it grows in the tightest, most uniform
clump without being crowded.  If all the irises would grow as neatly,
spacing them in beds would sure be an easier task.

The clubs:

The aril club.  This was their year.  A long, warm dry spring without a
freeze allowed them to strut their stuff, so to speak.  For a while there
was a new treat every day while I anxiously checked out the weather
forecasts.  KIOSK (Hager '86 OGB) light yellow standers and darker
yellow falls with a pronounced dark brown signal; ONLOOKER (Hager
'84 OGB) light lavender standards and creamy dull yellow falls with
a pronounced dark brown spot; DESERT DIAMOND (Hager '88 OGB)
in sugary light blue with a dark purple signal; LOUELLA DEE (Wilson
'97 OGB) light violet standards over falls with darker violet veins and
touched with gold and a large maroon brown signal; DUNSHANBE
(Wilkes '77 RC) a shimmering concoction of many colors beyond my
ability to describe; SUMMER SET (H. Danielson '71 OGB+) in
unusual apricot tones right down to the burnt apricot signal; TURKISH
HEART (Shockey '90 OGB) white standards over clear unmarked
yellow falls with a very prominent almost black signal.  But some of
my biggest disappointments came here as well, because toward the
end of the majority of the arilbred bloom, that freeze came and took
with it a bud stalk on OYEZ.  Also, after three years of trying to bloom
early and getting frozen, when it would have avoided the freeze
CELESTE AZUL developed scorch, as did ZERZURA which had
done so nicely the previous year.  The freeze probably also resulted
in the abundant quantity of blighted buds on the TBs.  The very dry
conditions also were likely why arilbred pollen was sparse.  Too bad,
as this group is the one which holds the greatest interest for me
and where most of my efforts at obtaining pods are aimed.

The Louisanas.  Not their year due to weather conditions beyond
my control, I still remain impressed by their apparent innate toughness.
I did get blooms on the lovely I. fulva, the dependable BLACK
GAMECOCK (Chowning '80), and LAURA LOUISE (Mertzweiler) that
weren't too bad.  Some of the others tried, but the heat and dry wind
didn't allow them much leeway.  Also, they are the preferred iris for
grasshopper banquets.  This constant mowing to an inch or so has to
take a toll, and yet they survive.  Only PRESIDENT HEDLEY failed
to survive and this one had scorch like symptoms.

The spurias.  The second most preferred grasshopper banquet.  The
old white which has been here the longest had a clump which also
had scorch symptoms.  The others bloomed, but the heat again
took its toll on the blooms.  MISSOURI AUTUMN (Niswonger '97) and
MISSOURI SPRINGS (Niswonger '94) both had maiden bloom.  Lovely,
but the clumps need to develop more.  Most of these are new and I
am working on the assumption they take a bit longer to establish.  I
dream of having a clump like one in Dallas of CHOCOLATE FUDGE.
It was the kind of clump which inspires a gardener to keep trying.

The medians.  Most improved group.  FROSTED VELVET has been
mentioned, but ZULA (Fisher '90 MTB) also did well thought it bloomed
into the heat so the latter blooms were very short lived.  Nice sized
clump now.  DARK WATERS (Aitken '92 IB) also did very well, giving
multiple stalks.  PEACHY FACE (B. Jones '75 IB) as a freshman gave
two stalks, not so many buds per stalk, but really nice with the darker
blotch of peach (the face?) on a peachier pink fall.  LENORA PEARL
(Nichols '90 BB) and JUNGLE SHADOWS  previously mentioned both
performed quite well.  Most of these have been moved where they get
more shade.  Those left in the sun are still languishing if they've
survived, so planting in shadier conditions may be the answer to
successful growing on these.

The TBs.  The largest group here and hit the hardest by scorch and
probably a combination of the late freeze coupled with extended dry
weather and temperatures approaching 100 during May.  The arilbreds
were smart to bloom earlier, though I usually have more overlap than
this year.  Certainly BUSY BEING BLUE and a gimme salmon pink
got bit, because they were in bloom.  Then after the freeze, the
weather turned blistering.  Still some that weren't as good as those
I thought outstanding considering the conditions turned in solid
efforts at performing.  These included TRAITOR (Jameson '94);
EGGNOG (Byers '90 TB reb); DUNNGARESS (Dunn '90) (this is
a light blue with a similar color to BUSY BEING BLUE and I have
hopes it will go ahead and develop since it blooms later); EARL OF
ESSEX (Zurbrigg '80 reb) only a smidgen short of outstanding;
QUITE QUAINT (Burseen '90) almost white big blooms with a
mustard beard almost make up for not quite enough stalks;
STEPPING OUT (Schreiners '64) was strong again this year;
WITCH OF ENDOR (B. Miller '82 reb) again just a smidgen from
being outstanding.  But very few freshman TBs bloomed and I usually
get about 50%.  Many TBs turned into scorch victims before I ever
managed to see them bloom and many I'll never see bloom again
unless I replace them.

The species.  Everyone should try and obtain I. unquicularis.  So
nice to have iris in bloom when hardly anything else blooms.  I.
pseudacorus just has not performed.  It increases, then diminishes,
then recovers and the blooms won't get out of the fans.  I just
cannot seem to create the conditions which keep it happy except
in short spurts.

The historics.  Last because they encompass all the above, not
because they are last in terms of gardenworthiness.  As a group,
I find them more diverse and possessing more of what I call true
'character' than many of the newer cultivars.  I've not quite been
able to define what is there satisfactorily, but I know it is.  For
sure they don't all come from the same cookie cutter, though.
There is a lot of difference between EDENITE, MARY McCLELLAN,
SHINING WATERS, JADE QUEEN and I believe it is more than
just decades.  Whatever it may be, it adds interest and fun in
the iris patch.

Dropouts.  These were irises that have likely bloomed out this year,
not scorch victims.  TIDES IN (Schreiners '93); SILENT MAJESTY
(Hamblen '77); SEA KIST (Schreiners '97).  I think the last rain in
our hot weather may have gotten a couple that had failed to put on
increase but will wait and see.

Expelled.  CRYSTAL CANYON.  Great growth for 2 years, then one
stalk with only three buds producing dull, white blooms.  I don't see
how an iris could be more uninteresting than this one turned out.  Oh
well, all that growth has a new home and I have more room.
MALAYSIA.  It never progresses.  Blooms too late and doesn't
like our sun.  It's been sent to what is probably a more hospitable
home where I have every expectation of being jealous of its performance
there.

Truants.  Probably deserve to be expelled, but forgiven because of
the growing conditions (how long will I make excuses, I wonder?).
GOOD SHOW - still a no show, still good growth.  PALAZZO - still
sunk in the canals of Venice, I guess.  I could add a lot to this list
this year, but am making allowances because of the weather.  And
I'm not counting those that had the frozen/dried bloomstalks, only
those that have been here two seasons without any effort at bloom
whatsoever.

The elementary students.  The seedlings have grown in spite of
the grasshoppers and weather.  Or maybe just to spite me.  My
back aches and the checkbook shivers everytime I look at how
fast they are outgrowing what seemed a pretty reasonable space
in the beginning.  Now the first increases are appearing so that
space will shrink even further.  I hope my curiosity finds the effort
worth it.

Donald Eaves
donald@eastland.net
Texas Zone 7, USA


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