CULT: TBs exceeding expectations

If there are those that have disappointed, the counterpart are those that
have exceeded expectations.  Because I'm a sucker for descriptions, I more
often than not am buying something based on a description.  That's taking a
chance.  I'm not real good at conjuring up an accurate image based on those
descriptions, but I find them irresistible.  Then there are bonuses.  Plants
I might never have seen or ordered.  Some pleasant surprises:

MOCAMBO.  Bought for the bizarre description, it turned out to be a lovely,
distinctive and really good performer.  I think not in the least bizarre in
appearance despite being more or less accurately described.

ROYAL TARA.  See above.  I had to know what 'uranium green' was, after all.
What I got was a workhorse in close to a true cream shade.  Reliable, pretty
and likely to hang around for a while.

RAJAH BROOKE.  Bought for the name.  I'm not usually given to doing that,
but in this case I wanted that name stuck in the garden.  I never expected
to be as fond of the bloom as happened.  A high contrast older variety
that's still grabs the eye.  Often one of the favorites of the folks that
visit here and probably the one they photograph the most.

PERSIAN BERRY.  In colors I almost never select, I bought it with some
trepidation because of the nice things said about it on this list.  What a
good move!  A showy and very nice addition that has been very reliable.

LOS COYOTES.  Sounded good in the description, but far exceeded what I
thought I was going to have.  There simply can't be many irises out there
flashier than this one.  Talk about bright colors!  It nearly blinds you.

HAPPY HALO.  A bonus.  The description was a purple on white plicata.  Okay.
Not my favorite pattern and I have several anyway.  So when it bloomed with
a delicate and enchanting watercolor effect to make that plicata, I wasn't
prepared.  I think one of the loveliest plicata blooms I've seen.

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE.  Another bonus described as a violet, it sounded pretty
pedestrian.  I should have paid more attention to the smoke part of the
description, because that smoky effect on the color gives it depth and
softness.  It became a scorch victim in a year or two, but I've replaced it.

PRIVATE TREASURE.  The description sounded nice, but it didn't prepare me
for the sheer intensity of the color.  A light in the garden running on high
voltage.

COPPER CYMBAL.  Described in a color that often fades here, this one is
copper with a lot of rose in it and didn't fade.  Quite a different color in
the copper class and a noticeably different addition in the iris beds.  Very
nice.

GAY GEISHA.  Another bonus I'd never have acquired based on the description,
this old one is impossible to overlook.  Perhaps a precursor to NOTORIOUS in
its look, it has impressive carrying power in the garden.  Is there a modern
cultivar in quite this pattern and color?  If so, I'm not aware of which one
it is.  I'd probably try it.

Finally, SKATING PARTY.  Shouldn't be on this list since it hasn't been
growing here long enough.  But for all the positive PR it has received, I
wasn't prepared to like a white to the degree I liked this one.  I tend to
think of white as a filler color to lighten up areas between those with more
color or give light to an area that has a somewhat drab effect.  But this
one can go anywhere if it continues to do well.

These make me look forward to what I may see on those that need a more
cooperative spring than this past one was in order to see their blooms.

D






-----Original Message-----
From: Sandra Barss <barsssa@mb.sympatico.ca>
To: iris-talk@yahoogroups.com <iris-talk@yahoogroups.com>
Date: Saturday, June 08, 2002 3:17 AM
Subject: Re: [iris-talk] CULT:DisappointingTBs


>Hi
>
>I find these lists very useful because it appears that the ones that
>don't bloom well in the southern areas, will often
>bloom quite well for me in my colder climate.  Perhaps these are the
>ones that need a longer/colder winter to bloom
>well.
>
>Sandra
>
>
>Donald Eaves wrote:
>
>>  Hello Folks,
>>
>> I'm finding this a tough category.  For all their durability and
>> ability to
>> give you bloom under the most trying conditions, I'm disappointed much
>> of
>> the time in the results.  The form of the disappointment is the
>> problem.
>> Cultivation practices not up to par?  Weather uncooperative?  The
>> plant
>> itself at fault?   It's difficult to determine what may be the case.
>> But
>> upon consideration, I decided the characteristics that make for a
>> truly
>> disappointing plant would be those that one should have reasonable
>> expectations of seeing dependable performance under conditions that
>> seem to
>> work for many of the surrounding brethren.  For that reason, it is
>> limited
>> to TBs only.  The arilbreds come with different expectations, so I
>> don't
>> judge similar performance quite the same.  Same with the medians that
>> have
>> been the most difficult class to keep happy here.  SIBs and LAs I can
>> put to
>> insufficient cultivation methods at the present time.  Spurias take
>> longer
>> to establish, so the verdict is still out.  I went back to my
>> (unfortunately
>> extensive) attrition list.  I eliminated those that hadn't had several
>> years
>> of effort put into growing them and concentrated on those I
>> voluntarily sent
>> out of the garden.  But there are still those on my list that I
>> continue to
>> fool with and try to find the correct balance and see if I can get
>> them to
>> perform.
>>
>> So....
>>
>> HELLO DARKNESS for all the reasons Walter mentioned.  After 5 years,
>> this is
>> the year it bloomed out.  But not disappointed in how it looks.  All
>> the
>> stalks have been nice.  Even this last year when it bloomed the size
>> of an
>> IB, it stayed in perfect bloom proportion to a 16" stalk.  I could
>> live with
>> that if only it would ever make a decent clump.
>>
>> GOOD SHOW.  6 years it's been here and finally I saw the first bloom -
>>
>> stunted by the freeze.  Nice color and it actually grows and increases
>> okay,
>> but it simply is unwilling to bloom here.
>>
>> KAMORA.  Gone now.  Voluntary removal.  Pretty for about 5 seconds,
>> but once
>> our Texas sun got hold of it, it faded to the miserable color of muddy
>> water
>> or a wet paper sack.   After several years I simply gave up and gave
>> it
>> away.  This effect of fading is a problem under my conditions for the
>> whole
>> color class, the bronzes, brown and tan tones and reds.  I treasure
>> those
>> that are sun resistant and those that fade into an acceptably nice
>> color -
>> but they are a minority.  I keep trying since the colors are some that
>>
>> appeal to my personal taste, but I'm frequently disappointed in the
>> results.
>>
>> YAQUINA BLUE.  Okay, it was pretty enough.   But not especially
>> remarkable,
>> I thought.  Then it bloomed out.  Since I liked BREAKERS as well,
>> along with
>> several others in a similar color, I just didn't replace it.  I
>> expected
>> something more and I guess it just wasn't there to my eyes.
>>
>> BLACK FALLS.  Well named, because the falls are the blackest I've
>> seen.  But
>> not proportioned well.  I hate those little twisted up standards.  On
>> top of
>> that, the falls were horizontal to the ground, so in order to see it
>> well
>> one has to look straight down on the bloom.  An aggravation indeed
>> when the
>> stalks are as tall as this one.  In the end, it diminished on its own
>> into
>> oblivion.  Still an interesting bloom due to those falls, just didn't
>> quite
>> get the act together.
>>
>> BONNIE DAVENPORT.  Probably better than THORNBIRD in some ways - wider
>>
>> hafts, stronger stalks.  Also an eager bloomer.  But while THORNBIRD
>> is an
>> acceptable addition in the garden, I really don't want any look
>> alikes.
>> Still here, though.  Appears to be a strong and vigorous plant willing
>> to
>> bloom reliably.  Still, when I really need the room it
>> takes...........
>>
>> KID'S CLOTHES.  Not my style.  Sounded interesting in the description,
>> but
>> was busy, busy, busy.  Like adding a bunch of unneccessary decoration
>> on the
>> clean lines of Queen Anne furniture, the pattern put me off.  Gone
>> now.
>>
>> TOASTED WATERMELON.  Just how much of an improvement over COPPER
>> CLASSIC is
>> it?  I had them side by side and couldn't tell them apart.  My
>> expectations
>> were too high for it, I guess.  Anyway, it didn't survive after
>> several
>> seasons of our unrelenting summers.
>>
>> ZEBRA STRIPES.  Well, for stripes I'll still take the variegated
>> pallida
>> that's readily available.  Much more distinctive.  I guess the bloom
>> is
>> something of an improvement if the assumption is that a more modern
>> form is
>> an improvement.  Frankly, I even preferred the pallida again as I
>> found it
>> more naturally graceful and not as clunky.  ZS isn't at the top of
>> modern
>> form anyway.  Anyway, it also didn't like my summers and despite
>> trying to
>> salvage it over several seasons, it finally diminished into nothing.
>> Probably would be an interesting and useful parent, though, if one
>> were
>> using it to get variegated foliage and working toward putting a modern
>> bloom
>> on them.
>>
>> OKLAHOMA CRUDE.  Here for 6 years now and I've never seen an attempt
>> at
>> bloom.  What to do with it?  That's the question every year and every
>> year
>> it gets another chance.  Probably needs a home it likes better.
>>
>> MOUNTAIN MAJESTY.  A grand bloom, Texas sized in every way.  Just
>> spectacular in the garden.  But has the HELLO DARKNESS syndrome here
>> and
>> bloomed out finally.
>>
>> STOP THE MUSIC.  I simply haven't found anything quite comparable
>> yet.  It's
>> beautiful and as far as I can tell unique in the close to true red on
>> silvery white.  But it was frustrating to put so much effort only to
>> have it
>> continually die away.   I'll probably try it yet again anyway.  Maybe,
>> with
>> a little luck.........
>>
>> Donald Eaves
>> donald@eastland.net
>> Texas Zone 7b, USA
>>
>>
>>
>>
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