Re: RE: Test Gardens
iris@hort.net
  • Subject: Re: RE: Test Gardens
  • From: &* H* <e*@mts.net>
  • Date: Wed, 23 Jun 2010 23:12:02 -0500
I have to agree with Chuck re hardiness.
Garden Bride is blooming here in 3 different locations; 2 were new just last year.
Of my few surviving TB Dykes Medal winners, only Stairway to Heaven is blooming this year, aside from the older few mentioned below. New in 2003, it bloomed in 2007 and this year. Edith Wolford, 3rd try, bloomed for 2 yrs in a row, after I moved it to the best and hottest spot in my garden and gave it a stern talking to. It's taking this year off, as I had to dig it to clean it up. I won't be seeing it's pretty face for at least 3 yrs, sigh.
Thornbird, 2nd try, bloomed in 2002, 2007, 2008 and has taken the last 2 years off, in both it's locations. Beverly Sills, 3rd try, new in 2005, bloomed in 2007 & 2008, taking the last 2 yrs off. Honky Tonk Blues, new in 2001, bloomed in 2007 & 2008 & 2009, taking this year off. Mary Frances, 2nd try, new in 2005, bloomed in 2008, taking the last 2 years off. Stepping Out, 3rd try, new 2007, bloomed 2008, 2010.
Vanity, 2nd try, new 2006, bloomed 2007, and not since. Titan's Glory, new 2007, died that winter; don't know yet if I'll try it again. Splashacata, 2 new 2007, diff sources, 1 died over 1st winter, 2nd bloomed in 2008, died that winter, sob. Babbling Brook, 2nd try, new 2007, bloomed this year. Victoria Falls, 2nd try, new 2007; hasn't bloomed yet. Stepping Out, 3rd try, new 2007 (2 of them, diff sources), both blooming this year.
I've tried many of the Dykes winners of the last 50 yrs up to 2005, almost all of them at least twice, except for IB Starwoman and BB Brown Lasso (love them both). The survivors are 18 of 29, 62% and 4 of those still haven't bloomed. I wanted the entire Dyke's collection in one bed. I don't think so.
All this, after waiting a few years to see them bloom for the first time. Some I've waited up to 6 years for them to bloom here, and it's not like I don't have them in lovely sunny positions. If I didn't like them so much when they do bloom, they'd be gone.
Other TB's are blooming all around them. I have around 150 diff TB's, so I think I can grow them well, but only if they really want to.
Some of the older Dykes Medal winners seem to be doing better, such as Blue Rhythm, Dykes 1950. I have 2 clumps of it that continued to bloom this year, standing tall through close to 2 weeks of heavy rain and winds. Before the Storm, Dykes 1996, is doing well in it's several locations. Helen McGregor, Dykes 1943, new last year and blooming this year.
I've been running my own hardiness tests for over 20 years now. Some iris are on their 3rd and last try here. Some I wouldn't bother to replace, unless I really like that iris, or I have many others by that hybridizer that are doing well here. It just gets too costly. I'm just an individual iris lover, not a club or corporation.
Every year, when I place my iris orders, I specifically choose iris by hybridizers I haven't tried before. Sometimes that works ok, sometimes it doesn't, but I rarely buy TB's directly from the south anymore. I'll get those from Chuck, after he's tested them for hardiness in his location first, which is about 2 zones warmer than mine. 

El, near Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Z3
----- Original Message ----- From: <irischapman@aim.com> 
To: <iris@hort.net>
Sent: Wednesday, June 23, 2010 4:56 PM
Subject: Re: [iris] RE: Test Gardens



Along these same lines, I can offer a very concrete example here. I
introduced an iris "Garden Bride" in 1998. this is a white, with great
branching, long bloom season and a nice flower.


---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE IRIS
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index