Re: Another bloom report from Colorado

Marte Halleck wrote:
> 
> For those whose bearded iris season is over (or those in Oz experiencing
> Down Under winter), here's another bloom report from my mountain at
> 7,400' altitude. The 1st TBs of '98 (QUEEN DOROTHY & ENGLISH COTTAGE,
> both "rebloomers") opened on July 13th -- QD is "done" (it hasn't
> increased much from its single rz in '96) but EC has kept opening fresh
> flowers every few days. My other 6 "REs" have buds but, with one
> exception, aren't open yet.
> 
> My modest collection of SDBs, which started 5/27, finished up last week
> -- most are purported rebloomers in Z. 4 so there's always hope for more
> color from the little guys. Last year, I had "sequential" bloom from a
> couple (JEWEL BABY & LITTLE SHOWOFF) immediately following the 1st but
> no sign of this, yet. THRICE BLESSED didn't bloom but I haven't a clue
> why -- it increased okay, was not moved last summer & appears healthy,
> just zero buds. Also non-blooming were BANBURY RUFFLES (just planted in
> early May) & an unnamed one that I planted very late last summer, so
> lack of flowers on these is not too surprising. GREY POUPON, GOLDEN
> CHILD, THIRD CHARM, LITTLE BLACK BELT & the aforementioned JB & LS all
> bloomed decently to vigorously this year.
> 
> More TBs are opening dsily, both named & unnamed ones -- rich purple
> bitone ROYAL SUMMER (RE, Applegate '70) is towering over adjacent
> 'Zebra' (I. pallida variegata) with its 1st-ever lavender flowers in my
> garden. (Planted 4 years ago because of its striped leaves.) My reliable
> old variegata, which I think is HONORABILE, is flowering merrily -- I'm
> getting a piece of the actual HONORABILE from Lowell Baumunk next month
> so maybe next summer I will know for sure if I have a match.
> 
> The many mystery iris planted last summer, from trades or friends or
> rescues, are beginning to flower. So far, I've got at least one clump of
> FLAVESCENS (De Candolle 1813)-- Anner, if you're reading this, I've seen
> this iris in enough gardens to be certain of I.D. so don't yell at me!
> I'm tickled to have this tough old iris, which copes with total neglect,
> overcrowding & severe weather & keeps on flowering. It's not drop-dead
> gorgeous but is pretty & will make a nice pale yellow companion for
> other old-timers that are bound to be among my Nameless Ones.
> 
> Another historic which opened today is a purple bitone that looks very
> much like ALCAZAR (Vilmorin 1910) in the photo on the World Iris website
> (http://www.worldiris.com/public_html/Frame_pages/QFix.html)
> but it could also be AMBASSADEUR or RAMSES os something else altogether
> so I'm not rushing to attach a label. The are numerous buds on lots of
> other Nameless Ones so I'll enjoy finding out what they look like --
> sadly, the clump I rescued miles from anywhere in Bear Creek Canyon late
> last summer has no bloom stalks so I guess that's one mystery that will
> not be solved in '98.
> 
> Iris-wise, a most exciting thing is occuring -- tons of buds on the
> several clumps of Siberians I got, unnamed, from a seed-trading friend
> in Virginia in '96. The bloom stalks are only about a foot tall & the
> buds are showing deep red-violet color at the moment but it will be a
> few days before I find out what the flowers actually look like. (The
> short height may be due to my dry, poor soil OR maybe this is just a
> shorty, don't know.) Last summer, I planted small but healthy clumps of
> CAESAR'S BROTHER & a white SI that arrived with no name but neither of
> these have developed bloom stalks -- I suspect that SIs will typically
> take a couple of years to "settle in" in my short-season area.
> 
> That's it for the nonce -- I'll post more bloom info if there's interest
> & if John, who's been doing a spectacular job of keeping us in touch, is
> willing to re-post to the group. I suggest we re-name the List
> "JJones-L" if Iris-L stays non-functional much longer...
> 
> Marte in the mtns       Zone 4/Sunset 1  Colorado
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