Re: CULT: Favorites - long
- Subject: Re: [iris-talk] CULT: Favorites - long
- From: l*
- Date: Sun, 10 Mar 02 16:44:20 -0600
>Relax and let your mind wander out in the beds, nooks, crannies and rows of
>the garden. Let the memories of what you've seen there in seasons past come
>to the fore. As you wander around among the names and memories of the iris
>you grow, I think you'll find there will be a few that cause that tickle of
>anticipation at seeing them again. It will be stronger than for many
>others, though you'll like them too. Make your entry. Try and figure out
>why.
OK, Donald, I already posted my Top 10 list, but it included only a
couple TBs. This time I'm going to indulge in your mind wander technique
and see which 10 TBs come first to mind ... wandering ... wandering ...
HONKY TONK BLUES - A first year plant with such stunning gradations of
blues and such an intoxicating aroma, it beckoned me to its side on every
visit to the iris beds. I have never seen a photo that does this flower
justice. Its beauty is indescribable.
OLYMPIAD - Another first year plant with another blend of blues and ivory
that soothes the soul. This plant is calming. Where HTB hints of
mystery with its darker shadings, OLYMPIAD lends peace and tranquility to
its place in the garden. A perfect mate to the simultaneously blooming
VANITY.
DAZZLING GOLD - Another first year plant that SHOUTED its opening in the
iris bed. NOT calm, NOT mysterious. LOUD, ROWDY, OBVIOUS, DEMANDING ...
and certainly NOT to be overlooked!
CORAL CHALICE - A soft and lovely presence in the garden. Her
understated demeanor is endearing and enchanting. I never wanted her
last bloom to fade. She and DAZZLING GOLD both fell ill last summer but
still had a bit of life going into winter. I'm hoping they'll both
return this spring.
ROYAL CHANT - A dark burgundy that rewards its admirers with an
altogether hypnotic intensity of color that I simply can not capture
photographically. I took more pictures of this one than of any other
flower in my garden last year, but none of my efforts revealed the rich,
deep glow of this bloom.
GLAZED ORANGE - Low bud count, minimal growth, and less than impressive
form, but OH that ORANGE! We couldn't turn our backs on this one. If it
only opened one flower every other year, we'd still look forward to
seeing it.
JAN ELIZABETH - A quiet historic beauty of peachy pink hue. She holds a
special place in my heart as she bears the same name as my older sister
who I never knew before her death as an infant. She is as innocent and
fragile in my garden as she was in my family.
LAURIE - Purely a matter of vanity, though she is a flattering namesake.
My unknown Queen - I received this iris under the name of JUDITH (which
she is not). This extraordinary plant sends up a very tall, straight
stalk from which opens the most exquisite flowers in my garden. I can't
really tell you what it is about her that touches me so deeply. She is
an historic bitone of pinkish/whitish tones. Her standards are strongly
domed, her falls entirely pendant, and her beards exceptionally long and
bushy. Ethereal. Eternal. The slightest dew will fold her wings, but
the most wicked climatic assaults can not diminish her determination to
survive. I stand in awe of this flower and would sit at her feet to
await her bloom - such is her allure.
The Original - When I moved onto this farm in '79, there was a patch of
historic neglectas against the house that I completely ignored for 17
yrs. As far as my foggy memory could recollect, these looked to be the
same irises I grew up with in my parents' yard in suburban Chicago. They
grew all around my childhood 'burb and are all around this northern MN
area, but I have no idea what they are (if, indeed, they are a registered
cv at all). They have absolutely no substance and seem entirely
infertile, but they are my oldest iris friends without whom bloom season
simply couldn't happen. If every other iris in my garden were to die,
these would persist to refuel my passion for these flowers. As they have
always been, so shall they always be.
That was FUN! I'm surprised more of the 100+ TBs that bloomed here last
year didn't immediately leap to mind. Not that there weren't plenty of
others crowding for recognition and acknowledgement, but few leapt to the
fore as did these 10.
Thank you, Donald. What a lovely way to spend a cold, snowy afternoon.
Laurie
-----------------
laurief@paulbunyan.net
http://www.geocities.com/lfandjg/
zone 3b northern MN - clay soil
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