Re: AB: name your favs



On Wed, 4 Mar 1998, Rick Tasco/Roger Duncan wrote:

> J. Michael, Celia or Ben Storey wrote:
> > 
> > >        My arilbreds never looked better. In fact, the foliage is cleaner
> > >than the TB foliage and bloomstalks are showing.
> > >
> > Noted this at the end of Walter's post and wanted to add that my AB's look
> > so terrific, even after all of this rain, I am seriously encouraged to add
> > more to my garden. Not many folks in our club grow ABs. Maybe we should.
> > 
> > What are some of your favorite arilbreds and why?
> 
> In case some of you may have missed it, I'll retype a short article I
> had in the 1996 Aril Society International yearbook about my 6 favorite
> arilbreds--
> 
> SILENT TEARS (Peterson 91)--very vigorous light violet splashed with
> blue-violet "tears"--we used to call this the "Batik of our arilbreds". 
> It never fails to put on a fabulous show and is the #1 seller among our
> arilbreds every year.  A clump in full bloom is a beauty to behold!  Any
> grower of arilbreds should try SILENT TEARS--you'll just love it!  1/4
> Aril
> 
> KUZA-NAMA (Hager 83)--lavenderish standards and "glowing" orangish
> falls.  The falls radiate that neon-like orange glow that will stop you
> in your tracks.  1/4 Aril
> 
> EMERALD FANTASY (Tate '83)--creamy lavender strongly netted and veined
> in rich dark purple--no emerald in sight, but one of the earlier and
> showier arilbreds.  (Check out the anthers to find the emerald--Editor)
> 3/4 Aril
> 
> ONLOOKER (Hager 85)--Ohhh, that large blackish circular signal is surely
> an eye-catcher!  If I had to pick just a single flower as the most
> beautiful arilbred, it would be the large perfectly formed flower of
> ONLOOKER!  And it does grow large flowers here.  1/2 Aril
> 
> GENETIC ARTIST (Danielson 72)--hard to describe, but the flowers are a
> nice mixture of lavender, blue, yellow, and white all swirled up to
> perfection!  It has open standards, but that just adds to the allure of
> the flower.  1/2 Aril
> 
> TEL AVIV (Foster 70)--dark maroon almost totally covered with veins of
> greyish-maroon; big, bold, and showy.  1/2 Aril
> 
> These would be the six arilbreds we'd grow if we only had room for six!
> 
> Rick Tasco
> Superstition Iris Gardens
> Central California Sierra Nevada foothills--Zone 8--drying continues
> with another sunny, bright day, but still relatively cool--only low 60s
> 
	Rick, your description of your arils is fantastic.  I just wish I
could grow ONLOOKER, and I have tried so many times.  I guess our heat and
humidity are too much for it.  I know it is registered as having 1/2 aril,
but I suspect more since it is such a touchy grower in my climate.

	Glad you mentioned Les Peterson.  BANGLADESH, BOLD SENTRY, HEART
STEALER, and PINK BETTERMENT (all 1/2) do extremely well here.

	I just told Celia that ZERZURA has multipled into a terrific clump
and has stalks coming.  I have not seen this one but imagine it to be like
BETHLEHEM SONG or BETHLEHEM STAR, yellow or cream with a bold dark spot.

	I prefer arilbreds with 1/2 aril blood in order to cross to the
TB's or SDB's for quarterbreds with aril characteristics.


	Walter Moores
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