CULT:Rescue and rediscovery
- Subject: CULT:Rescue and rediscovery
- From: B* S*
- Date: Tue, 15 May 2001 09:55:15 -0500
Last year I noted that I had "rescued" some rhizomes of older
varieties from a crowded bed and grown them on well enough to expect
bloom this year. And in fact, that happened. Nothing really of note
among the bloomers though it was nice to see 'Aril Lady' again, and
the nice yellow 'Money.'
I was surprised to see a seedling of mine from the 80s resurface, an
interesting pastel variegata with yellow standards and tan to peachy
falls.
Then last night I visited a garden made up by a local guy who has
just gotten into irises. Much of what he has came from my boxes of
rhizomes placed in the post office for all takers. I was delighted
to see my seedling from Metropolitan x Aril Lady, and immediately
started negotiations to get some of it back. While this plant has
rather old-fashioned form (no flaring falls), it does have a color
pattern that might be worth working with--light lavender ground
color, with a large outpouring of maroon on the falls (try THAT with
'Puccini'). Nice to know that one of the kids will be coming home.
In my small collection, the top TBs this year have been: Luxor Gold,
Mesmerizer, Magical Encounter and Little John. The latter, a Don
Spoon introduction, not only has perfectly gorgeous flowers but is
very vigorous, with several show-quality stalks on a third-year
clump. Only one stalk on Uncle Charlie here this year, but I saw a
nice clump of it at Mike Lockatell's last week. After the OKC
convention I predicted a Dykes in this variety's future, and that's
my story and I'm sticking to it.
TBs are about done now, and we're into the spurias and louisianas and
looking forward to great bloom on a collection of recent spurias
obtained three years ago from Chehalem Gardens (Tom and Ellen
Abrego--what great plants they send out), as well as a nice
assortment of older varieties from Charlie Brown in Texas.
We're having a nice little season despite the rot last year and a
deep, 3.75" rainfall deficit for 2001, piled on a 3" deficit for
2000. So I'm spending a lot of time watering, and hoping the well
holds out.
--
Bill Shear
Department of Biology
Hampden-Sydney College
Hampden-Sydney VA 23943
(804)223-6172
FAX (804)223-6374
email<wshear@email.hsc.edu>
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"My Aunt Maria asked me to read the life of Dr. Chalmers, which,
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