Re: Bloom report, dwarfs, Zone 3/4

	Elaine Grings wrote:

>I put in several new dwarfs and tall beardeds last year.  The dwarfs:
>GRAPE ORBIT, ON FIRE, and GENTLE GRACE started blooming last week and are
>doing very well, REAL COUQUETTE has yet to open, but has 7 buds! (In the
>first year!).  And this is without any mulching or extra winter care. We
>didn't have snow cover for very long this year and we did have some nights
>of -35 F in January so I know these varieties are tough!


	Welcome out of lurkdom, Elaine. :) The SDBs you have blooming go
	from orange to white and sound enticing. You are way ahead of us
	in the Northern White Mountains (Zone 3) since out first
	Miniature Dwarf Bearded just started with the little pumilas on
	May 6th with SUSLIK and one reddish-purple I. pumila seedling. In
	1997, our first MDB opened on May 29th.

	We now have CRADLE DAYS, ATROVIOLACEA and all SUSLIKs in bloom *and*
	one SDB surprised us (OUTBURST) by opening one flower yesterday,
	May 9th. Last year, on June 4th, its full sibling, SNOW TREE, was
	the first SDB to open. Their hybridizer, R. Sobek, is from Southern
	New England. These two are planted on a protected slope with a stone
	wall for shelter from the wind...no other SDBs are close to opening
	and just BEE WINGS (MDB whose pod parent was pure pumila) shows signs
	of opening soon.

	Try some MDBs next year to see some even earlier bloom - besides,
	they are delightful and add a spash of color with the tulips. :)

	Cheers,

	Ellen

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ellen Gallagher  / e_galla@moose.ncia.net
Siberian iris robin   /   sibrob@ncia.net
Northern New Hampshire, USA / USDA Zone 3
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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