[Fwd: CULT: Picks and Stomps]
- To: Multiple recipients of list <i*@rt66.com>
- Subject: [Fwd: CULT: Picks and Stomps]
- From: L* M* <l*@icx.net>
- Date: Fri, 24 Oct 1997 04:56:43 -0600 (MDT)
Anner wrote:
> I found a very cool country woman who had some bearded oldies I was
> interested in and I stopped by this year when they were in full bloom
to
> effect a little transaction of mutual benefit. We walked her rows and
she
> carried a pickaxe with her. It was now or never...
This is an interchangeable description of the lady in Greenback, TN,
and
her irises. Admittedly, she has a wonderful location (wide, central
Tennesee Valley ancient river terrace, higher than the surrounding
terrain) and great soil (sandy loam), but this lady ALWAYS has gorgeous
irises - outperform anybody else's I've ever seen. And most years, she
buys one or two new intros from Schreiners along with bonuses, so she
always has a few new things coming along. Doesn't much care for that
'Duke's medal winner Silverada' It just 'doesn't do right and isn't
all
that pretty.' She guesses it's 'ok for some folks'. Doses her plants
with Sevin and keeps 'em hoed and fertilized. Most of the dividing
they
get comes from all the gouging out of increases during the bloom
season. I got a huge clump of VIGILANTE from her last year -
everything
is $2. Or maybe she went up to $2.50. She is quite a ways from me,
but
I try to stop by 4 or 5 times during the bloom season just so we can
walk through the irises and enjoy them together.
P.S. that pick gadget is what I call a lightweight, longhandled, granny
grub-hoe and seems to be the weapon of choice of lifetime girl gardeners
hereabouts (assuming Anner's friend uses the same thing). I finally got
myself one last year at the Coop - don't know how I ever lived without
it.
Linda Mann east Tennessee USA
