OT: Spring Down Under - a bloom report

From: Ann Pearce <jac@senet.com.au>

Hi everyone,

I thought it was about time I posted a bloom report...

As spring gets underway here, I currently have seven different iris types
blooming in my garden:

The SDBs are just finishing: Thundercat, Blissed Out and Baby Blessed are
the last few in bloom.  IB:  Rumours has just finished, and Zing Me, Aurean
and Tyrolienne are now getting underway.  The large clump of Aurean is
putting on quite a show.  The TBs are just starting: Georgia Girl has been
and gone, and now in bloom are Scented Bubbles, Gold Reprise, Brother Carl,
Perfect Couple, Wedding Vow and Words and Music, with Grecian Goddess and
Aura Light about to open.
 
Several Californian (PCN) varieties are in bloom:  Smoky Bandit, Nagambi and
Deepening Shadows (my favourite for its dark velvety petals).  Long Shot has
just finished, but provided a nice spot of colour in the garden while in
bloom (it's a butter yellow self).

Two Louisianas are in bloom in the ponds: Gate Crasher and Dural White
Butterfly.  I was waiting to see if Gate Crasher would produce single or
double blooms, since I have read it can be somewhat variable.  They have all
been single, but heavily ruffled.  It is definitely very different from
Dural White Butterfly, but I like them both.

Also in the ponds, I. pseudacorus Barsfordii is just coming into flower.  In
the garden bed nearby, the Dutch iris Apollo has been looking beautiful, but
has now finished, making way for the late-blooming Professor Blauw.

Undoubtedly the most exciting part of iris bloom season so far this year has
been watching my first ever TB seedlings bloom.  4 have opened to date, two
whites with yellow hafts and beards, a medium blue, and a lavender blue.
The better of the two whites is my favourite seedling so far - nothing
marketable of course, but to a beginning hybridizer, exciting nonetheless.

I am very much looking forward to the Australian iris convention, which
starts in about a week's time.  I'll only be attending the first two days of
the convention, but since that includes the talks by Heather Pryor and
George Sutton, and the tours of David Ruston's famous rose and iris garden,
and the new Australian Inland Botanic Garden, I think I picked the right two
days!

Dianne and Heather, I hope to meet you there!

Ann Pearce
Adelaide, South Australia
j*@senet.com.au


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