Re: heat zones, delphinium, etc.

Hello Terry,
    Have you ever thought of a breeding program using some of our more wide
ranging natives for that heat tolerance? Or perhaps a breeding or selection
program for the Delphinium exaltatum or tall larkspur? I am not aware of
anyone playing with the local natives for a more glamorous show. A cultivar
of stable line of blooms colors would certainly open up a lot of doors.
    Gene E. Bush
Munchkin Nursery & Gardens, llc
www.munchkinnursery.com
genebush@munchkinnursery.com
Zone 6/5  Southern Indiana

----- Original Message -----
> HI Gale,
> Sorry for the delay, I was away tramping.
> Heat Zone 7 is a place where our delphs need special care to grow.
> They grow well for some folk, not at all for others. Plant them in
> the garden without shade, mulch and adequate water and you will
> never see them again. Plant them in mottled shade with good mulch
> and in an area that gets a breeze and for some folk they stay around
> for years. So yes, heat zone 7 is marginal, 8 is out of the question, 6
> and below - real easy.
>
> Nashville - with great difficulty I would think
>
> cheers
>
> terry
> <<There are all sorts of other factors come into it like humidity, night
> temps, local climate etc, but the heat zone map is definitely a useful
> aid to us. I can see that Donna's ideas about accumulated heat day
> requirements for plants would make the map very useful too.  - cheers
> Terry Dowdeswell
> Dowdeswell's Delphiniums>>
>
> Hi Terry,
> I used to grow lovely delphiniums here in Tennessee when I lived on top of
the
> Cumberland Plateau - temps are consistently 10 degrees lower than valleys
> because of 1000 foot greater elevation.  We also had sandy soil.  I grew
them
> against a south facing wall - but when we moved the wall in remodeling I
was
> never able to get them established again.  And here in Nashville it is
> hopeless!  Brick-like soil and many days over 100, hot nights and humidity
and
> month long droughts.  I have heard of putting ice around the crowns of
cool
> loving plants every day but have never tried it.  So you see a heat zone
rating
> would be very useful here.
>
> If a plant is rated heat zone 7, does that mean it won't grow here if the
> number is higher?
>
> Gale Link

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