Re: Orville Fay

Hello - Just a note re Orville Fay - I received an order from
Draycott Gardens about four years ago and planted it after
soaking a day or two...this was the year that Carol had the very
bad drought (my words). Anyway, I put the empty box in the
garage
to re-use (yes, I use your boxes again :) and I was moving some
stuff around about a month later (early Sept.) and a little dirt
fell out of the box. I investigated it and found 'Orville Fay'.
I had missed it!

I live in Zone 3 and the common wisdom is to get Siberians and
other perennials in the ground by early or mid-Aug. There was a
bitterly cold day as I remember and Orville did look the worse
for way - puny and looking dead. :( I figured why give this
'thing' prime garden space (and all my plants were already sort
of crowded) so I did the unthinkable. I walked out to the back
yard under a tree where I had daffs and a little early garden
and dug up a little hole for Orville. It was the same technique
I use for naturalizing daffs. and it is the Lazy-Ellen style. A
hole, and I didn't even put a dollop of peat moss - I plucked
him in and watered him like crazy. I put a marker - sort of a
grave marker I thought. I kept watering him every day to see if
he would revive.

Oct. - planting daffs. like crazy in bone-chilling cold and wind
and there is no sign of anything where Orville was planted
except his head stone. Still watering the spot though...

Fast forward to the next Spring - mid-May as the daffs. are
sprouting, I see some green where Orville was laid to rest and
think a daff. has taken over there. Water the spot - just in
case and keep watering about three times a week.

Orville Fay came up and grew that summer! Nice healthy plant and
didn't show any sign of Gallagher Garage Neglect. Then we moved
in January and had to leave Orville behind (and a lot more too!)

but I feel sure that he is blooming his little blue head off or
I like to think that anyway.That is the only experience I have
had with Orville Fay but my tets do seem to be more hardy and
very forgiving. 

Claire P. brought up Siberians that decline and/or clump
shrinage. The only noticeable one I have had is Dreaming Yellow.
It grew well for about yrs. and then it just shrunk - I dug it
up and it didn't look 'sick' but I got rid of it. Never was that
enamored of it anyhow. Be white or be yellow and skip the
dreaming part. 

Claire also mentioned one of my old favs., Butter & Sugar.....
I say 'old' because the one in my old place purchased from Jody
Camille right here in the NH mountains was a knock out flower.
The new one here in this garden (also from Jody) is NOT a knock
out color...Jody, did you purchase from different suppliers?
(Jody is on this list and has a great nursery of beardless
irises, JIs and SIs).

So now I am on the fence re B & S...Welfenschatz is a far
superior performer here. It came from Andy Wheeler's nursery. 

Cheers,

Ellen










=====
Ellen Gallagher / ellengalla@yahoo.com /Berlin,NH, US,Zone 3 
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