Re: McEwen/cold-hardy JIs

Edmundas was referring to the "Project Deep Freeze" concerned with Japanese 
irises that Dr. McEwen is presently conducting in very cold climates mostly 
in Zone 3 and some in Zone 2. There are at least five members of the Sibrob 
who are active participants under the direct supervision of Currier. I think 
there are four Europeans and at least two Canadians and some Americans 
including one in Alaska. Some are members of this group and some are not. He 
keeps in touch regularly with all of us through either snail mail or his 
son-in-law's e-mail.

This has been in progress about three or maybe four years. Jody Camille, my 
New Hampshire Zone 3 neighbor, was in on the first year of the study. She 
and Mary Betts (from Zone 3 in Maine) were the first to receive Currier's JI 
seeds for 'Project Deep Freeze'. She can answer questions about the project 
surely better than I can and Jody is a member of the Sibrob.

Edmundas was correct in saying that Dr. McEwen was interested in testing JI 
seeds as well as living plants in the mountains where the temps can drop to 
as low as -40C and of course -40F.

Dr. McEwen actively sought out iris folks from the coldest areas since he 
knew he wasn't frigid enough in S. Harpswell, Maine.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bloom observations:

WELFENSCHATZ is blooming and I can see the difference between it and BUTTER 
AND SUGAR. W.'s falls are longer and fuller and the flower itself is 
altogether larger to my eye. It is also taller than B & S.
MOON SILK should open tomorrow when I go to John White's garden in Minot, 
Maine for one-on-one garden judging training in beardless irises. This next 
week will be Siberian  week at the Gallagher's. We have 3 MDBs still in 
bloom, about 8 SDBs left, 15 IBs still going strong, some BBs, more MTBs and 
2 early TBs. The peonies are just about to burst open and the lilium have 
buds as well as the daylilies.
(For Edmundas - hemerocallis) - hope I spelled it right. :(

Cheers,

Ellen
===
Ellen Gallagher/ Berlin, NH,USA/ Zone 3
N. White Mts. in the "Great North Woods"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~






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