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Just came in from checking the iris beds, and ,considering the "amount" of winter that Illinois had this year, I think things look pretty good! A lot of the iris I planted last year were "late " getting in the ground, and really didn't have time to put down roots, and get any "new growth" before freeze-up, but I only see 3 that are "goners", and only about 6 that are "iffy", so I'm pretty happy! The downside is that one of the "goners" is somewhat of a hard iris to find, in fact, I had ordered it from a place in the Netherlands because that was the only source I could find. And, as those kind of shipments go, it was VERY late in the year when I got it, and it didn't show even a TRACE of green ! So, I guess, I expected failure on this one ! . Most of the "iffy" plants are showing just a tiny green leaf, and are still solid to the touch, so I'm hopeful !So, how did yours make it through the winter...or are they still under the snow ?!,,,,Arlyn
Name: Bonnie Sojourner Harris Brake, Arkansas, zone 7 The Magnolia Zone
Arlyn, I lost 'Cowboy's Journey' for sure. I have three that are iffy. they are SDB 'Bluebeard's Ghost' and 'Leopard Print', ones that I love and a little MTB 'Dividing Line' is just sitting there with a tiny bit of green showing. It is not doing anything while all the others are really growing. I will not complain when other folks have lost so many irises and the ones I lost are not hard to replace. smiles
Dividing Line is rather tough, it may surprise you. the pumilas here don't bloom until April & most of their spaces are still under some snow. since they are a mountain plant, not worried.
When planting late in the fall I find it is helpful to put a rock on the rhizome to prevent heaving. Use a brick if not in New England. I once had 9 aril seedlings with rock topping. they we all there in the spring.
Name: Bonnie Sojourner Harris Brake, Arkansas, zone 7 The Magnolia Zone
Thank you Lucy. I will be patient. I also have an AB named 'Suspect' that looks dormant. Everything is blooming here, all the bulbs and peach and plum trees. Now they tell me that it will be 28 degrees next Tuesday night. I guess there will be no plums to put by this summer. I will turn big flower pots over the dwarf irises that are forming bloom stalks. Other things blooming are just going to freeze, turn brown and then get leaves.
I think there is some kind of Voodoo at work, 'cause you always seem to lose the ones you like the most !...or maybe it just seems that way 'cause you like 'em ALL ! ...Arlyn
Name: Bonnie Sojourner Harris Brake, Arkansas, zone 7 The Magnolia Zone
Rascals!
I went to a daffodil festival today. Sixty acres of daffodils of all kinds. I usually buy bulbs at this event but they did not dig this year. The plants have taken a beating and need a year or two to make a comeback. Even tough old daffodils had a hard winter.
Speaking of tough, I think that is why I have NOIDS....they never die. My very lovely and pricy plants languish while the NOIDS take over. This is a picture of a rhizome that fell out of a sack, bag, apron, whatever..... when I had loaded some NOIDS on unsuspecting novices. This iris is growing in several layers of rocks on the edge of the driveway.
If given half a chance it would look like this
That is a quarter I placed beside the plant for size comparison. We don't usually have those big rhizomes in this area.
That is what I like about the old historics. They are tough as nails from natural selection, if one believes in evolution. As far as noids go, a rose by any other name would still smell the same, or something like that.
Yes, Jerry ,"natural selection" has a definite role. If it was a "toughie", it lasted ,growing in an old vacant lot, while, if it was on the "tender' side, the best care, in the best garden couldn't keep it alive. But also, I think, (and here some of the Hybridizers on the site could chime in), those "old" varieties were "closer", genetically to the collected species iris that started it all ( that had lasted, and been in fact developed and shaped, through that natural selection!), while the more "modern " cultivars , being line bred, in lots of cases, start losing some of their "toughness" , on the road to more frills, and fancy color combos. I know that during the "pollen daubing "process, they try to "breed back", occasionally, to a similar ,but different, bloodline, to encourage "hybrid vigor", but the fact remains that they are farther from that naturally selected, species iris , that Mother Nature, and Father Time had developed, over countless years....Arlyn
There have been many comments regarding buying irises locally instead of from, say, the Northwest or West Coast in order to have those which have adapted to a particular local climate. I have read where the huge rhizomes from one area revert back to a more conventional size when they are moved to another climate. For a hybridizer though, it would be a chance to possibly improve the gene pool by mixing irises from distant areas.
I just found some little NoIDs growing through my wood chips. They are growing in the area of my field where I did all the cleaning and dividing of irises. I guess I must have missed a couple of little increases while cleaning up the area when I was done. Darn tough little NoIDs lol. The NoIDs I divided (and still dividing) have been in same location for 25-30 years. They never got any additional care, nor where ever watered during summer. They were never fertilized, nor cleaned of dead leaves.
Arlyn, I think you are absolutely right. Beauty was bred in, while hardiness was bred out. It's just Mother Nature's way of saying..."nice try, but mine are better".
Name: Bonnie Sojourner Harris Brake, Arkansas, zone 7 The Magnolia Zone
I think you are right Rob. I moved on January 1 to this location many years ago. I dug and planted a lot of irises but the ones that made it were the really old ones. And I love them!
The historics which we see are the hardy ones. the less hardy have disappeared. When hybridizing use the tough ones as the pod parent if possible. Some lines don't work either old or new.
. Most of the "iffy" plants are showing just a tiny green leaf, and are still solid to the touch, so I'm hopeful !So, how did yours make it through the winter...or are they still under the snow ?!,,,,Arlyn
Arlyn
...Arlyn
