by Mike Lockatell
Central Virginia saw unprecedented rainfall in 2018. The spigot stayed open from late spring until year's end leading to the second wettest year on record for metro Richmond. Modified clay soils were super saturated for months. Root systems on established bearded iris clumps including reblooming types disappeared. Fans could be easily plucked from ground. Fall flowering at my BP Market display bed in North Chesterfield, VA was horrendous.
Rain totals dropped off in 2019. A badly needed renovation including regrading took place at the site. Clumps responded with decent spring bloom in 2020. Mid April flowering resulted in the best tall bearded cross pollinations for the year. Two frosts during the month's final weekend destroyed peak bloom and almost every seed pod set at my J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College plantings in rural Goochland County, VA. Mild winters and early springs always have their consequences.
Weather forecasters earlier in 2020 warned the upcoming hurricane season would be an active one. Their predictions proved to be correct. Multiple systems did significant damage to communities along the Gulf Coast. Starting in late July, these storms would exit through the Mid Atlantic Region leaving eye popping rain totals in their wake. Saturated soil conditions reappeared like 2018.
After promising summer rebloom at BP Market, momentum for fall flowering slowed down. Developing bloomstalks became more frequent by mid October. Peak bloom was in full swing as November began. Flowering was driven by abnormally warm day and night temperatures sparked by the Gulf Coast storms passing through Central Virginia. A hard frost ended rebloom at my rural Goochland County, VA plantings in mid November, but bloomstalks on many varieties at BP Market survived to continue flowering into December. Many blooms had substance issues, but they were still a welcome sight from a distance. The longest fall rebloom at any Lockatell display garden finally ended close to a week before Christmas. Wow!!!
TB Re Rosalie Figge
Purple is always popular with the gardening public. TB Re Rosalie Figge (McKnew, 1993) is head and shoulders above any other tall bearded cool season reblooming iris in this coloring. The Maryland origination would have flowers in my JSRCC plantings by mid to late October. Frosts always determined bloom length there. Three clumps were planted at the warmer BP site in 2013. The five degree temperature difference could maybe lead to longer flowering.
Weather conditions in 2020 proved my hunch to be a correct one. Rosalie Figge began flowering on 10/14 and bloom finally ended around 12/11. It was a remarkable run. Robin Shadlow from Oregon continues to work with the McKnew two toned purple's offspring. Could Robin be close to releasing a new introduction with attractive coloring, modern flower form and earlier fall rebloom?
Tom Silvers from Maryland is also working with Rosalie Figge offspring. Seedlings from Rosalie Figge X I. aphylla“Wine Red X TB Re I Repeat (J. Roberts, 1998) rebloomed this past fall. Their future performance will be closely watched.
TB Re Over & Over
Other tall bearded varieties turning in solid fall flowering at BP Market were TB Re Autumn Circus (Hager, 1990), Gate of Heaven (Zurbrigg, 2004), Hidden Sky (Lockatell, R. 2019), Lunar Whitewash (Innerst, 2003) and Over & Over (Innerst, 2001) Each selection with the exception of Autumn Circus was in bloom for eight weeks or more!! The Hager creation from California with an unique striped plicata pattern flowered for seven weeks from 10/30 to 12/11 on multiple bloomstalks. The warmer micro-climate at the South Richmond site aided results.
IB Re Constant Companion
Medians moving to the “head of the class” at BP Market were IB Re Constant Companion (Marsh, 1995) and Midsummer Night's Dream (Baumunk, 1999), MTB Re Lady Emma (F.P. Jones, 1986) and SDB Baby Blessed (Zurbrigg, 1979). Lockatell
SDB Re Sdlg.#21256-BP
SDB Re Sdlg.#21256-BP continues to be a late October rebloomer over many years there. The only obstacle to its registration is taking successful divisions. Two attempts to establish clumps at JSRCC have resulted in “bloom out.” A third try may prove to be the charm. The SDB Re Sailboat Bay (Zurbrigg, 2004) seedling is nonetheless fertile both ways and remains a useful parent for improved standard dwarf bearded rebloomers.
SDB Re Sailboat Bay
The Covid-19 pandemic really altered our daily routines in 2020. My fervent hope was customers to BP Market found a welcome distraction in my cool season rebloom bearded iris planting. It was a spectacular year for rebloom there. We wish for the best in gardening and health in 2021.
TB Re Autumn Circus
TB Re Hidden Sky
