by
Michael Lockatell
A badly needed bed renovation was done at BP Market in 2019. New soil, grading and clump division offered hope for better flowering throughout 2020. Spring bloom began in March and ended in late April. Unlike my plantings at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College in rural Goochland County, the South Richmond location enjoyed peak flowering without any frost damage. The end however was just the beginning.
TB Re Northward Ho
Another spring flowering wave suddenly appeared at the North Chesterfield address in late May on both tall bearded and median rebloomers. TB Re Autumn Twilight (G.P. Brown, 1971), July Sunshine (G.P. Brown, 1965), Northward Ho (Zurbrigg, 1991) and Over & Over (Innerst, 2001) were late spring performers. The Zurbrigg pink-brown plicata had multiple bloomstalks during June enabling me to make a few successful cross pollinations.
IB Re Autumn Elf
Medians taking part in the fun were IB Re Autumn Elf (G.P. Brown, 1935) and Midsummer Night's Dream (Baumunk, 1999) plus SDB Re Forever Blue (Chapman, 1991). The Brown diploid intermediate's flowering was a complete surprise. 2020 was the first time the Massachusetts historic rebloomer had a second bloom sequence in the same growing season with flowering occurring throughout June. Autumn Elf formed the foundation for Doc Percy's legendary cool season rebloom hybridizing. He would later convert his diploid lines to tetraploid to create TB Re September Sparkler (G.P. Brown, 1944).
TB Re Oxmoor Hills
July saw TB Re Oxmoor Hills (Ennenga, 2004) in bloom at BP Market. The overlooked violet-blue from Nebraska continues to be a consistent summer and fall rebloomers here. TB Re Clarence (Zurbrigg, 1991) and its seedlings would take the spotlight in South Richmond during August and September. TB Re Metro Blue (Lockatell, 2015) started flowering in mid September with multiple bloomstalks. Lockatell TB Re Sdlg.#21415-30 had been planted the previous fall from a six inch pot. The light blue with red beards tipped white had open flowers from mid August through September. TB Re Hidden Sky (Lockatell, R. 2019) had a bloomstalk in early September. Two clumps at BP Market took turns blooming until mid December. Wow!
TB Re 21515-30
My plantings at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College did not enjoy the same summer rebloom volume as BP Market. Culture was a major factor. Established clumps needed to be divided, and work to renovate beds will take place in 2021. There were still a few bright spots in the tall beardeds. TB Re Belvi Queen (Carol Jensen,1976), Immortality (Zurbrigg, 1982) and Hidden Sky. The Jensen plicata rebloomer's flowers were a welcome sight in mid September. Even though blooms have older form, tall stalks delivered appealing color as summer came to a close in Goochland County.
TB Re Belvi Queen
Summer rebloom on most cool season varieties is the exception rather than the rule. Newer selections with better rebloom genetics are starting their second flowering sequences in late August. If this trend can hold in varied weather conditions, gardeners in colder climates can finally see significant flowering before early fall hard frosts.
MTB Lady-Emma-Clump
IB Re Midsummer Night
TB Re Hidden Sky
