Ipheion
Mary Sue Ittner (Thu, 12 Apr 2007 07:25:30 PDT)

Hi,

Since Lauw and I both live in a Mediterranean climate I was very interested
in his comments. I've found some differences in the Ipheions I have in the
ground versus those in pots. The species or maybe Wisley Blue I have in the
ground comes back every year and has a nice bloom period. They don't expand
too much, but for years in a raised bed I was trying to grow vegetables in
this plant was a problem even though I tried to dig every one out I could
find each spring before the vegetables went in. It increases dramatically.
Last year I didn't plant there and this year I put pots on it and there are
plants up and blooming between the pots. Alberto once wrote not to let the
roots dry out if you wanted them to do well. I'm sure that happens in my
climate for those in the ground without a problem and also some stored in
pots. One year I tried watering one of the pots over the summer to test his
theory and found that to be an inhibitor in my climate instead of a help.

I have two white forms, one given to me unnamed from a friend in the
southern Hemisphere, and one I grew from seed from NARGS collected from the
cultivar
'Alberto Castillo'. Both are very long blooming in containers and increase
quickly. For instance the one from the southern hemisphere was blooming
from Feb into April and the form I grew from the seed this year bloomed
even longer, from November to March. However, when I've planted either of
them in the ground they have virtually disappeared. I have another dark
form I received unnamed and it is a good bloomer too.

Rolf Fiedler on the other hand is a short bloomer if at all. It has
expanded a bit from my initial purchase so I now have it blooming in a
container and in one of my raised beds (in a container, but submerged).
Last year it bloomed briefly the end of February into March and this year
not at all. I've been very disappointed in it as a lover of blue flowers. I
wouldn't want it to expand in my garden if it isn't going to bloom even if
it is a nice color.

I'm not sure what to make of these observations which don't make a lot of
sense to me. I've not picked up the common thread.

Mary Sue