fugacious and otherwise
Kelly Irvin (Tue, 24 Apr 2007 13:58:36 PDT)

I'm with you, Diane. If having to choose one thing over another, I am
the type to choose perennial over annual, and long bloom time over
short. I really like the Zephs and Habs, though, which breaks my
simplistic mold. I guess I feel they make up for short bloom time with
repeats throughout the season.

I did not measure the time, but my Galanthus elwesii stayed in bloom a
loooong time. I have a tulip which I planted this past fall (late), I'm
pretty sure it is 'Coleur Cardinal', but I can't find the tag, which was
in full bloom before the 18°F freeze we had, and is still in petal drop
stage, all without even noticing the cold weather. Meanwhile, a clump of
Tulipa clusiana 'Cynthia' was also in bloom and these blooms froze and
the foliage "wavered", but it has put up some blooms since, individual
blooms not lasting nearly as long as its neighbor's.

Whatever the red tulip is, I find it very handsome, not too tall for me,
but quite stout and easy to notice. I sure hope it doesn't dwindle over
time...

Mr. Kelly M. Irvin
10850 Hodge Ln
Gravette, AR 72736
USA
479-787-9958
USDA Cold Hardiness Zone 6a/b

mailto:kelly@irvincentral.com
http://www.irvincentral.com/

Diane Whitehead wrote:

I find it very hard to understand fugacious flowers. All that effort
for a couple of hours of show, and it is not as though they just did
the minimum necessary. Often they are incredibly intricate in
colour, shape, markings, scent. I guess they must grow in an area
with a guaranteed sufficiency of pollinators.

I much prefer flowers that hang around hopefully waiting. Like
trilliums. John Gyer reports that the flower opens, then the pollen
ripens and two weeks later the stigma is receptive. Then the flower
remains open another week or so to receive pollen.

Or snowdrops. I should keep track one year. It seems that I have
had Galanthus woronowii in bloom from early January to late March.
Those are the ones outside my kitchen window so I see them every
day. I don't know how long the other species out in the garden
last. Certainly they all give good garden value.

Diane Whitehead
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
maritime zone 8, cool Mediterranean climate
mild rainy winters, mild dry summers

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