Dear PBS Friends, Seems like there's parts of the garden I give less thought to and get surprised when something half forgotten decides to put up bloom stalks and surprises me. Yesterday on a dry W. facing slope mostly planted with spuria iris I saw one large and couple small clumps of Ixiolirion tataricum http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/…. There are a small ranges of shade of blue-purple, but most a fairly intense colors and much appreciated. I planted a dozen or more bulbs years ago and thought they'd all died after their first spring of bloom. I think each bulb bloomed, but almost none thereafter. A few have been mustering strength to bloom again, Apparently this is typical in nature, too. A very pleasant surprise. Less of a surprised but equally impressive are a few early scattered blooms of English Iris, I latifolia or its selections. I grow two color forms 'Mont Blanc' (Clear white) and 'King of the Blues'. The latter is deep rich violet blue and is very lovely too. Both are elegant looking plants and return with little trouble. These grow in sun to light shade. There are a number of named forms of Englsh Iris, but these seem to be the only ones in commerce. Two surprises that have been willing to return reliably here once established. Best Jim W. -- Dr. James W. Waddick 8871 NW Brostrom Rd. Kansas City Missouri 64152-2711 USA Ph. 816-746-1949 Zone 5 Record low -23F Summer 100F +