rescue horror stories; was Re: Little Mystery Bulb
M. Gastil-Buhl (Thu, 25 Apr 2013 08:03:12 PDT)

I want to share my own bulb rescue story... or rhizome in this case.

http://flickr.com/photos/gastils_garden/…

This blue bearded iris used to grow in a front yard along my walk to
the bus stop. For years I admired it each spring and wished I had the
nerve to snag just one offshoot to take home. I never met the home
owners or I would have asked. Then one day there was a big dumpster
and a crew of workers scraping the ground bare! I asked if I might
pull some plants out of their piles. They said no, probably liability
concerns. I was heartbroken. On the way home from the bus stop that
evening, the dumpster was still there, full. I thought the iris would
be buried under yards of sod but when I looked in, there they were,
neatly stacked in a corner right on top. Im certain one of the workers
must have overheard my request and secretly stashed them there for me.

That was years ago. Since then these have multiplied and bloomed
magnificently every spring in my back yard.

- Gastil in Santa Barbara