| This section of the web site reviews each year of our adventure, with details not found in other sections of the site -- things like plant and flower numbers, successes and failures, big and small things we've learned. It also discusses things we want to do, things we want to know, things we speculate about. It is sequential, often with questions raised one year answered the next. We don't go back and rewrite. | |
 Treasures January 1, 2008 |
(New plants for winter) by Kit & Ben Knotts - Click images to enlarge |
| In 2007, we had several leftover hybrids that had been stalled in small pots and, with some water space available from the death of other Victorias, decided to plant them in mid-October. Could they make it through the winter? | ||
| Enough good weather was expected to allow them to establish in unheated Treasures. When installed, they had pads of 13-15" (33-38 cm). They grew fairly rapidly to 30-40" (76-102 cm) pads and we cut several buds off of each in November and December. The Longwood was not as vigorous through the coldest periods but the 'Adventure' was hardly phased. Why might that be? |
 V. 'Adventure' in Treasures February 26, 2008 |
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 V. 'Adventure' January 2008 |
Because of our long growing season, we experience the development of huge rhizomes under Victoria crowns that ultimately lead to their demise. The plants grow up out of the soil, the rhizomes rot at the base, feeder roots can't reach the soil and the plants decline. Perpetuating them over more than one warm season is very tricky since the timing of either pushing them over or "chopping and dropping" them has to be perfect. See Extending the Life of Victoria These younger plants seem not as stressed in cold conditions as overgrown older plants. The vigor of youth? Not having to deal with the large rhizome and a struggling root system? Does this tell us something new about the cold tolerance of Victoria, particularly the hybrids? How nice to have flowers occasionally in winter! 'Adventure' has bloomed in January, February and March 2008, though not with the frequency of summer. The sample and our experience are relatively small so far, but we plan to try more plants in the fall of 2008 for winter flowers if we have spare plants available. |
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 V. 'Adventure' March 2008 |
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