Too Much of a good thing - rain

[George R Stilwell, Jr.]

Jeanne,

I took the liberty of posting your reply to Arisaema-L so all of us can
enjoy
your experiences.

The seed crop sounds very promising. Do send all you can to Craig Stubbs
for
the 2000 Seedex. And, I share your concern about wet conditions for
dormant
Arisaema. I've lost more that way than any other. In fact, I've been
doing inventory
in my nurseries this last week. Unfortunately, it's included doing many
obituaries,
most from too wet conditions.

Which Zantedeschia are you growing?  They're a favorite of mine. I can
leave them
in the ground all year 'round here. The only problem being Z. aethiopica
which sometimes
refuses to go dormant, thus getting frost nip. But, I just cut it back
and no permanent
damage seems to be done. You might enjoy two articles on Zantedeschia.

Singh, Y., Van Wyk, A.E. & Baijnath, H. 1996. Taxonomic notes on the
genus Zantedeschia Spreng. (Araceae) in southern Africa. S. Af. J. Bot.
62(6): 321-324.

Singh, Y., Van Wyk, A.E. & Baijnath, H. 1995. Know your arums: a
comprehensive guide to the genus Zantedeschia. Veld & Flora 81: 54-55.

Both are available as reprints from the South African Botanical Society
and include good
color photographs, keys, and even a graphical key. Professor Singh is
"the authority"
on the genus. <botsocsa at gem.co.za>

I have a slight worry about the marble paths in the Arisaema garden. Most
Arisaema like
acid conditions, the exception being A. macrospathum (Mexico) which seems
to
need a limestone environment. Won't the marble leach and reduce the
acidity in time?

Pinellia cordata 'Yamazaki' and Pinellia tripartita 'Atropurpurea' are
indeed delightful.
Of course, ours are long through blooming and the latter starting to go
dormant.
I still have a bunch of  'Yamazaki' seed  that I need to find a home for.

Thanks for your interesting E-mail. Your gardens sound delightful. If
you're ever
here in NC, you need to visit Tony Avent's Juniper Level Garden. It is a
wonder to behold.

Ray
<GRSJr at Juno.com>

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