I have been growing Blenheim Royal for some years. It has endured much mistreatment and kept right on blooming. My neighbors always ooh ...Read Moreand aah over it. I think it is a wonderful shade of blue, developing a purple tinge in a day or so, that I find very intriguing.
Deer River, MN (Zone 3b) | October 2003 | positive
Very few tall beardeds (TBs) can survive my growing conditions. This northern MN zone 3b climate inflicts severe, extended cold during t...Read Morehe winter months, often with little snow cover for insulation. Summer temps can exceed 90 degrees F. My soil is very heavy, compacted clay with a slightly acid pH. A large local deer population frequently tramples and sometimes grazes on my irises in early spring and late fall. Iris borers are present but managed successfully with a granular systemic grub control product. Weeds are abundant and only occasionally beaten back by an admittedly lazy gardener (yours truly). Fertilization is inconsistent, when provided at all. Most TBs here are growing with less than 6 hrs of sun per day, so growth and bloom are not what they could be under full sun conditions. I have lost hundreds of weaker TB cultivars over the years, so the few that have managed to survive are worthy of high praise.
BLENHEIM ROYAL takes the worst my growing conditions can dish out and blooms reliably in spite of it all, year after year. It's my only TB growing in the main clay beds that has never missed a year of bloom. Amazing! It's got very good blue color with minimal lavender hue, though I wouldn't call it a "true blue". I highly recommend this cultivar.
I have been growing Blenheim Royal for some years. It has endured much mistreatment and kept right on blooming. My neighbors always ooh ...Read More
Awards: Honorable Mention 1992, Award of Merit 1994
very prolific with several blooms on each stock.
Very few tall beardeds (TBs) can survive my growing conditions. This northern MN zone 3b climate inflicts severe, extended cold during t...Read More