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Apr 30, 2019 7:00 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Monty Riggles
Henry County, Virginia (Zone 7b)
Do you ever wonder if you have too
Irises Region: Virginia Keeper of Poultry Cat Lover Garden Procrastinator
Monty Byers. He had a lot of golden creations around 1987 to early 90s. Think Thornbird, or Conjuration, or Mesmerizer. He created them and all of them have won medals, including Dykes.

He had a great run, and I wonder what happened to him. How many of Byer's irises do you grow?

I am growing 4. Three of which won the Dykes medals!
Conjuration - Byers 1988, Dykes '98


Luminosity - Byers 1990, no medals - Rebloomer


Mesmerizer - Byers 1990, Dykes '02

Mine has a stalk coming up, and I am sooooo excited!!

Thornbird - Byers 1988, Dykes '97

This one also has a stalk, and I cannot believe how excited I am to see it bloom. Yay!!! Hurray!

What Byer's irises do you grow, and which do you recommend for newer folks to try?
TB 'Starting Fresh' blooming for me in May of 2022. It bloomed for a week and a half with nine buds.
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May 2, 2019 8:26 AM CST
Name: Lilli
Lundby, Denmark, EU
Irises Roses Bulbs Hellebores Foliage Fan Cottage Gardener
Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Seed Starter Winter Sowing Bee Lover Dog Lover Region: Europe
Of course I talk to myself; sometimes I need expert advice!
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May 5, 2019 9:07 AM CST
Name: Nancy
Bowling Green Kentucky (Zone 6b)
I guess I need to dig up my list and see what I have, but of the ones mentioned I have Thornbird, Eternal Bliss and Conjuration. I know they are all 3 capable of being exceptional plants. At one time i complained of Thornbird multiplying so much, and it always bloomed. I gave most of it away expecting it to continue, but it has barely bloomed since. Probably need to fertilize it. Conjuration does great even in fairly heavy shade, Eternal Bliss is a weed. Reblooms heavily in the spring and fall. If all his plants are as good, I should have focused on only collecting those.
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May 5, 2019 10:18 AM CST
(Zone 9b)
Region: California Garden Ideas: Level 1
All American - died this Winter
Batman - died a couple of years ago
His Royal Highness -culled

Cantina
Conjuration
Dark Crystal
Mesmerizer
Reincarnation
Thornbird
Zurich
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May 5, 2019 10:53 AM CST
Name: Marilyn, aka "Poly"
South San Francisco Bay Area (Zone 9b)
"The mountains are calling..."
Region: California Daylilies Irises Vegetable Grower Moon Gardener Dog Lover
Bookworm Garden Photography Birds Pollen collector Garden Procrastinator Celebrating Gardening: 2015
LUMINOSITY Rebloom is all over the place and not reliable (but then, tree root competition). It has the best, cleanest, brightest yellow color of the ? 4 or so yellow reblooming irises that I have, though. (The others are AGAIN AND AGAIN, GOLDEN IMMORTAL, SHIRE.) I would love to keep the color while stabilizing the rebloom and maybe improving the form a bit. (It doesn't look like blooming at all this spring Grumbling , so I am probably going to have to dig it out and pot it. I meant to do that last year, but...)

MESMERIZER What can I say... blooms are always...well... mesmerizing. This is its first year blooming in the ground, though, and some of the stalks needed support. Glare

The above two were previously shown; I also have HIGH HO SILVER. I'm not sure how I feel about it. It took forever to bloom (this is its first year), first trying to bloom in ! January ! iirc (it is supposedly a rebloomer), then later early in the spring. No awards. I guess I'll have to see how it does as a rebloomer. (Certainly there are prettier spring blooming whites, though. Sighing! )

Evaluating an iris seedling, hopefully for rebloom
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May 5, 2019 11:18 AM CST
Oklahoma (Zone 7a)
Keeps Horses Irises Region: Oklahoma Keeper of Poultry Roses Photo Contest Winner: 2016
Speaking of Hi ho Silver the only one I have is Low ho silver. I agree not a super showy bloom but very hardy healthy and full of buds. Actually he's the only iris to bloom for me so far this season.

http://wiki.irises.org/Main/Bi...
Last edited by Rebekah May 5, 2019 11:19 AM Icon for preview
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May 5, 2019 11:40 AM CST
Name: Evelyn
Sierra foothills, Northern CA (Zone 8a)
Irises Region: Ukraine Garden Procrastinator Bee Lover Butterflies Plant and/or Seed Trader
Region: California Cat Lover Deer Bulbs Foliage Fan Annuals
Rebekah ~ Thank You! for that! Monty Byers was special! Thumbs up
"Luck favors the prepared mind." - Thomas Jefferson
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May 5, 2019 1:11 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Monty Riggles
Henry County, Virginia (Zone 7b)
Do you ever wonder if you have too
Irises Region: Virginia Keeper of Poultry Cat Lover Garden Procrastinator
I had wondered why Byers had a stint of golden creations but has since disappeared. I did not know he passed away, but I figured as such. It's so sad to see any hybridizer or any person pass away, but Byers looks like he was still very young and just had an unfortunate break.

I still wonder what his irises along the years after 1992 would have been. I think we could have had some more record breakers. Thank you Monty Byers for all you did. I tip my hat to you.
TB 'Starting Fresh' blooming for me in May of 2022. It bloomed for a week and a half with nine buds.
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May 5, 2019 1:34 PM CST
Oklahoma (Zone 7a)
Keeps Horses Irises Region: Oklahoma Keeper of Poultry Roses Photo Contest Winner: 2016
Thank you for the Acorn Evelyn Smiling
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May 5, 2019 6:21 PM CST
Name: Evelyn
Sierra foothills, Northern CA (Zone 8a)
Irises Region: Ukraine Garden Procrastinator Bee Lover Butterflies Plant and/or Seed Trader
Region: California Cat Lover Deer Bulbs Foliage Fan Annuals
Rebekah ~ You are Welcome! I tip my hat to you.
"Luck favors the prepared mind." - Thomas Jefferson
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May 7, 2019 12:08 AM CST
Name: Sherry Austin
Santa Cruz, CA (Zone 9a)
Birds Bulbs Region: California Dragonflies Foliage Fan Irises
Keeper of Poultry Roses Photo Contest Winner: 2015
Ben Hagar wrote a lovely memorial to Monty Byers. Although many of his Iris still enjoy popularity, there are many that I haven't seen available anymore. He was a prolific hybridizer and was ahead of the time with his introductions. http://wiki.irises.org/Main/Bi...
The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to contact us.
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May 7, 2019 11:40 PM CST
Name: Evelyn
Sierra foothills, Northern CA (Zone 8a)
Irises Region: Ukraine Garden Procrastinator Bee Lover Butterflies Plant and/or Seed Trader
Region: California Cat Lover Deer Bulbs Foliage Fan Annuals
Sherry ~ Thank You!
"Luck favors the prepared mind." - Thomas Jefferson
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May 8, 2019 10:49 PM CST
Name: Marilyn, aka "Poly"
South San Francisco Bay Area (Zone 9b)
"The mountains are calling..."
Region: California Daylilies Irises Vegetable Grower Moon Gardener Dog Lover
Bookworm Garden Photography Birds Pollen collector Garden Procrastinator Celebrating Gardening: 2015
Thanks for that link, Sherry. Thank You!

It seems that I also have CONJURATION. Somehow some of the plants I bought a couple of years ago didn't make it onto my online database list. (At least, I think and hope it is CONJURATION. Crossing Fingers! The bloom looks like it, but I have yet to check for PBF foliage. That particular nursery has sent me incorrect plants before, so...)
Evaluating an iris seedling, hopefully for rebloom
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May 14, 2019 3:52 PM CST
Name: Mary
Tennessee (Zone 7a)
Bee Lover Peonies Native Plants and Wildflowers Irises Keeps Goats Dog Lover
Daylilies Composter Cat Lover Bulbs Butterflies Keeper of Poultry
What happens when an iris hybridizer of Byers' caliber dies? Does someone purchase his collection, or does all the work vanish? Who, if anyone, got Byers' collection/stock? I would like to have 'Winesap', but it appears no one sells it.
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May 15, 2019 2:53 AM CST
Name: Darrell
Piketon, Ohio (Zone 6b)
Irises Organic Gardener
urania1 said:What happens when an iris hybridizer of Byers' caliber dies? Does someone purchase his collection, or does all the work vanish? Who, if anyone, got Byers' collection/stock? I would like to have 'Winesap', but it appears no one sells it.


Winterberry Iris Gardens has Winesap.
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May 15, 2019 6:52 AM CST
Name: Mary
Tennessee (Zone 7a)
Bee Lover Peonies Native Plants and Wildflowers Irises Keeps Goats Dog Lover
Daylilies Composter Cat Lover Bulbs Butterflies Keeper of Poultry
hippie said:

Winterberry Iris Gardens has Winesap.


Thanks.
Avatar for caitlinsgarden
Jun 18, 2022 8:15 AM CST
Name: Sharon
McGregor IA (Zone 4b)
I have read that he died of pneumonia.
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