There's so many new members to the iris forum since the recent merge/ name change.
It's hard to keep up. Feel free to give a brief or extensive intro to who you or what you do.

I'm Gabe, I enjoy ice cream been a member here since Oct. 2015. I'm a beginner iris grower and semi veteran lily grower from Charlotte, NC. I joined the iris forums orginally to ask a few "beginner's" questions and have been hooked ever since. I paint and handle dogs for a living and love to live with a upbeat attitude.

Okay, I do agree that intros are long overdue on the iris forum. I live in Durham, NC and work in an attorney office in Chapel Hill. I joined All Things Plant/National Gardening in 2014 (?) after enjoying the threads and useful database for a bit.
I love iris with a good scent, those that are unusual, and all varieties (not just bearded). I also love college basketball, cats large and small, family and travelling as often as possible (have made it to all 7 continents).

I love the welcoming atmosphere of this group and consider many of you good friends having spent some time going through the ups and downs of iris growing and life together.

My name is Missy and I joined last spring. I mostly lurk and drool over the pretty pictures. I don't grow a large variety of Iris, but I do grow a lot of different flowers. I live in SC.
I have a wonderful family that includes 3 cats and a dog.

Omigosh -- introduce ourselves? What a concept!!!

My name is Mary Ann, I'm a Chicago transplant to western Kentucky -- where we have lived for 30 years. I owned and operated an art gallery and custom frame shop until I retired in 2008.

I ordered my first six Irises from Schreiner's in 1976. I've been steadily adding to my collection ever since, and now have over 500 varieties in my gardens. Fortunately, I live on a farm and so I have plenty of room. UNfortunately, I'm a senior -- and my desires frequently outpace my abilities to do the required work. Sooooooo I try to find a happy balance somewhere in the middle.

My happy home includes my husband of 40 years, my dog Panda (12 pound Peke-a-Poo), three horses and eight barn cats. I also love the friendly atmosphere of this group, and I've been here almost since the site was founded. I also enjoy ice cream!! And peach wine!

Gabe -- I didn't know that you're a dog handler! And Les -- I didn't know that you've been to all seven continents! See -- this was a really good idea!!!

Hi Missy!!!

My name is Jolana, I just pasted my year anniversary here. I only have about 60 iris (and more coming) but we are moving so I dug them up to move them and really looking forward to next spring and their blooms
I retired several years ago and try to stay busy. I love gardening and everyone I know says I have tooo many plants
That's not even possible
I have been married 41 years and we are both from West Texas, he is still working teaches art at our community college (where I retired from) and I hope he retires next year!!
Have 3 doggies and one used to be a plant tag thief and I am still trying to re-tag my plants
I love this forum, everyone has been so nice and very helpful
Looking forward to getting to know y'all better

My name is Eric and I was born and raised near Hickory, NC. I'm an EEG technologist by trade and a farmer at heart.

Growing up, irises were my favorite flowers. Three years ago my wife (20 years last October) and I moved into a new home on about 7-1/2 acres so I have plenty of space to plant I tend toward a collector's personality and in those three years have acquired somewhere around 400 irises and I love'em all. I also have daylilies, chickens, turkeys, a small apple orchard, a bramble patch (just started picking blackberries this past week ) and a vegetable garden.

Our home includes my wife, me and Lizzie



our spoiled rotten 2 year old English Springer spaniel.

This was a great idea, Gabe!

I'm Celia. I live in West Valley City, Utah. I am a Dept. Lead at a local movie theater. Before retiring early, I was a Loss Prevention agent for large retail chain. I have one daughter and one granddaughter.

My DH and I have 2 cats that reside with us. I began gardening in 2002. I joined this crazy bunch in the fall of 2014, but have been a member since Feb. 2010. Since then, my iris garden has grown from 5 iris cultivars to over 60. I have many good friends here and very much enjoy my time here.

My name is Jane and I live in Lexington, KY. I have been a member here since 2013 or 2014. I have learned so much and love the banter as well as the information. I am a retired schoolteacher and a grandma to four boys. My garden is in an urban setting and has grown from one bed to about six now. My hubby does not want to give up any more grass but....we'll see. I have over 250 cultivars and am active in the iris society here in the Bluegrass, encouraging others to get the "iris virus". My mother always had irises and both parents were gardeners so I come by it honestly. I love the folks on this site and learning something new about them is exciting.

Roll call, great idea! My name is Tien and my interest in irises began this year, when I picked up a clump of irises that my mother-in-law was throwing away. Not sure what happened, but I started reading on the subject and was hooked! I'm a librarian in charge of a small urban library in Rhode Island. In addition to irises, my interests are poetry and classical music. Wish I could meet you all and see your gardens in person!

Eric -- Lizzie is beautiful!!!

Might as well post a picture of my MandaPanda!!


Maybe I should post a picture of my cats..................??? Nah........................

Tien!

My babies. Kili is the white and a rascal. Pippin in the good one. Mostly.

Loving everyone's furry family members

I'm Liz, single mom of a 5 year old boy and 2 mini dachshunds. I train owls on glove to be used as educational tools to teach people about environmental conservation. I've loved flowers for as long as I can remember, gardening with my mom as a young child. I'm only coming up on 30 this year so I have many more years to enjoy it!

I am Cleta, a resident of Idaho Falls, Idaho. When I moved here from California 10 years ago after teaching in middle school for 19 years with my hubby who had taught for 35 years, I brought several rhizomes of each of my iris cultivars, about 45 with us. I unfortunately lost 1/3 of them when we moved into our current home, but the ones that survived flourished. Over the next few years I added a few from neighbors or a special beauty from the neighborhood nursery. I received about 15 more from a friend 3 years ago, but had no place to put them. That began my 3 year time of digging up rockson the east, north, and west of our house and replacing them with iris. I found the iris forum when I was trying to identify some of my grandmother's NOIDs. I joined in spring of 2015 and last summer added 20+ cultivars for postage. Hooked, this year I ordered 10 more from Burgards and hope to make more trades this summer. My hubby of 48 years loves my 'flowers' and chuckles at me when he catches me talking to them and sees me pouring over the database trying to identify a NOID. We have 4 children and 16 grandchildren spread around the country, so in between traveling to see them and the world , I dig holes for more iris, savor each bloom and imagine even more beauty next year, Last summer I shattered my shoulder and this forum was a godsend as I chatted with knowledgeable friendly people, drooled over gorgeous pictures and spent many hours enjoying the site. A good place to spend time

My name is Susan. I started out at Daves Garden in maybe 2005? Then moved to cubits and from there to here. Following the forums has really increased my interest in and knowledge of all kinds of plants. I grow mostly Iris, lilies, sempervivium and daylilies, but also a lot of other things. I work in a hospital an LPN on a mental health unit. Still working full time at 67. I share my home with 4 cats and a 7 pound Japanese Chin. I enjoy reading and assorted crafts.
Ella waiting for me to finish deadheaded the pansies and take her for a walk.

My name is Niki. I am originally from Alaska. Gardening in the high desert has been a real change. I have always loved flowers (thanks Mom). I didn't see a bearded Iris until I was in my early twenties, but I loved the wild siberian Iris that grew up north. I am a stay-at-home mom to young children. I enjoy the outdoors, gardening, baking, art, and reading.

Even though I live in Oregon the nearest Iris society is across a mountain range. I am happy to have found this forum where everyone has been so friendly and informative. Even though we are all enabling each other

I'm Sherry... I joined ATP about 2 years ago.
Plants, animals and music have always been part of my life... I've got a piece of paper that says I'm a horticulturalist, but only have myself as a client these days. When I'm not getting my fingernails dirty, I'm playing music with my chick band, Henhouse. I always wanted to be a country girl and now live in the mountains near Santa Cruz with my guy, a cat named Weasel, Bailey, a rescued toy poodle, and several chickens..

My daughter and her family moved to the Netherlands last September.

I moved here from Silicon Valley nearly 20 years ago so I could have enough property to grow all the trees and plants I didn't have room for on a suburban lot. I've grown Iris since the 70's, but maintained my sanity in their regard until about 5 years ago when I went to the local club's sale. I made the mistake of asking Joe Ghio to pick out a few for me, and ended up going home with over 60 that day. I think I'm somewhere up around 550 now... I joined our local club a few years ago, and am now on the board. I also grow a lot of roses, ornamental trees, conifers... anything variegated, contorted, weeping or fastigiate..

*And* I enjoy making ice cream and sorbets.

My name is Barbara and I'm an Iris addict. I joined ATP in April 2014. Prior to that I was lurking and looking up Iris in the database. Unlike other addiction meetings this place if full of enablers. Like minds and all... In 2014 I added over 300 Iris and another 300 plus in 2015. I'm really trying to limit my purchases this year because I still have so many potted Iris to plant. I'm amazed by the amount of knowledgeable people on this forum and their willingness to share their knowledge. to everyone of you!

Gabe you must be a mind reader too. I was just thinking there have been a lot of new people joining the Iris forum and I was hoping I gave each of them a warm

My name is Arlyn....but I'll answer to almost anything ! I, too, am an addict, especially for the "older" iris.....or those that re bloom.....or ones I haven't grown before.....or for any "waifs and strays" that may follow me home . My wife (Rita....aka "she who must be obeyed") have been married 49 years, and both love to garden.....after purchasing an adjoining property, four years ago, we have added a "few" fruit trees, and a "few" iris beds.....I post on Cubits, HIPS, and , of course, here. We maintain a display Garden for both HIPS , and the Median Iris Society.
I have about 3000 square feet of iris beds (maybe a bit more ), and grow mostly "bearded" iris...in all sizes, but do have a few Spuria, Ji's, La. and some species, and species cross, also!