Mary Ann, I have had Epicenter for about 5 years, and it hasn't bloomed or increased much in all that time. I have Bubble Bubble, which bloomed this year, second time in 5 years. I think I'm going to move them this year, and see what happens. Below is a complete list of his irises I have (*) means they have never bloomed.

Comfortable
Expose
Chuckles*
Liaison
Gold Country*
Romantic Mood
Chatter*
Epicenter*
Notorious*
Pink Charming
New Leaf
Ostentatious*
Snowed In
Chutney
Starring
Bubble Bubble
Photogenic*
Comedy*
Expect Wonders
Role Reversal
Spluge

I'm sorry to hear that, Tom -- nothing's more disappointing than waiting all year to see an Iris bloom and then no bloom. Waiting five years would test my patience, for sure. Epicenter has been a good bloomer for me. It bloomed the first year here, I liked it well enough to move it to Iris Lane (two years ago) and this year it bloomed and bloomed. When it was done blooming, about a month later it sent up another bloom stalk. So I got an encore.

You have an impressive collection of Ghio's Irises. It's a shame that so many of them have not bloomed for you -- that's a pretty high percentage, isn't it? Perhaps they just don't like Wisconsin winters? Or the freeze-then-thaw-then-freeze aspect of you'all coming into Spring? I also wonder if the intensive hybridizing for ruffles that Ghio does, makes his Irises less robust than others? Just a thought.

If you decide to give up on any of those, I'd be happy to adopt them and see if they like Kentucky better than Wisconsin!!! (wink)

In addition to the photos that I showed of mine, I also have *Starring*, *Marauder* and *Halloween Trick*. *Starring* and *Marauder* bloomed beautifully. *Halloween Trick* sent up a single stalk and produced very small, unruffled and unremarkable blooms. It has one small increase. I brought this to the attention of the person that I bought it from, and he offered to send me another rhizome this year. I hope he does so. Perhaps I should send him a reminder.

Paul -- thank you for the lovely compliment on my photo of *Magical*. I don't consider myself a photographer in any sense of the word, so that was a lucky shot. All of my good ones are!!!

Tom.......you are a patient person to give an iris garden space for 5 years and never see a bloom. Why does everyone think some varieties are such shy bloomers. They must have grown better for the hybridizer or they shouldn't have been introduced. Is it because they are unhappy in a different climate or something else?

Just realized that I overlooked *Act of Kindness* in my collection of Ghio Irises.



How could I overlook that?????????????????

Also, I do have *Lady Friend*. No photo -- it bloomed this year, but they were first-year blooms and unremarkable -- not worth photographing.

Patient or too lazy to move them, lol. I have 23 Acres here, so space is not the issue. I think some irises are meant to be for warmer climates, and others seem to like it cold. It makes for happy iris growers in all cllimates. It's just that I really like some of these irises, and wish they would grow better here. If iris are developed in a certain environment, there's some potential for them to become dependant on that climate. Having bred paint horses for many years, I know how important it is to not just breed for one characteristic. One has to look at multiple characteristics when choosing crosses. Other wise you end up with a cripple that has nice color. Kind of like politics, if you vote for morons because of a single issue, you can end up with a pretty disfunctional government. (Did I Say That?????)

Remember the difference in climate. Ghio is in a microclimate even for CA. doesn;t have anything to do with the bubble ruffles, just the background of the cultivar. A friend gets his grab bag at the end of the year. He doesn't send just his own plants. always finds something which is nice. I memtioned 'Hopeless romantic' because it did so well in the north. We don't buy many TBs of anyones nowdays because of space, but order them for the club auction.

Paul I think his climate has a lot to do with it, where he is located is perfect growing conditions for Iris and what does really well there may not do well right away in Our colder climates they just dont get the high winds and freeze cycles like we do it would be impossible for him or another hybridizer to know how these will do in parts of the country with extreme weather because they dont experience it and I think the weather in that region does not change much very dry and hot alot like this miserable summer has been here hard to get anything done outside when its 100 plus everyday.

Do they not send them out to be tested in other parts of the country though?

I don't know, but I'd love to be their testing grounds, lol

Get in line.

Schreiners does, often using youth gardiners to test which I think a great idea. Joe hybridizes for his own amusement like many of us.

Polly I dont think so but I can tell you after going through Oregon and California gardens this spring they just dont have the same challenges that the rest of us in different climates do for instance I spent 4 days in Salem area and walked 200 acres of fields looking at plants and I did not notice one bug on any plant anywhere there in any of the 3 major gardens there, now Im sure they have them but nothing that attacks Iris like we do here I am fighting Leaf Hoppers and Aphids right now and during bloom time as I was trying to make crosses the bugs were having a hay day with the pollen on a lot of the stuff I wanted to use I looked closely at plants there to see if they had the same issues and there was nothing like what I go through and thats why they do so good in those areas they just have perfect growing conditions and a lot longer growing period without the diseases that we encounter Joes plants in his gardens were of very good quality huge bulbs and very well taken care of there were no weeds anywhere and I walked all his seedling beds there is nothing like his out there, his seedlings were my favorite of all the plants I saw this year maybe years ago he might of sent of seedlings to test but how can you control how people grow your plants In different climates.I think most will do well all over the country