I know I am.

I'll probably go, since my driver probably wants a navigator! haha @springcolor

You mean she hasn't been able to find somebody better?...(not looking hard enough...) I like how you refer to her as your "driver"...
Well my "driver" just wants a "passenger"...

Count me in... Too much fun not to do again, even tho I've converted to iris hybridizing.

Patty said:Count me in... Too much fun not to do again.

You may be absolutely right on that point, Patty!

haha Bev I make up for my poor navigation skills with personality and charm - I hope!

Always a fun weekend and good company.

I'm thinking of either April 18th or May 2nd for the clinic next year but have to check on conflicts with other activities. I'm expecting a huge group for the American Iris Society Convention too as my yard is on the pre-tour and the beardless iris tour. That's the end of May.

And the clinic is GREAT fun and I think you guys are learning all the fine points now. I would like to some day have the gathering so that each person brings a pot of his favorite seedling and we all discuss them. The hosta group in New England does this and it works really well. So, get growing seeds! Think of all the fun things you can create!

Patty, I'm glad you're doing some crossing and of course I've been known to cross an iris or two or two thousand.... I have already gathered 105 pods on the bearded and Pacific Coast Native iris and will start on the Siberian, spuria and Louisiana pods next week. Think it should be ~200 total. That should give me ~7K seedlings next spring. YIKES!

Greg, luckily for Julia that any fool can "just go south on I-5 from Seattle" and miraculously you end up right in Salem! To get to my house you have to take one exit and from their make one left. I don't even think you need breadcrumbs to leave a trail!

Kevin

Oh yes, but we go on some adventures before arriving to the clinic!

springcolor said:Oh yes, but we go on some adventures before arriving to the clinic!

And there lies the charm of Greg: he goes where his 'driver' takes him...

JungleShadows said: I would like to some day have the gathering so that each person brings a pot of his favorite seedling and we all discuss them. The hosta group in New England does this and it works really well. So, get growing seeds! Think of all the fun things you can create!

I think that's a wonderful idea, Kevin! So far, who's got some good seedling creations going besides Julia and Lynn?

You all make me laugh!!! Yes driving down there has been quite exciting! Nurseries all along the way and then Lynn and Kevin's yards!!! I don't have any seedlings, but I have been keeping my eyes open for seeds on the flowering semps. Don't really know when to get the paper bag on them...there is always lots of bee activity, so that's a good thing

Bev,

Yes this is for the future but it won't take long as more people are doing this now. Semps are pretty quick to mature into something mature, especially if you push them like I do.

Greg, I see you are taking DETOURS off the I-5. That explains some of the driving adventures. Rural driving here can be an adventure! If the semps are all blooming then you are a little late with the bags unless you plan to use the last few blossoms in crosses. However, if the bees have been doing their thing you can grow a bunch of seedlings from the bee set seed. Pick out your most distinctive parents so you'll have the greatest chance of getting something good. Let these stalks finish flowering. When the seed heads feel dry and firm, move the stalks to paper bags to finish drying. I leave mine in the music room until they are crispy. Then I crush the stalk in the bag and decant the seed from the bag. Store the seed in glassine envelopes in the crisper portion of the refrigerator and plant outside in late February in pots in sterile potting mix. Fame is assured... NOT! However, you will have some fun things and lots to share with those who just want plants.

Just to get you excited about next spring, there are several very YELLOW semps in the patch. Some have red bases, some tinged purple. Think those could be exciting. Best yet they seem to be growing as well as the green ones!

Kevin

I am so excited about the yellow seedlings. Can't wait for next year to see how they do over the winter.

Kevin - I practically got tired just reading about all your work! Do the iris seeds go in the ground or in seedling trays etc? If not in the ground, what type soil do you use? Bummer you just bought the Schreiners! I bought one of Keith's intro's (Arrivederci) so hope it isn't offered and go for cheap!

This year is the first time I have noticed Engle's 13-2 blooming! I really like it so maybe I'll try planting some of those seeds.

Patty,

Yeah I bought Arrivederci too! Actually bought most of Keith's this year. He does make some pretty ones.

Engle's 13-2 = Purdy's 90-1= Amile Correvon but they are all lovely plants. Helen thought there was a little difference between them but when we did the Dalton project they looked very similar to us. I have real trouble getting seed from these guys but I would definitely plant anything you do get as it might be very interesting. It must be a hybrid of a pink flowered X yellow flowered sort as the blooms are intermediate in color between the two groups. With such different genes from the two parents, the seedlings could be quite interesting with new mixes of the traits from each parent. Have I hooked you yet?? We also don't have a lot of new velvety ones so I would like more of that type. I do have some kids from 'Lipstick' that are looking promising too.

I start my iris seeds in 6" pots, one pod/pot. I use sterile potting soil and plant the seeds about 1" deep. Mine are usually planted the end of October so they take full advantage of our OR winter rains. Seedlings start germinating as early as February and the seedlings are lined out in April and May. The seed pots are placed in a graveled area by the garage that stays a bit more protected so that the young seedlings will not be frozen. In severe cold spells they go into the garage itself. Keith Keppel brings his into a greenhouse to grow so he has a bit bigger plant to row out than I do but my soil is better so I generally catch up by July 1 and nearly 100% of the bearded iris seedlings bloom the next spring after rowing out.

Kevin

My goodness this forum has gotten busy!

With or without a driver I won't be driving to this clinic. If I could negotiate a plane ticket with the bookkeeper, seeing April and May dates, I'd also need to be sure I wasn't away for Pascha (Easter to most of you) or the 2nd Sunday after that when we celebrate our monastery's patrons.*

I will check dates. It's probably a stretch, but something I would really like to do if I can pull it off . Sometimes our Pascha is on the same day as Catholics & Protestants; I'm not sure about this year...

Speaking of Iris, my Iris pseudacorus (Yellow Flag Iris) is crazy with seeds which is one of the reasons it can take over a dampish garden if you don't look for a season. On the other hand, it is very showy and hard to kill. I should probably enter it in my plant database and see if anyone would be interested in the seeds since I didn't get around to deadheading this year...

MR *(the Myrrhbearing Women as in gold, frankincense and myrrh; the women who carried myrrh to the tomb of Christ, the first to learn about the Resurrection: First Preachers of the Resurrection; Equals-to-the-Apostles; Apostles to the Apostles... you get the idea. At any rate they are a BIG DEAL for Orthodox Christians in general and for my monastery in particular... Hopefully that is more information-passing than preaching, to offend is not the purpose... )

MR, if it works out that you can come, you may stay at my house it you want to. I do have a spare bedroom. I can also pick you up at the airport.

Lynn, may I mention to MF about the much appreciated 'Chile Relleno Casserole' you made for us which I felt was a bonus for showing up at the clinic?...

Would you like to try something new next year?

Kevin and all of you - you have inspired me to collect seed this year...we have had a week of rain on and off here, but its supposed to clear up for the weekend (I'm going on my annual bike ride up to Vancouver BC (over 200 miles in 2 days!!)
When I return home I will collect spent flower heads and hope the seed dries out!!! Kevin what did it for me is when you said there aren't enough fuzzy ones...I have several fuzzies that bloomed so will collect seed
At next year's clinic if we bring our seedlings - won't that be something!!!