Lynn,

I have a rehearsal or performance every night next week but during the day is OK (I'm playing oboe in the pit orchestra of an operetta). Many of the semps have faded colors but you can see the insanity of things that I have rowed out It truly is insane!

On the other hand I'm already looking forward to bloom next season as there are so many interesting crosses that I have rowed out. It will be a chore for the clinic participants to pick out the truly nice ones.

Your buddy,

Kevin

Kevin, what do you do with the 1st year (or 2nd year) semps that you decide not to name?? I'm asking because I'm sure people on here would be interested in having some NOIDs from the infamous Kevin C. Vaughn!

Greg,

I have LOTS of volunteers here locally to take my discards! My neighbor got a good many last year and I gave one of the Salem Hardy Plant Society members a large flat of them last week. These are ones that have not been numbered. The two year selections I'm mostly holding onto for another year as I want them to clump up and possibly bloom so I can use them for crossing.

I have a little trepidation that these unnumbered seedling would add to the already dismal naming situation in these plants although I have not given these to any commercial sources.

OK out to work in the yard. We have so much rain that I'm falling behind in the weeding department!

Kevin

Well I've decided to take the plunge again and name some of the seedlings that have looked promising for the last two years although I don't have names for all of them yet. Some of you saw these plants at the clinic and liked them too.

The two I have for sure named are a large grey and purple combination for Polly Bishop. It would have been one that she would have liked as it is unusual. The edges are almost charcoal, giving it a distinct look and it seems to be a very good plant. No winter damage, good offsetting ability and excellent color retention.

One I'm debating between the names 'Little Rosebud' and just 'Rosebud'. It is a smallish rosette. with very incurved but highly ciliated leaves of a bright rose red and the whole effect is much like tiny little rosebuds. Normally I don't like smallish semps but I do love this one.

These I don't have names for yet but these have been consistently outstanding and also ones liked by the group.

One is a huge red black with longish leaves. In shape and size it resembles Skrocki's 'Packardian' but the color is a very deep red with black overtones and slight velvetyness. The darkest red I have seen. This one is quite prolific with offsets already. The other two reds I'm considering are quite different

One has been my pet even from a tiny seedling as it was this shiny red, almost like a red patent leather shoe if you could imagine that/ The leaves are very pointed and the plants are medium sized. Makes a neat clump.

The last red is an orange red. I'm toying with the idea of "Blood Orange' as it has a lot of orange but also a red sort of mixed.

One of the different ones my note calls "chestnut tips". It is a green rosettes with top third of each leaf in a glowing sort of chestnut but also heavily watermarked lighter and darker through the chetsnut area. A medium large rosette with excellent health.

Hope that gives you glimpse of the thought processes going on in the final stages of the hybridizing game. Actually it's NEVER final, there's always the next cross to be made!

Happy gardening!

Kevin

I'm still in the debating stage on three really dark ones, near black. Each is nice in its own way but i decided to hold them one more year to see how they behave next spring.

The last of the reds

Can we see photos Kevin.
I am loving the sound of the Blood Orange. AND all the rest.
Love that you are naming one after Polly Bishop.

Lynn,

You ,might have to coach me on the upload procedures on Monday when you come to visit!

Had company today and they suggested names for several. Amazingly 'Lynn Smith' was not one of the names suggested......

I'm sure that there would be others who would want to be on Monday's tour too!

By the way, I was at Robert's Crossing on Thursday with a visitor from Australia (he was here to see the LA and spuria irises) and our waitress even commented on how nice the group we had in the shed was so good on the semp people for making such a great impression! I think they'll let us back in next year too.

Kevin

Kevin, that is because the semp people are good, very good.
Can we test them to see if they remember our names next year (Robert's Crossing)?

Is Cynda coming Monday?
Looking forward to Monday.

I'm jealous Lynn!! Kevin, this is so exciting! I can totally recall some of the ones you're describing. There was one that had a lot of watermarking, almost zebra stripes, it was a darkish red/purple - I don't think you were all that impressed with it, but it did get good remarks from "us"... I think its in proximity to the Chestnut one that you liked...just wondering if you've decided not to name that one?
Photos would be nice! Thanks again for all your work and time for the hybridizing clinic!

Greg,

The watermarked one you liked is still in the running. I had several really nice very dark purples. The one nearest to black is the slowest grower but I'm holding onto it, if nothing more than to cross with it. The two others are more vigorous. One has a very upright habit that shows off the watermarks really well. A very pleasant effect and maybe it should be 'Greg Colucci' if it behaves itself! I wanted to compare each of these one more spring before deciding on naming. I'm trying to introduce only those that you could tell what it is without a label!

There are two very nice greens with red bases that I'm also considering. My fear on these as we've seen this look before in many other hybrids so I want them to be distinctive. Most have unusual shades of red or green that I did keep.

The new babies are starting to show personality already. All the ones from cobwebbed lines have cobwebs and some of the reds and dark purple crosses are starting to show their coloration. Sorting through all of these is going to be FUN!

Kevin

Can't wait to see them Kevin.
Can you give me the number for the Cynda one? The one that looked a little plain the day we were there, but had an unusual green color?

Kevin you're inspiring me to hold on to all the babies I have for a year to see what they become. This is my first year with growing them from seed. I'm going to try the crossing the flower stalk technique as that makes more sense for me as most of my plants are in pots and I'm not sure I have the patience for hand pollinating. I haven't given up on that yet though. Glad to have the video of your workshop. It's very helpful.

Mark I think that would be a good idea - the little that I've seen about how they change over a year can be significant!

Had a great visit with Lynn today and we went over some of the other ones that she thought had enough distinction to be named. It is a hard decision. She took LOTS of pictures so that will help fire the discussions! Am not sure if she has decided on what one will become 'Lynn Smith"! Plant immortality! Lynn did laugh at the obscene number of seedlings I had rowed out!

Mark, it is RARE that the semp seedlings show much distinction before the first spring. The cobwebs do develop and some of the ones with more tufted tips will show fairly early but still difficult to evaluate. One of the seedlings I'm considering for introduction had an extreme red-purple coloration even as a tiny seedling. Right now it is HUGE for a one year seedling and is the color of BEETS. I even gave Lynn a couple of proposed names for it! Anyway that is the exception to the rule. My seedlings germinated in March and some of them have darker tips, hints of red, etc. but many are still PLAIN GREEN. They won't be next spring I'm sure.

Hope that helps!

Kevin

I made it home after picking up some stuff to get rid of bind week, blackberries and reed grass. Thank you Kevin for helping me find a way to fight these thugs.

Now for the exciting part. I had the most interesting, fun and beautiful day today at Kevin's place. Wish you could all have been there to see the bounty of blooms in iris, hardy geranium, penstemon, tradescantia, lupine, and I am sure I am leaving out some other plants? There was so much to see.

Just look at this gorgeous clear red on the semp in the center (like I would need to point it out).
I adore the form of the bottom left one, and the color is so soft and pleasing.
B12-1


A1-8 has such an unusual coloring, I tend to like these, and the watermarks sure don't hurt the eyes.


I am so sorry my camera just did not pick up the true colors of this semps. I found it quite pretty.
A2-16


A5-4 and A5-6 I was drooling over these two. I really need to learn how to take photos that show true color, it is so frustrating to me that you can't see the true beauty of each semp.


Some how I didn't get the ID number of this unusual colored semp. I love the red tips setting off the great gold/yellow of the leaves.


B3-16 This is a little one, great things come in small packages.


There is much more to show you, but I have to feed dogs and get some chores done.

Lynn amazing photos!! Thanks for taking them!!

Love the photos. 6 and 7 are interesting.

I'm just sorry they don't show the actual colors and markings. They are amazing.
I will try to post more photos tomorrow.

You should see the thousands of new seedlings that are waiting for all of us at the next clinic in spring of 2014.
What surprises are they holding for us?

Can't wait. I do love a road trip.