Well that was the last of my 2023 Season pictures. In summary, here is how the 2023 Season turned out for me: First off, I had a bit less blooms this season than others. There are several possible contributing factors: 1) I created my own mix of fertilizer to try to save some money because I have a huge amount of Irises to fertilize. That is something I will need to continue to work on to find the right mix. 2) The previous year, I only fertilized once at the beginning of the season. I actually made the same mistake this year. That will obviously affect yield. I need to fertilize either in the middle or the end of the bloom cycle as well as the beginning 3) Some of my gardens are getting older and overgrown. Where I have heard you should split your Irises every 3 to 4 years, some of my gardens are 8 and 9 years old and have not been redone. Where I have redone the gardens, it does seem to revitalize them and increase bloom. Its a lot of work but I know it is worth it. I had one new garden I put in this year and then I redid one. I really wish I had had energy to redo more. My goal is to do 3 a year but so far I have not been able to reach that goal. I do take the time to get out any grass and weeds and then add in a combination of manure, enhanced soil and mulch, so that is part of why it takes so much work.

One thing I did do different this year that I believe was successful is I did add a Soil Acidifier around my blue and green Irises. I have alkaline soil. Alkaline soil seems to be great for pinks but not so great for blue's/greens. So as an experiment, I just went through my garden and sprinkled a little acidifier around the blue and green Irises. It was no scientific observation but I definitely think it improved the colors.

Well here is to wishing everyone a Very Happy New Year and a Very Healthy Happy 2024 Iris Season!!!!

Finally, can't wait to see who get's to start the 2024 Season thread. I guess the unwritten rule is who ever has the first bloom in 2024, can start the thread. I looked around my garden today and everything looks dead as can be, so I know it won't be me

Thank you for the beautiful show, Elsa!

It seems that we are both suckers for diamond dusting. I love it in daylilies, and was a bit disappointed to find that there seem to be few irises with any hint of it. Probably my "best" iris in that regards is SPARKLING SILVER (which I see you also have).



So, big congrats to you on your seedlings with diamond dusting! I'd say that's an accomplishment!

GreenIris said:
One thing I did do different this year that I believe was successful is I did add a Soil Acidifier around my blue and green Irises. I have alkaline soil. Alkaline soil seems to be great for pinks but not so great for blue's/greens. So as an experiment, I just went through my garden and sprinkled a little acidifier around the blue and green Irises. It was no scientific observation but I definitely think it improved the colors.

I'll be interested to hear the results of your acidity experiment. I want to try something similar with one of my irises: build a double raised bed, add sulfur to one side, and then plant rhizomes on both sides and compare the bloom colors. (Don't know if I'll get this done this coming year---I was going to do it last year! )

Hi Poly: Thank you much! Yes, Diamond dusting on a flower to me, is up there with miracles or something. I never saw it till I saw it on my first few Irises I planted in this house some 14 years ago. I didn't even know it existed. Then I saw people talking about it in the flower chats. Well ever since then, I have been crazy about it. I found out it comes in different colors, such as Silver(White), Pink, Gold(Bronze), and I have seen it in blue as well. I didn't realize that it is on day lilies though. Is it more prominent than on Irises? I do not know that much about day lilies but it sounds like the people who have them are nuts about them. I am actually afraid to grow any since I don't even have room left for Irises. I am afraid I will come up with a new obsession
I started recording in my garden list, which Irises have diamond dusting but I have not been faithful at all about keeping up with it. I should start back on recording that trait, cause all the different colors of sparkle also interest me and others might find that interesting. Yes, agreed, Sparkling Silver is a great sparkler. Also, by memory, a few more I can think of, is Navy Blues, Glitzy, Babbling Brook, Clarence, and Silver City. I know there are numerous others, including some that have a gold or bronzed finish but I can't remember the exact ones off the top of my head.

Hi Laurie: That sounds like a great experiment. I would be really interested in your findings.

Elsa, yes, diamond dusting, when it occurs on daylilies, seems to be much more pronounced than it is on irises. At least, that has been my observation.

I have NAVY BLUES, but curiously enough have not noticed any diamond dusting on it. I just repotted it this last summer, so I'll be sure to take a close look at it when it is next in bloom.

I am also very much in love with metallic edges on flowers. Not "gold" (as in the color gold), but gold metallic or gold gilt... also silver metallic, and any other metallic. They don't need to be WIDE edges (actually, I think in daylilies the breeders have gone way too far with very wide double and triple edges, to the point of grossness ), but they need to be consistent all along the outline of the petal or sepal (in irises, that would be standards or falls). A nice thick (not hair-thin, but not grossly wide either) metallic wire rim is a lovely finishing touch to a flower, I think.

In that vein, I have NATURALLY SWEET, which supposedly has a "very thin" copper gold edge. I've seen it bloom all of once (it's neglected in the side yard in a one gallon pot) and I don't really recall if it does, so I should probably up-pot it and move it somewhere, where I can better evaluate it.



So many irises, so little room (or energy).

Elsa for all the photos of your irises . Thankyou for sharing photos of your seedlings too. I am enjoying watching your journey and I look forward to seeing your future creations.

I will be taking a closer look at diamond dusting on my irises next year.

Okay, so I went back and dug out the original image that I took of NATURALLY SWEET (the best of several images), zoomed in to the edges (to include the bottom of one standard and two falls), and sharpened the image a bit.

The edges do look like they have a teeny tiny bit of metallic edging, sort of fading away into a tiny bit of diamond dusting. The edges aren't exactly what you would call distinct or a wire rim, though. (Click on the thumbnail to see it better.)



Sucker as I am for these gilt edges and diamond dusting, it'd be really nice to know more about the genetics involved. Rebloom, fragrance, PBF, gilt edges, diamond dusting.... all positive qualities to my mind, but probably maddening to try to hybridize for.

Robin - Thank you so much! I enjoy your seedling pics very much too. There is so much that has already been done, but yet when you see peoples seedlings, you realize how much has not been done, as they end up with things that are unique from any others I have seen, etc; With the diamond dusting, one thing I have learned is to take walks through the garden on sunny days at say noon or later. That is where it really stands out.

Poly: That's interesting about the Daylilies. It seems there are lots more breeders with their hands in the pot, in the Daylily world. If you can think of a daylily with the most pronounced diamond dusting, that I might still be able to order, let me know. I would like to grow one, just to see the diamond dusting. I agree with you. I love gilded edges as well as the silver lined Irises. For Navy Blues, that is where I have seen the blue diamond dusting. If I recall right, I saw blue and red Maybe I have messed up old eyes or something, cause I have never heard of anyone else saying there is blue, but it sure looked that way to me. I have seen blue diamond dust on other Irises though too. I will be curious what you see on yours.

Yes,Elsa,thank you for all your iris pictures and your seedlings.
I do think that diamond dusting is more noticeable on daylilies than on iris.

Elsa, thank you for taking the time to post all your pictures of your iris and seedlings. I hope 2024 is a year of beautiful blooms for you.

Derylin and Barbara: Can't wait to see everyone's 2024 blooms.

Elsa & all- I really enjoy the conversation and lovely photos of your garden, Elsa....next best thing to being there in person!
On the topic of diamond dusting, I wanted to add one MDB and three SDBs that are just stellar examples:


This is an SDB by P.Black called Fancy Sparkler. At first I thought it was rather dark and dull- until I caught it in the sunlight. Wow! every one of those golden veins on the hafts just magnifies the light!

This is Ahhh, an MDB, and the entire bloom just sparkles. It's in the small but mighty category for me, not to mention being one of the very first to bloom.

Then, SDB Golden Apricot that also sparkles all over, but is highlighted by a marvelous golden edging, very thin. Very hard to capture in a photo.



And lastly, SDB Blueberry Tart definitely fits the bill!

Oh, and I just wanted to agree with Elsa and how lovely Gladys Austin is. An introduction in 1985 by Manley Osborne. It wows me every year.

and from a different year and in a different light.

Nice pictures. Fancy Sparkler is by Richard Tasco, 2003, not Paul Black.

Thanks for the correction!

Beautiful pictures Gretchen.

[quote="GreenIris"] Seedling Cat's Eye X Unk #5: I am pretty sure that the Unk part of this cross is next door neighbor Snow Peas.



First - Yes, late to the party as always! Elsa - so very sorry to hear about your dog, and your health. I had wondered why you were gone from the site.

Second - I am really happy that all of the iris I sent bloomed for you this year! I think Bee Hotel is more beautiful than any of it's pictures. Much like how you described Montmartre. Now that one has always been the hardiest bearded iris in my garden.

Third - I am jealous of all your newer Burseens. I have yet to see blooms on some of them in my garden, and wish I had bought the others of them!!

Now to the seedling above - I love it. If Cat's Eye created a more hardy Snow Peas (albeit more brownish) that would be a winner in my book. I love Snow Peas but it just has growing issues for me. And that seedling really does look like you guessed the parentage right.

Gretchen: Just loved your diamond dusted, gilded edge Iris photos. I truly can never get enough of it. And though I have most of the Irises you showed, in some cases your pictures are much prettier so I like that too. I don't care if it is in my garden or yours, I just can't get enough of this beautiful flower. Also, loved seeing your Gladys Austin pics as well.

Leslie: Thank you for the well wishes. I still miss my dog Joe but I named a garden after him where he liked to dig , in memory of him. And my health is still an issue but the doctors are sorting through it all and I am just going with the flow. I have historically had few health problems so it is quite an adjustment, going to the doctors so much but hopefully that will slow down, down the road.
I am glad you enjoyed the Burseens just as I enjoyed all yours when I went through your 2023 Season photos. You have lots of older ones that are just striking.
Ahh, I am so glad you liked my seedling. Some of my bee pod crosses have really turned out to be wonderful surprises. I have more of this cross in the ground that has not yet bloomed so we will see what comes of those. Till I had a seedling rebloom this year, Snow Peas was the only SDB I have ever seen rebloom on. But It has blooming issues for me. Grows like a weed but the majority of it's blooms are chimeras or floppy standards, ect;
Finally, yes, so much for the Irises you sent me. They did So good and brought me lots of joy.

I am late to this thread but loved all the Iris pictures. I can't wait for this years blooms which I should be seeing in a few months in my own gardens.

Now to find the 2024 season photos.

Thank you all for sharing your lovely iris photos. Most likely I won't see any iris blooms in my garden until mid-May, unless a few "littles" show up a little sooner.