I have an unidentified photograph from my Iris beds this past Spring. I missed writing down the names of a whole section. I've identified all but this one, and I can't decide if this is Decadence or Hold My Hand. Anyone care to weigh in?

OK -- I'm pretty sure it's Hold My Hand, which seems to have a dark splotch near the bottom of the falls. I don't see this on the photos of Decadence.

Would still love an opinion or two.................

Hold My Hand.

This is based on the pictures in our ATP database. Dec has a wider band on the Falls and also seems to have much more "veining" on the falls. Dec also seems to have a faint dark spot on the Falls were as Hol has a much more prominate dark spot.

Just my 2 cents.

I don't have Hold My Hand but I do have Decadence and this does not look like it. Could be but........ just my one cent.

Thanks Greg. And Bonnie too. I'm certain now that this is Hold My Hand. It's hard to tell exactly where in Iris Lane this picture is, but I know that it's on the back side -- and Decadence is on the front side. I figured that out after making my post.

Also realized that I have two more unidentified photos in that group........

Do you use plant labels ? Tags? maps? memory? or a combination? Mine are all tagged ( but lots of the tags just say "NOID" ), but I've always used plant labels for some of them( the ones people always ask about !), but this year, because of being a Display Garden, I'm going to use the labels on everything. Even though the labels are all made, I'm sure not looking forward to putting them all out ! My plan is ,when it's time to remove the labels after bloom time is over, to put them in buckets, and mark the buckets with the bed number, so they will be somewhat easier to install the next year.....Arlyn

Hi Arlyn. How's everything down at the beach?

Sure I use plant labels. The problem was not not knowing which Iris I was taking a picture of -- the problem was not keeping a list of the Irises being photographed at the time it was being done. And then having to go back and try to identify them by their photographs. Which isn't a problem for the most part -- but some of them are so similar that it's very hard to determine exactly which one it is. I try to use the photo location in the beds (driveway side or back side) -- and also which Iris is next to it, or behind it. And that's difficult because I try really hard to isolate a bloom when I'm photographing.

I do have a diagram of my Iris Lane beds -- but for the past two years I've been thinning, relocating, etc. -- and my diagrams are a mess of scratched-out names. I need to do a new diagram this year. So the diagram really wasn't too much help.

So anyway -- that's why I had a problem with Hold My Hand. Had the same problem in that group of photos with Fogbound -- which looks so much like Opposing Forces and Crystal Gazer. I must never, never, never take any photos without a piece of paper and a pen right next to me to make immediate notes!! I always do that -- but didn't on that one group of Irises. Lesson learned!

P.S. My plant labels are permanent metal markers (thanks to seeing Dennis' system) and are only moved if the Iris is moved. Are you saying that you remove your labels every year?

I learned a little trick from Brad this last summer. Just take a pic of the bloom, then follow it with a pic of the label. Once you have downloaded the pics onto your computer, you can label them and then delete the pics of the labels.

Yes, I use the "rose labels" from Paw Paw label co. ,with "stick-on" plastic lettered labels made on a Dymo label-maker. I then "clear-coat" the label ,to cut back on the rust, and to help protect against weathering. For the permanant tags, I use an electric engraving tool to mark the name on an aluminum tag(about 2"X3.5")which I wire to an 8" galvanized spike, and push into the ground at the base of the plant. I just think that leaving the rose labels in place all year would make weeding, cutting -back, etc., harder, as you would have to work around them. . I do leave the re-bloomer labels up all through the growing season, but the "spring only"ones come down right after bloom ends. Thing is, I have only been dealing with about 80-100 labels. This year, I'll be dealing with over 400 ! (don't ask how many there will be NEXT year ). I also have the "bed number" listed on the "cultivar list" ,and the beds are numbered with signs, so that helps to track down at least which bed the iris lives in. But as to WHERE in the bed it is,...well, I haven't crossed THAT bridge yet . I'm thinking that for those who just want to look at iris, it doesn't really matter too much, as if they see one that "trips their trigger", they can see the name displayed on both the rose label, or the ground tag,( if I'm late putting out the labels ) but for those who want to track down a particular cultivar, the bed-number system should make it a little easier. .This is kinda' new to me yet, and I may change my plans and opinions before the 2015 season! With the beds along the street, we've always drawn quite a few "lookers", but now that it being "advertised', I'm not sure how many people may show up , but I want to make it a pleasant and enjoyable experience for them, if I can. Hopefully, visits can be made when we are home, so we can visit with them, but, as I sad, being along the street, and across from the village park, the garden is always "open", so to speak.....Arlyn

I agree with Tom, but I take a picture of the tag first then the plant.

photo is certainly not Decadence.

Wow Arlyn. That certainly is a lot of work. I wouldn't want to do all of that -- and I've only got 300 or so cultivars. Mine are like your second marker -- and they stay in place unless someone/something accidentally flips them out of the ground. I also have my beds numbered. Iris location is designated not only by bed number, but also by *back* or *front*. It's a little laborious to enter all of that data into my database, but once there it simplifies things considerably, for reference purposes. I didn't realize that you are advertising your Iris garden. Where are you advertising? And are you advertising to sell, or just for look/see?

What a great idea Tom -- and Greg -- thank you for sharing that. Why didn't I think of that? I'm doing one of those *slapping palm on forehead* things right now!!

Yes -- thank you Lucy -- I've already determined that the Iris is Hold My Hand.

I agree with both Tom & Greg and I take pictures of the label followed by the plant. I use Kincaid SS markers with cultivar name, my own assigned ID number, Hybridizer, and intro year on a laser printed waterproof label. I have approximately 800 named and noid cultivars in my garden with labels.
Arlyn,
As far as keeping up with all my cultivars, I use a suite of programs (Libre Office) that is similar to "Microsoft Office" but is open source and can be downloaded free. I used to use Excel, but chose to not pay for the new versions for the last several iterations. I maintain my records on a spreadsheet. As I mentioned above, I assign an index number to each cultivar, followed by name, year obtained, obtained from, the bed number(s) it is located in, hybridizer, year of introduction, and a comment field. From this spreadsheet, I can use a "mail merge" feature to print the labels for the markers with any of the spreadsheets contained information. I have linked additional worksheets to this "master" sheet and have sorted one by cultivar name, one by hybridizer, and others by location. In addition, I maintain a map of each bed showing location of each clump (by index number) using a CAD program similar to AutoCAD. There is a drawing module in the Libre Office suite, however, I have not used it as I was already established in the CAD program for quite a few years already. Libre Office also has a data base program that would be preferable to the spreadsheet, however, again I already had been using Excel for many years. A writing program (similar to "Word", and a slide show program similar to "Power Point" is also a part of the suite. The pictures below are samples of the files I use to keep track of everything. My index numbering system currently goes to 802, and I have not yet ordered anything this year. Included in this listing are about 20 of my seedlings that I've re-selected over the past several years.
I noticed that in your post above that you indicated you are a Display Garden. If you would like to become a Display Garden on the TBIS website, just follow the link www.tbisonline.com and complete the form and submit as described. The TBIS is always looking to include more Display Gardens on the web site.

Spreadsheet sample



CAD drawing of iris bed



Picture of iris bed

I may do that TBIS thing, Dennis! but not till next year, after I see how this works out !! No sales, MaryAnn, although I would consider trades, I suppose. The garden is listed on the HIPS website, and also will be listed in ROOTS (the HIPS magazine). I've considered the "bed map" concept, and may do it in the future, but, for now at least, I'm gonna' have my hands full!! It would be nice, especially on the large bed (8'X56'), as there are lots of iris in that one , and it would cut down on "search time"....Arlyn

I take a pic and then immediately my camera has a display that shows a number. When I put the pics on my computer the pics are of course numbered by the camera. All I do is write down the name of the plant, and then the image number. When I transfer them to the computer I just whip out my list and name them.
So my paper would look like example- then I know what they images are later.

Daylily Alice 0123
Beauty Plant 0124
Crazy Flower 0125
Dream Root 0126


ect, and then I just match them up.

Hi Frilly. I carry a pad with me when taking photos, and write down names as I go. My camera or computer automatically numbers them -- but if that piece of paper with the names gets lost (or doesn't get written) then the numbers don't mean much. Most of my Irises I can identify visually -- but some of them are so similar that they can fool me. Especially a month later............