Wanna see more!!! Please and thank you!

Me, too, please!

OK, my favorite "blue bitones"

Queen of Elegance - Barry Blyth. Can't say enough good things about it, easy grower, heavy and reliable bloomer, serene colors. I sometimes informally judge irises based on how long I can sit and look at them. I could stare at this iris all day long.



Blue Trill - Paul Black. For years I tried to find the "perfect" light blue iris and this one is really close. Smells great, too. I can never get a picture that does it justice, though.



T-Rex - Gerald Richardson. Like many of Gerald's iris, BIG flowers on equally husky plants



Ascent of Angels - Mike Bernard. This might be the only iris he introduced?



Raging Tide - Keith Keppel. Got to love those ruffles!



Jordan's Joy - Schreiner. I think this is one of the best iris Schreiner's has introduced in the past decade and am surprised it didn't get more recognition. Another one that I take many pictures of, but never quite capture.

Wow, Kent! So many terrific blues! Who carries Richardson iris? I want to find a few more husky ones that can stand up to our wind.
For several years, I've been buying all the blue and white iris I can find that have "river" or "wave" or "sea" in the names. Planted together, they do look like a sea with whitecaps.
Hopefully, I 'll have good pics this spring!

Rockytop Gardens (http://rockytopgardens.com/) has been introducing his iris the past several years. Most of the recent ones seem to be in Joe Ghio's catalog. Mid-America (http://www.beardedirisflowers....), Dee (http://www.snowpeakiris.com/), and Blue J (http://www.bluejiris.com/) usually have several of his iris for sale.

I generally try to avoid irises with really big flowers because a bigger flower equals a bigger sail area for the wind to grab onto and tear the whole stalk down. Richardson iris usually have stalks like tree trunks, though, so it's not as much of a concern.

I have a few more blues to add to this list I think my favorite is Adriatic Waves that Kent showed earlier it really is a beautiful color of Blue and I like the ruffles :)

I think next for me last year was Ride The Waves it was awesome and really stood out amongst the other plants Here is a close up and then a garden picture of it so you can see how it stands out, if I had too pick one blue to splurge on this would be the one. It had a long bloom time, don't remember how many buds were on it but I had lots to work with, used it quite a bit last year it sets pods and had very fertile pollen.Everyone that saw it last year stopped and commented on it Highly recommended.



Sea Power is another really good Blue and will probably be one of the last to bloom in the garden or at least it is here spectacular grower and parent it is another one to consider.



Here are a some more to consider that I thought had good color

First Wave and Lynette Blue


Mythology & Aqua Fresca


One more I really like called Honourable Lord it's more of a Bi Color but the light Blue Standards and the dark falls really make it stand out in the garden.

Oh! Oh! Oh! I wish I had the $$$ for these lovelies! Ride the Waves is my favorite. All of them are wonderful but that one is just gorgeous.

A sea of blues...I can see it now. I have a new bed I'm starting this year and the blues would be perfect there.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions.

Celia, Ride the Waves was actually put in the budget because it is just so beautiful. Was going to spend all my 'mad' money for the month to get it...then the washer broke the day before I was going to order it. So I will keep the photos handy and plan for next year.

Where can I get that one so I can plan for it?

The only source I have found is the hybridizer, Barry Blyth, in Australia. I could have paid for the flower itself, but there is a $100 phytosanitary certificate fee for shipping into the U.S. and I can't justify that expense right now. He has some amazing Iris, so when I do order, I will be adding others like By Jeeves, which is my second "most wanted" Iris.

http://www.tempotwo.com.au/Tem...

Yes -- but Brad photographed that Iris last year in this country. So when Brad pops in here, he can tell you which Iris garden it was in -- and you can contact them to see if they have it for sale.

Mary Ann, I think it was his own garden. There was a discussion about where to get it when I saw the flower in one of his photographs. But I could be remembering incorrectly. (happens a lot)

Keith Keppel has it in his catalog this year.

Kewl!!! Okay, so I emailed him and we will see. Thank you!

I checked Keith's website, but couldn't find it...............I have GOT to get that catalog!!

Think I will ask for one, too.

Be careful Debra -- this IS a form of torture, ya know.......................

Yeah, it is. A few years ago it was daylilies. Morphing into Iris now and I am braced for impact.

Nice! I'm off to go look and get the catalog. Keep the suggestions coming.

This has been a great topic. I have purchased so many 'blues' only to have them turn out to be shades of purple that I had given up until I could see them growing in someone's garden. It is much like my quest for pink. I amassed so many irises from parchment to peach and lavender that I was fuming. I had to stop depending entirely on pictures and descriptions and see them blooming locally before investing. I know location, soil and length of growing season can make a difference and I do keep that in mind. I have a few blues and pinks now so I am contented. smiles