I just realized that I never introduced myself over here, so I'll just copy and paste what I posted in the Cubits introduction thread:
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I live in Northern California, which is a paradise for bearded irises. All of the growing guides say they don't do well above zone 8, but gardeners here in zones 9 and 10 grow them. Even vacant lots and completely untended gardens here usually have lots of bearded irises blooming like crazy from April to June, followed by a less prominent show in September or October.

I am now primarily a rose gardener, but I started out with a passion for irises. My garden was full of them and I decided to plant a few roses to relieve the boredom when iris season was over. Now I have more than 1500 rose bushes and the poor irises have to live in whatever space is left between the roses. My favorites are the Pacific Coast Hybrid Irises.
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So, that was what I wrote in February 2010 and the rose bush count now exceeds 2,000. You'd think I'd have fewer Irises now that I've had to make room for more roses, but they just multiply like bunnies. Many of them are historics, but I've bought about 175 named modern TB Irises and I have about 50-75 more that lost their tags or were mislabeled and therefore are mystery Irises. I also have a nice collection of PCH Irises, but I know hardly any of their names. Many were trial PCH Irises that weren't chosen for naming.

Zuzu, I didn't know you were interested in the PCI's (or PCH's, PCN's or Pacificas) -- Joe Ghio, the iris hybridizer in Santa Cruz, introduces new ones just about every year, and here are his 2011 PCI introductions.

http://www.montereybayiris.org...


And they are ridiculously inexpensive compared to the TB iris introductions (like $6.50 compared to $50)!

Aren't they amazing, Betty? I love every one of them. He creates the most stunning designs. I have some Ghios that are absolutely breathtaking but were never named. I get them from the Native Plant Society here.

Here's one that I especially like. Don't you just want to eat it? It looks like a delicious dessert.



Where do you buy them? I always buy my PCH Irises locally, but have you ever bought them on line?

That is one spectacular PCI seedling. Love it!

Just a newbie question
What are PCI's those aer stunners. Zuzu
Looks like Blueberry crumble desert, with cream.

*Wow*, Zuzu. Do you have pics of more?

I do, Sheryl. I have tons of photos. I'll post some after I get some sleep. I've been working all night and now it's after 6:00 and I'm ready to go to bed.

Zuzu, thos PCI are jut gorgeous! I so wish we could grow them here, but I guess you can't have everything.

Is my math correct that you added 500 new roses this year? My gosh woman!!!!

That's a real beauty, Zuzu! But unfortunately I can't grow them here -- too hot and dry. Joe Ghio puts out a catalog every January or February and lists his new PCI introductions there for the price I noted above. But one thing he's a stickler about is that you have to purchase his catalog the first time -- $3.00. And once you purchase from him you automatically get the catalog each year after that. He doesn't have the PCI pictures there, but he has color pictures of all his new TB introductions -- fabulous! He posts pictures of his new PCI's by year, as well as the TB's, on the Monterey Bay Iris Society (MBIS) website. And actually you can view all of his other introductions through the link I posted above. I'll edit in his email address if you're interested in getting his catalog.

Jo Ann, PCN's are Pacific Coast Native irises that I guess are unique to the Pacific Coast and won't grow in hot, dry climates. And I've seen them listed as PCI's (Pacific Coast Introductions, I guess), PCH's as Zuzu referred to them above, and Pacificas. Aren't they gorgeous? Check out the link I posted for Zuzu to see Joe Ghio's PCI's by year, and I believe other hybridizers are also doing crosses. Does Dee do any?

Edit: If anyone is interested in Joe Ghio's catalog, here is his email address:

[email protected]

And here is the link for the MBIS October Newsletter, which has pictures of one of his 2012 PCI introductions plus a few others:

http://www.montereybayiris.org...

The few which grow here have to be started from seed. they don't ship well. One has to realize that they are quite difficult outside of their native climates.

Thanks Betty.That lets me out. I'll admire from affar

Hot and humid, here in Ga.
My name is Charleen. I'm retired and have a wonderful husband, no children but lots of critters.
Got 5 dogs, 1 Mule and 3 donkeys. 4 chickens and numerous goldfish and a couple of koi.
I love gardening. Grew my first Siberian (?)this year Thanks to Polly. She know what I grew I know I fell in love with them.

I test grew them in bogs and absolutely love them..
Thanks Polly....

Those are beautiful.

LOL Charleen, 'I know I fell in love with them'. Those are Japanese. I so hope they do well for you next year, too.

I'll get you pictures/ I know I loved them.

Polly, those 500 were actually added over the last two years. The Cubits intro was written at the beginning of 2010. It's been an extraordinary two years, though. For one thing, Cliff at Eurodesert Roses shut down his business and had to dig up thousands of mother plants and get rid of them, so I bought way more than 100 from him -- huge roses, with canes the size of tree branches.

Betty, thanks a million for the links.

I had always thought that PCI just stood for Pacific Coast Iris -- the plain ones that grow wild here, like these:



And PCH is Pacific Coast Hybrid, the fancier ones that are hybridized and not wild:

It is absolutely amazing what has been done with PCIs over a relatively short period of time. Those are all beautiful. I grew a few in the past but have none now.

They are beautiful. To me some of the coloring looks like Louisianas. I know they're short, but I still think they resemble them.

I had one called Pacific Rim, a pretty blue and yellow that I selfed and got four or five very similar looking seedlings.

OMG. I wonder how they'd do in Tennessee.

Thanks for putting up those pics, Zuzu - they are just spectacular. Irises on LSD.