Here's a few more Ghio irises to look at.
Novel Idea

Expect Wonders

Magical

Bravery

Role Reversal

Comedy

ohhh ahhh ... lovely ... all of them!

Yes, and I like Role Reversal best of that group.

Where is my order sheet? Oh my, my "Tom" wish list is over 50 strong.

Oh my!! Great photos Tom and Brad!

It hasn't started raining here yet, but according to the news this storm is the biggest storm we've had in years. It's going to be dumping inches of rain, along with strong winds. High warnings of mudslides, flooding, power outages and fallen trees have been issued. So I filled and placed around 50 sand bags today. Also made sure everything is charged and have candles ready.

I think I'll put commando tutu'ing on hold for awhile. I think I gave Mother Nature a shock....

Thanks Rob...you do good work, and apparently Mother Nature approves!

Looks like the storm will hit Jan and Barbara hard tonight. I'm sending you both wishes for lots of rain...but no flooding, falling trees, power outages, mudslides...or any of the other challenging aspects that a big storm can bring. Tomorrow Rob, Sherry and I should see some nice rain. Only 1.25-2.25" predicted here. The biggest concern is the strong wind gusts up to 60 mph. I think I'll follow Rob's lead and check my emergency flashlights, water supply, etc.

Thinking good thoughts for all of you on the west coast. I saw that storm when it was still out over the Pacific and thought "well, the drought's gonna end". Nobody needs ten inches of rain though!! I hope you'all will check in here regularly so we'll know you're ok.

Well Tom -- now you've gone and done it. I've been so good -- not making any purchase plans, not making up any wish lists, not even Santa lists -- and then you hadda go and show pictures of a few more Ghio Irises. Got past Novel Idea ok, even though my pulse rate jumped -- cruised right through the next three because I already have them -- and then -- there was Role Reversal. Right there -- right in front of my eyes -- one picture for each eye -- destiny, pure and simple. What can I say? I simply M-U-S-T have that Iris. And here I go again........................

Pretty one, ain't it, Mary Ann.

It has been misting/raining here since Thanksgiving (except last Saturday). News said gusts up to 65 MPH winds. I'm looking outside right now and the Christmas lights (icicles lights) are not even moving! Rob, thanks for mentioning it, I got the flashlights out just in case.
Barbara

Thanks for the info guys I think I had a different problem with mine they never put on growth and then fell over or rotted like you guys are describing. I took this 1st set of pictures on March 8th with a cellphone was coming from the greenhouse and walked in the back yard to get a feel for how things were looking after the cold in January and thought some of them kinda looked funny. I could see very little green showing which seemed weird never remembered them looking like that so the next day got a closer look after work and the Seedling bed looked even worse so I reached down to see if there was any green at the base of the leaves and the top of the bulb came off in my hand and I realized we have a problem just didn't know what I was up against. I started checking everything and some Berms were worse than others but I thought if I got the dirt away from the bulb they would dry out and be fine and I could stop it from spreading it took a couple weeks to get it all done because the ground was re freezing every night. I scraped the rot out of anything that showed it we had a good week or so of dry weather and the bulbs seemed like they were solid again so I thought that I had it beat and would just lose the bloom for the year, then it rained for a couple days straight and I was right back to square one they were spongey. Within a month it wiped out all of the increase. I finally took a pocket knife and cut out anything that had it and tossed them to save what I could looking back now, I should have done it much sooner but just didn't know how bad it was and thought if I can get them to dry out I'll be fine The last picture is the brown look that most of these had did any of you guys see anything like this ?

'I was convinced my issue was the Compost it came from a new source in late fall and my original thought was it was fresher then they told me and that they used some kind of a Herbicide in it to help it break down faster and that was the cause of my problem but I experimented with it this summer and planted some different plants in it Roses & Annuals even tried some Iris in different parts of the yard planted strictly in it to see what would happen and they loved it and grew like weeds so that theory is now gone. Beginning to think it was just a horrible winter and I need to come up with a better way to protect my plants from the extremes. The bulbs need covered here through the worst of it just don't know yet if dirt is the answer or some kind of a mulch, don't think leaves would of done me much good last year the compost all though extremely light should have provided a better cover and protection then leaves.









This last picture is Joe's Plants the 2013 intro's in April they all woke up and put on growth they looked the best of anything I got last year and even got a couple to bloom for me. I would definitely say Hardy Plants

I really like Novel Idea, and I'm picturing a clump at Novel Idea right next to a clump of Role Reversal. I think the combo would be very pretty.

Oh Brad...that just makes me sick to my stomach. You lost soooo much! The work, the money, the blooms...I am truly sorry you had to go through this , and completely understand why you are looking for answers. I wish I had some experience or wisdom to share, but I've only had a problem here or there, and always for identifiable reasons. I hope some of the others can give you some helpful information!

Brad, that looks like the same issue(s) I faced with some rhizomes! The rhizomes were spongy with no foul odor and no new growth. Exactly as you mentioned it, the whole fan pulled right off of the rhizome. I even saw those little white worms in your photo in one of the spongy losses.

It's absolutely horrible and sad to see how bad you were hit and the losses you suffered. I hope your newly planted iris beds knock your socks every year. Your wife may complain about your smelly feet, but she'll love the garden.

Brad, I agree with what Marilyn said and I feel so bad you lost so much! If I have anything you lost please let me know.
I had lost a few but I think mind was rot since they smelled so bad.

Barbara Role Reversal is gorgeous. I saw it last spring at Superstition Gardens. It didn't make the cut last year...too many irises, too little money! Hopefully I can add it this year!

Marilyn, can you imagine winning the lottery and not have to worry about affording $50.00 for a new intro!
We have a group at work that play the lotto. We have 11 participants and we buy one ticket a play. One on Wednesday and one on Saturday, costs us less than ten cents a play. We're not big gamblers but buying a ticket gives us a slight better chance of winning the lotto.

Tom, I'd have any of those in my garden (except Expect Wonders, which I have).. All beautiful..

Brad, I'm so sorry.. Frustrating and heartbreaking... I'm wondering if you've talked to Joe about it. I'm betting you may be right about the

No real rain to speak of yet.. It was just kind of spitting when I went over to Los Altos, but clear on the way back. They're saying the storm should hit shore in the morning sometime. Waves are expected to be 27' at Mavericks (for all you surfers out there).. Today I split some kindling and filled the wheelbarrow up with wood. We've got a couple of 5 gal cans of gas for the generator.. Took the patio umbrellas down. The RV has water in the tank and propane is full. We're ready.

Brad, those pictures sure are sickening, especially after I had seen them the year before, and how beautiful they were. Surely Rob didn't have the extreme cold weather we had in the midwest, but he seems to have had a similar problem. It's such a mystery.

I thinned Role Reversal last year. It's a good grower, and should have some to share in another year again. I've tried using it in crosses, but haven't had luck with it yet. I did get one other plant to set a pod with it's pollen, but that stem rotted off and I didn't get any seeds. I'll try again this year.