Great work Paul!

They're all lovely, Paul. Ours are ready to be cut down so it's a real pleasure to see yours blooming.

! Nice ones !! I may be odd man out, but I think the first one is the nicest.....I love the "hanging" falls.....I think that "style " has a "special name' in the JI's....but I can't remember it .

Tetraploid perhaps? It is the old single fall style (as opposed to the doubles and peony forms).

Paul - I really like ALL of them; especially the last three, but all of them would grace my garden. Really lovely work!!

I like number 4 just like Connie! Keep them coming Paul, they look great!!

Carrying on from picture post ( Post #838582) on 26 April 2015, the 2014 seedlings were potted up into 6 litre pots, which I managed to scrounge from a nursery that had closed (.50 c each).

On 12 Sept 2015 these seedlings were potted up


to these 6 litre pots for flowering in a few months


This lot being my first year at hybridising Japanese Iris, I only raised approx. 66 seedlings, of which 34 flowered within one year.The 5 blooms on the previous page were the first to bloom.Each plant was given a number--year/cross/number.It is my intention to photograph every bloom so I may better understand how they pan out.More than half were singles, and of these, only a few were perhaps keepers.All will be grown on for another year.

Here they are on 2 Nov 2015

The flowering period was less than ideal this year, hot and windy.The wind was the worse as it shredded the blooms, so they may be better next year.


14-1-4 14-2-5

14-2-2

They look great, thanks for the update! Looking forward to seeing lots bloom this year!

So nice to see JI's in bloom while ours are at rest.

I love the color of the falls on seedling 14-1-4.

it's my favorite one too.

I'm alone in liking 14-2-5.

Not alone Arlene. I like it too, just find the other a bit more unique. I have seen iris like 14-2-5, but not as a single form.

My favorite is 14-2-2 - light, bright, and clean.

I like them all but admit I'm partial to those with rays. Glad to see your photos Paul.

With some of the seedlings I thought I might try a program to breed a pink ground with blue veining, or a blue ground with pink veins.Does anyone know if such a combination exists?

Geisha Gown x Rose Queen



x

2015 seedlings germinating on 7 July 2015


2015 seedlings 12 Nov 2015


2015 seedlings on 22 Jan 2016

I'd been wondering what you'd been up to lately! What a fantastic project and beautiful iris.

I've nearly killed the first ensata seedlings I've tried to raise, so I thought I'd take a look over here at the Iris forum and see if I could find any clues. I did talk to a local ensata enthusiast and discovered that the seedlings don't like peat, but from just reading this thread it seems that mature plants at least enjoy peat in the garden. Can anyone tell me what experience they have had with ensata in pots and peat? Anyone else had ensata seedlings turn up their toes when potted in a peat-based mix?

Mine germinated in seedling trays over winter and were happy and healthy until I potted them up into seedling tubes in 50/50 peat/potting mix. I thought something that liked water-retentive acid soils would love peat! They just turned yellow and dwindled. Apparently the iris lady know had the same thing happen - she potted her first ensata seedlings into a peat-heavy mix and they died. When potted into a 'normal' open potting mix they thrived.

I can't comment from my own experience yet as I have only just removed mine from the peat and re-potted - no telling if any will survive let alone turn around and become healthy!

Paul, you're an inspiration!

Paul - what a delight to grow so many JI's. I haven't ever tried to hybridize JI's, only daylilies (in the past), so I'm of no help regarding your desire for pink w/blue and vice versa.

Paul, you may want to consider emailing the gentlemen at Ensata Gardens. They're knowledgeable growers and hybridizers and very kind.

http://www.ensata.com/index.ht...