G'day Robyn, nice to hear from another Southern Hemisphere gardener!
Most of the plants, if not all, are grown for my own pleasure and that is, producing my own seed and growing on to flower.However, it is a very expensive hobby, soil, nutrients, pots shade house rotary hoe etc.Naturally time is never taken into account, and just as well.I'm only just keeping infront of age related mobility problems, but am still doing as much as I was 10 years ago, in fact, breeding a wider range of iris, liliums and daffodils, miniature and standard.The carnations and dianthus are on a back foot now, as are the tuberous and cane begonias.I am also interested in cymbidium orchids, especially hanging basket types and species and have some nice seed pods forming.If that isn't enough,I am growing over 23 different apples on dwarf stock, plus japanese plums, apricots, nectarines, peaches, pears, cherries, grapes,olives and of course a lemon tree.Toss in a 10 month old strong willed German Shepherd pup ( my passage to sainthood ) and you see I am maybe pushing it a little.

If there ever are particular Japanese iris you like from a posted image, I could sell those, or a division. Or if you like, unflowered seedlings as shown in 140mm pot with massive root system, but of course, that is a gamble.They will grow alright and half should flower that year, but as to colour or quality of bloom However, 99% are hand pollinated and all have a tagged breeding record.
I should have over 250 Siberian iris seedlings flowering for the first time this year also.

You're a wonder, Paul!!

You are a wonder Paul.

Thankyou so much for your kind offer. Likewise, if you see anything in my list of plants that takes your fancy I am happy to sell/swap/donate depending on how many I have. My list if fairly up to date, but I don't bother specifying which are available to trade.

Paul, wondering if you have blooms yet on your seedlings? Sure would be nice to see them. (Hint hint hint)

Would also be nice to hear how you are doing?

I agree. I hope you're spirits are lifting as you work with bloomtime.

Hi Tom, Lilli and Leslie (and others), thanks for rattling my cage
I've been pretty busy doing stuff that I haven't had time nor energy to get on the forum.By the time I come inside at the end of the day, I have to cook something to eat, shower then just sink into the lounge, watch the news and vegetate. Thank God your election is over!!

Now, this season is beyond belief, it's been pretty cold with heaps of rain and hail and terrible storms with destructive gale force wind.One of my sheds, the calf shed, lost its roof last week.It took off, flying over the orchard and hitting the gum tree line 4 or 5 metres up, before crashing down.

I have not a single Japanese iris in bloom, whereas at this time last year, most of my stock plants were flowering and half of my seedlings that went on to bloom for that year had flowered.Another week and I will have quite a few to post (subject to no more gales or hail)
Here are all the seedlings, 2014 and 2015 that will bloom soon.Picture taken today.




I finished 3 days ago potting my 2016 seedlings into their 68mm pots.You can count them if you like!

715 - wow that is a lot of seedlings! Good going Paul.

I look forward to your upcoming bloom pictures (and for better or worse, we are glad our election is over too).

Some nice looking seedlings and plants, I'm sure there will be a bunch of bloom soon for you to share.

That sure is a lot of seedlings!

Good to hear from you and we are looking forward to those blooms too!

A few Japanese iris flowering now.Some of my pictures don't turn out as best as I would like, hands get a bit shakey sometimes or the bloom is ragged from wind or I'm just racing for time, trying to fit every thing in.I still intend taking a pic of every seedling so I have an idea of how the parents pass on the desired colour patterns and other plant characteristics.

15-8-23


15-15-7

Super!

vanozzi said:15-15-7

Think I'll spend the day just staring at this one...sigh...

with Debra. That one is outstanding Paul. I do like the overall soft lavender of the other as well.

Both very nice seedlings. Good work Paul!

with Debra and Leslie. I love the stripes on 15-15-7.

they would both make very attractive ikebana arrangements, paul.

especially the way the falls stand out from the base of the flower and don't hang or droop over the sides. the ji's i have droop too much, and makes the flowers look spent and unattractive in the arrangements (they look half dead even when they're fresh).