Paul, Is that Volcanic Glow in the center of your first picture?

Stacy......in the very first picture it is Super Hero

Like Rob, my iris plantings were done last year. I only had a few older varieties in random
places - like this clump of Milestone:


before that it was mostly dahlias and peonies, a few lilies, etc.










and some roses and dogwoods...



But I've planted more than 200 irises in 2013-15. There will be irises!

Yes there will, Jan -- and we will be waiting for your pictures!!!

Mary Ann!

Jan - are the iris mixed in with your existing plants, or in separate beds?

Some of each, Leslie - mostly in their own beds though.
I've planted allium and bee balm among some of them.

Here are some seedlings....from 2012












discarded seedlings going to the green waste....

I really like the 10th one down because of the honey gold on white. Not the usual yellow and white combo. It is subtle and would look great mixed with some darker blue or purple selfs.

I liked the form of that one, wide flared falls....also the color. It had poor branching and low bud count so was discarded....

Funny, that's one I like too, but not as much as the two you kept.

Sad to see them go but we'd be over run in no time if we kept them all.

The obvious problem with raising a bunch of seedlings is that many will have some outstanding qualities and some less desirable traits. A serious hybridizer would try to make another cross to pass on the good traits and eliminate the poor ones. That's what the "big boys" do. A person had better not make any crosses if they can't be ready to discard a bunch.

Agreed.

I'm curious, Paul -- did you give that Iris another year to see if it would improve the branching and/or bud count? Or eliminate it the first bloom year?

Good question MaryAnn. I should have and didn't. I'm often an impetuous person........

I love seeing photos of blooming iris beds! It gives me something to look forward too!

Paul, ignore the car following you to the green waste site.