Beautiful Mary Ann!

Love the clump shot!

color on the right is great. It got its name in honor of historic 'Moonlit Sea' one of the earlier luminata.

Tom -- I really didn't pay attention to the hue of that Iris. I'll be going out to the barn in a bit -- I'll look and see how well the color of the Iris matches up to the color in the photo. I'll get back to you on this.

tveguy3 said:Mary Ann, Is your Moonlit Water really that rosy colored? Mine is way more blue/violet, or is it a camera thing?

The color on the right is more accurate.

OK -- I went out and studied Moonlit Water. I would say that my first picture was rosier than the Iris actually is. But it's not real far off -- it is a shade of violet, not blue -- which your pictures look like. For comparison sake, I took another pic of Moonlit Water (different lighting) -- and have a picture from last year of Inside Job, which is closer to the color of your Moonlit Water. I think. Here they are:

Moonlit Water/Inside Job


What do you think? I was given Moonlit Water by a friend -- it could have been mis-marked.................

I see some of the pics in the data base shows one similar in color, so maybe it's just the difference in soil. Mine has a very slight yellow at the base of the standards, your's seems to be some what more yellow. The picture on the left of mine is too blue, the one on the right is more accurate.

Well -- I think you're probably right -- that it's a difference in environment. For whatever it's worth -- I like yours better!!

As long as I had my camera out there, I went ahead and took a couple more pics. So here we go:

Burgundy Party is looking especially pretty this spring:


I just love Tennison Ridge. I know -- I know -- I love all of them, right? But this one stops me in my tracks every single year:


And here's another one that makes me run over to see it close up -- and it always brings a smile to my face -- Bengal Tiger:


Here is Strozzapreti -- the colors are wonderful, the form always leaves me unsatisfied:


This is a bud of World of Color -- with the promise of a bloom tomorrow:


Fancy Woman is working on a clump. Look at the difference in intensity of color between the bloom on the far right and the one on the far left:


They're two feet apart!!

I wanted to make a separate post on this.

Tom -- your NOID red opened its first bloom today. My picture does not do it justice -- it's gorgeous and looks like red velvet.


But more than that -- wouldja look at what's coming?


In a couple of days, that will be wall-to-wall red Irises!!!

And -- I have five clumps just like that!!!

Did the one on the left open a day or so before the one on the right? I notice that some of mine are darker when they first open, then fade a little.

Tom - is that the same red Noid you sent me that may be Dynamite? I planted your Noid right next to my known Dynamite, and so far the leaves, and buds are identical. Will have both in bloom together within a week....

That said, mine are nowhere as glorious as that clump of your Mary Ann! Wow that is going to be beautiful in full bloom.

You could be right, Leslie -- I haven't monitored them that closely. It makes sense that the newer blooms would be more intense in color.

Remember: Moonlit Water is a luminata.

I was thinking the same thing as Leslie, that the ones on the left were older blooms that had faded some.

Mary Ann, are your white peonies going to bloom at the same time as the reds? If so that will be a nice show!

Leslie, Yes, that's the same one I sent you. It will be interesting to see if that one is Dynamite. It has a nice fragrance as well.

I hope so Tom -- but this year is so crazy, can't know for certain. The peony buds don't look far enough along to open yet -- the Irises are raring to go. But I've been wrong about that before -- so we'll see!

It's funny that a lot of irises opened before the peonies did.

I have most of my peonies bloom after the iris are done here. A few are early though. I planted a bunch of them last summer so we'll see if any of these new ones bloom with the iris.

I see a nice big bud on the "Coral Charm" peony we planted last year. Rita had seen one ,when we were at Breezeway Iris, and found out from them where they got it.....and the rest is history . I would like to get one of those 'yellow" peonies.........but they are still sort of "pricey" for me.......Although..... I DID just order a $40 iris ! I said I'd never spend that much on an iris....so I must be in "Never Land" now !

Don't keep me in suspense -- which Iris did you spend forty dollars on??????????????

Arlyn, I would love a yellow tree peony. The price is way beyond my means.

Mamajack has offered the Itoh and Tree Peonies at really good prices and always when I am...deficient in funds. Would love a Bartzella, or High Noon, or Garden Treasure.

Wampanog Warrior....it's '14 intro from Jim Hedgecock, at Comanche Acres....it's red (1st thing in it's favor !), it has an "Indian" name (2nd), and it has re bloom in it's genes (3rd), and it was $10 cheaper than it was LAST year (4th).