I agree with your point of view Greg. Registered irises should not be listed in the database before being introduced. Quite a non sense to do the contrary and first before all the role of a database is to give right information. Further to my post about the matter (in which I mentioned only one obviously wrong) many others are staying wrong in spite of the fact that I mentioned that many were wrong; i wish people taking care of that to face their responsabilities. I do not agree either sometimes with the use done with the photos posted in the database (in my opinion they should not be used in plant lists). That is a misleading information making believe that people writing plant lists are really having these plants. . When anyone grow and love plants they should have their own pictures. There is not point to share and use all the time work done by others like their are doing in the media you know, where you find the same information shared over all the groups speaking about the same subject. Sharing does not mean anything anymore. Nothing personal is shared, it is again other's people work repeated ad nausem. The result is exactly the contary of the one expected. Instead of making people interested I fear that it is a good way to disgust them. Addicts to these kind of media may be will enjoy it for a while which is beyond my understanding but that is an additional reason to keep and protect good work as Dave did with the database of both Cubits and ATP. Wrong inforation will do like a house built on a dangerous basis which will collapse one day or another. The core of a good website is the database.I am asking to no one to agree with me but nobody will oblige me to agree with him when I disagree..

I often use out database for photos when I see an iris advertised that does not have a photo. It will seem like a good bargain but if it is almost identical to ones that I already grow I will not purchase it. The database here has saved me from buying an iris that would just grow in my garden next to one that is almost like it. Also, if we are having an iris auction at our Iris Society and I am not familiar with the ones being offered I can go to the ATP database and look at the photos and decide which ones to bid on. I know this is not a scientific way to garden but I keep in mind that these photos were mostly not taken by professionals and that the plant that is pictured may grow a shade differently in my garden.

A database has to be informative Bonnie and set up to be used. To put a link to the photos would be in my opinion a better idea when referring to it. To move the photo is giving a quicker view of it, may be more convenient.

Hello everyone. . . thanks for expressing your understanding of the situation; I really do appreciate it.

Bonnie: thanks once again for your kind words! I'm hoping that the SDBs will be available soon. . . such a struggle to get enough stock over to the States in order to have them listed in Stout's catalogue. Now, as to Pain d'Épices: it does indeed seem to be quite a vigourous little plant! After sending Hugh Stout a whole whack of them last year, I planted every little scrap I had left, just single bits---and now I have small bloom-capable clumps already. I have to admit that I did lose one (out of 19), but it was really microscopic. The perfume this plant has is rather surprising, very spicy and quite strong. When I was describing it---I bring a stalk up to the house and place the flower by a window so I can use natural daylight to match the colours to the RHS chart---that one little flower managed to perfume the entire room.

Hi Please translate the name for us (at least me). To have that vigor is great & having fragrance should be popular. People complain that fragrance is being bred out. At least the
flower--a batch can give a give a nice scent.

Hi Lucy. . . the name just basically means "spice cake"; I named it "Pain d'Épices" because it smells EXACTLY like this sort of cake that is very popular around Christmastime in eastern France, a strong, spicy odour that is similar to licorice, to give you an idea, but a more complicated blend of spices than that. What I am hoping is that, since there don't seem to be all that many MDBs being commercialised these days, that Pain d'Épices might make a bit of a splash and get some notice.

I had no idea that there was a problem with perfumes being bred out of irises; for me, this is a great feature of the plant and some of them have very original perfumes, like chocolate, orange flower, carnation, mandarine, cake and so on.

Michele, the fragrance alone should sell your new little MDB.... and I know it will be beautiful as well.

Thanks Bonnie, that's a great idea, to promote the plant's exceptional fragrance! Maybe it will provoke a new fad for perfumed irises in the States.

Speaking of "scents", can anyone with a "new" AIS checklist tell me if they still make a notation of "scent" ? In the older checklists, there was a special mark for fragrance, and a notation of just WHAT it smelled like.

Would love a new MDB. Linda Miller has one out this year as well.

grannysgarden said:Michele, the fragrance alone should sell your new little MDB.... and I know it will be beautiful as well.

I think I would buy it for the scent alone.

I can get down to sniff, but back up?

Barbara, I think the wonderful smell of many plants are being overlooked in favor of new forms. I remember when I was a child you could walk about the garden with you eyes closed and always know where you were by the scent. You could sat the front porch deep into the evening watching the fireflies and smelling the heady aroma of Mama's climbing roses. I often fell asleep with the window over my bed wide open with the scent of the garden drifting in. And each season brings its own lovely perfume. The sense of smell is very memory provoking for me and I do so love to walk about an old fashioned garden. Hurray for hybridizers who create for scent!

my wisteria is just about to bloom, can't wait. Smells sooooo good.