This will be a hopefully fun thread.
Rules:

Every so often show the progress of a newbie in your garden or pot(s). Hopefully by next year we'll see some great progress. There may be losses due to mother nature, but that's ok.

Pick 1 to 3 cultivars and let's see occasional progress over time till bloom...if your lucky enough. Doesn't matter if the rhizome(s) are big or little. Over a year there should be plenty of time to see a change from cacoon to butterfly.

I choose one potted and one in the ground. Here's the mugshots

Affair To Remember



Evening Rounds giving you all the finger

I will have to start with some of the new boxes. Hope I don't jinx the poor rhizomes, but sounds like a fun idea Gabe!

I got Evening Rounds recently too, Gabe. It will be fun to see how we do! Good idea!

...and Evening Rounds is a Robin Shadlow (Iris Sisters) introduction. Let's see who will
be the first to get our photo of it into the database!

I might chose 1 more tomorrow or so in a early stage. Just make sure to take at least a monthly or so of progress. Hopefully it survives, multiplies...and become shareable

Good Luck!

So hard to choose of a few! I think I will go with...

Trumped



Valley of Dreams



Sand Dancer - I'm choosing this one because Rick sent this to me as an experiment to see if a 1/2 AB can be successful in New England.

Perfect for the thread!

Here's my Evening Rounds - might move it to a bigger pot!

On with the research

For my 3rd and final one I choose Tijuana Taxi. I don't know if this one will survive. It's replanted since I noticed some greenish mold after the first two days. It's been cleaned and rehabbed. The roots aren't taking as of now either. Guess we'll see what happens.

Gabe!

Oh man, that's a gorgeous one. I hope it makes it! I got in a couple with mold that I had to clean, but I did it right away before planting and everything seems ok now. Definitely nerve-racking when they start off with an issue.

Sounds like a fun idea Gabe! You have lots of inventive thread ideas. I will have to survey my meager group of newbies to see if I can find some suitable guinea pigs.

Please do as I hope others do as well. Do it soon so we can capture stages though..

I want to know what vendor sends rhizomes with increases already on them. None of my rhizomes from reputable growers have any increases. I remember that last year our club ordered from Superstition and his had lots of increase when sent.

Superstition sent me ones with a lot of increases, so did Iris Sisters, as well as Bay View. Actually even Schreiner's sent a few with increases this year.

Besides those listed above, I have gotten ones with increases from Napa, Stout and Aitken's. Even one of my rhizomes from Breezeway had several increases (Scary - which was a very large rhizome).

You're right Leslie, I feel like I got some with increases from pretty much all the vendors. I haven't gotten all my orders in yet but I'm sure there will be more. Very exciting!

Also Napa Country Iris and Keith Keppel Iris in addition to those Liz named.

Interesting! But which ones to pick?

Well, guess I have time to think about that, as I don't think my camera will like taking pictures in the rain anyway...

Choices made....

These are all recent purchases or trades. They are typical east coast sized rhizomes.

The first is Bravery, a 2012 Ghio. It is potted temporarily in a mixture of half potting soil and half garden dirt. This will get transplanted to the hillside garden in about a month, when the weather is cooler and it has had a chance to grow some new roots. Currently it is placed near the barn so that it gets shade in the afternoon.



Next is Put Another Nickel In by Howard Bushnell 2011. This was a club sale purchase from a couple of weeks ago. Bought it mainly cause of the name. Found out later that it is a lavender-pink-purple blend. Currently in the same soil mix and location as the above.




And last is Howler a pink 2011SA by Thomas Johnson. Another trade from Greg. This one is planted under the peach tree. in a slightly lighter soil mix. Showing some growth already! This is its permanent location. (Ugly leaves in the back round have been trimmed since the picture was taken.)



These were all potted / planted on the same day.

A shot of the barn garden.