It's not nearly as much fun as the spring bloom, clearly, but I like playing around in the iris beds this time of year, especially evaluating how the newly planted varieties are doing and dreaming of what they might be like when they wake up next spring. Here are the new ones planted in the front bed (got dark before I got around to the main bed):

Ink Patterns (Tom Johnson) from Mid-America. It grew well this summer and put on three nice increases.


Toronto (Tom Johnson) from Mid-America. Grew very well, but hasn't produced any increase yet. Still, I think it will be fine.


Jazz Era (Keppel) from Keith Keppel. Excellent growth with five nice increases already.


Gates Of Rome (Blyth) from Keith Keppel. Came with one increase already on it and has produced another since.


Secret Weekend (Blyth) from Keith Keppel. Came with one increase, but hasn't produced any new ones yet. Growth seems OK


Sunset Plaza (Blyth) from Keith Keppel. Growth was good, but perhaps a bit spindly which is not unusual for Blyth iris in my garden. Just recently produced two small increases which is encouraging. I have high hopes that this one turns out to be at least a decent grower because I really want to see it bloom and use it in hybridizing


Sun Shine In (Keppel) from Keith Keppel. Hasn't produced much growth or any increase, but seems to be rooted in pretty good.


Noble Gesture (Keppel) from Keith Keppel. Nice looking growth right from the get go and three small increases.


Sugar Bomb (Blyth) from Keith Keppel. Good growth, but no increase as of yet.


Fashion Diva (Thomas Johnson) from Mid-America. It was so hot throughout July that it basically bleached the color out of many irises that I planted early in the month, which included this iris and several others from the Mid-America order. Looks good now, though, and has two nice increases on it.


Glamorama (Blyth) from Keith Keppel. This one actually showed some rot in the older part of the rhizome after planting it, but I cleaned it out and exposed it to the sun and it seems OK now. Growth has been fair and it has one small increase. Hope it does OK in the end because I paid more for it than I've ever paid for an iris before, $60.


Venita Faye (Keppel) from Keith Keppel. Perhaps the best grower (so far) of all my new iris this year. Really impressive, especially considering Amiable is one of its parents, and it has six(!) increases already.


I Must Have It (Paul Black) from Mid-America. Another one that bleached out in the July heat, but looks good now and has four increases.


Dawn To Dusk (Schreiner) from Mid-America. Grew well right from the beginning and now has four nice increases.


Dancing Star (Thomas Johnson) from Mid-America. Another one that didn't look too good in July, but looks great now, including three increases.


Alpine Harmony (Blyth) from Mid-America. Grew well, but didn't produce any increase until just recently. Now it has one small increase developing.


Through The Clouds (Ghio) from Superstition. This iris has a reputation as a weak grower, but it grew very well right from the beginning for me and has four nice increases. Hope it keeps it up.


Picture Book (Ghio) from Superstition. Great grower so far with three big increases already. If you are looking for a vigorous pink, this might be it


Montemartre (Keppel) from Keith Keppel. This one took a long time to get going, but it has two nice increases on it now.


Dance Card (Keppel) from Keith Keppel. This a border bearded iris and it is growing extremely well with six increases.


Hoodoo Blues (Markham) from Mid-America. Another BB, this one grow OK but didn't produce any increase until just recently. Now it has three small ones.

Some irises put out their new increases in the fall & some wait until spring. Parentage may not matter as I have had some from the same cross do it differently. I forget if Hoodoo Blues has aphylla behind it or not. If so, it may drop its leaves.

I have looked at a few new SDBs as have been too busy to check other parts of the garden. They seem to be doing well & Cardinal Coat & Calico Lace from Spoons (Winterberry) are really going great guns. A new one from Maine (Julie Lynn) is growing more slowly.

I'm with you Kent. I get great satisfaction in looking at the new increases on irises and go out often this time of year to see them, and say hi.

Anyone else talk to their irises? We don't have any neighbors nearby.

Kent,

Enjoyed your tour of newbies. I go out daily to check on mine so I was very much with you when you were giving your descriptions.

Thank you.

K

In the 70's and 80's when I was working long hours I would go out to the garden after dark with a flashlight to look for increase. I'm still obsessive but not quite that much. Newly planted things look good here. 'Smart Money' has the most increases but they were there when it came. 'Fixation' had rot but I cleaned it up and increase are coming. Some of my new things were shaded part of the day by tomatoes and are growing but not as well as the ones in full sun. Those from Ghio look the best. SDB 'Jellicle Cat' has made a clump as has a seedling planted out in May. It is Gypsy Lord X French Riviera

Paul,

Funny you would say that about the Ghio. My new Ghio are putting on an amazing performance. They are also the ones that the insects have attacked the most(tender new shoots). The Ghio did arrive a week before anyone elses.

K

That's amazing for first year, Paul.

Kent, the newbies look great. I'm just getting into iris so the information and photos are important.

I finally got up enough energy to get down on the ground and weed this years newly planted iris. Close examination found nice increase coming on all but two. Happy to find them.