Oh no, Evelyn! Hope you managed to extract yourself without ordering the lot??

cliftoncat said:Wonderful image, Evelyn - you in cyber prison, albeit surrounded by beautiful irises!
Perhaps you should just order one of each?

I don't like ALL of them, so you mean 1000 out of 4000?? YIKES!!! Or even 100?

I had better get to digging that new bed!

I am too old for this. My alter ego wants to start hybridizing as well, so I have been looking for traits to cross. It's all your fault...everyone on here should be ashamed, taunting an old woman!

I believe the accepted technical term is 'enabling', Evelyn!

Who, Us, enable? Why I never!

grannysgarden said:Who, Us, enable? Why I never!

I suspect it may be an occupational hazard if you're part of this forum...

I prefer the term 'inspire'!

Well, I did have some good news! I emailed Mary and gave her a small sample, about 10 plants, and she only had 2 of them ready to sell, so now I don't feel so bad. At least they were my 2 favorite of that small list she did have.

Now to finish going through the pictures in the website. Something to do in the heat of the day.

cliftoncat said:I believe the accepted technical term is 'enabling', Evelyn!

I dont look at it as enabling, I look at it as guidance to mynthinking.

OK, all of you ENABLERS!

This is the list of confirmed available from the HUGE list that I gave to Mary at Bluebird Haven Iris Garden. There are 40 names listed, I am hoping to narrow it down to 20. It took several days to wade through her 4000 varieties, though I am glad that she did not have them all in stock, or the decision would have been even more difficult. I would also (might have) needed to fence another section of the property, as the deer do not leave them alone. I really do not need to expand areas that need weeding as I already have enough to keep me busy until late fall, so I want to stay away from that idea.

Afternoon Delight
Babbling Brook
Batman
Boyfriend
Cable Car
Carnival in Rio
Casa Morena
Chief Waukeska
Codicil
Crackling Burgundy
Dera
Dutch Chocolate
Escondido
Gondolier
Horned Sunshine
Laurel Oak
Lavender Queen
Maui Surf
On Line
Oregon Sunshine
Orbiter
Orinoco Flow
Pearl Chiffon
Pencil Sketch
Perfect Interlude
Picture Bouquet
Pierre Minard
Pink Unicorn
Pledge Allegiance
Red Polish
Rocket Red
Rosa Nova
Rosette Wine
Samurai Warrior
Sea Wolf
Ship Shape
Silent Majesty
Titan's Glory
Victoria Falls
Webspun


I have already eliminated a few. Most of them are selfs, though a few of plicatas and some bitones and blends.

What I aim for are ones I think I can breed with others, though that is a sketchy idea. I don't know what blood lines are compatible with others for easier takes on the pollination or not, since I have not yet studied up enough to do some intelligent work. In any case, it will be a hobby, and I like most of them for themselves, though a few have been selected for specific color, shape and size.

These are all historic irises.

I do have a question: What is the best kind of label and marker that does not fade? I know that pencil on plastic does not fade, but is hard for me to read in the garden. I have used several kinds over the years, and I know that the labels will be important. In the past, I would rather not have labels in my mixed gardens as they detract from the composition of the plants, and now I have a few irises and daylilies that have lost their names.

Evelyn, I had a huge list for Bluebird Haven as well. I spent a lot of time narrowing it down and then when I emailed my request I found a lot weren't available. It could be because it was late (It was at the end of May) but I would say half the ones I requested weren't available so maybe you should just start by asking if all on your list are available. I think she has had a lot of losses. Not sure but maybe she had some bad weather. Also she asked for the catalog numbers. I didn't realize she needed that so I must of missed it when reading through the ordering info.

Meredith ~ I did that already. This list are "confirmed available". I have been emailing her. She still has quite a few, but she has already shipped out a lot as well.

What I did was go through the entire catalog, and select the ones that I liked. This took over a week. I have never seen a catalog this large. Then I emailed her with my big list. The list that I just posted were from her confirmed available from my list, and I am looking to see if I can cut it in half. She emailed me back every night with what I had requested during the day. Then I made a master list of what she had of what I wanted. Now....to want less....

There are some similar ones with close colors, but other desired features.

Yes that sounds like what I did! Her list is huge! I just got my order today and I had ordered 9 after not being able to get many of my first choices and listed 11 as bonus / subs. I got 2 subs from the list and one extra I hadn't asked for. I only got 1 of one I had ordered 2 of and another was not in the order so I am assuming she had to sub. I just thought I could save you the time if you were really trying to narrow it down. I am so bad I make a spreadsheet with all the info, I will just show you what I mean.. https://docs.google.com/spread... I do it when I can't be outside gardening (cold rainy weather).

This order took all week. I would email my desired list and the restate the confirmed available in the email. I told her I would select from the available list of what she had that I wanted. then I won't get stuck with substitutes. I will also email her once I have sent her the check with the list from the form listed on her web page. I will reaffirm to not substitute any. (I only want what I want.) Blue J Iris sent me a bunch of things I did not request and even charged me for some of them. It was my first order with them and I know that they are in the middle of a move to El Paso. They will get a pass this time. Next time if I should order with anyone, I will request no subs, or just list what subs I would want.

In fact, I just had an idea of how to trim my order. Mary said that the inventory sheet was in the office, but the field may show some failures, so I will give her my "leftover" list, of one's that she confirmed were available. I don't want to take the time to plant an iris that I don't want. Oh, BTW, Gilbert Wild also gave me substitutes, so I should have learned my lesson then. (I am glad that was a small order.)

Sometimes we have to be clear about what we want, and also communicate clearly.

No rain here, but I have to come in during the intense heat of the day.

Edited to correct faulty math and faulty memory...(if only!) I was tired!

Yes I usually say no subs. I have so many I would like to try I don't like getting things I don't want. I feel bad throwing them in the trash but I usually grow them and try to give them to people I know just take any free plants they can. I was ordering for Mary Randall because I really wanted it and I wanted to make the shipping worth while. In the process I found a lot I wanted but I didn't end up getting any of the other originals I was excited to try. There were quite a few emails and as far as I knew what I had finalized was available. It seems like she has had a lot of losses or sold out a lot. Maybe she had all that rain everyone was talking about.

Evelyn, order a double of each. At least with a double here, you wont wake up with a hangover. Just kidding, all are good choise and would be hard to narrow down.

Meredith ~ She works alone with no help. As soon as I finish my weeding and dig the new bed for the iris, I have volunteered to help her. I wish that I knew more about websites as hers is pretty good for the amount of names, but no way to communicate what is out of stock or unavailable. I don't know enough about websites to help with that. If that was fixed, the ordering would go a lot smoother. She doesn't even have a way to take credit cards. Maybe I will introduce her to PayPal. We'll see.

She did have some problems last year, breaking her ankle; she is older than I am! While she was laid up with the ankle, part of her watering system failed. In this part of the country, you cannot have a huge operation like that without water, so there were a lot of losses. I am first going to help a bit with the part of the website that I can. Then, I will go and physically help her at her iris gardens. It is huge, several acres, and I know for sure that I could not do that alone. She needs to train someone younger that loves irises.

Hmmm... I have been looking at your list and other than removing some irises which look very much like other irises on the list, my advice would be to get fencing and make some new beds!

I think it is very generous of you to help!

I agree about not wanting subs. I order dwarfs and for some reason two well known vendors will give me TBs as a bonus or a sub. The reason I request no subs is I will only get one I already grow. I write a note to them stating 'no subs and if I qualify for a bonus or gift iris just double one on the order'. Works better for me.

Bonnie ~ That is an excellent idea!

Lilli ~ Thank you. This new bed will be able to hold them all. The only reason that I might need more space is if I get to hybridizing, which is actually the aim of this order. That is also why there are a few, very close on color, but slightly different shapes. I am taking those into consideration, but I need to learn a bit more about genetics, and which ones might be a better cross. I can also see that it might take 5-10 years to develop something of value, if I get lucky, since this is not tissue culture or "GM, just regular hybridizing. (I won't be using "CRISPR".)

What is a good book, or books, that deal with the details of hybridizing iris? And what websites might be useful? That could be made into a "sticky", if enough people are interested.

Evelyn