There are some irises that I can't distinguish apart unless they are labeled.
These two are both from Schreiner's; both are nice, but from a distance they're
hard to recognize.

Master Touch, Schreiner 1980 AND Sultry Mood, Schreiner 1989

Leon ~ It's a good thing you have them labeled!

They look like something from one of those "spot the differences" puzzles.

Leon's post brings another question to mind...do you have a tendency to order similar irises to that which you already have growing in your garden?

I try not to do that, Evelyn, but it definitely happens. I noticed that many irises I want or end up buying are related to each other, so share similar traits, are siblings and so on. Also it happens that I order an iris that is similar to the one I really wanted, only to replace it later when the one I really wanted becomes easier available here in Europe.

I did that two years ago and got hung up on one color combination. I have a terrible time telling them apart without the metal markers, especially in photographs!
This year I will try to get some that are more distinct in color pattern although I find myself drawn to selfs.

Evelyn, I find I definitely am attracted to the same patterns and colors. I have never seen a neglecta that I didn't want, and I love the pink/lavendar combinations. I also like blue and white iris.

Therefore, I have:

Aleutian Islands



Dangerous Mood



Over Alaska



Wicked Good



Celebration Song



Pond Lily



Venita Faye



Blowing Kisses



Bon Appetit



Sweet Musette



Raging Tide



Money in Your Pocket



Stairway to Heaven



Sea Cruise



I really must stop myself!

Even though they are similar, all of those are beautiful! Love those pastels and the dark purple combo.

Andrea ~ Yes, and they are all so pretty. Let me know the secret to "stopping yourself"!

Janie ~ I got a lot of different ones this season, though I tend to collect a lot of selfs as well. I enjoy the blended colors, and now have even stretched my horizons to include amoenas and neglectas, but not many.

I try not to get too many that look similar for the simple reason that I don't have enough room (yet) for more than one of each colour (combo). That said, I have several different white or near white because they go with all the other colours. But... for some reason, which have eluded me so far, I have or have ordered a surprising number of orange/peach & white irises:

My first one was

which I'm still very fond of, not least because it is a good grower, reliable bloomer and very fertile.

Then Barry Blyth send me this one as a bonus


Then this year I've ordered

A BB so _completely_ different of course!

...and


I meant to order this one last year

but somehow it never ended up in my shopping cart - so of course I'll have to correct that mistake asap!

IrisLilli said:But... for some reason, which have eluded me so far, I have or have ordered a surprising number of orange/peach & white irises:
My first one was:

• Tall Bearded Iris (Iris 'Château d'Auvers sur Oise')
• Uploaded by IrisLilli

which I'm still very fond of, not least because it is a good grower, reliable bloomer and very fertile. Then Barry Blyth send me this one as a bonus:

• Tall Bearded Iris (Iris 'Handful of Magic')
• Uploaded by IrisLilli

Then this year I've ordered:

• Border Bearded Iris (Iris 'Timely Kiss')
• Uploaded by ARUBA1334

A BB so _completely_ different of course! .and:

• Tall Bearded Iris (Iris 'Pumpkin Pie ala Mode')
• Uploaded by HighdesertNiki

I meant to order this one last year:

• Tall Bearded Iris (Iris 'Mandarin Morning')
• Uploaded by KentPfeiffer

but somehow it never ended up in my shopping cart - so of course I'll have to correct that mistake asap!

Do you like pumpkin pie with whipped cream?

I must admit it does sound quite appetising!

Lilli, Funny how it happens, isn't it?

Mandarin Morning goes on my list!

My apologies!

I had no idea that Oregon Skies and Silverado were this similar. Sure Silverado has the bigger flower and is very lovely, but when it bloomed next to Oregon Skies this year my initial reaction was, why is that flower bigger than the rest of them, not that it was Silverado blooming for the first time.



I thought that Silverado would be a bit paler. Perhaps the lack of sunshine last year was the factor. Time will tell I guess. I do realize Silverado is the "bigger" name here as it is one of the most famous irises, but I still like the stems on Oregon Skies better (so far). Bloom seems more reliable and growth is definitely faster as well.



Oregon Skies is also one that I initially bought very much as a substitute for Absolute Treasure. At the time I couldn't find a vendor for it here.

.

There we have it, 3 light blue TBs. A favorite color, but I think I'll still need to eliminate at least one of them.

I'd have a hard time choosing between Silverado and Oregon Skies. They both have beautiful form. Does one have better branching than the other?

William ~ Now that you also have Absolute Treasure, of the 3, which has the best branching and resiliency?

Absolute Treasure is new to me, so haven't bloomed yet. Hopefully it will be a bit different from the other two, but it will take at least two years until I could say for sure how the stems develops, as I wouldn't want to judge it on its performance the first year after planting.

Oregon Skies grows small, tough rhizomes that suits my climate very well. Doesn't mean it would be the ideal choice elsewhere, but I definitely recommend it for rainy, cold areas. Silverado's rhizomes are larger and increases rather slowly here.

This year Oregon Skies definitely had better branching than Silverado, but look at my stem shot and compare it to other members photos of Silverado in the database as any comparison I do will be a bit unfair. The reason I say unfair, is that after two years I only have had one stem on Silverado and it was shorter than its description, with fewer blooms than it should. It could very well develop much more impressive stems in other areas of the world and different climates!

Edit: spelling

Silverado is not a great grower here either, but it is still alive and bloomed for the first time last season. I don't have Oregon Skies, but I got Absolute Treasure last year, so looking forwad to comparing the two - if they bloom...

Silverado here has a slight lavender influence so not my favorite 'blue' iris. Absolute Treasure more blue here. It was beaten up pretty badly by hail in spring 2017 and has had to rebound. I hope it blooms this spring,