Ring Around Rosie, in my opinion is an easy pod parent. I have a dropped seed seedling from her which I call Strawberry Patch Kid because I dropped the seed while collecting late, and didn't find it. It happened to fall into the strawberry patch which is next to that row.

This is seedling garden-named Strawberry Patch Kid. I personally do NOT like it. The trait seems to remain from maiden bloom of flaring-falls . Even in three years since 2014 it maintains the same look. Plus I've never counted more than 4 or 5 buds stalk, but I miss them sometimes, and they are not easy to count like daylilies. But I have yet to dig it out of the strawberry patch .



edited to say: It does multiply very quickly though.

Your 'Strawberry Patch Kid' isn't my cup of tea, but it certainly has an interesting speckled pattern that one could work with. And if it multiplies well, perhaps it has enough redeeming traits to continue the line?

I have not tried to pollinate it. (I may try using my re-blooming purple seedling out of Louisa's Song.) I've been trying to use the Iris in my garden that have more buds. But this year I was absolutely amazed at 'Immortality'. On Re-bloom I think it had 6-7 buds and it's an older Iris. I didn't manage to get photos because it's at the new lots. I felt the same about Roselle Figge (sp?) on re-bloom. I'll have to be making some notes, because what interests me now is for plants to re-bloom by mid-October here in growing zone 5. I loved those Iris blooms! And they are wonderful to cut and take in the house. I'm hoping for crossing both ways 'Immortality' with my purple re-blooming seedling. Some Iris just don't have pollen. And that's a waah wahh to me because I'd use the heck out of Starship Enterprise because I love the glow. But it never gives pollen.

Starship Enterprise has 32 offspring listed in the data base. Most of them have it as the pod parent, but a couple have it farther down on the pedigree as a pollen parent, so it must have pollen some times. I know I have some other blooms that don't always have pollen, but does some times. You can always use it as a pod parent.

I was always concerned to use it as a pod parent, though I had already researched that information myself. I researched almost every Iris I have to see if they have progeny as a mom. Then because of time factors, I selected the ones I wanted to use most based on *pretty*, and dabbed whatever *pretty* pollen parent. Because I had had borers, and it's a slow to increase here in my garden, I did not want to stress the plant as I didn't want to lose it.

Not to be off-topic, but as to the Iris borers, I'm hopeful. I only left probably half the Iris in my regular garden (maybe less). This was much easier to monitor the whole year. At the end of the season, I did not see evidence of any borer activity. I groomed any that I thought had borer activity and sprayed. But I was extremely diligent from the beginning of the year, including merit. One whole bed is now just tarped over. Seven (7) rows worth was planted with cutting flower annuals this year, though I missed several little pieces in those rows which quickly became clumps. I have way over-crowded my Iris for space (daylilies too), yet I will already be selling the new lots. I will be given 5 years to garden there and maintain and mow the two (2) 50x100 lots.

In the winter I make all kinds of plans for crosses, then life happens, and some of them either don't bloom that year or their bloom time is so different that one is done blooming before the other one starts. Or I make the cross several times and nothing comes of it. Some times I get the seeds and then they don't grow. I guess I could save pollen from the early ones to cross with the later ones, but then I really need to be selective in how many seedlings I grow each year so I can keep up with the garden work.

I made a detailed plan of crosses and most of them went out the window. Not everything bloomed and some things just didn't take. I loved hybridizing so much I went cross crazy with many unplanned crosses.

Liz ~ How many did you get after all that?

I had one bloom from a seedling that I wanted to use it's pollen as the stem broke off due to the hail storm damage. Well, I did use it on three blooms, none of that was what was planned, but I had to use it on the blooms I had. Two of them made seeds. They were all nice blooms so I could get some nice seedlings, but still, not what the plans called for. My Random Abstract personality took over once again.

evelyninthegarden said:Liz ~ How many did you get after all that?

I ended up w/ close to 1000 seeds! I'm going to plant them next week. I don't know how many will actually germinate.

1000!!! OMG!! I suppose that you already have the room for them ready....

Yes, I have read many stories about making many unplanned crosses. Maybe it is an inspiration thing, huh? The more you have, the better chance for getting some good ones...then the waiting.....

I'm looking forward to when everyone's seedlings bloom and we post our photos. Everyday we should get to see something new.

You sure like to stay busy on the garden Liz. 1000. Holy moly.

Happy Birthday too! Hope you are having fun tonight before you go into planting frenzy.

Happy Birthday, Liz

Thank you Leslie and Barbara! The birthday celebrating will have to wait while I get Wyatt through these couple days in the hospital.

Evelyn, I actually have very little space for these seedlings and I'm freaking out! Somehow I always find a way so I'm hoping I'll get inspired soon.

Liz ~ Did you get some rain lately? If you did, that should help with the digging. 😁

@Dachsylady86 a belated Happy Birthday Liz!!!
Did or will you sow your seeds outside?
I also landed with just over 1000 but I only sowed 630 of them in pots because space is also an issue, and will be leaving them out over winter. Last year was my first year crossing iris and I experimented - sowed half out in pots and the other half, I stratified in the fridge and sowed indoors. The germination rate was about the same. Only about a quarter of the indoor seeds germinated earlier so for me there is not much advantage. Besides, you have to grow them under lights which is more trouble.

Has anyone collected pollen to freeze for next year?

Liz, for Wyatt.

Sharlene ~ for sharing your experience with putting them outside and inside. This coming spring, I hope to do some crossing for the very first time. If any of them take, I will probably split them up and try the same thing. Usually there is snow on the ground most of January, but it usually starts in late November. That said, I do live in zone 8, and it doesn't usually get much below freezing. If there is an advantage to putting them under lights, I will do it. I guess we'll just have to wait and see the results.