Hey there @tsflowers I have pics I have to search for but your seedling sent finally bloomed this season in my garden...and bloomed out I'll have to search for pics.

I originally planted this season alone 1,167 seeds of 40+ crosses. I just finished planting today another 600+ seeds of all my leftovers from 2016. Way over my head, but deselecring majority of my blooms will help in 2019/2020 For more seedling space.

Currently 252 in the ground doing very good. I doubt any or many 2018 blooms due to them living in shade. 2019 should be a show of several Keppel, Blyth, Ghio and other potentially great crosses now that they have a sunny location and new home. Heres a shot in the rain today of my future.

evelyninthegarden said:Teresa ~ That picture of Prince Charming shows yellow in it. It is white and hyacinth purple, right?

The above database photo is Sue's. I had not yet posted my photo when I made that particular post. Here's mine


It is white, but I think it's got a yellow cast. Lot of times, probably especially on the older ones, the descriptions weren't as detailed.

Someone tree mailed me about the watermark and thought it had been changed. It's back, and I didn't do anything. I told the system to add a watermark, but I didn't know what it looked like. The person that tree-mailed (this is running so very slow for me I don't even want to go look) said it was very distracting, and I agree. However, I do want a watermark on my photos because I work too hard getting them and everything else it takes.

Oh Tom, that is so sad because I think that is a beautiful seedling.

it was a beautiful seedling.

Glad you posted Gabe @Cuzz4short . I've been wondering about you when your 'Roll Call' thread was brought up, but it wasn't you that had posted to it. When I viewed some of the recent posts, had it been you, I was going to post a note there. But it's taking me forever to make posts, and upload photos!

Your seedlings look great! Just remember to monitor for borer activity; especially if any neighboring people have Iris.

The seedling I sent you? The daylily piece? When I was packing your order, I remembered your little saying "gimme it, and I'll grow it", so I thought you ought to try a daylily to. I forget which cultivar it was; maybe Forestlake Ragamuffin, a spiky edge one, but not all that pretty in my opinion.

We'll be looking forward to your seedling blooms too. Amazing that you two above have and sowed that many seeds. I'm good if I start 10-12 new baby Iris seedlings per year. Most years, none. Daylilies in my opinion are easier and they don't move around like Iris do.

tveguy3 said:

Last year, I had a seedling that was on a lonely rhizome, sent up a stalk with a bloom that I liked a lot, but didn't make any increases. It just withered away and died. I did take some pictures of it though.



It was a Brazilian Art X Cold Fusion cross.

How annoying! It was very pretty.

I think Tom's seedling is a nicer colour combination than Brazilian Art.

Cuzz4short said:Hey there @tsflowers I have pics I have to search for but your seedling sent finally bloomed this season in my garden...and bloomed out I'll have to search for pics.

I originally planted this season alone 1,167 seeds of 40+ crosses. I just finished planting today another 600+ seeds of all my leftovers from 2016. Way over my head, but deselecring majority of my blooms will help in 2019/2020 For more seedling space.

Currently 252 in the ground doing very good. I doubt any or many 2018 blooms due to them living in shade. 2019 should be a show of several Keppel, Blyth, Ghio and other potentially great crosses now that they have a sunny location and new home. Heres a shot in the rain today of my future.

You always amaze me Gabe with the amount of work you do and what you achieve. It must be a good feeling to have it all done

Totally_Amazing said: I think Tom's seedling is a nicer colour combination than Brazilian Art.

Tom ~ Are you going to try that cross again? Or do you have more seeds from that cross that you haven't planted yet?

I had a few others from that cross that bloomed, but nothing as nice as this one. There are several that haven't bloomed yet though, maybe one will be close to that one.
Here's some of the others. Nothing I'm too interested in.




I had a few from other crosses that bloomed without increases, but they were nothing worth taking a picture of, so no big loss.

So any out there dabbing pollen, what are you looking for if specific or trying to achieve as a hybridizing goal? (if anything)

I know that just learning where the pollen is and dabbing it in the right place isn't that easy for newbies who just want to try. I remember when I was at that stage. So then it was pretty to pretty to see what happens, and even if you get a seed pod to form, and then if the pod actually contains seeds. Nice thing is, if you get good pollination, a pod can have 50 seeds, and sometimes more, so that's a plus.

So even if dreaming of seedlings, any colors you would like your babies to produce?

Me . . . besides rebloomers for colder zones . . . I'm into those rimmed standards.

Hopefully this post isn't bad for getting us off topic, because I guess my question, though related to seedlings, is more of a hybridizing topic and probably a thread here already relating.

So keep posting your seedlings folks (I don't have any more except other photos of same I've already posted), and please jump in anyone who hasn't already posted.

I've mentioned this before, so bare with me But I got my love of irises from my Grandmother who loved them. I remember her getting all excited about a "New Pink" one that had been developed, and her saving up to buy it. She did get it, and she was so proud of it. After I got past the "just trying to see if I could make it work" stage, I've been trying to develop one with pink in it that has something else going on, maybe splashes of another color, maybe a rim of some other color, not sure, but something unique enough to be different, yet containing some pink. I'd like to name it in her honor. None of these crosses made with this goal in mind have bloomed yet, but should start next season. You should see a lot of pink seedlings from me in the future. I think I have 5 or 6 crosses with pinks, and about 300 seedlings from them that should be ready to bloom next spring.

Just watch, they will all turn out yellow!

tveguy3 said:Just watch, they will all turn out yellow!

Such faith!!

Use Superhero on every pink you got. Maybe the coloration on the falls will lighten. Then you might get a rim and pink in the falls.

tveguy3 said:.......... I've been trying to develop one with pink in it that has something else going on, maybe splashes of another color, maybe a rim of some other color, not sure, but something unique enough to be different, yet containing some pink. I'd like to name it in her honor. None of these crosses made with this goal in mind have bloomed yet, but should start next season. You should see a lot of pink seedlings from me in the future......

We will be hoping for that special seedling just for your grandma!

tveguy3 said:Just watch, they will all turn out yellow!

I hope not!

Tom ~ I love that story about your grandmother and the pink irises. I hope that you are able to develop a nice one.

Leon ~ In my brief study of iris genetics, I have seen a lot of surprises. Yellow X Yellow = Pink and so on. When and how the dormant genes for color are activated is still a mystery to me. I see that I have a long ways to go, as I have yet to make a cross. So it will hopefully this coming June, that I will be making my first attempts at crossing.

Starting from scratch, as my new purchases from this year will most likely not be developed enough, I will start with existing irises in my garden. Yes, my first "trial run"!

In the meanwhile I have been mapping out the genetics of all the irises that I have, and trying to figure out which ones will be good parents.

evelyninthegarden said:Leon ~ In my brief study of iris genetics, I have seen a lot of surprises. Yellow X Yellow = Pink and so on. When and how the dormant genes for color are activated is still a mystery to me. I see that I have a long ways to go, as I have yet to make a cross. So it will hopefully this coming June, that I will be making my first attempts at crossing.

Evelyn, I am sure you will enjoy your efforts in hybridizing. I stopped dabbling in hybridizing several years ago not because it wasn't fun, and not because I didn't enjoy it. I stopped because it got out of hand and so much space is needed for seedlings. And I must say it took a toll on my time in the gardens because it involved so much work! Now I realize this thread calls for posting "your 2017 iris seedlings"; and I do want to honor that. So I will just give you a couple of examples of two seedlings back in 2005. And I know you will enjoy seeing your results after 2 or 3 years of growth. I still (to this day) have a few SDB/IB seedlings that I kept back from 2006; nothing special- just a reminder that I'm not getting any younger.

IMPRIMIS X CHAMPAGNE ELEGANCE ==

CHAMPAGNE ELEGANCE X IMPRIMIS = =

Leon ~ Those two are beautiful! In fact I cannot say that I prefer one over the other one.

I realize that I have more beds to dig, as you are right about the potentially large number of seedlings and the space to grow them as well as waiting 2 to 3 years to see any results, and then the decision to scrap most of them and only keep the best. Of course this will also take 1 or 2 more years to see how well they grow, number of blooms, branching...etc. So many variables to consider when choosing the best seedlings, if any!

Added to say that I am not a "spring chicken" either! I can wish to be young, but it won't make it happen, so I will plod along and hope to live long enough to get a seedling or more that is pleasing to me and hopefully to others as well.

@TBGDN Leon your seedlings are nice; and lovely Iris patch you have there in your Avatar. My rows never look like that because the clumps are always being dug from.

I grow Champagne Elegance, and in your instance of it being mom of the one seedling, it looks very similar, from my recollection(?). But I do see a standards rim going on there. Are you sure you don't want to cross it with something like Superhero? . . . just a few more seedlings? Space and work is why I probably on plant 10-12 seedlings or Iris, if that, per year. It's just so exciting waiting to see them bloom, and I crowd them terribly.

@TsFlowers Theresa these were "ancient history" in my collection days. I quit "dabbling" in crosses several years ago and have down-sized my iris gardens tremendously. Those seedlings just didn't pan out so I eliminated them along with many others. Seems they are never quite as good as their parents in looks, growth, blooms, etc. I do keep a few median seedlings for reference only- not for looks, registering, performance. etc. And the avatar photo looked like this about May 25, 2017.

By July 15, 2017 it looked like this.
AND
And by October 1st like this.

I am a firm believer in digging, dividing and replanting at least every two to three years for several reasons. It just seems like there is less disease, insects and other problems. Plus they have extra room to grow & "breathe". Now that I am a "senior citizen" I have problems keeping up with everything, especially since I seem to get into a little bit of everything gardening. It gets to be quite a job, and I know it will happen to us all. With that said I am not ready for the recliner or assisted living. As long as I can walk I'll have gardening on my mind. (Sorry I went too long! )

Your beds look awesome Leon!