OK, I'm on a roll now! I was thinking I wouldn't have much to show for purples because I feel I need more, but I may have more pictures of the purples/lavenders than any of the other colors!

FOREIGN SCANDAL - Barry Blyth - My favorite purple now because of THE RUFFLES!


EVENING TIDINGS - Schreiner's - My second favorite. I think this is one exquisite iris! The first picture was taken in my garden, and the next two at Schreiner's when the temps were in the mid-90's.


WEDDING NIGHT - Ghio - This should be shown with the plicatas, but I think of it as one of my favorite purples!


BUBBLE BUBBLE - Ghio - Another of my favorites! I think it's hard to capture the beauty of this flower in a photo.


LOUISA'S SONG - Blyth - The first two pictures were taken in my garden, and the last at Schreiner's


TELEPATHY - Keppel - A purple luminata.


PLUM POODLE - Jedlickas


NANCY'S LACE - Shepard


WHAT'S MY LINE - Black - The falls are narrower on this one than I usually like, but I love the unusual coloring!


SWINGTOWN (Schreiner's) and CUPID'S WISH (Blyth) - Second picture taken at Keith Keppel's.


IMBROGLIO - Keppel - This is one gorgeous Border Bearded!


SPLASHACATA - Tasco


DAUGHTER OF STARS - Spoon - Another purple luminata - And this one reblooms!


ROYAL STERLING - Keppel - Gorgeous!


CELESTIAL EXPLOSION - Tasco


MARY FRANCES - Gaulter - An oldie but goodie!


KEVIN'S THEME - Kerr - An early rebloomer for me


FRENCH LILACS - Keppel



OK, let's see your purples and lavenders!

BB Margaret Beaufort. It is only 23" tall. but a happy grower.

Did not do the picture sorry. MB.

Betty I am the same the purples are my favorites, I really like Foreign Scandal and Nancys Lace both really unique and the ruffles on Foreign scandal are beautiful way different than anything else I have seen Ill be looking for that one in May in Oregon. I really Love your shreiners pictures as well I have some great memories of walking there beds and fields. When there gardens are in full bloom there is nothing like it.

Thanks, Aruba. I really loved walking the rows at Schreiner's both years I was there. Isn't it nice that we have such pleasant memories of their gardens and fields? Both iris that you mentioned, FOREIGN SCANDAL and NANCY'S LACE, are available at only one place each that I know of. Keith Keppel has FOREIGN SCANDAL this year, but it might be gone by next year so if you really want it maybe you should jump at it; and our own Dee at Snowpeak Iris has NANCY'S LACE listed and I don't know of anyone else who has it.

Lucy, IS MARGARET BEAUFORT one of yours? It's really pretty, and I see lots of buds!

I dont have a lot of single pics more clump shots than anything but these are some of my Favs from our gardens and Oregon

Dusky Challenger







Strut






Noctambule






Celebration song



Aegan Wind



Paul Black

North Pacific Seas






Dialect




Cowabunga




Midnight Majesty







Stepping Out




Perpetual Joy

Really beautiful, Aruba! I'm not familiar with PERPETUAL JOY, but I sure do love it!

Majestic Ruler - a fairly uncommon shade of purple. Love the blue beards.


Wish Upon A Star - another one where the beard really makes it special


Magheralin - beefy plants that produce flowers with heavy substance


Noble Gesture - big and striking


Accessible - love the beards on this one too


Chocolates And Silk - amazingly beautiful, but not a good grower in my garden so far


Loopty Loo - somewhat similar to Chocolates And Silk, grows much better for me


Magnificent Masterpiece - name says it all


Pretty Woman - like every Maryott iris I've had, it grows just well enough to survive from year to year. Pretty though.


Rhinelander - neat color changes quite a bit as the flower ages


Secret Weekend - spectacular

yes MB is a border iris of mine. Funny, only purple in the cross. Named after the mother of Henry VII at the request of an English friend.

Beautiful pictures of gorgeous irises, Kent! Do you have SECRET WEEKEND? I was hoping to get it from Keith this year, but he's already eliminated it from his catalog -- bummer! I just love it! My CHOCOLATES AND SILK already gave up the ghost, I'm afraid. And some irises just never bloom for me! I've had LOOPTY LOO since it was introduced and have added a couple of rhizomes since to encourage it -- but still nothing! And I've had ENCHANTER for even longer and added extra rhizomes. I guess if they're not gonna bloom they're just not gonna bloom! So they're both outa here if they don't produce this spring! And I'm glad to finally see good pictures of NOBLE GESTURE. I got it from Keith when it was introduced two years ago, but it hasn't bloomed yet and I've never seen a clear picture of it until now, but it's really beautiful -- and maybe it'll bloom for me this year. Love the color on MAJESTIC RULER, too. Joe Ghio has a new purple this year, and if it's part of a collection I want I think I'll order it. I'm always looking for good purples.

Next I'd like to do amoenas -- Funny -- my computer just changed it to "amoebas" ...

I planted Secret Weekend last summer. Keith sent two "small" rhizomes of it rather than the usual one massive rhizome. One never grew, but the other looked good going into winter. So I'm a little worried, but still have hope that Secret Weekend will be at least a decent grower. That's always a risk with Blyth iris, but so many are so beautiful that they are worth trying to grow.

You wouldn't think an iris that is basically a dark purple self would be all that notable in this day and age, but Noble Gesture is amazing. It caught my eye from the highway as we were driving to Keith Keppel's garden.

Wow great pics Kent I really like Noble Gesture I bought it last year and Im hoping it blooms this year Ive always had good luck with Kieths flowers they seem to do well even with the cold winters we have here in Iowa, just curious if you have ever imported any of the Blyth Iris direct from Australia and how your luck has been growing them in the midwest I really like a lot of his newer intros just don't know how they would do in our climate.

Betty Perpetual Joy is a schreiners Intro I think 07 0r 08 the color is great on it reminds me of Mary Frances just a updated version with Ruffles

ARUBA1334 said:Wow great pics Kent I really like Noble Gesture I bought it last year and Im hoping it blooms this year Ive always had good luck with Kieths flowers they seem to do well even with the cold winters we have here in Iowa, just curious if you have ever imported any of the Blyth Iris direct from Australia and how your luck has been growing them in the midwest I really like a lot of his newer intros just don't know how they would do in our climate.

Most Blyth iris grow well here although they often take a year or two to settle in. Some don't grow well or at all. I just plant them and rejoice when they grow and move on when they don't. I've never bought directly from Australia. The shipping costs and reversed seasons are too much of an obstacle. Plus, waiting and buying from American growers can help filter out some of the least vigorous varieties.

Well I will have to peruse my pictures and see what I have here. My favorites are intermediates because they are so cute and bloom early. But they don't usually do that well for me because of mild winters. But 2008 and 2010 were cold enough that I had some irises bloom for me that hadn't bloomed in YEARS. Many of them I didn't know I still had. My irises are in raised beds and due to my age now, I don't get up into the beds to try and locate stuff anymore. They spread out all over the place and it's hard knowing what is what sometimes until they bloom.

You know what, I will start a median thread, then post my favorites. I will do talls on here.

Awesome pictures everyone. I would only hope that I could go to Schreiners someday, but alas my traveling days are pretty much over.

Tom Burseen is a Texas hybridizer and many of his do well for me, I will note which ones are his.

Dot in Texas

Altered State by Tom Burseen



Bluid by Tom Burseen


Cross Current


Evelyn Harris


Fancy Woman


Handshake


Kevin's Theme


Splashacata, did someone say there was a plicata thread?


Beat the Heat by Tom Burseen


Beat the Heat

Beautiful purples, Dot! And I can't get over how much more color your KEVIN'S THEME has than my flowers do. It is always about the last iris to bloom for me each year, and by then it's usually up to 100, which I guess makes mine look very pastel. Yours is gorgeous!

All are beautiful! Love Kevins Theme.

Wow, so many now added to my wish list just from this one thread!!

Love FOREIGN SCANDAL, what ruffles!! And I love that cool coloring on WHAT'S MY LINE with the bronze shoulders. I bought DAUGHTER OF STARS & KEVIN"S THEME last year so hopefully I'll be able to see my own blooms this year!

Aruba, lovely shots, that Noctambule is a beauty.

Kent, always great shots from you too, I am drawn to the fun beards as well, love Accessible and that Secret Weekend is really striking!!

Dot, I can't even pick a favorite, all are so lovely! Maybe Kevin's Theme, I have that one too but Fancy Woman strikes my fancy for that bright fun beard!

I hope everyone has added these to the database!