My Rockytop Gardens catalog arrived yesterday, and I wasn't planning to order from them this year but they have some really great prices on some of the irises I want to get. I'm still waiting for Joe Ghio's catalog, but I'm thinking I'll also order from Rockytop again this year. They send big fantastic rhizomes with many increases and TONS of bonus plants -- and you can give them suggestions as to what you'd like for bonus plants too! They have their general listings divided into Sections 1 and 2 this year, and they will be discontinuing many of the plants in Section 2 after this year so they can make room for next year's newbies, and the prices in Section 2 seem really good.

For every new introduction you order (and they're all $45) they'll give you another as a bonus, and you can suggest what you'd like. Then for every $60 you order from irises other than their new introductions you get one of their last year's introductions as a bonus, and you can pick which one(s) you want. And then, in addition to all that, they also give you additional bonus plants to equal the value of your order from other than new introductions! And you can make suggestions there too. What a deal! I think this would be great for a gardener just starting out with irises and wanting to get some of the newer irises without having to spend a small fortune!

For anyone not familiar with Rockytop Gardens, here is their website address:

http://www.rockytopgardens.com...

I've never ordered from there. Have you ordered enough to know they are true to name?

Absolutely! I met Phil Williams at the Tall Bearded iris Society get-together in Salem, OR in May 2009 when we were up there, and at the time he was the VP of the TBIS. He's a great guy and would absolutely work with you if you had any problem with an order. Although I've only ordered from him once, the size and number of increases on his rhizomes were absolutely incredible and several of them bloomed for me last year; and I know Newyorkrita was totally impressed with her order from Rockytop that same year too. So I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Rockytop and Phil Williams.

When I posted the link for Rockytop I noticed that you can access his catalog through the website, which is nice...

R T catalog arrived today. We have ordered many times & only one name mistake. It was a median extra so didn't bother to tell him. Phil is a judge & longtime iris nursery person. & yes, we know him personally.

It may be my computer, but the online catalog seems hard to read, with two pages side by side and the print small. I can increase the page size, but then I'm moving the page left to right to see it all. And there doesn't seem to be photos of the iris (guess I've gotten spoiled, but if I have to look the photos up at a different website, I'll just order there).

There are photos, but not of everything, mainly the newest plants. There is the website.

Catalogue is 4.00. Might be easier to look at.

Neil, some of us have been posting by color class pictures of quite a few listed in the Rockytop catalog. We have gone through several classifications now, and I'm still working on it. So if you scroll through the pictures in all these threads you might see something you like here, rather than having to check other websites. I think Rockytop has mostly newer varieties, though, so they may not be your cup of tea.

Thanks, Betty, I appreciate your response and will look through the threads.

Even better I just went back to the website and realized that they are less than an hour's drive from me. So if they allow visitors, I can just see the iris blooming in person (which will probably not be good for my wallet!)

Oh yes -- why don't you email Phil Williams to find out when would be the best time to see blooms? And will you promise to take pictures and share later?

My Catalog arrived in the mail today. I don't have any more room in my iris beds so I can't order. Not unless I toss something or something rots over the winter.

That's really too bad, Rita. In my case, I'm always ready to toss something to make room for new ones. But that's because I always have some that I discover I no longer care for that much, or that do not bloom that well for me. So I always have a few "borderlines" around that I can decide suddenly on a whim to eliminate. And of course, I don't have to eliminate anything until after this year's bloom cycle and I'm sure there will be quite a few I will want to eliminate then. But that's just how I like to garden -- I always want new surprises each year to ooh and aah over.

Betty, I do toss real dissapointments in daylilies and iris but I don't like to be looking for something I have to move out. And I could never handle your turnover. I like to see the same blooms year after year. It it like seeing old friends over and over. Still, I do evaluate during bloom seasons in case there are ones that do need to go.

There are some beauties in those 2012 Rockytop intros. The one I really, really would love to have is HURRICAN BAY. If I get an empty spot due to anything rotting over the winter I will probably end up ordering it. I really, really like it.

I really like that one too. Barbara Nicodemus has hybridized some really beautiful irises, including my favorite dark, CRIMSON LIGHTS, and also her OZARK REBOUNDER. And the other one of hers that I have is FANCIFUL VISION, but I was out of town for two weeks when it bloomed for the first time last year.

If I end up ordering an introduction this year, I think it will be PINKABLUE. It looks very interesting and I really love the wide falls. Because it's so warm here the falls on my blooms are never as wide and ruffled as they are in the cooler, more humid climates, so I always go for the really really wide falls. And I already decided that I would suggest HURRICANE BAY, HARMONIOUS FLOW and JAZZ PIZZAZZ for a possible bonus new intro if I do order PINKABLUE.

Got a nice reply from Phil about visiting his iris. So in May, I'll put a new SD card in the camera and should have a lot of pixs to post. I'm hoping the season isn't like last year. Storms every few days, just enough to ruin each new batch of blooms as they opened.

That's fantastic, Neil! Can't wait to see the pictures!

Betty, I am interested in Rockytop Gardens. Have you ordered in the last couple years? Do they send nice size rhizomes?

Thank you,
Teresa

I haven't ordered any irises for about four years now, but I do recommend Rockytop. I ordered from them for a few years, and they always sent wonderful rhizomes.

Thank you, Betty
I always like to get a good review on a new to me vendor.

Their catalog could be easier to use. I like it when the pics and descriptions are together. Also, they didn't list size.