Am I missing something here? I just searched the database for irises in the magenta color group, and out of this entire color group, not a single one has ever been awarded a Wister or Dykes Award. Am I totally alone in loving that color? Is there some flaw of form, substance, vigor, or fragrance that is holding back the iris in that color group? Or are hybridizers simply missing the boat on making improvements in this color group! Hint! Hint!
Okay, so I searched the database for magenta tall beardeds that have received the award of merit, and find that in the entire database there have only been 17 that have been awarded that award, and of those 17, in my opinion at least 4 don't really belong in the magenta color group, belonging, rather in the wine, or yellow, or other color groups by their predominant color.
Ok, we've already had the discussion about how awards can "miss" very worthy cultivars, simply because their hybridizers didn't promote them, or very early or very late bloom times so that convention attendees never saw them in bloom. I don't want to rehash that.
What I do want to know is whether you hybridizers in the group think there is more need to play around with this color group to improve it.
And I want some suggestions as to the magentas you love, why you love them (strong points), as well as what weak points might have held them back. And are there any new gorgeous magentas you know of that are simply not in the database, or have been misclassified into another color group in the database. Or possibly ones for which a color group check box was simply not checked.
By the way, I love the depicted color of the ones called Aplomb, Nora Eileen, and possibly Winterberry, but can't really judge the accuracy of the depicted colors, or any form or substance, or vigor problems that they might have. Would especially love feedback on these three as well as others you might know about.
Sure looks magenta to me!
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