This is a very interesting thread to me, because I have been wrestling with understanding the qualities of mud, mauve, and what I call layered colors. I have learned (with guidance from more experienced hybridizers) to identify mauve and see the muddy drawbacks. I can certainly see mud in the outer petals of all the patterns with a pink petal base color. Pat Stamile has said this goes hand-in-hand with the pattern genes and is the big challenge to overcome with patterns. Although it seems to me that recently I've seen some patterns on white base petals that look pretty clean. Just in the past year or so. But I like a mixture of colors sometimes. I don't want pure pink, pure red, pure lavender all the time. Sometimes a mixture is interesting - I guess what we're saying is, it's all a matter of taste. As Judy pointed out, Curt Hanson has done some of this. I think INCA APOTHECARY is probably the least pretty, but I like RAINBOW MESA which seems in the same ball park to me. What I am liking in my own seedlings is what I can only describe as a base color with a very thin overlay of a different color. I love these looks, but realize some might just see mud. Here are some below. The first is a pink base with a violet overlay. Pictures don't do it justice, but it's a real head turner in the garden. Pulls your eye right to it, whereas if it were pure pink, I don't think it would. The second one I realize many would just see mud, but in real life, it looks like you sprayed a very thin, gauzy layer of grey over it. Maybe this is the smoky look Judy was talking about. Less pronounced here than in TRAHLYTA, and maybe it doesn't come through in the picture, but I thought I'd try it. I would probably never introduce this, but I will definitely keep it for myself. This is SOUTH SEAS x CLEAR FORK. The third is a cross of SOUTH SEAS x DON DIEGO - and the petals here, too, have a mixture to my eye of pink and a tinge of orange. Others might just see a muddy pink, but I like this look. Maurice's comments make it easier to understand - maybe pink and lavender layers aren't muddy, but layers with yellow or orange are more likely to be. On the other hand, the fourth pic is a pink-yellow cross THE FULL MONTY x SEARS TOWER. This could definitely be called muddy, put I like the color combo. Very interesting to hear people's views on all these different flowers.
