Marilyn ~ Please let us know how well that works out for you!
I have similar goals, though I'm only in my third year of growing a large number of irises, I have somehow already accumulated too many. I will be looking at second and third year growth, to see which ones do the best, and which ones that I like the best. If it is pretty, but does not grow well for me, it will just have to go. And of course, if I don't like them enough, they will also go.
We have so many deer browsing here, but I want to incorporate some of the irises into the landscape, after the fire insurance inspection! They won't even allow any plants within 5' of the house. We had to dig and replant what was growing there to other beds. Anyway, about the deer...they do browse on all the plants, even though irises are not their favorite. I will try repellent and maybe a temporary barrier...not sure.
I do have one large perennial bed, within the fenced garden area, that I was going to dig up and replant, but you know what happened, so it did not get done in fall. I was hoping to renew the strawberry bed as well, though with no care at all, we had a bumper crop of strawberries. It helped that we had some rain in spring. Some years it is pretty dry. There is plenty of work to be done out there, it is possible that some work can be done in between storms before the snow comes to stay.
The hybridizing goals need to be consolidated as I, too, have too many ideas. Every idea is like the "Sorcerer's Apprentice", and multiplies so fast and, "Where on earth will they all be planted?"
I still do have an idea where the next large bed will go....
