Wow you guys want to make me a TV star! Actually I did a spot on P. Allen Smith's show about ten years ago on how one hybridizes and the basic processes. I have a VCR copy so you know that technology is long gone. It may be available in a more modern format. Allen is a very good interviewer and quite a character himself.
I am in the process of getting some more plants in and was also doing a little crossing and realized "I NEED MORE ROOM" so quickly constructed a 20' x 5' bed and have plans to construct 3 more for all the seedlings I'll be raising. Looks as though all sorts of cultivars are going to bloom this year and there could be some interesting combinations. I might not get my 10" black cobweb but I'm betting I get some good seedlings out of these crosses. It is a numbers game though. Most are like mom or dad and it's the 1% that make you happy, not the 99% all-so-rans.
Then after you grow them up, you have to make selections. One that Cynda liked was one I hadn't given a lot of thought but now hat she has remarked as liking it, I decided to give it a chance. It has the same sort of hues as Helen Payne's 'Elene' but it looks to be a larger rosette and retains its color much better. Sort of an interesting combo of shiny leaves and fringe on the leaves too. Anyway probably good to have more than one set of eyes go through the seedling patch. You have a new job Lynn!
When I was a kid Bill Nixon would come for a visit several times / year and of course I lived on the same street with Polly Bishop and Patty Drown. I sent pieces of anything I was considering naming to Helen and Ed Skrocki. That would give you a fairly good cross section of people saying "Yeah I like that too" or "Kevin that isn't your best work". It was a fun time as here were so many interesting things happening. Even after all these years 'Jungle Shadows' and 'Lipstick' still look quite remarkable to me so you can imagine my excitement when they occurred in my garden in '69 and '70.
I played in the 4th of July concert in Monomouth last night Lynn. Should have emailed you.
Kevin
