Lyn.. I won't be much help on the beards have made only 1 cross I can remember looking for beards it was when I first started and wanted the Beards from (Brilliant Idea) to go on some other color but it didn't work out most of the time crossing to 2 light blue flowers together will not get you a bunch of light blue seedlings we all start out looking at colors and making crosses for those but it just doesn't work like that the more seedlings you bloom you will realize that when you put too plants together your getting the parents of those on both sides which comes with there good traits and there flaws.. so I try to make the majority of crosses by breeding the plants with good stalks and flower form and select the colors from what blooms from them.
My advice for you would be start to cross the newer Keppel flowers together they are absolutely the best and what he is selecting and introducing are the finest quality out there a lot of what I am doing at home now is line breeding with his things meaning taking plants he has introduced and putting them together. Don't worry about crossing the colors lot's of fun things will pop up in the seedlings patches and while they will not all be winners the genetics behind them will give you good a lot of good branches and well formed flowers to pick through ..
I wanted to show you one of his seedlings that has been a really good breeder for stems as an example ...this is (08-67F) the flower is a common color but those stems are not and when you look at the children you can see where it has passed down to them.
Look at some of the kids it has made for an example
Grand Noble
Shandygaff
Sugar High
Easter Dress
A few recommendations on plants to acquire and work with
Cast Adrift
Colorfast
Great Looks
Showmanship
Royal Heir
Gentle Manner
High Achiever
