Copied in part from Iris Popularity thread: I got into irises when my beloved "Daddy" put me to work in an iris/peony nursery at the tender age of 14, and continuing all through high school. He said the weeding, hoeing and sweating would build character and make money! (This was all true except for the money part. There just wasn't that much of it.) I am now a retired senior citizen, and my Dad will always be "Daddy" to me: He was the smartest man I ever knew, but I didn't know it back then! (And I wish now I had gotten around to telling him.) Anyway that was a long time ago, but the pain of working in the hot sun all day was truly a character builder. It made me wonder why anybody in their right mind would ever buy an iris or peony: They just meant more work! I swore then if I ever owned a home or got married I wouldn't have any of this 'stuff' to weed and hoe.
After a military tour of four years, and a long career with an electrical controls manufacturing firm I am now happily retired. So here I am with three grown kids, six grand-kids, two cats, six chickens, one original wife and
about 200-300 irises! And this does not count all the other stuff we grow, plant, weed, hoe, spray, and keep tabs on! But, looking back I wouldn't have it any other way, except more time maybe! It just seems all so natural the way it happened.
