It is really just doing something that interests you and learning as you go.
Probably most people who are crossing DL's have some set goals or objectives that they are working toward. Not that I don't have my goals for hybridizing, but my focus is not very narrow. I like every form of DL and every flower size. My objectives are more about really good garden plants that have enough buds to put on a show. Then I want extended bloom and re-bloom all with pretty faces. While they won't all be everything we want, there is also the place for extending the bloom season with early, mid, and late blooming cultivars.
I also use older cultivars in hybridizing and I have been collecting some older DL's that I want to use in the future. So for me, it is not about the latest or new DL's that are available, but just plants that I want to try growing and then crossing them for experiment.
Terry
