I decided to start this as a new thread basically for my own convenience so I can keep notes of my observations in detail, not just post pictures which are the part everyone loves. That's my warning that this will include a lot of verbiage that might be tedious to anyone but me.

First off, I was interested that many have remarked that their bloom season started earlier than usual. Also interesting to me how much earlier Tom's TB's opened than mine even though he's 5b and I'm 6a. My first 3 iris opened today: Dark Universe, 4 days earlier than last year. High Master and Mysticano, one week earlier than last year. No pictures yet as the morning is dark and cloudy.
-
Sergey x Aristocracy 2022 cross

This is the most exciting thing as 3 of my first four seedlings are sending up bloom stalks. I got 32 seeds (as I recall from that cross) Last year only 4 came up. They came up sequentially and the earlier ones have remained consistently larger all through the process. The two earliest sprouters were the ones to send up bloom stalks first. Much to my surprise, the 4th one, the smallest and the only one that hasn't put out increase is also making a bloom stalk, so I may lose that plant. Number 3, no stalk so far. (add picture when sun comes out)

Based on what people said, I decided to keep the unsprouted pots and this year 5 more of the seeds sprouted. This will be the last year I keep those pots because to get those seedling out and into the ground will basically disrupt everything as they are 1 gallon pots that had 4 seeds each.

----
The 2023 crosses

There is no doubt that Brad is right when he advised soaking the seeds in water for 2 weeks before planting. Unfortunately, I got this advice when I had already planted some of my crosses. I had 2 still unplanted - the difference in germination rate is remarkable

Unfortunately I didn't count how many seeds were in each specific pod. but they tend to run from the high 20s to low 30s. For simplicity's sake, I'm just going to use 30 per pod.

These crosses were soaked for 2 weeks before planting

Reckless Abandon X Clotho's web
24 seedlings from 1 pod

Haunted Heart x Aristocracy
19 seedlings from 1 pod

These were not pre-soaked and it's a different situation

Haunted Heart x Clotho 3 pods
4, 10, 10

Mood Ring x Cloth 1 pod
2

And this is so sad
Haunted heart x Festival of Lights
NONe

Looks like you are starting a Blog. Remember the zone number is based on the average low temp, not the length of the growing season. So even though our average low temp is lower than yours, our growing season may be longer and start earlier. Large bodies of water can affect those conditions.

@tveguy3 Interestingly enough, the only reason I'm 6a and not 5b is a large body of water - Seneca Lake. The lake is very deep, and though narrow, about 30 miles long. It holds so much water that it has frozen over maybe a couple times in a hundred years. It creates a micro climate that makes it possible to grow wine grapes so it is ringed with vineyards. There is literally a line where the warming effect ends and there are times when you can drive from one season to the next. A friend of mine lives on the edge of the line. Her neighbor's garden right across the road blooms 2 weeks earlier than hers.

tveguy3 said: Looks like you are starting a Blog. Remember the zone number is based on the average low temp, not the length of the growing season. So even though our average low temp is lower than yours, our growing season may be longer and start earlier. Large bodies of water can affect those conditions.

Yes, water warms more slowly than soil, and cools more slowly, so the area near a large body of water will stay warmer longer in the fall, and conversely, will stay cooler longer in the spring.

Lyn, I look forward to your observations. I always learn. from other irisarian's experiences.

I've been comparing this year's first bloom on each plant. A few are relatively close to last year, but some are a week or even 2 weeks earlier. Also, I've had 2 plants now - Adriatic waves and Belle Fille - that opened weird flowers. One had no standards and the other had a small, lousy looking flower. Both are well established plants, not new plantings. Here are some bloom pics, using my phone for the first time. I'm not impressed with the picture quality.

Dark Universe


Color Capers - real colors are more muted than this picture


Mysticano - Standards look more orangy in this picture - on the flower they are a browner


Reckless Abandon - 2 weeks early. Yellow on flower is paler, not so saturated. This camera seems to oversaturate yellow colors


Royalty Remembered - also 2 weeks early



This is the horrible flower Belle Fille put out

Here's what it normally looks like in a pic from last year


And this picture below is the first bit of color showing on my 22 SergeyxAristocracy (purple)

Second seedling showing color at the tip - also purple. With just the tips showing, they look exactly the same.

Seedlings are exciting! Looking forward to yours.

Especially exciting because these are my first ever!

Polymerous said: Seedlings are exciting! Looking forward to yours.

Lyn,
Did your Renissance Place bloom?
Mine didn't.Not the healthiest looking,but there.

My first seedling was really ugly. A bloom only a mother could love. Well, it got culled, but it was fun anyway.

Mine has a bloom stalk and increase so we should see it soon.

KyDeltaD said: Lyn,
Did your Renissance Place bloom?
Mine didn't.Not the healthiest looking,but there.

Do you have a picture of it, or can you describe it's ugliness.
My 2 have quite a bit of the falls showing. Both dark purple. What is interesting is that both have tall stalks and many large increases. They look like a well established plant. I note this in contrast to many first year plantings of big rhizomes from great growers where the plant is small and has it's first bloom a few inches from the ground and doesn't come into its own until the following season. I'm sure my seedlings should be open in a day or two. It will be very weird if they look exactly the same.

tveguy3 said: My first seedling was really ugly. A bloom only a mother could love. Well, it got culled, but it was fun anyway.

Two first time blooms for me:

Magnificent Masterpiece - the name is not hyperbole. The flower is huge and a rich dark blue purple with a dark blue beard. So appreciate having it


Better than Butter - everyone raved about how well this grows and the pictures in the database looked fabulous. In my garden it's been a letdown so far. Not increasing well. The flower isn't very big or very exciting in any way. Hopefully it will improve next year.



And here's a shot of my best (sunniest bed) which blooms first

I don't think I saved any pictures of it, it was small purple with nothing unique about it. I do have an accidental seedling that's purple and fragrant that I like and keep mostly for it's fragrance. Many seedling come out looking very much like one of it's parents. So don't be surprised if that happens. Still its exciting to see what you get.

It is exciting, at least for the first few seedlings in a cross. When all of them end up the same color or looking very similar, then you find yourself wishing you made more, or different, crosses.

But sometimes there are small differences even in a group of siblings, that make one stand out compared to the others. You can never guess ahead of time what that one trait might be though... rebloom, stalk or scape height, ruffling, flower form, bud count... and fragrance. That has been my experience with daylilies, and so far it's looking like it could also hold true for irises. (Of three white seedlings, all siblings or at the worst half-siblings, one has flared falls, another is a possible rebloomer.)

So, @Polymerous please tell me what cross you made to get 3 white seedlings.

This post is of first blooms for me. I gave up on my cell phone as a camera. I know some have good quality cameras but mine doesn't. It was the cheapest I could find, and that's why I bought it (not because its brand name is "Iris Connects" LOL! a house brand for Consumer Cellular). I need my eye in a view finder, so back to my not very good camera as the better option.

First, the absolute worst first bloom I've ever seen - Headline News (an iris I was so excited to get) Not only is it low to the ground, the whole thing, flower and all looks like a dwarf! This is a TB!


Now that I have over 200 iris crammed into a tiny space, I am getting very fussy and grumpy. This is my thread and I'm just going to be frank, so I apologize in advance if I happen to not be in love with an iris that you think is the cats meow. So this brings me to the first bloom of Bottle Rocket. It is very nice, and I would like it more had I not seen Party City. It's in the same vein (no pun intended) but Party City is the home run version of this color/pattern


Next is Popstar, an older Blyth that excites people because of its unusual color. And I'd be more excited if I hadn't seen Catch the Fever


Here is Dazzle - very pretty


Just Crazy - I love this!


Another pic of what is presumed to be Ice Cream Sundae


A better pic of Magnificent Masterpiece - thrilled to bits - it is as big as my hand with fingers spread all the way out.


Last two are not first time blooms. Volcanic Glow that I adore - nothing could come close in my affections until I saw Dark Universe


And Above the Fray one of the rare iris I received as a bonus which I actually love, and love more each year.

Sometimes an iris needs another year to show it's true self. The first year after planing some just have a hard time. They may put up a bloom stem, but are really using most of their energy just to survive.