Will I guess I will Start off by saying I'm just a nobody backyard hybridizer. I hybridize bearded irises, mainly TB, TET. MTB. I have done some SBD and IB. I've been playing with crosses for about 13 years now. I'm no pro, my seedlings are nowhere as good as Brad's or most others. But I've been pretty active in the Facebook groups, and I've learned a ton from Chuck Champman from up north and others in the groups.

My goal is to produce plants that are rock tough for my area, Northern Indiana and the Midwest. But at the same time meet all AIS Judging standards and that are keeping up with what the newest modern form and color/patterns are.

And just maybe one day sooner than later I will be selling my own intro's myself, along with other's plants that are tough in my area for others to purchase from me.

I will start out with the plants that got a white flag this year. They are plants that are selected for possible intros in the future. I tried my best to get photos of all my seedlings this year, not everyone got their school photos this year. Maybe next year, I guess. So much for the small talk, your here for pictures!

29-12-4 Tiger Honey X Fashionably Late




17-6-1 Adriatic Waves X (My Fantasy x Decadence)



This seedling had the best stalks out of everything in the garden! Great branching and a high bud count. Avg. was 9-11, but it had up to 13-14 on many of the stalks.

This seedling has TET. MTB in the cross and I believe this is where the stalks and bud count come from. MTB are something I work heavily in, and I will post a few of them.

I love MTB's so will be interested to see what you have created.

Cory ~ It's been a while since we have "heard" from you. Welcome back. It's always nice to see what others are doing with their hybridizing efforts. I guess you already realized that it takes a lot of patience and dedication. Best wishes in your endeavors. This little group of iris lovers will always welcome you and many will be generous in their feedback, should you want it. I look forward to seeing more of what you're developing, as well as what your goals are and any special features. Best wishes.

That last one has some nice branching which is hard to get. I am not fond of the shape its standards though, and it seems from the group picture that it's a common characteristic. Keep working with it though trying to keep the good branching. Sometimes it takes many generations to get what you want. Uniqueness is a feature that sells irises and is a good feature to work toward along with all of the other good characteristics. I look forward to seeing more of your seedlings.

17-26-2 Evening Rounds X Just Witchery


I have been watching this one for a long time now. If you're going to the 2025 AIS Convention this seedling should be there. Has long as it lives through the MT. winter. This will more than likely be one of my first intros. Just makes it on bud count but overall is a good plant.

19-12-6 (Fashionably Late x Tiger Honey) X Reckless In Denim

Working on Veins, they are getting better, the more generations I go forward the better. I will say that the form on a lot of the vein flowers is not nearly as good has non vein flowers. I know Thomas has a bunch I use them a lot and are waiting to see the results of the crosses from them.

Nice form on 17-26-2. I like the veins too.

Lestv said: I love MTB's so will be interested to see what you have created.

I'm doing things the hard way. Tet. MTBs don't have the form I want, so I started out crossing MTB X TB. I will tell you that it will not produce an in-class seedling. I'm getting everything under sun with those crosses. This project has been one that I haven't seen a jump in progress. It's pretty slow going. But I keep pushing trying to find something new to use. Paul Black is doing the same thing, so I've been using some of these plants to help with form. Sometimes it works, others it doesn't!

evelyninthegarden said: Cory ~ It's been a while since we have "heard" from you. Welcome back. It's always nice to see what others are doing with their hybridizing efforts. I guess you already realized that it tskes a lot of patience and dedication. Best wishes in your endeavors. This little group of iris lovers will always welcome you and many will be generous in their feedback, should you want it. I look forward to seeing more of what you're developing, as well as what your goals are and any special features. Best wishes.

I'm around, just more in the winter when I can't play with irises!! I found out real fast that progress is slow, but it does happen. When I start my commercial iris business, this group will be the first to know.

tveguy3 said: Nice form on 17-26-2. I like the veins too.

The spring was wet this year, so some of the pictures aren't the best to show their true form. True the form on 17-6-1 isn't as good as others.

But out of 100 points on AIS judging, form is only 10 points. Total flower points are only 25, Color, form, Substance/durability. But yes, color and form are what sells the plant.

17-26-2 has been a favorite for a while now. Just waiting to see how it does at nationals. I doubt I'll hear anything about it or even come close to winning anything. It's more for the what ifs and unknowns.

I noticed that Paul had a lot of MTB seedlings growing when I visited both their fields a few years back. What part of the form are you trying to improve? Ruffling, size? A more modern shape?

I agree with Tom on the beautiful form on 17-26-2. And I wish more points were given to form in judging.

Love the evening rounds and just witchery one. The form of the flower is important to me. The funny thing is when we order iris from vendors on line, usually a picture of the flower is what we see.

Lestv said: I noticed that Paul had a lot of MTB seedlings growing when I visited both their fields a few years back. What part of the form are you trying to improve? Ruffling, size? A more modern shape?

My wife and I went out in 19' and I talked with Paul. And what I found funny was we had the same ideas on MTBs. Ruffles and modern shape. I know some people won't like the change. But I will!! Just think an MTB with the TB color/patterns and ruffles! But it's hard to keep the flower on size. I'm trying!

Yes, form and color are what sell the plants. Form is a big deal for me, but so is a plant that will be a great garden plant. That's probably more important than form. Nothing like spending money on a rhizome just to see it die! I have a hard time with Blyth, Plicates, some of Sutton's stuff. They just aren't bred for my climate. It's hard to trash some plants because of form because they are hardy and grow well here. So, I use them as needed.

19-14-1 (My Fantasy x Tiger Honey) X Cotillion ball

MTB that checks most of the boxes, Form is more traditional MTB, just not what I want. But it's a steppingstone and good plant all around.

19-22-3 (Mysterious Ways x Dakota Smoke) X I'm All Shook Up

I enjoy shoulders and washed falls a lot and have been working with them heavily.

19-22-3 is interesting. A lot going on with the color blends. I have tried to make crosses with I'm All Shook Up with no luck, good to see you got it to work.

Cory, what is the iris in your profile pic? It is gorgeous. If you like veins, here are two iris of TJ's that are really stupendous
Ballroom Belle


Party City



Party City has no child plants listed and I haven't tried it yet. Ballroom Belle has one child as a pollen parent that doesn't look like it at all

tveguy3 said: 19-22-3 is interesting. A lot going on with the color blends. I have tried to make crosses with I'm All Shook Up with no luck, good to see you got it to work.

I like it too. I did a cross with Smoke and Thunder x I'm All Shook Up this year so won't see the results for a while.

17-26-2 also caught my attention for it's form.The color is like many others.

LynNY said: Cory, what is the iris in your profile pic? It is gorgeous. If you like veins, here are two iris of TJ's that are really stupendous
Ballroom Belle


Party City



Party City has no child plants listed and I haven't tried it yet. Ballroom Belle has one child as a pollen parent that doesn't look like it at all

I have them both and was able to get one cross this yes with ballroom belle as the pod parent.

The profile picture is a seedling of mine. Here is the sad truth about seedlings. The nice ones don't always end up nice every year. That picture was the first year it bloomed. And man was it just great!! So, I lined it out ready for the next year to knock my socks off. Well, it bloomed, and man was it a mess. The form where did the form go? Thinking maybe it's just this bloom. So next one opens, then the next and so on. They all where a dumpster fire of a mess. Maybe it was a bad year. So, bloom again this spring. Nothing changed, so off to the compost pile she went. It was hard, had high, high hopes for that one when it bloomed year 1. On to the next they say!