Hi everybody!
I'm still here, alive and kicking still! Well Brad did his year in review, I guess I will do the same here. Where to start?
Spring I guess, We had a good spring. Had pretty good bloom season here. Got some crosses to take, so I guess it was a good year. We had early warm up late winter. Great I get a early start on cleaning things up in the beds. Talking 70's in march. This is great!! Start to clean out the beds, think to myself is there a better way? Maybe? Let's burn off the old leaves on the irises!! Works great cleaned them right up. The next week we drop down in temps into the teen's! Well shoot! No cover for the irises, let's just say some did care for that. So when they start to wake up again, ROT! Never fails around here. Lost some seedlings, but it's a way to weed them out. Then had a bunch of seedling that didn't bloom or got nailed by frost. Can't move forward with those plants for another year I guess.

Move on into the year, got a bunch of the beds moved around and opened up for the next round new ones ordered. Moved a bunch of seedlings around. Made room for the next wave of seedlings to planted out. Took forever to plant them out. Never get them in the ground when I want to! That's life I guess. Sort though the keepers and cull the rest. Plant the keepers other places, watch to see if they make it. Most do. Then its just water seedlings and see what ones live or die. Plant in the new orders the show up in July. Then iris season is pretty much done for the most part. On to other things for the most part. Think do I need to make the beds bigger? Say something to the wife, her reply " we have to much the way it is!". She's got a point. Back to other things!

I guess I'll put some pictures now!

Tiger Honey X Fashionably Late
29-12-2

29-12-3


Safari Sunset X Guns Flash
33-13-1

33-13-2


Raspberry Silk X Attrazione
32-13-7


Say Red X (Tiger Honey x NOID)
11-15-1

11-15-2

11-15-3

11-15-4


Clash X Decadence
12-15-1


My Fantasy X Decadence
17-15-1

17-15-2

17-15-3

17-15-4

17-15-5

17-15-6


My Fantasy X Tiger Honey
23-15-1

23-15-2

23-15-3

23-15-4

23-15-5

23-15-6


Say Red X Viking Dancer
26-15-1

26-15-2

26-15-3

26-15-4


That's pretty much it. There are a few more keepers that don't have pictures. Had many more blooms they didn't make the cut.
If you ever wondered if you can grow Irises using hydroponics., I can answer YES you can!




It tried to Bloom! I think the lights just aren't strong enough for bloom.


Misc. Pictures



Last years seedlings under the lights


We lost our 4 legged Baby of 10.5 years in sept.


Not a replacement, but this is our new 4 legged baby. The day we got him 11-11-1


Well that's pretty much it for the year. I've got this years seedlings planted and are under the lights. With some starting to show green! My plan is to grow all my seedlings in hydroponics till I'm ready to plant out this year. Why? Just want to see if I can have better seedlings in the ground, and get a faster turn around time on blooms.

Some beauties here, Cory!

29-12-2 instantly caught my eye.

And 12-15-1 is pretty sweet too! So sorry about the loss of your 4-legged baby, but your new one is a cutie!

I am sorry to hear that you lost you 4 legged friend

Your 26-15-2 seedling is my favourite.

It's always sad to lose our pups, and I am sorry for your loss.

I agree that your new pup is a cutie, though.

I love the color on 11-15-3.

Sorry for your loss. The new puppy is adorable though!

11-15-1 has a unique and interesting color. Keep us posted on your hydroponics experiment.

It's sure hard to loose those 4 legged kids. You can never replace them, you just have a new friend.

Cory, thanks for sharing the results of your hard work! 26-15-2 was my favorite.

It is hard to say goodbye to our 4-legged friends, but the joy they bring us over the years is wonderful.

I like 12-15-1 from those. Hope it is a keeper.

Cory ~ I am so sorry for your loss. I am sure that you have many cherished memories. It is nice that you have a new baby to care for.

Your seedlings are very pretty. My favorites are:
23-15-1 (nice stripe)
23-15-2 (lines are pretty there)
23-15-4 (nice color blending)
26-15-2 " "
I like 26-15-4 too.

Good work!

Which ones are your favorites?

Cory..

Awesome Stuff and your right we had a early spring great weather and then cold again crazy midwest weather late freezes got the apples and peaches this year Hopefully a normal year this spring.. Just Witchery looks really happy there add it to the mix and you will like the results it is fertile both ways. I like your Decadence crosses also it always throughs different seedlings with good form really a good parent.

Hi Cory!

Love 26-15-3

Your new puppy is a cutie. Sorry you lost your old friend. So sad when they pass.

Looks like you are getting good root growth with your hydroponics.

Hi Cory,
You are practically a neighbor up there in Elkhart County. Like you, our weather here was less than ideal in 2017. And your hydroponics project is interesting. You have some nice seedlings. My choices are:
11-15-3 Nice self coloring in cerise.
12-15-1 Great colors.
17-15-1 Crisp & Clean.
26-15-2 Unique Colors.

Three Misc. Pictures are all very nice.
So sorry about the loss of the 4-legged baby. That is so difficult to endure. We've had some losses too. It's never easy.
Thanks for sharing your seedlings.

Thanks everyone!

Brad Just Witchery bloomed for the first time last year! Only took 3 years! I did get some crosses from it. Find out in 2 years if they where good crosses or not.

Evelyn not sure which ones are my favorites. I would say most of the MTB plants. I think I'm about a generation of 2 from getting plants on size. Hopefully after that happens it won't take long to get color and form of TB's to show up.

Leon what part of the state are you at?

Cory we are in Miami County which is just south of Rochester in Fulton County.
If you follow U. S. 31 out of South Bend southward you would eventually pass by my place.
I have some connections to Lagrange and Shipshewana up north also.