Insider information?

What is the process involved when selecting & choosing Iris that the Named Gardens opt to plant/sell? Do they travel to different gardens in the Spring and pick?... Or do the Breeders offer them the plants and they get a percentage or cut? Or is it none of my business? :o) Yah don't know unless you ask!

For me, I try to go to as many gardens as I can in Oregon. I do alot of research, part of my selections are for selling right away while others are for hybridizing.

I guest several growers iris and I do not get a take and neither to the best of my knowledge does anyone.

We do it to get more people to SEE the iris.

D

For me it's just a guessing game. I try to guess from all the hybridizers, which ones my customers will like and order them.

I do travel to the only hybridizer we have locally, Dana Borglums. But the rest I just order through the mail, and then grow until they reach saleable size. Part of the reason I started the business here is that we are on sand, and my siberians especially grow at a tremendous rate, so I have saleable plants quicker.

I only grow beardless irises, but for example, I know my customers like the Schaffer/ Sacks intros, so I order most of those.

I do get some at reduced prices, but most places I pay the same as everyone else.

If a few people express interest in a certain cultivar, I try to stock that one.

Thank you both! It's interesting to me the chain of events to how you got started and if you prefer one grower or breeder over others, etc. I've read several ladies talking about having rows of seedlings and didn't know if it were their own or were employed by the bigger nurseries. I know
it would be a lot of hard work but also very fulfilling. I tell my husband I'm going out to 'play'...not work in the Iris.

hybridizing can be 'play'. If would like === in my garden, if you can't find it 'do it yourself'. I think many of those who sell plants get a 'feel' for what grows in their area. We have trouble finding an 'introducer' for bearded iris in our area. The one which did has cut back to their own plants because of age & DH & I had to go out of the region to find someone who could grow pumilas and our other plants. Sent a batch of MTB plants to increase for an introduction & will send a few new plants for them to analyze.

i look through the catalogs and websites and buy what i like. then i hope my customers will like what i bought and purchase my extras.

i also try and visit gardens whenever i have an opportunity, even when the plants are not in bloom. there's so much to learn from more experienced (thanks dee) growers.

So GreenThumbs, are you allowed to tell us the name of your business?

i don't think so.

i am here on dave's because i like to share my love for everything that grows with others who have the same passion.

just got back from Oregon and once again, i am amazed at the size of the iris that are grown out there! our eastern iris here are embarrassingly small by comparison!

hubby was not amused when i mentioned 'iris hybridizing' as a potential new venture. so i will just admire dee's creations.

I think you can mention the name of your business when asked. We're just not supposed to promote our businesses on here. So go ahead and say your business name, just don't say you have a sale going on, or something like that. Our businesses are listed on our homepage anyway. It says in my case, PollyK is our representative of Siberian Iris Gardens. So I can't see how they could not expect you to give the name of your business if asked.

In Green Thumbs case it says she is our representative for Green Thumbs Galore.

Belle sorry you did not get to come by but to be honest with having the dental work done like I did it was more than likely the best but I did think of you and Jeff and wonder what all you got up there.

Thank you Belle for first thinking my creations are lovely and also for being such a great friend.

Hope you got some super deals and I have not forgotten the seeds but they have not turned color yet.

D

Hmm, I wish you well and respect if you're not ready. It has to be a great undertaking to get to a point of feeling that you can step up and deliver the beautiful rhizomes that Iris lovers will be demanding.
I am fairly new but what I look for is:
1. 2000 and above Iris that have at least HM , the more awards the better...
2. Dykes awards that if you don't own now,you should! They are the Ultimate of Iris!
3. Quality rhizomes. This is hard to define. We want the rhizome which will produce the beautiful flower that has been shown to us in pictures! So don't even think about mislabeling them! :o)

These are my wishes. I could probably give you more!

Thanks, polly, for solving the mystery of GreenThumbs business. I was sooooooo curious!