Reaping our Rewards

What a rewarding time it is now when dividing the crowded Iris. I like moving them into a different bed, as it almost makes them 'new' again. Some that had not bloomed before will then awaken. I'm dividing a bed of 80+ now, re-arranging and swapping them into other beds.

I wish I knew how to give them away. The only way I know is to put a 'big' sign on our highway stating: 'Free Named Hybrid Iris! I doubt that anyone picks them up.

I've talked to friends that belong to Garden Clubs and their memberships are dying out and becoming a thing of the past. Women have different values now and it different but not wrong. I cry for the lose...but they are the Mothers working for their children.

I've had so much enjoyment in purchasing the newest & awarded Iris in the last 4 years. I just hate throwing them out in the dump.
They have given me so much beauty... so I'll keep doing what I do for as long as I can. (I'm 70 and they keep me 'going'.) I can't think of a greater enjoyment or way to 'pass'.

Sharon

One of the ways that I give mine away is to offer them free for postage on Iris lists -- such as this one!! :-D

Sharon, why don't you sell them in the marketplace? I'm sure many here would love to buy them and it would give you money to buy more new ones.

Or offer to give them to people here if they send you the cost of postage. I hate to see perfectly good plants go in the trash.

I put an ad on Craigslist, and at work, and this year we're taking them to the Flea Market. &:-)

If you do not want to bother with shipping, try asking churches, retirement center, nursing homes. I never have a problem giving them away.

D

send them to this Sharon in Oklahoma for postage and handling fee

Now now Sharondippity, I too was going to offer, but with the orders the seedlings, and now I will be having the privilege of introducing into the USA a gentleman from the Netherlands that is showing alot in his iris, I might end up out of room in the bearded field...darn and darn.

D

I don't have those complications -- so I'd be happy to share the responsibility with Sharondippity!! :-D

I will just find out the list you have of them and con a few...you know I have not filled up the beardless field yet...

D

Whoops -- I meant *share the BURDEN with Sharondippity*!!! LOL

If you really want them, I'll box them up! Just leave me you name & address in my 'Mail'. I like to use the 'Priority Mail'. The best size cost $14.50. It should hold 15 to 20...I'll squish in a many as I can. There is a smaller size for $7.95 that would hold ten or so.
Here are some that I have:
Peek a Boo Zebu
Kathy Chilton
Phantasy in pink
Voltage
Trade Secret
Ride the Tiger
Casual Elegance
Wise Wise
Angel Wings
Lights, Camera, Action
Hollywood Nights
Bold as Love
Dragon Flight
Falconeer
Blue Persuasion
Fog Bound Aura Lights
Dragon Flight
Kentucky Woman
Ghost Train
Slovic Prince
Etc., Etc. I have another 3 page listings of them but I should'nt take up 'Dave's space. If you have special requests, I'll try to
fill them. I'm so happy that they'll go out and give more beauty to you & others that love their awesome beauty.

My address is: Sharon Pack 12935 133rd Ave. N.E. Spicer, MN 56288

If you would like more listings or favorites, please ask.

Sharon, this is Sharon in Las Vegas. I d-mailed you. Thanks so much for this offer. I will make sure they have a great home.

husker, just sent you a dmail - all but one of these is on my wish list! would love to see more. PleASE PLeASE PLEASE could I get some?


send me a list of any you are looking for, and if you have room for more, I'll check what I've got and send to you, and I'll pay the postage for that, too. I start digging and getting new beds ready this week.

I would love any of these also and would be glad to pay postage.

Elaine

The reason why I don't go to markets, Craiglist, Church's is because it takes too much time and energy out of my life. My enjoyment is in caring and tending them. The miracle that happens from these rhizomes are so uplifting & awesome! Wait a minute...I have an Iris named Uplifting and another, Awesome Bossom! :o)

Sharon

Dmailing you too:)

husker11, I have sent you a dmail regarding a private matter

=^..^=

Not to hijack this thread, but I had offered several iris to some local church women - they turned me down; told me iris were too much work/needed too much care, but if I wanted to divide my daylilies and give them the extras, they were interested.

Do irises really have that bad of a rap?!

Some people only want things that are totally maintentance free...two of the local churches love my extras...so never a problem then have local ladies that like to come out to the compost that I just put the extras on and get them for one dollar each, could be a 3 dollar iris up to one that is 15 to 20 dollars depends on why I need to get rid of it.

D

dang! one of my co-workers just returned from a trip to Oregon! I could have had her raid your compost area! LOL!

Debbie

I ran out of sun garden space last year. Asked four churches where I've played the organ if I could plant some in their landscaping, on the condition that I care for them. All jumped at the chance not only for free plants, but for the help of someone who knows irises. They are all within two miles, easy enough to drive by and check on them growing.

[I do try NOT to plant any there that have names like "Devil Baby," "Witch's Sabbath" and such!]

LOL Bonjon!!

well, I've got a friend's empty and cleared acre to plant on now, in full sun, yippee!!! But the churches are calling asking if I have any more to plant. LOL.

Yeah, I picked some names out for them last year: Heaven's Reply, Glory Story, True Spirit, Spirit World, Paradise, None Surpassed, Master Touch, Joyful Skies, Introspection were some of them. LOL

Too funny, bonjon!

Many people around that know I grow iris, ask and some of the landscapers unless they are looking for a special iris or color. LOL

D

But will not sell on webpage, ebay or anything as then must trim, clean, treat, dry and pack and that is NOT worth a buck a piece.

BonJon,,, you are tooo funny.

Sharon is a real blessing she sent me......and for postage only
all healthy nice sized rhizomes...It's like christmas in July.......Sharon thank you very much!

3 sea power
3 thornbird
3 heaven on earth
2 sprouting horn
3 light shine
3 Edith Wolford
3 tom cat
2 broad shoulders
3 inside job
2 full figure
1 aura light

we just finished digging Dr. Roy Epperson's garden (in High Point NC), over 500 varieites, I think. Luckily, as there were only 4 of ENCIS members that don't have jobs and could do this (and afford to make the drive over there and back!), his Univ. there sent over a crew from their groundcrew to help do the heaviest work.

He had Tom Cat, and that thing was HUGE, in just a year or two he had it growing. The rhizomes were each massive, too. When you plant that one, Sharon, give it a TON of space or it will crowd out it's neighbors.

But I don't see it on here anywhere, and it's not in the iris register under either Tom Cat or Tomcat. Oh! I found it under Tomcat here online as a Lauer 2005. Anyone know if Larry didn't register it? Or maybe some other spelling?

High Point Univ.'s crew is creating a memorial iris garden to him. We taught them how to figure out the clumps and how to dig them. They did a good job. We processed them, and Roy's daughter made sure they got one of each for the memorial garden (and sometimes more). I was teaching them what to do in the future, care, borer control, etc.

Sharon, you would so laugh! I just dmailed you. Yesterday, on loading up the truck with supplies to drive over, I tripped over a box at the door in the dark (before false dawn.) Shoved it inside, thinking it was a delivery for DH. It must have arrived Monday, and I didn't see it in the dark that night, I was so exhausted. After I dmailed you, I got to thinking - and yes! it was your irises!

(((doing the happy dance)))))
Y'all, she sent:
1 Aura Lights (to replace my dead one)
1 Ghost Train (to replace my dead one)
2 Voltage (to replace my dead one)
2 Bold as Love
1 Casual Elegance
2 Falconeer
2 Hollywood Nights
1 In Your Dreams
2 Kathy Chilton
2 Kentucky Woman
2 Lights Camera Action (mine is not growing well)
2 Peekabo Zebu
3 Ride the Tiger
1 Slovak Prince
1 Trade Secret (oh how I've been wanting one!)
1 Wise Wish
and there's 2 labeled "Angel Wings" but I'm not seeing that name in the iris Registrar, either. I see it in our plant files, 2005 from L Miller. Anyone know this hybridizer?

Never mind - I drove DH to pick up his (non) repaired car, and when I got back I searched the registrar for crosses by L. Miller. And Angels Wings is there. Wonder why it didn't come up the first time?

editted again - well, I'll be darned! I search the registrar under Tomcat and Tom Cat - nada. I search under Lauer - and there it is! It must be having problems again.

This message was edited Jul 21, 2010 2:01 PM

got most of mine potted up today.......such a nice collection, I did not mention Erotic Touch and it is a beauty, got 3 of those too. What a nice lady to go to so much trouble.

She is a sweetheart of a lady...for sure, she allowed me to get the ones that I wanted for hybridizing.

Thank you again Husker! I will remember this you know...

D

bonjon Lynda Miller was working with iris in Indiana for a good number of years (Miller's Manor Garden). She has moved to Oregon like so many other people & her new introductions will be introduced through the Aitkins. MTB 'Bangles' has twice won top awards at convention.

Why is everyone moving to Oregon? I got my box, I have opened it and I am overwhelmed. I was busy all day with the laborers so I did not have time to list them and look them up but I will do it Friday and post.

The laborers are making me a new bed just for my gifted irises. They started this morning at 8am and by noon we knew we were in trouble. The area is 4' x 50 and they had just completed the first dig when the lead person rang my door bell and wanted to show me something.

The total bed had been invaded, under the half wall, by the roots from my neighbors trees. The roots are enormous and everywhere. We had this problem last yeas and rectified it but they were back. So we made a quick trip to Lowes and picked up six 42" in diameter low planters and three 30" in diameter tall planters. Will plant the irises in the low planters and then fill in in-between with ground cover. I took photos but to late for me to post. I will that also on Friday.

I have lunch tomorrow with a DG member that is in Las Vegas from California. We are going to lunch and compare our 68 years of war stories in gardening in the heat. Then I have to visit my dear friend that just had hip surgery so I will not be home much tomorrow.

Sharon, thank you so very much from Sharon. You have a d-Mail.

the Willamette Valley climate in Oregon, Sharon, is nearly perfect for irises. A lot of hybridizers retire to there from other places. Also supposed to be NO BORERS.

Keppel, Denise, Black and Johnson are just 4 I know of. Schreiners went there in the 1930's from Minnesota, I think it was. Cooley family was already there, on family farms, I believe, as were the Meeks. Keppel, Meeks, Cooleys, Mid-America, Schreiners are all about 13 miles from each other, Denise is about 40 miles. Aitkens and Plotners are within 50 miles.

It's also perfect for a great many other horticultural nursery products. Get off the main highways and you'll practically trip over one after the next grower of something, including Christmas trees. Another product is fescue grass. It's one of the largest producing regions of fescue grass seed in the USA from what I just saw as I drove around the backroads. And I'm violently allergic to that. So I will never get to retire there. :o(

I worry with the milder climate that some irises will lose hardiness. I know they watch i t, but using more southern irises in their breeding will make it tougher here. A few we know not to buy if we see certain iris is the pedigree. Keith Keppel is very good about putting in the full pedigree for all of the

plants, not just introductions. Not room in the bigger catalogs, however.

As you must know from posts I don't grow many TBs. Going to convention in WI gave a good look at plants in a more severe climate, which going to BC next yr won't do.

I'm pleased you ladies are not disappointed. It was quite a week, :o) but it was rainy and I had a good time trying to keep things straight which helped my alhziemers ' condition' immensely!

Another Iris Garden moving to OR is 'The Iris Sisters' out of Omaha. Is she moving out close to you, Dee? She was my first seller and was so gracious...giving me such a basic selection to start from. So it's all her fault that I became/or came back to this love of Iris.

Sharon

alzheimers??? I can't believe you have any condition at all, after the wonderful collection and the great packaging and care you put into the shipment.
God Love You Girl!

Husker, do you have any left?
You aren't old at all, as I will be 76 next week and gardening this yr. with a knee that should be replaced. But having too much fun seeing the new plants that I put out last yr. and this spring blooming for the first time.
Dang bunnies eat their share though.

Maxine

I do Maxine, because I'm still dividing and I'm still hating to dump them. We must live pretty close together if you're in Western WI.
Also my Son & family live in Lino Lakes, MN. Hmmm, is that close enough for a 'pick-up? :o)

Tell me if you want named or NOIDs or Everything! Send me a check and my conscience will be eased.

Sharon