What was your favorite TB spring of 2010?

This summer I did an informal query with members of the Utah Iris Society as to what TBs they liked last spring. I didn't get a large response but several of our top growers did respond. Gypsy Lord received the most favorable responses followed by a tie between Guardian Angel and Louisa's Song. What impressed you? I also especially liked Gitano and Noveau Riche in my own garden.

I was totally taken with three of the Barry Blyth newer irises when they bloomed in my garden this spring: Adoree, Glamazon and Carnival Capers. All three were absolutely breathtaking. But my all-time favorites are Brilliance, Picture Book, Yaquina Blue, Bubble Bubble, Hawaiian Rain and That's All Folks. And if I had to pick just one from all these, I think it would be Adoree because of the colors and beautiful form.

Betty.....thanks for your response here and on other links. Interesting reading. Am planning to add some Blyth iris in2011. Adoree will top the list. .Keppel seems to have a good selection of Blyth as does Mid America . I'm sure you have visited the Blyth web site and seen pictures of his 2010-2011 intros. Fabulous...I'll dream about them for a couple of years and hope to get some then.

Rio, Timespace, and Magic Pallet were extraordinary this year

Fucoi dal Coro by Bianco

Dee, is that the new Bianco iris that Naomi had a picture of after her visit with you? Yum yum!

And Paul, I purchase from those two nurseries every year and have gotten fantastic plants and bonuses, and you might also check out Superstition and Stanton Iris Gardens. They each have good selections of Blyth irises and you can usually save a bit if you shop around -- and this year Superstition had Adoree at about half the price that all the others had it listed for. But I really do like dealing with Keith Keppel and Paul Black at Mid-America, as they are both so helpful and pleasant.

And Dee has the Bianco irises, which are really gorgeous, at Snowpeak -- plus I believe she also has a selection of Blyth irises. So there is so much to choose from, and I can hardly wait for everyone's website to come up for 2011!

Yes that is the one, it really has impressed me and intend to use it quite a bit this year in hybridizing.

Well working on getting my webpage up by mid Feb.

Need to get the catalog done first and at D in bearded. Have my introductions first, then Anita Morans followed by Rod Mendenhall's and then Bianco. Then of course the bearded, followed by Siberian, Japanese, Spuria and maybe a few Species.

D

Sounds like a ton of work! But I'll bet you probably enjoy it, plus it's something that can be done indoors while you recuperate. Looking forward to seeing it when it's up!

Well have rehab MWF for one hour give or take a few and it does get to me on those days and my work is slower on those plus working on other site for Database...

D

I love this Iris! My DH does also! Pheasant Feathers

It is always a wonderful iris.

D

The only TB which wasn't a seedling which bloomed for us this year was 'Dance Recital'. I liked 'Cloudscape' (blue-white) & 'Full Figured' (amoena) at convention.

I was impressed by Global Warmer, TB Burseen 2007, which was HUGE! I put my hand in the photo for reference of its size. It was a lovely orange.

Peg

Paul
If I had to pick just one TB this year. It would be Queen's Circle. I could easily mention a dozen more but Queen's Circle was special. I even used it for hybridizing

Mit

Ooooooh Mitt -- that's exciting! I added Queen's Circle to my collection this year, and can't wait to see it bloom in the Spring! :-D Oh I hope-hope-hope it blooms the first year for me!!!

My favorite was a seedling, first bloom.

That's phenomenal, Red. Is it named? Do you intend to market it?

My fav this year, and probably will be for some time to come is Chasing Rainbows. The picture doesn't even do it justice!!

I intend to market it, but it will take a couple of years to build up the inventory.

Here's another picture of Chasing rainbows.

Lovely flower, Red. Inventory always takes time.

Red -- will you put me down as a customer for a rhizome when you're ready?

I love the Bianco Iris. I am a big fan of his and intend to get more from De next year.

Our Chasing Rainbows is still a slightly different color than the other two.

Mine too...

Actually Betja -- I think yours looks very much like mine. Yours and mine appear to have more tan on the standards than Red's and HappyJack's. Do you suppose it's the soil that makes the variations in color like this?

Boy, I don't know. Interesting, eh?

PH of your soil, fertilizer used, water, time of day photo taken are just a few reasons same iris look different

Some day try this experiment, take the pictures of the same iris every 2 hours for 3 days and compare, you will see a big difference

D

Yes -- it IS interesting. Actually Betja -- yours looks a little rufflier than mine too. Don't know what wouldl account for that.

Dee -- that would be an interesting experiment. Even more so -- take the same set of photos of two or three Irises of the same clump the same way. I'm sitting here wondering if I really have this much time to spend taking pictures of the same Iris -- over and over and over!! LOL

Man!! I can't wait for Spring!!! :-D

Hey, Betja. Do you hale from Canada. Only a Canadian would actually write "Eh". Eh

No, I'm a California chick. Don't know where I picked that up, but I've been saying that for years and years...

I'll second that "can't wait for spring" attitude :{

MERCHANT MARINE and PAUL BLACK were the very favorites last spring in my garden. But then I only had a little ove 50 iris. That is way diffent now as I just kept adding and adding this summer so it might be very different next year.

I only did 3 pictures a day per iris in the experiment, but alas I have LOST all the iris photos of 2010 from all the gardens and that kills me but my hard drive, mother board both decided they hated me and started eating files and folders, so today bought a new computer OUCH plus a new Dish washer and took the new computer to the computer guy to clone everything, but might be Mon before I get it back because this weekend you DO NOT want to live near Corvallis OR or get on the I-5 freeway going north or south because this is the big game called the Civil War between Beavers and Ducks.

The shop is in Albany but he lives in Corvallis so if he can not get it done today and first thing in AM he will have to do Sun or Mon

D

Tough problems, Dee.

Wow, w new computer and a new dishwasher. OMG. Merry Christmas. Tell DH Merry Christmas to him also. My DH bought a new sports car today. Maybe that will get him off the couch. If not, I will have a "sports car" to drive. At least is not a Corvette. I said absolutely no way to a Corvette. Oh the life of a wife that is married to a man 77 that thinks he is 40. I guess that is a good thing. Later friends, Sharon.

At the AIS convention I saw TB 'Full Figured' by Thomas Johnson. It is trying to be a red amoena although not quite making it. However I thought it a good choice for trying red amoena IBs so it is now here. I hope that it likes our winters.

Sports cars?

Doesn't all men 77 years old have a sports car to drive to work out in and go to the grocery store?????

I have to give you the story. My mother came to live with us and she was ill and had many doctor appointments. Vern wanted and needed a new car. He had always driven Nissan Zs. Well mother could not get in or out of a Z. So he agreed to buy a Acura 4 door TL which is kinda of a sports car want a be. This was 2005. Mother died two years later.

For the last 1 1/2 years Vern has been ill but is, I think, on the mend. Just had a pace maker implanted and appears to be doing better. I have my car and he has his. Every time we got in his car he would make the statement about it was not a Z. Not complaining, such a statement. Then we would see a Z or a Corvette on the street and then he was all happy. About 6 months ago I told him, if you want a Z, go get one.

Well I went to get my nails done last Friday and when I returned home he was not here. That was very unusual. He called about an hour later and said he was at a dealership and found a Z he liked. I asked that he not buy anything that night and we would review on line what his car was worth and what was the invoice cost on the new car. Reluctantly, he came home. We did some research and found his 5 year old car was worth $20,000. He thought more so I cooled down a little. Nothing more was said until Thursday morning. I am still in bed, it is about 7:30am and I hear a noise on my side of the bed. There is Vern, totally shaved, dressed with his coat on and ready to go. I said, where are you going. He said to look at the car again.

He has not been dressed and ready to go anywhere before noon in close to a year. I said, slow down cowboy, I need to get my shower, do my hair and call a few people I know in the car business and I also need to call our neighbor who buys a new car every year. Did all that by noon. I thought he was going to have a stroke. He was pacing the floor and could not sit down he was so nervous. Took two days to buy the car because Momma Bear was there and they could not just give the papers to this giddy man to sign. We paid cash for the remaining due and I made him write the check out of his checking account. That just about stopped the deal right there. We stopped having joint bank accounts about 25 years ago because he does not register checks written. Both accounts are joint accounts in case either one of us die but we do not use each others account.

Long story. Sorry. But when I was ill he took care of me every day, 24/7 for months. I will never forget that. And with the Sports Car the grandchildren will probably come by more...LOL.

Have a great day. Come on over and join us in the Clean & Clutter Forum. We are getting a lot done over there. Sharon.

whew! My DH is 80 & seems to have skipped the sports car phase. Our Chrysler Town & Country is a yr. old and red which I don't like. He said that red was the only color there which didn't have a table in the middle so there we are with red. He seems to park near other red cars so it isn't easy to find. I don't drive so there is only the one car.

Can't seem to move the color over to irises. :)

Well, that is exactly where we should be but oh well. I just hope he does not kill himself showing off his new wheels.

I confess, I had a Cougar before the Parkinson's got too bad to drive. My wife wanted something more substantial because of the flooding during monsoons, so we have a Tahoe.