What are your favorite top 3 TBs? Best Increaser?

Hi, I just love Spring! My iris are really jumping. I am wanting to add some new iris but would love some input from those of you that have a lot and have grown them longer.
Thanks,
Teresa in KY

Feed Back and Jesse's Song.

MY top 3 Favorite TB are 1): 'HooK', 2): 'Carl And Sissy' 3): 'Heartbeat Away'..my top 3 favorite tall Historic TB's that are the Best Increasers are: 1): 'Princess Beatrice'{iris pallida} 2): 'Lent A Williamson' 3): 'Indian Chief'...mike.

We have never grown too many TBs, but I would second 'Jesse's Song' as a good increaser. Also 'Before the Storm' (very dark purple) & 'American Maid'. Also great as far as hardiness. Dee had american Maid the last time I looked. It is an unusual blend.

I grow Jesse's Song and it is a very good plant.

Do you have a link to her website?

I would like to add a few more that rebloom. I wish they could bloom all summer!

I can't set up links as such, but she can be reached at snowpeakiris.com

Indian Chief:
http://www.hips-roots.com/photos/indian-chief-am.html

Lent A. Williamson:
http://www.hips-roots.com/photos/lent-a-williamson-mu.html

Princess Beatrice:
http://www.hips-roots.com/photos/princess-beatrice-pe.html

I added American Maid from Malevil last year - can't wait for it to bloom.

Jesse's Song is a great iris here also. An established clump has real impact. Three of my current favorites are Gypsy Lord, Gitano, and Louisa's Song

Mikemans suggestions are historic irises: nice if you want those. Other suggestions are 'modern' which zone are you in? Jesse's Song blooms all over the country, bless its heart.

@ irisMA,.. Hook, Carl and Sissy, and Heartbeat Away are all modern space age iris from within the last decade, with beautiful horns..infact speaking of Malevil Iris in West texas..i purchased my 12 'Hook' fans(T. Johnson 2001) from Dana at malevil, all of the tb iris ive mentioned bloom all over the country, both the modern and the historics not just the south if that is what you are refering. as does jesse's song, my mother and grandmother in Catskill, NY ''bless their heart'' where i was born and raised, grew iris pallida var princess beatrice, where she and her mother have grown them since the late 1940s

For me in this cold country I have to go with Pond Lily-Never fails, American Classic and Fog Bound.

There are so many that increase well. I will name 3 as you suggested, Silverado, Kevin's Theme, and Romantic Evening. As far as favorites go, Louisa's Song, Temple of Time, Heaven.


K

By His Stripes, Miami Beach, Thornbird, Magic Pallet are quick increasers ........ Mike, my favorite all time iris is HOOK also from Malevil

I sure hope Louisa's Song has rapid increase. I had wanted it for a few seasons before buying a couple of rhizomes last year. The pictures are all I have seen of it and they are breathtaking.

yeah!,you tell em Sharondippity.. Hook is awesome, it is also my all time favorite modern tb iris.infact it was your older first pic of Hook, Sharondipity, that encouraged me to get hook remember..lol.:-)..i love the 'historic' tall iris though too, i cant get enough of the old fashioned iris pallidas like princess beatrice though..any pallida thats not varigated with the yucky strippy leaves is my favorite and hard to find anymore. those old fashioned 'sweet irises' are what got me started in irises, as ive stated my mother used to grow them. sometimes simple and old fashioned is the best, but your right, someone will make a new hybrid like Hook and if i have room i just have to get it and enjoy it right along with the older ones..ive noticed in the short amount of years i personally done tb iris that the historics seem to be hardier and spread much faster, even though most are not rebloomers. what ilike most about iris and daylilies and bulbs in general is that i cant take them with me when i die, but ive brightened up my neighboorhood and hopefully other people long after im gone will get to drive by and enjoy them for years to come..mike

Another vote for Hook. &:-) Next is Tuxedo, Champagne Elegance, Gladys My Love, and Just Teasing. &:-)

If you take everyone's suggestions you will have quite a bed.

'Gladys My Love' has gotta be the most beautiful tallest apricot beauty i have ever seen!!

Thanks everyone for you input. I will be looking these up :)
In daylilies we have Stout winners. is there a similar award for iris?

Dykes Medal...Check Wister Medal winners also. Top Award of Merit winners [AM] are good also.

Thanks, I remembered it as soon as I read your post LOL.

Aging is not for wimps!

I like 'Gladys My Love' because of the iridescent blue sheen around the beard. It's so beautiful in person.. as are ALL iris.. &:-D

well if I can only name 3....Dodger City, Dime Spot, Borgello Art

well darn, now I have to have "Glayds My Love" .....somebody feed the addict!

I haven't been growing Iris for very long. But when I first started I had limited space so I also wanted to make sure I got ones that would perform for me. I went to the Iris Society's website and found the list of Dykes winners. Now I have about 20 of them. My favorites are Splashacata, love the purple foliage, Queens Circle multiplies very well, and Celebration Song, gorgeous.

I had Queen's Circle, was so beautiful, then the voles, moles found it and destroyed the clump. What they didn't chew up they left on top of the ground and they froze over the winter. So disappointed! Here's the clump shot before they died. Just beautiful.

I love iris they are so pretty. I will welcome their blooms this May.

A big YES on Splashacata....Ebony Angel is pretty and increases rapidly, Who's a Toff is doing well for me, I want Queen's Circle. It is similar to Conjuration, one I love........also Frequent Flyer the white is iridescent for me,looks like it is frosted with ice

Oh, that sounds very pretty! Frosted in ice!

I love the yucky striped leaves! I grow mine close together and they never bloom; they are more like grass. I've also noticed that the rhizomes are more like siberian iris than bearded, and it doesn't hurt to grow them close together. Mine were called iris pallida variegata when purchased. Anyone else notice this about the rhizomes?

Since the pallidas are a bearded species, the rhizomes might be smaller than the modern tetraploid irises.

My top 3 are Best Bet, Beverly Sills and Immortality...oldies but goodies. Have lots more but these are the best performers for me.

I grow the white and green [alba] and the yellow and green [aurea] pallida mainly for the foliage. This may sound like heresy but I usually cut the bloom stalks off early. I love the fragrance but don't care for the flowers, I love the colorful clumps.

Heresy i tell you Paul!! lol. just kidding..but the non-varigated old fashioned iris pallida blooms look so good with those silvery solid non-stripped leaves.also they have pretty big nuckely looking rhizomes that love to be dry up at the surface and pretty easy to separate..but you know everybody has their own preference for which kinda plants they like..i guess if everyone had the exact same likes, it would make for dull gardening..each person can find their own personal unique niche and kind of plants to desire like everything else in life..'it humbles us to remember sometimes that everyone has their own dream'..native american proveb..

Heresy Paul!!!!! The blooms of the pallidas are the high point of my spring. I just love the grape scent.

Ahhhhh.. Oh.yeah!! that grape scent is like fresh laundry fabric softener and detergent smell..ahh.agreed.with pollyk...i change my mind..anybody that doesnt like iris pallida blooms and doesnt agree with pollyk and me...

Ok, what company sends the best rhizomes? I haven't ordered many.

The answers to this question are really going to vary. I like Keith Keppel and Mid-America, both for the quality of the rhizomes, the varieties they have, and the generous bonuses. I realize that last year their things were a little smaller because of challenging growing conditions in 2010 because of the weather but I still have confidence in them and have ordered again from both. Ordered from Ghio also. I'm sure there are a number of other fine companies. Look for sources of the ones you want, check out their ratings, then take a chance. I've said this before but if I had some empty well prepared beds and an unlimited budget I would try several other. Received wonderful rhizomes from Zebra in 2009 but they aren't open this year but will welcome visitors so I plan on going.

It's good to buy locally or from a similar zone as to where you'll be planting. The west coast irises arrive huge but within one season they shrink dramatically in my zone 5.