Sib. rivalry

There are some offers on line for "run of the mill" Siberians. I was thinking about it and went to Ensata Gardens and found a few I love instead of just settling. I'm looking at 'Carmen Jeanne', 'Kita No Seiza', 'Kabluey' and 'Roku Oji'. They would be $44.00 whereas the special 50% offer would be $20. for 7 others. It's not the money but the "what do I do" feeling. Do I go for the ones that get my heart beating or the ho hums?

Well, I may not be the best to advise you, because I've never met an iris that I can pass up. However, I used to grow a lot of different varieties because people gave them to me or they were cheap. Last year, I gave away most of those and decided to splurge on the ones that really excited me. I can say that I'm a lot happier with my garden this year than I've ever been because I find everything in it to be exciting and eye pleasing.

The only other advice I would give is make sure the ones that are exciting to you will also flourish in your garden. I learned this the hard way. Even the most exciting and fancy cultivar will be a disappointment if it's a whimp!

This message was edited Jun 2, 2005 10:52 AM

If the "ho hums" don't do much for you.......and you don't have a need to fill a bunch of empty spaces in your garden filled, then I say, head STRAIGHT for the ones that really trip your trigger!

THANK YOU to Flower Frenzy and MudGirl - exactly what I wanted to hear.

I was hoping someone might have some of the ones I mentioned so they could let me know how they feel about them. I can wait another week and see what happens before I order.

Even with our own daylilies it can be a bit disappointing when you cross a flower with a huge eye and one with a fantastic edge and the seedlings are ho hummers! If you ever decide to "do it" with daylilies get a few of Munson's and a few of Trimmer's and make sure they're not "pollen senstive" in the wrong way. Look for the indication of "good parent".

I would go for the ones you cannot live without. Kabluey is certainly one of them.

Others of my 'MUST HAVES' are
Careless Sally,
Roaring Jelly
Lake kEUKA/-
Over in Gloryland
Strawberry Fair
Shebang
Ships are sailing

Salamander Crossing -Can't remember if this is a sib -

Good white ones are White Swirl and White Triangles

Ones that clump up very well for me are Coronation Anthem and Silver Edge.

Pink Haze is a good pink one. Reds - Eric the Red, Tonawanda Red is very like it.

Hope I've all these names right. Just doing them off the top of my head.

Dance Ballerina Dance is very pretty. Sky Wings is another of my faves. Looks as though it is dancing in the wind.



A good idea would be to go to the Sib Society and look over there.

http://www.socsib.org


You are so lucky to be in the US where you can buy all you want. (or can afford).

Inanda

Pirl,

Maybe you can get some direct feedback on your choices by checking the photos in plant files and e-mailing those people--they may not see this thread. I got instant feedback from someone last week on an iris I was considering. Just a thought--sometimes its hard to wait!

I just rec'd roku oji on a trade--so no personal notes yet.

I order from Iris City Gardens.......that's another site w/ great photos, good $, and wonderful customer service.

Inanda--I think you have all those names correct...and Salamander Crossing...is sooo fine!

Pirl,

I have to tell you that when I eat chocolate - I only eat the chocolate that I really love. I spend my calories well. If you have a lot of room to cover - I agree - cheap chocolate. eg. I have some louisiana ditch glads that are in my planting strip between the sidewalk and the street. Nothing fancy, very invasive, evergreen and don't care if they're wet or dry. But you have to have some eye candy - build up for the future a little at a time if nothing else. But I'm just jealous as I can be. It's just too hot here for sibs. Enjoy whatever you get.

Doss,

What are Louisiana ditch glads.???? Picture or????

Probably something we treasure and treat with TLC up here. lol
Inanda aka Ginny

I WOULD GO FOR THE MUST HAVES!!!!!! But that's me!

Sorry, the glads are from North Carolina. They are hardy down to zone 7 or maybe 6 - or you could pull them up. The flowers are lovely but not flashy.

http://www.plantdelights.com/Catalog/Current/Detail/05510.html

I bought three little tiny plants and within a year they were 3 foot wide clumps that were about 30 inches tall.

This message was edited Jun 2, 2005 5:27 PM

Wow - thanks to all who wrote. Now I have my homework cut out for me. It's not that I have a great deal to cover but I do like the thought of good chocolate and eye candy. I tend to like flowers that force me to stop and stare and though I have several Sib's none that I have are drop dead ones.

Last year, this time - early June, I noticed how a TB in one area matched the clematis on my Obelisk that Jack (DH) made for me 10 years ago. I took the TB and moved it instantly - couldn't let it escape my memory bank. Today I looked out and there they are - both in bloom, same garden, 10' apart. That's part of what Pamela Harper talks about in her book Color Echoes. It's a match made in heaven. I'd rather have 20 visions like that during the year than a bunch of ho hums.

Thanks for the help - I will look up each and every one of them.

Mission accomplished! Now at $79.00 plus shipping! I found most, not all. City Gardens was a real treat - loved the name translations, the fact that they give the height and season of each flower. Sometimes Ensata had a better price and sometimes City. Since neither place had all of the flowers I'll work it out to my advantage.

Sorry Mud Girl but I didn't know your real name, not expecting to need it. When they had the comments box on the page requesting the catalog I just entered your DG name and hometown. I apologize.

Tomorrow I want to check out each of my selections at PF and see what I find.
Thanks everyone.

Hi All

One older Sib that I have always loved is HUBBARD, why? deep rich royal purple some veining the best form of any in my own opinion as well as one of the largest flowers.

I got to see alot of new ones this year and there are some really nice ones coming up as well as some killer Spuria iris.

If you have the room, and have the love that sounds like you have for the ones that tickle your heart then go for those as you will never be sorry, while you might get bored in a few with the cheaper ones.

Denise

This message was edited Jun 2, 2005 9:00 PM

Check out Jamacian Velvet. I ordered a clump from our club fund raiser.

I look at pricey plants as an investment in happiness.

What a great group of people all of you are!!!!!!!!!!!

MudGirl: my trigger is certainly getting tripped - more than I thought possible.

bluegrass - I checked it out as soon as I saw you mention it. I remembered this one from a while ago and it's exactly the color I love: now on my list (3 no less).

irisloverdee - will check out in two minutes - thanks - I adore the color

irisluvr - Deb - With support like yours I could live forever in the garden! Thanks!

doss - you're right, of course. Life is too short for cheap chocolate or ho hum anything.

inanda - I've had Silver Edge for a few years now and it always stops me in my tracks. Just got Pink Haze from deb in a trade. Now I just have to be patient for a year until it blooms unless I get lucky.

Flowerfrenzy - Ah yes! Guess we all have "hand me down" plants. They do tend to get discarded when our tastes change. I still have two original irises from the real "PIRL" and her yarrow, 'Coronation Gold', and her no name coreopsis. She taught me gardening when I was just 27 and she was 68. She gardened into her 90's and arthritis in her knees is the only thing that stopped her. She lived to 102+ - now she was the real PIRL and a gem: Pauline Isabelle Reid Loeffler!
I'm the worst at giving speeches but I gave her eulogy, shaking in my shoes, and I'm always grateful that I was asked to do it and that I did it to honor my southern belle of a neighbor.

I'll go back and review my choices, look up Hubbard and report back.

Am I wrong or were older Sib's around 18 - 24" tall? Now I see many 36" ones. I wonder if they're being crossed with some Japanese (my #1 love). I ADORE THE ONES WITH NO STANDARDS and since I have the Japanese on the left and Siberian on the right side of a wide pine needle path I think they'd be very complimentary to each other.

I just took a new picture of Pink Haze. I bought it last year and it bloomed this year for the first time. It is so pretty! It's gonna look very nice in my newly designed front bed!

deb

You sent me a nice bunch of them - remember? They'll bloom here next year I guess. I'm very leary of looking at the space I've allotted to the Sib's. Have to delay going out there.

Great news! Fed Ex just delivered all my coleus from Glassworks!

Arlene

Pirl,

What a great story about your friend Pirl. Thanks for including it! Indeed she sounds like and absolute gem.

And thats all fine about the comments box w/ ICG--who'd have thought they'd ask?!

Enjoy--I am still revising my choices for this year.

Someday I'll open a thread in Parking Lot for Pauline and others like her. Thanks for the nice words. I love ICG! Any others? That Louisiana 'Iced Cocktails' is the drop dead kind of flower I love.

As long as you nice people are leading me into financial ruin and poverty are there any other sites I should visit for Siberians so I don't miss out on anything? Thanks.

Pirl,

Now that you have spent half the family fortune on ICG (Greg is such a doll), go to Ensata to spend another family fortune on glorious ensatas. Then (seeing that you are in NY) go to the LA iris site to go look at the LA memorial garden in Rochester. By this time, of course, you have no grass left in your garden. So..... who needs grass. Iris and Lilies reign.

Inanda

Sib sites. Oh yes m'dear. How about all the Vermont/Maine/NH/Mass. sites. Could go on forever.

Inanda

Inanda - perfect timing - he's complaining his back hurts from being bumped around on the mower. I kept telling him grass was just silly green stuff!

In April of '04 we bought the computer and Ensata Gardens was my first thrill. I printed out picture after picture, we sat at the kitchen table trying to decide, trying to eliminate and finally he said, sweetly, "Why don't you just buy them all?" and he didn't have to repeat himself. So I ordered $212. worth and when they arrived I thought I'd cry - they fit in a shoebox! I did plant each one with love and care and they're all doing fine.

Now, are you going to come clean about the other sites or do I have to threaten to kill a plant?

check this site out! lots of beauties here: http://www.irises.com/iriseshavehim.htm

haven't ordered, but want to soon!

deb

Thanks irisluvr - it's a bit late for me. I was up around 5 A.M. with the knee thing again so I'll check it out tomorrow.

The one closest to my area is www.iriscitygardens.com.

Thanks Teresa, MudGirl mentioned it , ICG, and that's when I got deeper in debt. Still not done looking around. I want to try "just one more" link before I finalize my orders.

irisluvr - just spent a delirious 30 minutes on the iris site you gave me. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I never even got to the Siberians! or Japanese! I got waylaid in the rebloomers and now will rip out a ton to put in some to match the lupines. Still need the Siberians but first I have to slow down my heart: thank you!

San Souci, Iris City and Ensata are my three favorite places to 'gawk'!

I did, finally, get to the Siberians at Sans Souci but it was the TB rebloomers that won me over at that site. The other two will just have to share my Sib. business.

ICG was very nice and did respond to my question asking if the La. Iced Cocktails would bloom, this year, for me. They said most likely next year or definitely the next year. At my age I do NOT want to wait two years.

Thanks, Deb, for giving me a fascinating morning. Now the sun is out and I can go limp and play!