My irises have started

All are lovely. I really like Miss Mauve.

I like both Hustle and Miss Mauve. Nice photos.

Thanks, Miss Mauve came from Superstion and that was it's maiden bloom. My first TB is opening up today but will not be fully open until tomorrow. Kansas Ingleside. Code Talker is not coming out today but has a brown tip.

Little Episode looked like a clump today but it is not really.

Little Episode is really cute. I have Sugar Blues, War Chief, Romantic Evening and Smoke Rings in bloom right now. Our annual show is Saturday and it has rained today and is supposed to rain tonight plus in is pretty cold. I hope it doesn't freeze!

Hope your show goes well. Hope the weather cooperates.

Beware, tantrum coming on. Stomp, stomp, stomp.

I just found out I may not go to our median iris show tomorrow but have been promised I can go to the June show and I am going to the grooming session. Medically speaking I have not healed up enough to cope with a drive or ride to South Paris so hubby said no. I am allowed a little weeding time now as long as I do not overdo and the cramping makes me behave. It has only been two weeks and that means four more weeks to go before I am up and running again.

Okay, better now. My first TB bloomed today and was from HIPS 2005 sale. Kansas Ingleside by Hillson 36" ML 1940. Seems to be out of timing. Maybe because in sheltered spot. Then again it might not be labeled properly and I need to ask HIPS member if this looks like Kansas Ingleside to them.



This message was edited May 23, 2008 2:30 PM

it looks like the KANSAS INGLESIDE i got from HIPs in 2000
had to leave it behind in move not enough room at new house

Thanks Tazzy.

Okay, this is not Avalon Bay, anyone have an idea what it might be? It seems to be an IB of some sort, 22" tall.

This message was edited May 28, 2008 6:48 PM

Code Talker bloomed as the sun was setting.

Jewel Baby SDB maiden bloom.

Oh, pretty little AB, that Code Talker!

Mainer, I did not realize you were in post-op recovery. My condolences. Post-op recovery doesn't allow for a whole lot of gardening. Sorry you will miss your show, but if you take care of your body, there will be next year!
My show went far better than expected. I had never entered a show before and my iris were all beat up from rain and hail etc. But it turns out so were everyone else's. I got a second place for Gnu's Flash and two Honorable Mention's -- one each for Romantic Evening and Titan's Glory. Their color had been washed away in places by rain, but their form was okay. Anyhow, I have never before entered a flower show of any kind and I was delighted with my ribbons.
The crowd was interested and pleasant. It was a great day but I am exhausted. Do take care to recovery well before getting to deeply involved in the garden. It will still be there when you are well.

pajaritomt
Congrats on your ribbons ^_^

Congratulations, Betty.

Sorry message popped on twice. Removed one..





This message was edited May 25, 2008 3:16 PM

Thanks for the pep talk, I needed it. Congratulations on the ribbons and for having fun at the show. I will behave myself for I do want to be up and about for the June show and to garden the rest of the summer.

Code Talker is a modern AB by (McAllister,1995) 22",E-M OGB+ which has five bloom stalks on this rhizome and I only planted it last summer. I am very pleased that it opened before the sun set today.

Sheik an historic AB most likely will open in a day or two. It is showing color now.

Your Code Talker is lovely, Mainer, and it certainly does prove that Arils don't just grow in the desert. Really you have had several nice ones. I think most people say that arils don't grow in wet climates. You sure proved them wrong. I saw some lovely ones at the show yesterday as well. Here is the Best Arilbred. It is also by Sharon McAllister and was grown near here in a mountain community named Chupadero by a friend. This isn't the best picture, but, trust me, that it is a really lovely iris.

Pink? Lovely!

I think Honey Not Tonight and Shiek might open tomorrow but they are predicting rain. I notice this type of iris opens up at night or around sunset. Will check on them later today. We had winter then a very quick spring with no frost heaving up of the irises that can kill them off around here. Lot's snow prevented that and it melted 4ft of it in a week due to seventy degree to eighty degree weather we do not normally get in April. When we have sleet, no snow is usually when the iris do not survive around here or if it floods.

I am a newbie at crossing to make seeds but I used Turkish Topaz pod and Serendipity Elf pol and pods are forming. I was surprised to see this today. The other crosses are SDB to SDB so I was not surprised to see pods forming.

Avanelle historic IB bloomed today.

This message was edited May 25, 2008 3:42 PM

Lemon Pop modern IB opened today.

Wow, Mainer. You are already hybridizing I am very impressed. Glad you are going around looking at and photographing iris instead of digging holes for them.

Well, we will see what happens with the seeds. After the drying out part happens later on, what next? Do you store the seeds or plant them? How should they be planted when one does plant them? I am trying to be good about not digging holes yet. The Iris sale will not be until June 14th so I should be up and running enough to plant the new SDb's and IB's from the sale by then I hope.

Blue Eyed Blond modern IB bloomed.

Code Talker has three bloom stalks starting to bloom today. Sun was too bright for a good photo of it today.

This message was edited May 25, 2008 8:25 PM

We plant our seeds in Oct. outside in a trench using the plastic flats that you buy plants obtained from garden centers. After the seeds are dry we kepp them in envelopes with the cross & number of seeds written on the outside. The trench is to keep the roots from freezing.

So that would mean plant in Sept around here.

Not necessarily. We found out one yr when we planted too early 3 plants germinated in Dec & we had to bring them inside. You don't want them to germinate until May, preferably in late May.

you want them to be below freezing till spring
Seed need a freeze to germinate.

So should I wait until just before heavy frost which could freeze the ground in mid Oct. Light frost happens around Sept 1st. We have to cover the tomatoes with garden quilt then.

you want them to be below freezing till spring
Seed need a freeze to germinate. we cross posted

Remember about sinking the boxes to protect roots--you don't have to wait until freeze, it's just that the seeds need a cold period to germinate, just don't plant them too soon. We put the Christmas tree branches over the boxes for protection. We do use a pine needle mulch on the entire garden including the boxes. Our neighbors have the trees and are happy to let us do the raking.

That sounds good to me, we have plenty of firs and pines to do the same to cover the boxes. Do they have to be very deeply sunk into the ground?

Just over the height of the box usually works. We put the boxes in plastic trays, 6 to a tray. I usually have marking stakes with the cross number on the inside edge of the box. this yr. the numbers rubbed off. It is going to be fun?? figuring them out. On that horrid note I am shutting down.

you can put seeds in freezer and plant in spring too or start in house under lights

Butter Pecan a modern IB maiden bloom and unfortunately a bird decided it was food.

Stinger modern SDB maiden bloom.

What cute little stinger on that one! Sure know how it got named.

Susan

Congratulations, Betty
What a woman!!!!

Stinger is a doll
it bit the dust when i moved
but it was fast and poor planting on my part !
run out of Fall weather and I was throwing them at ground ^_^
you pay for being lazy at planting time

Gata noid 32" TB bloomed today and smells like grape soda.

This message was edited May 28, 2008 6:49 PM

Cranapple modern BB bloomed.

This message was edited May 28, 2008 6:50 PM

Honey Not Tonight (McAllister, 2007) 27" M OGB AB Parents: Unknown pinkish halfbred x Sunrise In Glory

My bonus from Maleville Iris Gardens.