have a feeling many of those new to irises have never had the pleasure of visiting a commerical iris grower/hybridizers. If you ever get the chance to go, take a camera and extra film or digital cards and batteries. And devise a plan for labeling your pics as you take them.
Last year my DH gave me a gift of visiting many iris gardens in PNW (Pacific North West). Unfortunately, I did not yet know how to get my photos accurately labeled, nor did I realize I would not remember which was which come dark! So, if anyone sees a clump they can ID, please chime in!
Oh, those are so beautiful! I wish you knew what they were. I want to go there next spring.
At Mid America Gardens, Paul Black and Tom Johnson were in the field hybridizing that day. Their fields are large enough I never did see them.
Their colleague Kirk, with Sebring Garden, was there and was just incredibly helpful. the display gardens were iris and his hostas and perennials.
thank you paja - you have permission to copy the photos to email them to Paul if you want to order next year. They are done for this year. They cut off orders in august. That's why I didn't get an order in last year.
Later, Paul was just the nicest ever when contacted by email. And, though I was too late to order last year, my order this year just arrived and is just of incredible quality. this is my way of saying thank you to them for such a wonderful order.
Their catalogue this year looks spectacular.
I think this one is Vienna Waltz
Thank you for the pics. I would love to go there some time. Maybe next year.
Laura
If you want to visit, contact them ahead for dates and times. The iris side was only open a couple days a week during bloom season when I was there. I almost missed it due to rain those days. most of these photos were taken in a misty drizzle.
this one looks a lot like Padded Shoulders or maybe Milan - loved it
Just remember to take shoes for mud and field ruts. This is not their display garden, it's their propagation field!
I got plum tuckered out before I ever got to the seedling beds, so missed out on them, darn it all. When I went down the slope to see the sibs, it looked like smooth solid ground - not! I sank to my shins, almost never got my shoes out. That's when I realized everyone was gone - they had closed. so busy photographing, I didnt' notice!
Kirk had to drive down to the locked gate to let me out. and he was still nice about it! Paul Black teased, emailed that they fed errant guests to the sibs - they like extra "organic matter"
They sold all the sibs to Snowpeak. Next time I visit Dee, I'm not going near the sibs...
isn't this just bright enough to be seen a mile away? wish I knew what it was
This message was edited Sep 11, 2008 9:11 PM
this one looks like good night time.
Wow....nics shots....I can't believe how grass free the fields are. How'd they do that??
Wow, bonjon! I have been feasting my eyes on these magnificent shots of yours. They make me happy that I have a lot of Mid-America irises this year. They are so healthy looking. I am completely impressed.
I have a camera that allows you to record a little something with each picture. I have been told that sound uses up too much memory, but heck, get an extra card. It is worth it to know what the irises are so you can identify them later.
I bet I could go through the photos with the Mid-America Catalog and identify most of them, though.
Your husband gave you a truly wonderful gift. He deserves a kiss and an apple pie!
don't worry, I keep him happy. ;~) he digs holes too. recently graduated to digging beds. LOL ;~D
don't know, but we could always ask what they use to keep out weeds. I sure wish my beds were that pristine
Wild Angel, I think, with Kirk's perennial shed behind.
This message was edited Sep 11, 2008 9:22 PM
Wild Angel is beautiful. I got this one this year from them. Can't wait for that bloom! Nice pictues.
one last one for tonight then it's truly good night.
Trade Secret, or maybe Mysterious Ways
I, too, got Wild Angel this year. I am certainly glad I did after this picture.
I agree paj. Good night ladies.
Beautiful pictures Bonjon.
I have ordered from them two years now, and their irises are just beautiful. I just got my order yesterday, and the irises were huge.
I have only purchased medians from them. I just love their SDBs. They have become my favorite hybridizers.
So nice to see a field looking so neat.
Plenty of SDBs to choose from. They just don't sell as well as TBs. With gardens getting smaller because of smaller lots, they are a great buy.
They sure are, IrisMA .
This year I got from Mid America (not all SDBs) Infinity Ring, Wise, Trust In Dreams, Fires of Fuji, Investor, Island, Lad, Pink Frosting, Celebrate, Clash, and Ghost Ship. Brilliant Disguise and Rosy Returns were my bonuses. They were such beautiful divisions.
I especially love the jewel colored medians.
The first picture looks like Visual Intrigue, the 8th one up from the bottom looks like Wild Angel, the 7th one from the bottom looks like Mysterious Ways, the 13th one from the bottom looks like Local Color. Go to their website and compare the pictures with theirs.
Your second picture maybe "Syncopation".
Polly--we just had a dozen SDBs arrive here this yr., not counting the 5 Blyth ones from Australia. It was very WDIPT--Translation: where do I put them? Not any were Mid-America which is unusual for us. We are getting too old for all this. Lucy
Made a goof--did buy TUTU TURQUOISE from MID-AMERICA this yr. Also MDB-Be Brief, BB Ladyof the Night &TB Maker's Mark (Stahly). Hal Stahly is from MI and I was looking for a hardy pink TB. Vanity is still the favorite pink TB in our region but it is borer prone (can't help that on a CA plant) & has poor foliage. It does grow like a weed and some of us are trying different plants as a replacement. Paul really likes the SDBs which is why they are so interesting & Thomas has used quite a few of Paul's plants when he first started.
Re Wild Angel When we saw it at the 2006 convention, rain was pouring but the drops were bouncing off the petals--no weak, floppy flowers there.
What did I get from Mid-America this year?
Flying Circus
Garnet Slippers
In a Flash
Bluebeard's Ghost
Spiced Peaches
Amusing
Photon
Puddy Tat
Fires of Fugi
Winterfest
Crackling Caldera
Island Coral
Brilliant Disguise
Twilight Delight
Coral Splendor
Blackberry Tease
Ink Patterns
I guess it was sitting in front of Paul and Tom on the convention bus that did it. They were so nice and interesting and humorous.
I also picked up some of theirs in our AIS club's rhizome sale such as:
Paul Black
Wild Angel
Coral Splendor was part of our club's acquisition program.
Blackberry Tease and Ink Patters were prizes at the Regional Convenion of the AIS here in New Mexico.
I really love their website and after meeting them, I liked them as well. I have others of theirs that I ordered elsewhere in previous years. --such as Aardvark Lark, Naples and others.
My problem is that I like most of the hybridizers and would love to have more iris than I do. My neighbors already think I have a few screws loose, but they do enjoy the spring bloom, too. Forget reblooming here. We get one rebloom per year on anything if we are lucky.
I'm kind of having a WDIPIT year too, IrisMA. I have plenty of land, but it's just not ready.
Great list, Betty. It's so nice to hear the Mid America guys are as nice as I suspected they were.
IrisMA, In Minnesota, the pinks I like, ( because they grow) are PINK PINK from Don Spoon at Winterberry Gardens in Grand Junction, VA. Also Cheesecake. Cheesecake has kind of an ivory blush toward the beards on the falls which is very beautiful in the light of the evening. Pink Pink actually kind of looks like Happenstance but I think it grows much better here. I've been surprised how many blooms I got from Vanity the last two years on clumps that are 5-6 years old. Much better than when they were 2-3 years old. If this helps, next year let me know if you want either of them and I'll send them or trade assuming they make it thru the winter here, but I think that is likely as I've had them over 6 years.
well, it will be interesting to find out with y'all's help which are which. my visit was somewhere around June 20th, so no photos of Paul and Tom's wonderful SDBs or IBs. Y'all ready for some more? I'm going to post as many clump photos as are decent, but I've got a few great ones of a single bloom.
where's the photo? ahhh well. need to remember to check preview instead of send
I've been trying to find a pink that appeals to me, and I keep spending money, then giving away what grows. Someday I'll find one, and this one is quite delicate.
there's never enough red-voilet color for me - just love it
now remember, looking at the light, this is on a misting day. how bright would this baby be on a sunny day, hmm?
This message was edited Sep 12, 2008 5:06 PM
I love that pink. Generally, I don't go for pastels, but the white beard on that looks like white mink or something and the pale green and pink veining is stunning. There are lots of really nice pinks. Do you like the pale pink or the darker pink better?
think these were a liitle past prime and I was loathe to "groom" for the photo, but just loved the color changes on these falls.
oops forgot to hit preview again.
oh, I love the garnet reds best. But I keep seeing pinks in other peoples gardens and liking them better than when I grow them.
check out the color on this fine fellow - the line shot was not clear, but looks to me like a mass of deep navy "blushing."
I live in Raleigh, home to NCSU and the Wolfpack, colors scarlet and white. within 20 miles, the other to points of our "Triangle area" are Duke, with navy and white Blue Devils colors, and UNC-Chapel Hill, Tarheels white and baby blue - which is deceptive as it has a lot of turquiose in the blue. I may never see a Wolfpack iris, but anything in navy and white or light blue and white gets rave reviews in my yard. This iris has superior habits, it seemed to my newbie eye.
