The 2019 irises are becoming a memory - but, luckily, I took a lot of photos of them. Here's Gilt By Association.

Mine aren't quite done blooming yet, but here's one I kind of like.
Aristocracy and friend. (with Insaniac looking over their shoulder)

Looks like they're hand in hand!

Hmmmmm wonder what their kids will look like?

A few of my beauties:
SDB Outspoken
Toasted Watermelon
Strawberry Shake
Don't Stop Believing
Crowned in Glory with I Feel Lucky
Cranberry Cloisione
Bonus Lite
Thundering Ovation
Need You Now
Birthday Girl
Born This Way
Got Carried Away, sorry....

I probably have at least one or two from the past... If I can at least try to find, some in my photo album, Jan. Difficult to see micro photo jpgs...Not from this year, though ! Next year will be newer Iris A couple of "broken colors" I'd grown.

After just getting some Austin roses in pink & reds, I'll have to change up some colors of Iris, to go along with them. Then, I'll have to get busy with some Peonies, to go with the Iris ! When does it ever stop, Jan ? lol Oh, & then after that, some purple, red white & blue tall Phlox to add some more color in summer. Should I throw down some more seeds to sprout, of Lavender 'Hidcote' & some Eyngiums ('Silver Ghost' & 'Blue Star') for a little "texture" & oh , well , a huge pot of Scabiosa 'Fama Dark Blue' ought to look really nice, with those tall bearded Iris leaves, too & when in bloom, pink, yellow & what else?.. & Who knows, what'll be next ?
& I've just got to have that 'Montmarte' to cross with something rather mysterious, to create seed with & make some awesome seedlings !

Jan ~ Where do I begin?????

OK here are a few favorites from this iris growing season:

1. Haunted Heart (It's still in bloom!)

2. Purple People Eater (It just started blooming!)

3.Ice Cream Sundae

4. New Face

5.Die Laughing

6. Friendly Advice

7. Gnu Blues

8. Dragon Dance

9. Plum Pretty Whiskers

10. Sergey


I have a lot more "favorites"...but I don't want to take up the whole thread!

Evelyn, I really like that 'Purple People Eater' though I wonder if the words in that song, had any influense, on purchase?
Like your 'Sergey', too ! Nice pastel & may have to actually do some re-thinking regarding pastels (& intense solid colors, are a for certain) , besides a few "broken colors", to throw into the mix..I'm "out of order" at the moment , to buy anything more !
My "got boxes" will start to arrive a bit later this summer & may do a few more," last minute", come late summer..

Wild Iris growing in meadow of Southwestern Colorado

I hadn't even considered that Iris grew wild, in Colorado ! I'd just thought , towards that direction, they'd be in Missouri & Louisiana , then upstream , the River going north from Mississippi, Very nice, Teresa. ( Edit;That River isn't an easy one for me to type!)

Evelyn, Anna Cadd, from the Santa Rosa area, hybridized Purple People Eater.
She told me that it makes a good pollen parent.

Jan, now everyone is going to get -that-one, just for a pollen parent ! haha (oops, got confused that quick- must be old timers setting in.)

ttkc4704 said:Wild Iris growing in meadow of Southwestern Colorado

Gorgeous

Well Shawn, I didn't see much pollen on many of the ones I tried to hybridize this year. Purple People Eater didn't bloom this year either - but there's always next year!

Jan, what a shame. But from what I've seen, if you do some bit of paying attention to what's new, you just may start to realize, what some hybridizers are using, as parent plants. So, what you all are used to seeing, seems rather all new to me. & some, I've noticed may be used as good parental stock. For instance 'Montmarte' seems to be a good one. I ordered 'Sorbonne' & that just may be good, as a parent plant, but am unfamiliar as of now, what works with what, as for pollen or pod parent !

But, if you notice a pattern, it may come to you. Just like you look at your pottery, look at the flowers & you'll see them, more like I have been trying to do. I think 'Just Witchery' may be a good one, also. You just pay attention, to what's being produced & you'll be able to figure out, parental genes.
Just sort of like family... My mother had two sisters & each one, had one of their daughter's, that resembled my mother ! Does that help , any ? I'm used to playing pollinator, due to lack of bees, for many years..
Though, your art work may be recognize , as unique to your own way of working with the clay. It is a product, that was conceived within your imagination & you "mold" the parents together just like you work with your pottery &then use that, as a sort of combination, to try to "make" what you want as the end result, once kiln fired ! (Seeds = flower art.)

Shawn, I keep a list of good pollinators - from my own experience and from favorite hybridizers, but sometimes I want to cross a new or recent intro for which there is little available information. One tendency I've noticed is that older varieties often have more pollen.

Yeah , sometimes, when something gets crossed a bit too much, they may eventually just become sterile, or nearly so. I've come across it before & encountered that, with other plants. After I posted, I read an interesting couple of article, in Mariposa, Iris gardens, up by Yosemite...May want to give it a quick "read", including about "lines" ( I say "veining") & how to work with that, if interested..

Jan, some of what I've ordered so far, is listed under the thread, Orders for 2019 already.
I thought that was about what people had started to get, already..
But you can look at some of what I placed, an order for, so far. More later on, maybe from Jung Seed. They've other perennials, besides Iris rhizomes. In spring, they have some Siberian, LA & Japanese.. Just got a their catalog in mail, yesterday & isn't listed as a "vendor" I suppose, because they offer other plants & isn't solely, Iris... Shawn S.

Here are some of my "new favorites"...