This seemed like a good day to recycle Tom's rating scheme for those iris buyers with fewer cents and even less sense. I say this because after many daily resolutions to purchase no more iris this year, I saw Les's post (https://garden.org/thread/view... ) and Paul's post (https://garden.org/thread/view... ). I am not saying what I did, but ...

So with no further ado, Tom's iris virus o'meter: The thread "OK guys it's Fess Up time!" in Irises forum

"Well, it's only March but some of us have been busy beavers ordering irises. I warned you all that the day of reckoning was a comin, and it has arrived. Time to fess up and spill the beans. I know, the ordering season isn't finished yet, but as you buy and sink deeper into the pit of iris dependency, you can update your status. So, let us know where you are at this stage of the game, then keep us updated as you order more, or receive more trade boxes throughout the summer. Come on, it's fun!

Here is the "How many new iris cultivars did you acquire" scale

1 to 30 = Just kid stuff
31 to 50 = A good start
51 to 75 = Slightly off balance
76 to 100 = On the Edge!
101 to 125 = Over the Edge
126 to 150 = Pretty messed up
151 to 175 = You need your head examined
176 to 200 = Bring on the paddy wagon!
200 to 300 = Men in white coats coming with strait jacket.
Over 300 =Living in La La Land
(either that or you're a commercial dealer )

You'll notice a revision in the "How many iris cultivars did you acquire" scale, both the name of the scale is changed, and a higher number in the scale to separate out those on the top end.

Rules:
You count all of the iris cultivars that you acquired during this calendar year.

Irises that you receive from trades or gifts, or for postage count as well as those you buy.

Update your status with each new order sent in.

You don't need to list the names of the irises, although you may, but just the number.

NOIDs received count too.

You do not need to count irises that you are replacing that have died within the last 2 years.

You do not count irises that you already have but have ordered additional rhizomes.

You do not count seedlings that you started from seeds.

If you receive a seedling as a gift from someone that counts for the person receiving it.

You only count CULTIVARS that you add to your collection, this is not a count of rhizomes.

Whom ever is deemed the person who ordered the highest number of rhizomes (sorry, commercial growers excluded here) will be awarded a noteworthy title, and gift of some sort yet to be determined. The deadline for this award will be Sept. 30. Rhizomes received after this time will not count toward this title.

May the best man or woman win! Crossing Fingers!"

Ok, I will start the ball rolling. I am changing the calendar year time frame to the year between bloom seasons as the ordering season in Australia is typically from November to April.

I am in the "Just Kid Stuff" category . I was aiming to restrict myself to 4 which I achieved until an iris I was on a waiting list for became available and or course, it needed a travel buddy. I ended up with 6 for the year.

Oh Boy!
On The Edge I think let's see....
1 Helen Collingwood
2 Distant Chimes
3 Rapunzel's Tower
4 Ocelot
5 Coffee Royal
6 Lady Friend
7 Dialogue
8 Jewel Tone
9 Cherry Glen
10 Thornbird
11 Smoke Rings
12 Stairway to Heaven
13 Galilean
14 Chasing Rainbows
15 Storybook
16 Buckwheat
17 Sea Double
18 Cimarron Strip
19 Charmed
20 Ben's Finale
21 Coral Sunset
22 Shah Jehan
23 Afternoon Delight
24 Amain
25 Black Fantasy
26 Batik
27 Congratulations
28 Good Morning Sunshine
29 Montmartre
30 Nickel
31Boondoggle
32 Beetlejuice
33 Trade Secret
34 Rasputin
35 Get the Camera
36 Gambling Man
37 Lord Of Rings
38 Lightsaber
39 Harmonic Elegance
40 Red Hot Chili
41 Doctor Who
42 Trillion
43 Strange Brew
44 Life of Riley
45 Flirting Again
46 Gypsy Romance
47 Zooboomafoo
48 Dangerous Mood
49 Gothic Cathedral
50 Blackcurrant
51 Ada Marie
52 Bride's Halo
53 Deliciously Different
54 Impersonator
55 Making Time
56 Superstition
57 Tango to the Moonlight
58 Quaker Lady
59 Rainbow Rim
60 Reincarnation
61 Oklahoma Bandit
62 Blue Eyed Blond
63 Oil Painting
64 Morning Hues
65 Gesundheit
66 Easy Does It
67 Island Coral
68 Tracy Tyrene
69 Petit Tigre
70 Banded Tiger
71Marquita
72 War Chief
73 Constant Wattez
74 Indian Chief
75 Beverly Sills
***76 Roaring 20's
***77 Starring
Plus I have 3 in pots that I lost the tags for from the farmer's market that have not bloomed yet.....
Yes I have an Iris problem I should probably stop buying them now.
***Just won these from Glenda in the FB group Lover's of Irises, Daylilies & more

my true confessions will have to wait til september. i suspect, i'll still be in the 'just kids stuff'

I truly hope to not be higher than Slightly Off Balance but some vendors are extremely generous and so it is out of my control!

All I can say is that I have taken action.

Looks like I'm Off to a Good Start (31-50).
That was before I joined this group!

lauriemorningglory said:Looks like I'm Off to a Good Start (31-50).
That was before I joined this group!

Are you suggesting that this is a group of enablers? Fie!

Oh phew. I was feeling a little excessive for ordering about a dozen this year.

For reference, I currently have...3 dwarfs, 2 pseudatas, 2 siberians, and a clump of passalong reverted Tbs that I think I am going to pull out. So proportionately, I'm more than doubling things! (and I don't really count the sib's and psuedata's, since they kinda duke it out on their own in the jungle beds)

Tina and Daughters just added a few new irises to their website. I am agonizing over 'Rougissant.'

urania1 said:Tina and Daughters just added a few new irises to their website. I am agonizing over 'Rougissant.'

• Tall Bearded Iris (Iris 'Rougissant')
• Uploaded by KentPfeiffer

I am trying really hard to not order more from them! I put in an order a week or 2 ago and then I get an email about new plants added and of course there are a couple on my wish list.....

Kim, I thought it was pretty wicked of them to pull a stunt like that. Completely lately uncalled for. They should be reported ... to someone.

crap. I just ordered 10 more.

Iris are big plants, where on earth am I going to put them? I do not have an iris collector's garden!

But it was only, like $6 to try *that* one too!
thanks @urania1

I guess I have until july to figure it out

I just finished building my raised garden bed...It's waiting to be filled.

PlantingOaks said:crap. I just ordered 10 more.

Iris are big plants, where on earth am I going to put them? I do not have an iris collector's garden!

But it was only, like $6 to try *that* one too!
thanks @urania1

I guess I have until july to figure it out

You should order some little ones, too. They don't take up much space!

PlantingOaks said:crap. I just ordered 10 more.

to "Iris Virus Anonymous"!

I've ordered most of Paul Blacks/Tom Johnsons new ones for 2020, A good number of Schreiners new ones, too -- I think thats about 60 - 70 right there, plus about 50 or so replacements of varieties i've either lost or no longer grow, but would like to again.
I guess that puts me in the "pretty messed up" catagory, i suppose

TBManOR said:I've ordered most of Paul Blacks/Tom Johnsons new ones for 2020, A good number of Schreiners new ones, too -- I think thats about 60 - 70 right there,

The rating system doesn't capture the fact that these are new intros! I'd be crazy AND broke with that many new ones!!

TBManOR said:I've ordered most of Paul Blacks/Tom Johnsons new ones for 2020, A good number of Schreiners new ones, too -- I think thats about 60 - 70 right there, plus about 50 or so replacements of varieties i've either lost or no longer grow, but would like to again.
I guess that puts me in the "pretty messed up" catagory, i suppose

I keep breaking down and heading back to Mid-America every few days to buy another iris. They are probably tired of my perpetual, "will you please combine this with my other order(s)." But seriously most of the Paul Blacks/Tom Johnson's? I can only wish.