On another thread I was discussing the problem of finding iris, usually that are a little older and the hybridizer no longer stocks them, or has retired etc.

Would it be possible on each entry to have a section that members could fill out? This would be info from people who either have the iris for sale (or trade) or from members who bought/saw the iris somewhere for sale and the year they purchased it/saw it. Some people put that info on their plant lists, but not everyone does, and not everyone keeps a plant list.

So somewhere on the listing page of each iris, anyone who felt inclined could add the info. I don't know the technical challenges but maybe it could be done in a format similar to a comment thread, one of which already does appear on each iris' page with a heading like: where to find this iris

Lyn, it's in our NGA iris database already.

Here's how it works. In your personal NGA database, you list all the irises you HAVE, as well as all the ones you WANT. That, by the way goes into the main database for each iris.

Then, when you do a search for an iris name at https://garden.org/plants/grou...
you can scroll down to the bottom of the particular cultivar's page, and see the screen names of everyone who has it, and everyone who wants it. That doesn't mean that everyone who has it is willing to trade it. More people should use acorns to buy the mailbox microbadge, expressing willingness to trade rhizomes.

If any of you are willing to trade, but haven't used 5 acorns to buy the mailbox microbadge, just open your profile page, and toward the top of your page, you'll see the lnk "manage your microbadges." Click on that, and then scroll down to see all the badges that you already have, and below that, all of the other possible badges. Look for the mailbox badge.

I know about the who has it and who wants it. Not everyone even keeps a plant list; not everyone who keeps a plant list notes where/when they got an iris in their list. I'm hoping that even people who don't want to trade might share where they bought an iris recently.

DaisyDo said: Lyn, it's in our NGA iris database already.

Here's how it works. In your personal NGA database, you list all the irises you HAVE, as well as all the ones you WANT. That, by the way goes into the main database for each iris.

Then, when you do a search for an iris name at https://garden.org/plants/grou...
you can scroll down to the bottom of the particular cultivar's page, and see the screen names of everyone who has it, and everyone who wants it. That doesn't mean that everyone who has it is willing to trade it. More people should use acorns to buy the mailbox microbadge, expressing willingness to trade rhizomes.

If any of you are willing to trade, but haven't used 5 acorns to buy the mailbox micobadge, just open your profile page, and toward the top of your page, you'll see the lnk "manage your microbadges." Click on that, and then scroll down to see all the badges that you already have, and below that, all of the other possible badges. Look for the mailbox badge.

Lyn, many members do list where and when they got a particular cultivar in their notes for that cultivar. I know I do, and it can be very helpful, because those notes also go through to the main database for that cultivar.

So when you search for a cultivar and find its page. Scroll down to see who has it, and for each of those people you can likely see where and when they got it if they've made note of it for the cultivar. That can be very helpful for others.

Thanks, Daisy but I am aware of that. I now do that also. The problem I often find relative those notations: they often say, for example: "purchased at Iris Sisters 2018" but it's 2023 and Iris Sisters is no longer carrying it, etc.

There are people on this site who have hundreds and hundreds of iris who never do a plant list - no one is forced to make one nor should they be :). I was on here for a while before I even discovered the value of doing a plant list for my own record keeping, not even for the reason of trading with others. From it I was able to learn that changes in the weather from year to year don't change the bloom time, though they may impact the quality/quantity of blooms. I was quite surprised to learn that. What changed bloom time (early mid late) in my experience was how much sun the plant got (location) versus the weather patterns (sunny versus/rainy days) in any given year.

I've gone through the lists of vendors too (before you suggest that), on the permanent thread, and went to every fucking site and paging through all kinds of clunky sites (in terms of their utility - barely searchable) which was how I ended up placing an order from C and T iris - who sent me 100% wrong iris and wouldn't even return my emails. I have spent 6 years trying to get Superhero. A plant that is labeled Superhero is finally in my garden - but that expectation has been dashed before so I won't believe it until it blooms. I won't bore you with the details.

DaisyDo said: Lyn, many members do list where and when they got a particular cultivar in their notes for that cultivar. I know I do, and it can be very helpful, because those notes also go through to the main database for that cultivar.

So when you search for a cultivar and find its page. Scroll down to see who has it, and for each of those people you can likely see where and when they got it if they've made note of it for the cultivar. That can be very helpful for others.

I sympathize with your experience with C & T since I had a similar experience.

Like you, I wish that more of the people with hundreds of cultivars would list them. But if they won't list them in their own NGA database, I'm thinking they won't list them in another database that you are suggesting.

If there is a cultivar you want that you can't find, you probably would have a better chance of finding it if you simply make a thread here asking if someone here has it and would let you either trade with you, let you reimburse postage for it, or sell it to you. People here do respond to these requests. We have a wonderful membership here.

I will speak up about being one that has hundreds of iris and not listing them.
I had hundreds before I ever joined the forum.For a long while I didn't even know about listing my iris until Evelyn I think mentioned it.
At that point ,I didn't want to take the time to do it+I didn't know when I had gotten the iris or what vendor they were from.I have been growing iris for quite a few years.
Then my Month away from 97 year old Mother moved in with me 3 years ago.She has dementia.
I am turning 78 Jan1.
My husband died in 1979 in a car accident.I raised 4 children all very much grown.So it only me taking care of my Mother.
The task of listing with about 600 different iris is too much .
I also really don't want to trade either.If I were 10 years younger,trading might interest me, but not at this point in my life.

Wow, my dear! My heart goes out to you. Such a lot on your shoulders. To put it mildly, listing iris in the database is so far down the list you need binoculars to see it.
Much love to you xoxoxox You are a Super Woman!

KyDeltaD said: I will speak up about being one that has hundreds of iris and not listing them.
I had hundreds before I ever joined the forum.For a long while I didn't even know about listing my iris until Evelyn I think mentioned it.
At that point ,I didn't want to take the time to do it+I didn't know when I had gotten the iris or what vendor they were from.I have been growing iris for quite a few years.
Then my Month away from 97 year old Mother moved in with me 3 years ago.She has dementia.
I am turning 78 Jan1.
My husband died in 1979 in a car accident.I raised 4 children all very much grown.So it only me taking care of my Mother.
The task of listing with about 600 different iris is too much .
I also really don't want to trade either.If I were 10 years younger,trading might interest me, but not at this point in my life.

Thanks, Lyn.I appreciate your kind words.

That was well said, Lynn.

First off...Wow Derylin: I hope I look like you at 78. If that picture is even semi-recent, you look great.
Secondly, I wanted to bring up a struggle with you all that I have. I do list my Irises and I have lots of Irises. I got better at it as time went by. Because you can just search for the Iris in the database and then once you have the Iris pulled up, click the link to add it to your list. If you have a picture in the database, your picture will show up on your list but if not, you will get someone else's picture. But as easy as it is, my struggle is, what do I really have in my list? People ask me for Irises sometimes, and even if I want to oblige them, it can be very difficult if you have not taken meticulous care of your clumps. In some gardens, there is good separation and in other gardens or spots, they are more lumped together. I often find Irises in my older gardens growing on their neighbors real estate. And then if you have not seen a particular Iris bloom in years, then you wonder...well do I really even have it? So I have tons of Irises but in truth, I don't know how many I really have. I would say 1 in 20 is probably missing and I don't even know it. So my struggle is that even if I wanted to give someone an Iris, I can't always be sure what I give them is actually going to be what they are after, unless it just bloomed that season. And then the chances go much higher, that I can identify it.

Thank you,Elsa.The picture is about 2 and a half years old.Not quite 78, but my birthday is Jan.1,so tomorrow I will be that young

Happy Birthday, Derylin
I guess all those iris keep you young

happy day derylin🎂🎂🎉🎉👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻!happy birthday.

Ahh even at 75, you looked very young!!! Yep, it has to be all that exercising gardening gives you. Hope you have a wonderful Birthday!!!