I just got a note from Rick & Roger and wanted to share. I should have thought this out, but I was using my personal bias. There was a question about two irises and if they were side by side in the garden. I was not thinking in a "commercial" frame of mind, but was using my own garden experience. Since I don't dig up my whole garden year after year (though it is starting to feel like I do), it did not occur to me how they do it.
Everything is alphabetical. There are sections which are mostly done by type (like SDB), but these are all alphabetical within the category. Their garden is alphabetical so it is easier to plant and to pick. The computer generates the plantings chart and the picking chart. This way there are no holes in the garden and all of the space is taken up with no waste. They will make accommodations when they have two side by side with very similar names/colors and put something in between so there is no confusion as to when one cultivar starts and the next one starts.
Brad also mentioned that Roger takes great pictures. I am sure he does! However, virtually all iris variety photos are taken by Rick. When they were in my yard, Rick had the camera out around his neck taking pictures. That was one sweet camera (it was a digital SLR type, don't know the name or model, but it looked VERY fancy).
