I noticed something this morning about my iris choices. The ones I have, that has an id (and have and setup for the ladies where I work) along with all I would like to get. What I noticed is that every single one is a tall bearded iris. None are short or medium. Has anyone else noticed a similar pattern in their choices?

I've pretty much got a *dog from every town * ! The TB's.....for most folks, anyway.....are the "star of the show", but, all the classes of medians, the SIB's ,JI's, Bulb iris, and the like, sure do tend to 'steal the show' a lot ! They start the season earlier, and keeping it going , later, and also make for nice "borders", as well as "backdrops" to the TB beds

I grow TB's but my favorite by far are the shorter irises. They bloom earlier, clump faster most of the time and I have never had one short bloom stalk fall over in storms. For the past few years I have been staking TB's and the ones I do not stake I have to pick the stalks up from the ground. The local hybridizer, Mark Grumbine, has one he has named Sturdy Man. One day when I was working in his garden he was telling me that it got its name because after one of our spring storms he went out to check on his irises and it was the only stalk not lying on the ground. Waiting all year for bloom and having the hail beat them up and the wind blow them down takes the heart right out of you. The shorter ones seem to withstand more weather here. I will say that the little irises cannot match a huge modern TB bloom so if that is what you love keep growing TB's.

The older ones I have (all historics) are medium and short. It's just the newer ones (all but one is.non-historics)) are tall bearded.

I have grown nothing but TB's for forty years. Last year, for the first time, I acquired and planted some little guys. This year I added some more because I like the little ones that I got last year. But my first love is -- and always will be -- the glorious Tall Beardeds. And I don't mind staking them up one bit!!

For.me, having to stand.would not.be a problem if I love/like the flower. I choose them by the flower colors/combos and.it.didn't dawn on.me. that they were all tb's.

If love all the varieties. It lengthens the season and I love seeing all the different forms. I have more TB's than anything, but the medians and dwarfs have been gaining ground. This year I have my first Siberians and I do love the graceful form of the Japanese, and bright colors of the Louisiana's.

I love the contrasting colors on the little guys. To me, they are the most outrageous. Most of the ones that ended up being my favorites were median or smaller. I am not much for ruffles. That could explain not really caring about modern TB. I have acquired a number of new iris, but I chose them for being rebloomers or Space Age. My favorite tall iris of 2015 was a purple self noID that looked like rich velvet. It required staking. If it blows over, I don't usually like it, but that one was exceptional.

We have a few TBs but the SDBs are our favorite type.

For me, the more ruffles, the better!

I love all irises but its a pattern I. Prices about my personal. Hoices

I have a preference towards the TB's.. but recognize the value in the landscape of other types.. I like the IB's for color impact towards the front of a border.. I've had SDB's for about 25 years.. They tuck in nicely between some of the shorter perennials like Dianthus, or some of the shorter Achilleas.. Plus, as Arlyn said, I like the extended season that all the types give.

Well I added quite a few intermediates and dwarfs this year, so I'll get to see if I like them.
One, Lakota, is a colorful intermediate, and I loved the photos of her. She sent up a finger recently!

I probably have 97 to 98 percent TB's. I have been looking at some of the shorter Iris this year to extend the bloom time, that being said I have been avoiding some of the very late TB's because it's just tooooo hot here by the time they bloom.

I only grow Historic TB Iris. I do not like "Ruffles" at all. Iris that are all Ruffles don't look like Iris to me I don't know what they look like - but I look at a lot of these photo's and cringe. The ruffles, the colors, the color combinations, Eeeeeeeeeeeks they would not be growing in my gardens. But that is just my preference and my opinion. So a lot of these new hybridizers that are talked about on this forum I am not familiar with at all.

I tend to like them all. I like the simplicity of the historics, and and I like the complexity of the modern ruffled, multi-colored ones. I like the reds, the pinks, the yellows, the oranges, the browns the blues, the purples. . . . . Did I mention that I like them all???

I'm with you Tom -- I love the variations that can be found in Irises -- from simple elegance to gaudy gerties!!!

Here, again , we have a "dog from every town".........I'm more partial to the older, more *tailored* look, and Rita likes the more modern, wide falled, ruffles , and lace look.....but, I catch her looking at my "oldies", and she spies on me when I'm admiring the new ones

What's not to love? They're all beautiful!!! And it's wonderful to enjoy the transition from the historics to the moderns -- in your own garden.

Denman55 said:I only grow Historic TB Iris. I do not like "Ruffles" at all. Iris that are all Ruffles don't look like Iris to me I don't know what they look like - but I look at a lot of these photo's and cringe. The ruffles, the colors, the color combinations, Eeeeeeeeeeeks they would not be growing in my gardens. But that is just my preference and my opinion. So a lot of these new hybridizers that are talked about on this forum I am not familiar with at all.

Bad bridesmaid's dresses! With dyed shoes that don't quite match.