This thread illustrates what , to me, at least, is a "problem" with many, many, introductions......there are too many iris that are 'too similar" to one another. They may be a "nice " iris....good color, form, and habits....but, if there isn't something "special" about them, to set them apart from the others .

I agree, Arlyn. Especially with the smaller irises. I have at least a dozen golden ones and thankfully I have not planted them close together. There are subtle differences but for an overall garden flower I don't need that many. There will come a time when I am out of room and I will compare and share some irises away based on being extremely similar to another iris.

Henhouse said:I thought these two would look very similar, but see how my Ring Around Rosie looks here, by comparison to the one just left of it. This was it's maiden bloom, so maybe I can expect more color this year ??

• Tall Bearded Iris (Iris 'Whispering Spirits')
• Uploaded by Henhouse

• Tall Bearded Iris (Iris 'Ring Around Rosie')
• Uploaded by TBGDN

My "Ring Around Rosie" usually produces flowers of varying intensity of colour usually somewhere between your two photos. It fades very quickly to the point where I have thought about it replacing it with something else. For example, this is a photo I took of a bloom and a photo I took of the clump 2 days later.

Oh, wow. Used to Daylilies fading like that, but I didn't know Iris could, too.

They are siblings. Ring Around Rosie stayed fine. Whispering Spirits would not grow here.

I like them both.. even the "faded" version of 'Ring Around Rosie'.. Whispering Spirits has been doing well, & I'm hoping RAR will too.

I still think that the faded Ring Around the Rosie is pretty. Did anyone see today's new Paul Black intro Jupiter's Rings (on facebook)? I saw it and instantly thought Class Ring. You could argue the color is slightly more magenta than red, but boy do they look similar.

Btw I did order House Arrest from Superstition, it is just too beautiful not to have!

Superstition catalog arrived today.

Mine didn't come in yet Probably a good thing, because I'll just keep adding to my order hehe

Yep, received their catalog today, too. Good thing I have pencils.

I didn't get mine either

Mine came today... I just sent my pre-order check in yesterday... Looking through it, I've got several marked, and I haven't even made it past the "A's"... I'm hopeless..

Mine arrived yesterday and by bed time I'd scoured through it for hours. I want Velvet Valentine so bad I can hardly stand it! Introduced last year, and down to $28, which is really good for 2nd year after introduction, but still more than I've paid for a rhizome. We'll see, I may break down and order that one. I marked the IBs I want, and it would have been easier to mark the ones I don't- they offer 18 and I have 12 marked.

You are killing me guys. I DO plan to order more from them, but still don't have my catalog. Waaaahhhhh!

gemini_sage said:Mine arrived yesterday and by bed time I'd scoured through it for hours. I want Velvet Valentine so bad I can hardly stand it! Introduced last year, and down to $28, which is really good for 2nd year after introduction, but still more than I've paid for a rhizome. We'll see, I may break down and order that one. I marked the IBs I want, and it would have been easier to mark the ones I don't- they offer 18 and I have 12 marked.

The parent plants are way less expensive and quite similar in effect.

Oh, so glad you mentioned that Linnea- I've ordered Bowled Over!