Loves dark purples! Have you seen Tom Parkhills parkridge challenger. The bloom is enormous

No, I am not joking about the poison ivy patch full of daffodils.

daylilies have scapes. irises have stalks.

@arilbred - No, I have not seen 'Parkridge Challenger'. I have 'Magnificent Masterpiece' on order, partly for the rebloom, partly for the purple for DH. I wish it were fragrant, but I guess you can't have everything.



@Linneaj - yikes!

@Lucy- ok, thank you for that correction. Either way, I am sure that to be a ribbon winner, you have to do a lot of primping with the entry. I know what to do with daylilies; I imagine I will learn (probably the hard way) what to do with irises. If I enter anything.

Entering provides experience.

That's true... but there's also a saying along the lines of "a burned hand learns quickest". I might get "experience" and learn the finer points about exhibiting irises quickly by entering, but I'm sure there will be a certain amount of pain involved (because, let's face it, there's always going to be some amount of ego involved when you enter a show... and egos bruise).

Certainly I have learned that you can learn a lot from talking to the judges ("why did I get only a white ribbon - ?") or listening to them (if you happen to be clerking as they judge).

I didn't win any purple rosettes until I learned (from talking to the judges) to 1) not exhibit something that typically behaves in contrast to its registration data, because the judges may not be personally familiar with the plant's quirks, and they will take the registration data as Gospel Truth (no matter how grossly inaccurate it is) and ding you; 2) not cut off scape branches even though there is nothing left there but old bloom scars, because otherwise the judges assume you had next to no blooms on the scape and will ding you; and 3) not exhibit anything that shows any trace of green on the sepals (even though it may be very typical for that cultivar) because again, the judges don't like it (and may not be familiar with that cultivar) and will ding you. I also learned (from judge's comments as they judged various entries, while I was clerking) the crucial importance of properly primping and grooming an exhibit. Good grooming (or lack thereof) can literally can make or break a Best in Class or Best in Show exhibit.

So I have learned how to play the exhibition game (at least with daylilies), I concede the potential value in plant exhibitions for educating (or at least entertaining) the public, I find it interesting, informative, and educational to see entries of unfamiliar cultivars, and I confess that it can be exciting to win a rosette (even if it is almost by default, due to few entries in that class) - BUT it's not exactly something that I personally anticipate or am really very much into, even if I may exhibit a cultivar or two.

This should by no means be taken as a slur or condescension or anything else negative against anyone who participates in these exhibitions, either by volunteering their time, energy, and effort by serving as judges or clerks or general support, or by exhibiting. This is especially true of those exhibitors who bring a large quantity of exhibits to the show; they and their contributions are literally the backbone of such enterprises, and make or break it.

But what gives me the most pleasure, horticulturally speaking, is enjoying the yearly bloom season (of whatever plants) in my garden. It is watching the parade of irises come and go in spring, knowing that they are the harbingers of the daylily season to come. It is the sensual enjoyment of sniffing the fragrant 'Darkside', or admiring the harmonious combination of 'Darkside' with 'Afternoon Delight', or 'Navajo Jewel' (maybe) with a near-white rose. It is viewing the white 'Arctic Express' and 'Hidden Surprise' in the Moon Garden, at dusk. And later, come daylily season, it is in going out to the side yard garden and being greeted by the fragrant lemon blooms of 'Osterized' in June, followed by the towering (and also fragrant) blooms of 'Sears Tower' in July.





And what gives me the most anticipation is not a show, or the judges' decisions therein, but awaiting maiden bloom on a seedling. And what gives me the most thrill is not winning a purple ribbon or rosette (though that is a fine thing and justly worthy of pride, and yes, I have been proud of my few such ribbons), but seeing bloom on a seedling that is actually (for a change) pleasing to look at , and knowing that you had some small part in bringing that about.

Well I will tell you my opinion on seedlings. I have quite a few....

Years ago the iris society had "guidelines" and those guidelines were to produce a solid color iris. Of course that changed... when a few folks said.., "What's wrong with multi-colored iris? I like them as much or better... "

Now if you want to be accepted by the "fold" your seedlings must meet their guidelines.

Beauty and "form" are in the eye of the beholder. Now honestly there are iris that are far more beautiful to me that would never win an award than some of the iris who have won the 'Dykes'. I would and do grow what is beautiful to me... and not what a handful of "others" tell me is acceptable or beautiful. Honestly there are a few Dykes winners that I wouldn't waste garden space on because I don't like the color. Some introductions from commercial hybridizers are down right homely in my opinion. But hey!!! It's got great foliage right?

But if it's money and market then you need to dance to the beat of the drum of those who control that market. (Don't think it's not biased.)

Now the commercial hybridizers have no problem putting out flowers that look so much alike it's difficult to differentiate between them. Another Lavender, Another Yellow.... another blue. And they make a lot of money off wimpy growers and wimpy bloomers because they have a good photographer.

If I propagate something and I like it... I'm not going to destroy it just because some other fellow isn't going to like the shape of the petal.

I don't buy/collect iris just to make sure I have one of EVERYTHING. I just buy the ones that appeal to ME.

I'm also not a 'groupie' that would turn star struck at seeing a commercial hybridizer. My judgement of a person has more to do with character than popularity.

I have a more basic question. Is there a picture anywhere of what the seed pods should like like when they are ready to harvest? Mine have turned from green to a pale yellow. I read recently that someone had harvested their pods, but I can't remember who, so I'm not sure if they come from a warmer zone where the iris bloomed earlier

Lyn, I tested a seed pod that had gone from green to yellow, and there were brown seeds, so
I cut the stalks, making notes in my iris notebook, Yesterday and the day before. It's been hot here.
I caught one pod that was just starting to split open!
I do know about putting stocking caps on them, but never got around to it this year.

janwax said:Lyn, I tested a seed pod that had gone from green to yellow, and there were brown seeds, so
I cut the stalks, making notes in my iris notebook, Yesterday and the day before. It's been hot here.
I caught one pod that was just starting to split open!
I do know about putting stocking caps on them, but never got around to it this year.

Thanks, Jan. Warmer zone for sure --- LOL! By stocking caps, did you mean like little footoes made of nylon stockings (the things I haven't worn in centuries

I snapped my seed pods when they were greenish turning brown. This wasn't the fullest pod, but I had two pods worth of the same.


I put the seeds in the fridge immediately because I really don't know what I'm doing. I puposely didnt dry them out and tested to see if they'd rot in the perlite and h2o and hydrogen peroxide mix. Exactly one month to date they started to possibly open? This is where I'm stumped. This is a fresh pic and man have they swollen up..and not rotted.

Cuzz4short said:I snapped my seed pods when they were greenish turning brown. This wasn't the fullest pod, but I had two pods worth of the same.


I put the seeds in the fridge immediately because I really don't know what I'm doing. I puposely didnt dry them out and tested to see if they'd rot in the perlite and h2o and hydrogen peroxide mix. Exactly one month to date they started to possibly open? This is where I'm stumped. This is a fresh pic and man have they swollen up..and not rotted.

Interesting. Hope we get some feedback from the experienced on this. Bit freaked out about putting seeds in H202!!!!

I heard a cap full per 16.9 watching a day lily vid. I just did the same with mines mixed into a bottle of deerpark spring water. I don't know if this is even the right time of year to attempt this, probably not.

It depends where you live. We have brown seeds & don't use the fridge as we live in a colder climate & plant outside in Oct.

I've always let mine dry for a few months and put them into a wet paper towel and wrapped them in foil to stratify them in the fridge later. Hydrogen peroxide quickly turns to water when exposed to air, as it's unstable. It will be interesting to see what happens Gabe.

Seeds from some irises start to sprout after being in the fridge for a week and need to be planted with care so that you do not damage the tiny little plant. Others take their time and some do not start to grow until they have been in the ground for at least a year. I planted a group of seeds from one pod in a long planter. Only a dozen grew. Even though this group of seeds are on their second year's growth tiny new irises have sprouted. The planter is nowhere near another iris of any kind so it is the 'old' seeds that have germinated. They may not thrive but one never knows.

tveguy3 said:I've always let mine dry for a few months and put them into a wet paper towel and wrapped them in foil to stratify them in the fridge later. Hydrogen peroxide quickly turns to water when exposed to air, as it's unstable. It will be interesting to see what happens Gabe.

Tom, you live in a cold climate as I do. Why do you use the fridge instead of stratifying them outdoors? When I read about this fridge method, I am intimidated by trying to plant a sprouted seed without damaging it. Tom, and anyone else, I'm sure you've tried various things --- is there some great benefit to t he fridge method that outweighs the risk? Even though a pod has many seeds, each one is potentially a whole different plant, a genetic combination that you may happen to get and never get again even if you made that cross 100 times.

I have been told that seeds can germinate as much as 3 years after it's been planted.

...reading this with great interest and learning a lot! all!

Well, using the refrigerator to stratify the seeds allows you to plant them in the early fall or winter, and then harden them off and get them lined out earlier so that they will not take so long to bloom. I got about 1/4 of them to bloom one year later that way. I tried putting them outside and got 3 seeds out of 3 pots full to germinate, then it took 3 years for them to bloom. The seeds are pretty easily transferred to pots even if they have a root growing. I've had some with the root growing into the paper towel, and I just planted the bit of paper with the seed and it grew fine. I try to get them planted before Dec. 1, and some years I actually do get them planted that early. I would rather plant them earlier, but don't seem to get that done. Last year after I planted them I put them in the basement on the window ledges where the temps are between 45 and 55 degrees. I got much better germination then I ever did when I kept them in the house by a warm window. I'm really just a beginner here, others who have done it longer could add some advice I'm sure. Having a green house sure would make this a much easier task I'm thinking.