Pia, beautiful pictures and wonderful to see you back online.

No shaky hands there.

I thought it might be nice to revisit the calcareums. I took these photos today and find each one of these cultivars to be noticeable different from one another. What do you think?

My favorite. It has a very pleasing shape and color. Also has a blush of pink at the base of the leaves in spring and summer.
Pink Pearl


Extra, nice strong coloring.


Greenii, prolific


Limelight, paler green with very little tip color

Yes, I think they look quite different Lynn. I've tried 'Pink Pearl' here several times and it just doesn't approve of the humidity during the summer and the wet winters. I finally gave up on it but it really is a nice one!

'Extra' is my absolute favorite. It is incredibly symmetrical. Howard definitely picked a winner with it. Gorgeous!

Kevin

Chris I had trouble with 'Pink Pearl' also, until I piled on the chicken grit and planted the rosettes high. This year it has done very well.

Kevin, my next favorite is 'Extra'. Not only is the form lovely, but the color is intense for a calcareum.

These are beautiful but I still like the colors and watermarks.

I'm with you Julia! I do think we need some GOOD GREENS though to alternate between the colored ones. Actually in my seedling beds the good green or silver ones really POP because I breed so many reds and purples.

Kevin

I like the GREEN ONES... Sometimes I wish they had darker green ones because dark green is a useful color too! There's good dark green succulents but they are mostly tender ones.

Bev,

I think our natural avoidance to green ones stem from people associating ALL semps with S. tectorum and that comment "I have the GREEN ONE". That is like nails on a blackboard for me! It must be genetic too as it drove my mom crazy!

Anyway, I do try to collect some good green ones and save out anything interesting in that color that occurs in the seedling rows. My favorite new named one is 'Waldmeister' from Erwin. The color is a BRIGHT green and the leaves are very wide and the rosette chunky and no interfering purple tips. Silver and blue ones seem to sell better and offer the same kind of color break from the reds and purples. I wish I could make more progress toward blues in my lines although I do have a seedling from 'Frost and Flame' X 'Pacific Blue Ice' that is my bluest so far.

Kevin

Kevin, The colored semps, for me, serve their purpose to attract the eye when one wants focus on them, BUT the green ones can serve to "ground" a container planting or separate the many different colors within a planting so that the colors don't clash. There is where I find the greens very useful in my projects. And if there is a green one that is most interesting in shape, form, texture, etc. then that's a bonus for the eye! I'll have to look up Erwin's latest green...

The calcareum are starting to shine out in the garden. Just love them.

Limelight always remind me of the first time I met all you folks for the first time in 2014 at Lynn's. That was an exciting time. Been the same since...

Very beautiful Lynn!
Bev didn't you attend first year? 2013? Anyway love these this time of year!!

No Greg...which was why I thought Kevin's review this year at the clinic was so neat. Too bad he didn't give his slideshow that he gave to the Iris Society this year.

Fond memories for us.

OK, gotta join the fun.

Species, 'Greenii' and NOID.


'Sir William Lawrence' and 'Extra'

I like Extra Tim! All look good! Bev that's right you weren't able to make it the first year - funny how you seem like you were there each year!!
I will take some pics tomorrow of the couple that I have - I think I have 4

Love the photos Tim. I just love the calcareum.

My calcareum from Ceuse looks especially good this year. It is brighter than 'Limelight'.

Kevin

Kevin, can you get us a photo?