Daphne,
I have 13 Keppel iris and 4 Ghio iris. I haven't found that the Ghio perform better
than the Keppel in my garden.
Ghio:
Hospitality
Magical
Power Surge
Starring
Of these, Magical increases slowly, Hospitality and Power Surge did not bloom their first year. Only Starring has bloomed and increased well.
Keppel:
Babbling Brook
Blowing Kisses
French Lilacs
Friendly Advice
Gypsy Lord
Haunted Heart
Merchant Marine
Nouveau Riche
Parisian Dawn
Raging Tide
Sea Cruise
Venita Faye
Versailles
Of these, French Lilacs, Friendly Advice, and Sea Cruise did not bloom their
first year. Gypsy Lord increases slowly and Venita Faye has not been a reliable
bloomer. The Keppels that did bloom their second year put out beautiful clumps.
I would say give your Keppels a second chance.
Most of my iris are from Black, Johnson, and Schreiner, also located in Oregon.
In my garden, I think the main variable for performance is whether the iris are first year or older, rather than where they were hybridized.
