Greater Rochester Iris Sale ... A Great Success

'Wabash' TB Dykes Medal Winner, 1940 .. 2 left.  Read on.

Many people left with great irises at great prices,  GRIS made money for our on-going program, and many attendees learned how to divide, treat and plant irises.  It was a great day!

Jim and Betty got our sign in place well in advance.

The day of the event we were so busy no one had time to take pictures.
After hours of work, Nate took a well deserved break....

... but not for long!

Wendy's median advice was invaluable.

Demos and advice from a group of irisians really enjoying themselves!

The remaining stock was moved to 3873 Rush Mendon Road, Mendon, NY.  Come on down to see what's left through Saturday.

Koda likes the sign.  We'll be selling great home grown rhizomes through the end of the week.

Here area few of the cultivars left.  None are more than $3.00.  2 of those 1940 Dykes Medal winners.  Don't know what that is? Come find out!

'Chanted' SDB

'Princesse Caroline de Monaco' TB

'Spring Fresh' SDB

Sunday at Zettek's Cobbs Hill Garden

Sunday was our first opportunity to stop over at Cobbs Hill to see Charlie and Judy's garden.  The wet spring and the beautiful sunny day were perfect for the garden.  Can't remember when it looked better!

Catching Up With Daylilies

Big Blue? (Stamile, 1995)
height 24", bloom 6.5", season M, Rebloom, Dormant, Tetraploid, Fragrant,  Lavender self with green throat. (White Zone × Tet. Barbara Mitchell)

'Big Blue' above is not lavender with a green throat, but it is more bluish than this photo shows... so what is it?  It came from a reliable source... so I am headed to my knower-of-all-things daylily, to get an opinion. 

'Ice Carnival' (Childs-F., 1967)
height 28", bloom 6", season M, Rebloom, Dormant, Diploid, Very Fragrant,  Near white self with green throat.

This I like because, Kyle likes white flowers and the crimped edge is fun.  Ice Carnival appear more yellow in this photo than it actually is
.

'Kindy Light' (Bechtold, 1950)
height 29", season M, Dormant, Diploid, Spider Ratio 7.70:1,  GYL1: Green yellow light self.

An old reliable and favorite of many visitors is 'Kindly Light.'  Its spider ration is impressive and it is a good 7" across.  Blooms are separated to give a great fireworks display in its place in the garden.

It

'Mauna Loa' (Roberts, 1976)
height 22", bloom 5", season EM, Dormant, Tetraploid,  Amber gold blend with wire edge of deep red and light green throat. ((Commandment × Botticelli) × (sdlg × Paprika Velvet))

Nothing else in my garden is as fiery as 'Mauna Loa.' Its bright orange is eye-catching and I have looked at many pictures that do not show the "wire edge of deep red."

'Night Embers' (Stamile, 1997)
height 30", bloom 5", season EM, Rebloom, Semi-Evergreen, Tetraploid, Fragrant, Double ,  Bing cherry red with white edges and green throat. (Double Phelan × sdlg)

I am a sucker for an impressive double and this is my favorite. Though the edges my be white they appear gold.  Nothing is more aptly named than 'Night Embers.'

'Pandora's Box'  (Talbott, 1980)
height 19", bloom 4", season EM, Rebloom, Evergreen, Diploid, Fragrant,  Cream with purple eyezone and green throat. ((Prairie Blue Eyes × Moment of Truth) × (Apparition × Moment of Truth))

 'Pandora's Box' opens to an elegant cream and maroon eyezone.

'Patsy Bickers' (Dickerson, 1987)
height 20", bloom 11", season M, Evergreen, Diploid, Fragrant, Spider Ratio 5.50:1,  Beige pink spider with brown red eyezone and green gold throat. (sdlg × Kindly Light)

Its corkscrew petals make 'Patsy Bickers' a puzzle.  Sometime the twist are very pleasing.  Other times a little unsettling. Its earthy tones are an odd soothing juxtaposition to its cantankerous behavior.

 'Pemaquid Light' (Barth, 1974)
height 36", bloom 8", season MLa, Dormant, Tetraploid, Fragrant,  Lemon gold self with green gold throat. (Mary Todd × Lemon Mint)

This big bright yellow would draw the attention of anyone lost a sea.  When we were at the Zetteks several years back, Kyle went right to 'Pemaquid Light' and said, "We must have that!"

'Schnickel Fritz' (Kirchhoff-D., 1996)
height 16", bloom 5", season EM, Rebloom, Dormant, Diploid, Double ,  Near white self with green throat. (Chardonnay × (Nagasaki × Siloam Double Classic))

 'Schickel Fritz' was my must have!  A creamy white double; what's not to like?

'Siloam June Bug' (Henry-P., 1978)
height 23", bloom 2.75", season EM, Dormant, Diploid,  Gold with dark maroon eyezone and green throat.

Size matters, especially when so much color and graceful form is packed into a less than 3" package.

First Iris Shipment - Iris4U.com

It's that time of year when the irises ordered in the spring start to arrive.  My first shipment from a new supplier arrived today, and I have to say that I am very, very pleased!

First shipping speed and charges. I received notification on Monday that the iris shipped via priority mail from Denver. Colorado. I was told the shipment should take 1 to 3 days.  It took 2 days.  I was charged $14 for shipping and handling.  The postage was actually $12.  A very reasonable charge and the rhizomes were very nicely packaged.  The rhizomes securely nestled in wood excelsior.  I'm sure that newspaper is just as effective for packing, but it send that extra touch message.

No scruffy rhizomes here!  The fresh, healthy well-rooted rhizomes were labeled with a Sharpie very clearly.  I do like the plastic strips that some supplier staple on better in case I don't get them into the ground quickly.  If the leaves dry and curl this labeling can be hard to read.  I'll get mine into the ground soon, but when we order for the club it can be a problem.  Since Iris4U.com only deals with tall bearded iris and they all have impressive fans it's certainly not a problem.

I was very pleased to see a couple of rhizomes were doubled.  Each one looks great, but it's nice to have a backup!

Most growers have a bonus program.  Some give you a choice.  Some give you a surprise.  I don't remember making a specific request, but along with the double rhizomes of two I ordered I received a 2012 introduction by Bob VanLiere, 'Colorado Expressions.'  It looks wonderful and will be a great addition to my garden.  I'll pair it with Sultan's Palace and Supreme Sultan when I plant it.

'Colorado Expression' (VanLiere 2013)

Today's Daylily: Baby Bear

This tiny little burgundy jewel has taken a few season's to bloom.  Well worth the wait.

'Baby Bear' (Apps, 1995)
height 20", bloom 3.25", season EM, Rebloom, Dormant, Diploid,  Deep violet with deep purple eyezone and green throat. (Woodside Fire Dance × Welchkins)

Anemone Dahlia

This type of dahlia is new to my garden this year.  While the exterior petals are standard dinnerplate style, the interior is a notched pom-pom.  I purchased "Boogie Woogie" and "Soulman" in this class.  Frankly the colors match neither, so I will have to investigate further, but it's quite lovely and a nice compliment to nearby cone flowers.

Favorite bloom Today

Favorite bloom today:

Daring Deception (Salter, 1994)
height 24", bloom 5", season EM, Rebloom, Semi-Evergreen, Tetraploid,  Pale lavender pink with black purple edge and black purple eyezone above green throat. (Daring Dilemma × sdlg)

Daylily Update July 6th

Today was the first time in a long, long time, without another commitment AND without rain so lots of work in the garden was done!  The weeds were, and still are, in 80% of the garden, enormous.

Now that it's dark, some time to catch up on the 2013 daylily bloom.

I keep a patch of the common "ditch lilies" in the yard to remember where all these highfalutin hybrids came from.  The origins or modern markings a edges are all there. It just took many years of hybridizing to isolate and exaggerate them.

Here are some of the results blooming at Diamond Rise now:

Cabbae Flower (Kirchhoff-D., 1984)
height 17", bloom 4.62", season EE, Rebloom, Evergreen,, Fragrant, Double ,  Pastel lemon yellow self with green throat. (Twin Crown × Nagasaki)

Labeled "Early Rose" -  Incorrect

'Itsy Bitsy Spider' (Bishop-H., 1990)
height 35", bloom 3.5", season E, Dormant, Diploid, Unusual Form Crispate,  Lemon yellow spider self with green throat. (Mignon × Suzie Wong)

'Kindly Light' (Bechtold, 1950)
height 29", season M, Dormant, Diploid, Spider Ratio 7.70:1,  GYL1: Green yellow light self.

'Little Zinger' (Lankart, 1979)
height 16", bloom 2.66", season EM, Semi-Evergreen, Diploid,  Red self with very green throat

unkown

'Schickel Fritz' (Kirchhoff-D., 1996)
height 16", bloom 5", season EM, Rebloom, Dormant, Diploid, Double ,  Near white self with green throat. (Chardonnay × (Nagasaki × Siloam Double Classic))

'Siloam Double Classic' (Henry-P., 1985)
height 16", bloom 5", season EM, Dormant, Diploid, Double,  Bright pink self with green throat.

Zettek Seedling 04-K-2

The End of June, The Beginning of Daylilies

The first daylily was a Zettek seedling 04-K-2.

The second Just My Size, right next to it but shorter and the bloom a little larger.

 

 

The yellow coreopsis is in full flower.

The first dahlia, Sun Explosion, likes it's place under the speed limit sign.