Giving credit where it is due is always a good way to start. I must start with the Borglums, Dana and Sylvia. Their iris farm no too far south-east of Rochester got me hooked. I had a few cultivars that were ordered through the generic catalogs, but when I first visited Borglum's Iris Farm I saw the possibilities.
Dana has registered a few of his own cultivars, including this Seneca Creamsicle, now in my garden...
Borglum's is dig your own heaven. Here's an example. My good friend David in Lexington is building his collection and Dykes Medal Winners are great choices. (More on Dykes later.) He wanted Jurassic Park, Larry Lauer's 1995 introduction.
So I headed to Borglums. I grabbed a spade, a plastic grocery bag and wagon, supplied at the farm and for about the price of one dry root rhizome, I dug this beautiful clump. Plenty for me and couple of rhizomes for David.
This closeup shows the intricate shadings and marking that an iris can display.
David got a rhizome or two and here is the clump in my garden.
Can't wait for this year's bloom!