Reticulate Iris 2010

[art600]

Michael

Very nice potful.  How much was it - would like to compare with the prices charged at Wisley.

[Michael J Campbell]

Arthur that potfull was €1-80

[cohan]

Hi Cohan,
Yes, Alan is Iris reticulata central. To my knowledge he has the most comprehensive breeding programme in the world! We got 1000 seeds from him several years ago and are looking forward to the flowers in a few years time! The range of colours is mind numbing! I love the russet browns and orange types, the green ones too, ok, all of them!

it does seem he has some interesting things--fitting he's in toronto, since that's where i first saw reticulatas, not knowing anything about reticulatas, other than that they were obvioulsy small irises--they were about the earliest flower there, and some nice patches near where i lived..
my taste does run to natural species, but who knows, maybe i will get some mixed seeds or seedlings...

[TheOnionMan]

I love the reticulata Iris too, but wondering what you all do with the elongating foliage.  I measured some of mine last year greater than 3' (1 meter) long after flowering, they seem absurdly long growing compared to the plant in flower. In the garden, the foliage is sort of ridiculous.

I assume one should not cut off foliage prematurely to tidy up.

[cohan]

I love the reticulata Iris too, but wondering what you all do with the elongating foliage.  I measured some of mine last year greater than 3' (1 meter) long after flowering, they seem absurdly long growing compared to the plant in flower. In the garden, the foliage is sort of ridiculous.

I assume one should not cut off foliage prematurely to tidy up.

that's interesting! the only place i really know them from is the gardens at ryerson university in toronto, where they came up early, looked like crocus foliage, and, i assumed, reached the same proportions..this garden was a marvel of succession and by midsummer featured a wealth of larger to very large  plants, so i never really noticed what became of the bulb foliage...

[Lori S.]

What particular species produce meter-long and longer leaves??

[TheOnionMan]

What particular species produce meter-long and longer leaves??

The ones that had leaves 1 meter long were in a bed that has I. histrio and various I. histrioides hybrids, I don't know exactly which it was this past year, will take note this year.  But even if all don't reach 3' (1 meter), the I. reticulata cultivars have ridiculously long foliage after flowering, 2' at least (60 cm), way beyond their endearing near-stemless alpine look when flowering; this ugly fact cannot be denied (well, at least it is never talked about much).

[Hristo]

Hi Cohan,
Yes, Alan is Iris reticulata central. To my knowledge he has the most comprehensive breeding programme in the world! We got 1000 seeds from him several years ago and are looking forward to the flowers in a few years time! The range of colours is mind numbing! I love the russet browns and orange types, the green ones too, ok, all of them!

my taste does run to natural species, but who knows, maybe i will get some mixed seeds or seedlings...

Cohan, I'd go for it, I was a firm 'species' fan for a few years but the Pleione orchid bug transmuted into an Iris sophensis x bug!! When you know the natural colour range of a species and then someone starts offerings all sorts of bizarre colour breaks....., and all of this in a species that requires little fuss, too good to pass up!

Mark, I think the foliage length will depend on light levels, whilst we can get long leaves here they rarely exceed 30cm on Iris reticuata / histrioides. x 'Katherine Hodgkin' and an Iris reticulata hort. tend to be the longest leaved with us.
I actually read some blurb on a site suggesting that the attractve foliage of Iris reticulata was an added bonus after the fowers had finished, takes all sorts I guess!!

[Lori S.]

the I. reticulata cultivars have ridiculously long foliage after flowering, 2' at least (60 cm), way beyond their endearing near-stemless alpine look when flowering; this ugly fact cannot be denied (well, at least it is never talked about much).

Wow, that's very interesting!  Admittedly, I only have a few of 2 or 3 of the most common I. reticulata cultivars, however I've never noticed the foliage getting anywhere near that tall here... not even a foot tall, I don't think.   I'll have to remember to make note of it this year.

[cohan]

Hi Cohan,
Yes, Alan is Iris reticulata central. To my knowledge he has the most comprehensive breeding programme in the world! We got 1000 seeds from him several years ago and are looking forward to the flowers in a few years time! The range of colours is mind numbing! I love the russet browns and orange types, the green ones too, ok, all of them!

my taste does run to natural species, but who knows, maybe i will get some mixed seeds or seedlings...

Cohan, I'd go for it, I was a firm 'species' fan for a few years but the Pleione orchid bug transmuted into an Iris sophensis x bug!! When you know the natural colour range of a species and then someone starts offerings all sorts of bizarre colour breaks....., and all of this in a species that requires little fuss, too good to pass up!

i admit some of the hybrids are zowie, but the more species i see--i've been skimming through the iris threads, among others--the more i think there is plenty enough variation in nature for me! of course i don't expect to grow all those amazing plants from israel and lower elevations in turkey etc, but i still think there are far more species than i will ever have room/time for..

however, i am also into bargains, so if a whack of mixed progeny is a cheapish way to fill a couple of beds with spring flowers, i may do it
probably i am too late for seed this winter, and too early/late for babies, so enough time to decide later...lol

[mark smyth]

I havent showed anyone my Iris reticulata this year because I'm worried they are wrong.

Something happened yesterday evening that has prompted me to write.

I gave a lecture last night, on snowdrops, and always bring a boot full of pots for a display. Among the various honey scents from snowdrops and Crocus was another lovely sweet scent. Putting everything out on the display table I checked all plants. The scent was from Clairette smelling very strong of primroses.

[Gail]

Agree about the lovely fragrance of Clairette.  I was sniffing retics at the Amand stand at Harlow and the scents vary greatly with some eg. Sheila Ann Germany having a strange tang that reminds me of hospitals.  I asked the woman standing next to me if she could put a name to the scent but she couldn't detect it at all.

[mark smyth]

Galanthus Sally's Double has a hospital scent.

[Hristo]

I havent showed anyone my Iris reticulata this year because I'm worried they are wrong.

Mark, are they pretty? Show them with the names you have got for them, it's not like the rest
of us on this thread haven't got 'suspect' reticulatas!!

[daveyp1970]

I.r.pauline is my favourite dark purple and Mark its perfume is stunning in the greenhouse.