Reticulate Iris-2011

[David Nicholson]

Well done Janis. The danfordiae is a beauty.

[Maggi Young]

That I. danfordiae is perfect..... just perfect. I wish I could feel the scent because I'm sure it will be delicious, even in such cold temperatures.

[Tom Waters]

Lovely. Nice to see a close-up photo of I. danfordiae from a wild population; it's quite different from the triploid form in the commercial bulb trade.

[Lesley Cox]

You're right Tom, just so much better - perfect as Maggi says.

[arillady]

Janis what a superb photo of Iris danfordiae
Hans your Iris vartani is supposed to smell of almonds - did you happen to sniff - plus it is a low altitude plant so you should be able to grow it.

[Hans A.]

Janis, superb Iris danfordiae! As it said to be a a plant of higher altitudes which flowers after snowmelting I never tried this species here, but perhaps I should...
Glad your Iris vartanii will flower, hope you will post a picture!

Thanks Pat, unfortunately I did not sniff, I was so excited that I forgot it...
This species belongs together with Iris pamphylica and Iris zagrica to those species which do well, I am growing the seedlings of this species for several years here, more problems cause for example Iris reticulata, Iris histrio or Iris histrioides.

[Janis Ruksans]

Weather is extremely dark and wet, but it didn't miss to a pair of reticulata irises to open their flowers. The first is I. vartanii - not of so refined beauty as shown on this topic before, but for me it is the first time when I can see living flower of this species. I suppose that just darkness, may be summer temperatures causes some "weekness" of flower.
Another two pictures are from one of Alan Mc'Mutrie's hybrids (97-CN-2B), just starting blooming.
Janis

[WimB]

Wonderful, Janis,

I love those McMurtrie hybrids!

[David Nicholson]

Me too, and I hope to have some of my own from seed in a couple of years time.

[Hans A.]

Beautiful Iris vartanii, Janis!
Also 97-CN-2B is fascinating, are those hybrids fertil?

[Janis Ruksans]

Beautiful Iris vartanii, Janis!
Also 97-CN-2B is fascinating, are those hybrids fertil?

I don't know about fertility, some set seeds (from natural pollination), but I'm not collecting those. I don't want to enter Alan's "field", no one can do everything and he is on real top. Alan of course still hybridizes them and now he is making some polyploids in laboratory (in cases where hybrids are sterile) to get following generation. This autumn he saw ~5000 seeds of reticulata hybrids. My main attention now is only for crocuses and I'm crossing only them.
Janis

[ian mcenery]

Lovely Irises Janis

Here is my first a lonely but not for long
 Katherine Hodgkin

[David Nicholson]

Way in front of mine Ian

[PeterT]

bakeriana and McMurtries Dance On are the first out here

[alpinelover]

Some early flowers of Iris reticulata 'Purple Gem'