Oncos 2011

[ian mcenery]

Great photos Thomas Thanks for sharing

[BULBISSIME]

Here is an Iris, flowering now, close to I. bostrensis, with front light and backlight.

[PeterT]

Fantastic pictures Thomas, wonderful to see.
Fred your Iris is fabulous! it would look good in any lighting.
Here they are just sending up shoots now.

[Lesley Cox]

Holy Moly!!!!! That's stupendous! (With apologies to Dme JS)

[Hans A.]

Superb pictures and plant Fred!!
Nothing beats the pure species!

[arillady]

Wow what flouncing on the standards - how exquisite Fred.

[xthomasx]

So far, not a lot of news from Israel. The season is not late, it is VERY late. Too late for my holidays 

On Sunday I visited David Shahaks garden near Zichron Yaakov and found two nice yellow Iris atropurpurea. Apart from normal atropurpureas, only a handful of I.haynei and two I.mariae were in flower.

Later we went to Nazareth to check an I. bismarckiana habitat - same result. Monday I went to a famous habitat of I. petrana. No flowers, just buds deep down inside the fans. Nice foliage, though, despite the dryness this winter. The absense of flowers and other visitors allowed me to look for and to pillage old capsules. Found just a handful of 2010 seeds...

The first three photos are from David Shahaks theme garden in the 'Ramat Hanadiv' display area near Zichron Yaakov:

1+2) Two different yellow Iris atropurpurea
3) Iris haynei

The last photo is Moraea sisyrinchium from Tekoa, a place near Bethlehem where they grow in their thousands.

Best greetings,

Thomas.

[Hendrik Van Bogaert]

Here is an Iris, flowering now, close to I. bostrensis, with front light and backlight.

MARVELLOUS, FRED!

[Hans A.]

Wow Thomas, the first yellow Iris atropurpurea is breathtaking!!!
Thank you very much for sharing your pictures! It is interesting to see how David Shahak grows his plants.

Iris haynei also started to flower here in the western part of the mediterranean.

[Lesley Cox]

I didn't realize David Shahak was stilll around and actively growing. It seems so very many years ago that I had his catalogues. Before I was married, and that was 45 years ago! What a wonderful place to visit.

[arillady]

Thomas wonderful photos telling us so much. Would you please write an article for the ASI Yearbook on this?:
David Shahaks theme garden in the 'Ramat Hanadiv' display area near Zichron Yaakov.
Pat

[xthomasx]

Here are some photos of our Friday excursion to the central south of Israel. Again, I was invited by Miriam and her family to join on a day out in the desert... We found Iris mariae in several spots. The flowers were less and smaller than usual due to the long dryness this winter but we were very happy to find them anyway. In some habitats they were all in buds but in two places we found flowers.

Then, shortly before sunset, we went to a habitat of Iris atrofusca which was on our way anyway. And, thank God, we saw some of this year's first flowers of that species.

Three photos of Iris mariae, then two of Iris atrofusca.

I am afraid, this is the last post from my journey - tomorrow is my last day in the Land of Milk and Honey, and I am not going to do another iris excursion.

Thomas.

[PeterT]

Wonderful pictures Thomas, thankyou for sharing

[Oron Peri]

Great photos all,
Thomas, glad you have managed to see atrofusca, i was there two days before you and it wasn't in flower yet.

Fred, that's a fantastic bostrensis, hope to see it again in a couple of weeks..

[Miriam]

Thomas, it was a pleasure to travel with you 

Here is Iris nigricans from my garden...thanks to Rafa