Linda writes:

 

>brrr, mid teens F here this AM...bought insulated bib overalls and
matching blaze camo jacket so now I can look like the Michelin man going
deer hunting!<

 

So, THATâs how you keep them out of your garden!

 

>velvety falls. I'm curious - do you see as much benefit from WABASH influence
in your seedlings, or is there more to choose from now in other modern
lines (i.e., ROMANTIC EVENING).<

 

During the 10 years that I quit hybridizing --  roughly, 1980â1990, Keith Keppel, Joe Ghio and Barry Blyth accomplished some of my original goals of bringing the velvety falls up into modern, ruffled form.  Still, thereâs plenty of room for further development, and I have used some of their beauties, such as Romantic Evening, Starring, Chinese Treasure and Fiery Temper, for instance, along with my own seedlings out of Wabash, Trudy, Dusky Dancer, Momauguin and other old heavy velvets, to produce other lines.  Each iris has its own peculiar qualities, and, yes, I can often see the Wabash heritage shining through.  Pictured, for instance, are Torchlight Parade (2001) and Royal Pageantry (2010)(Blythâs Knighted by my 962N, which involves Champagne Elegance, two doses of Wabash, and Best Bet). 

 

Thanks for your comment on the colors.  Even in those Wabash-derived introductions that donât resemble Wabash outright, there is a distinctiveness of color or texture, such as in, for instance, (pictured) Alleluia, That Certain Something, Lili Marlene and Prince Igor.  That, for me, is one of the rewards of working with this fine old recessive amoena (which is about my own age  --  whoops!).  --  Griff

 

P.S.  Sorry, John, if I have exceeded the KB count.  Iâll try to confine it in the future.