I keep trying with both - but a big problem here is being able to keep
"best" modern form irises not only alive, but producing fertile pollen
to cross onto IMM and HoM. Just about need a greenhouse here for
protection from rain and erratic temperature. & it's a total shot in
the dark as to what will "nick" well. Seedlings, especially from
HARVEST OF MEMORIES, go median/retro most of the time. Narrow, small.
Like the one I posted the other day of HARVEST OF MEMORIES X RENOWN.
Blooms on that one are actually above average for size & width from HoM.
:-( IMM does a bit better on average, but seedlings produce mostly
foliage, few stalks.
Plus when crossed with "pretties", they have tend to have half the
health of IMM, often worse from HoM.
~10 yrs down the road from my first serious crosses, I have tons of
thriving seedlings now, maybe a few will prove to be worth introducing.
I suspect that outside of difficult climate areas, nobody would give
any of them a second glance.
TREASURED produced some nice flowered seedlings from HARVEST OF MEMORIES
- too soon to see how they will do in the long run.
<I think these kind of varieties would do a hybridizer well if he/she
used those. It seems they perform well almost anywhere.
~ Margie V.
Oro Valley, AZ. >
