I have given up on my Gerald Darby, but I just wanted to illustrate a case in point of an iris recently getting horribly mixed up in commerce.
Iris ensata Imperial Magic, a beautiful iris sold correctly, of course, at Ensata Gardens.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/113482/
Now the Dutch wholesalers have brought in a bunch of Imperial Magic, and as usual it's whatever iris they slap a name on.
For example:
http://www.vanbloem.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=plants.plantDetail&plant_ID=893
Just for kicks from one of my wholesalers for my general nursery (I do not use wholesalers for my iris sales), I asked for a sample of Imperial Magic they were selling. I was sent 5, and 4 where all dark purple, and one was plain white.
Now, every consumer that buys that iris will insist they have Imperial Magic.
Even Plant Delights, a well know nursery is now selling Japanese irises from the Dutch trade, with no registered name. We had a long discussion on this over on the JI robin, and Plant Delights was contacted, and they just blew it off. So, if a well known company like Plant Delights sells wrongly named irises, you know a lot of the consumer will INSIST their iris is the proper one. 30 years down the road, you know Imperial Magic will be mixed up forever.
OK, enough from me.
Thank you, everyone.
