Re: RE: HYB: Great times for breeding rebloomers - long!

In a message dated 12/6/2006 5:43:22 P.M. Central Standard Time,  
MryL1@msn.com writes:

<<Because of the paucity of information back then, iris  lovers
bought rebloomers that could not get the job done before
hard  frost cut them down every fall.  Many (most?) of them
grew to dislike  rebloomers because of the wasted fall bloom
and reduced spring bloom.   I think a lot of these people have
avoided rebloomers since the  1980s.>>
 
Mary Lou, nothing I wrote was intended to be a downer or negative.  As  
usual, I'm looking for information.  And sharing information.   Hybridizing is a 
slow process, and if there is anything that can be done to aid  this process or 
at least try?  Minds work in different ways.  Maybe  someone will take 
something valuable from the process.  If not, it was  still worth the effort. I see 
that as a positive.  
 
People are still being discouraged about rebloomers.  My local  nursery 
carried/carries WELL ENDOWED as a rebloomer!   (Among  others)  I told them that WE 
will not rebloom for anyone here in zone  6.  They didn't want to hear it.  
It was sold to them as a rebloomer,  they're selling it as a rebloomer . . . 
end of story.  
 
One summer rhizome sale, a local iris person brought in an iris,  swearing it 
was Easter Time and that it rebloomed for him.  He knew it  was right because 
he bought it from Schreiners as a rebloomer.  I labeled  it "NEIL'S 
REBLOOMER."  It is a rebloomer and it reblooms here, but it's  TOTAL RECALL.  It grows 
in my garden along with another I have for  identification.  
 
It's been hard to get members of the local club to grow  rebloomers.  A 
couple of the newer club members gave it a try, and were  really encouraged by a 
couple of good summers.  Then a bad year or two hits  and they are ready to 
throw up their hands.  They have large collections  and expect them all to do well 
each summer.  If I looked at their garden  charts, I'm sure I'd find a lot of 
things that will never, or almost never,  rebloom here.  At this year's 
rhizome sale, they both informed me they're  giving them up.  You win some and lose 
some.  
 
There will always be Mag Pies in the garden.  People see 'rebloom' and  
buy--never doing the research to see if it will bloom for them.  Some don't  
understand there's a difference.  Then disillusionment follows, as night  follows 
day.  

 
I see this as the larger problem.  
 
I do understand the rose analogy since I've given up trying to develop a  
small rose garden due to lack of winter hardiness.  Those I like don't like  the 
weather here.  
 
FYI: The Mag Pie story was told to me as a child when I pounced on the  first 
bit of information and ran with it, without listening to the full  
instructions.  It's was about the birds and how they build their  nests.  
 
Back to those iris fantasies!!  
________________________________________________________
Betty W.  in South-central KY Zone 6 ---If you don't cross them, you can't 
plant them!  
Bridge In Time Iris Garden@website:
Where the seeds are in the pots once  again! 
_www.thegardensite.com/irises/bridgeintime/_ 
(http://www.thegardensite.com/irises/bridgeintime/) 
_Reblooming Iris - Home Page_ (http://www.rebloomingiris.com/)  
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_AIS: American Iris Society website_ (http://www.irises.org/)   

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