Re: REB: Forever Blue & Autumn Twilight?
iris@hort.net
  • Subject: Re: REB: Forever Blue & Autumn Twilight?
  • From: L* M* <l*@lock-net.com>
  • Date: Sun, 22 Dec 2013 09:15:23 -0500
Hi Phloid. It's been a long time ago, but I bought every G.P. Brown cultivar they had from Winterberry Gardens. I became interested in them after reading comments about how hardy they were plus their rebloom traits. At the time, I didn't have anything with strong enough modern form that would thrive here in 'iris hell' to cross them with. I keep meaning to ask Ginny if they still have Summer Whitewings and Summer Greenshadows, Autumn Ora. They did well here for several years, but I'm afraid the weeds and drought got them before I had anything I wanted to use with them.
The two of his that have survived here are September Chereau and Autumn Twilight. SC hasn't been thriving, but replaces itself and often reblooms late summer, but plicata seems to be the one pattern we already have plenty of in strong rebloomers, so no temptation to use that one. Autumn Twilight seems to really like it here.
I only made one cross - Autumn Twilight X Renown, which made a big leap forward in form, but not as much as I'd hoped for using Renown. I now have some better things to try with it that are more likely to jump form forward and have more of the 'summer' rebloom genes (IMM type, no idea at this point what they are compatible with as far as same kind of rebloom). 

I have plenty of it that I can share.

Do you grow IMM?

Where are you located? east coast mts or west?  Different set of stresses.

On 12/21/2013 9:45 PM, Phloid wrote:

I'm an historic irises nut. Thank you for looking back directly to
historic materials in your breeding work. You must have an interest in
G.P. Brown? We spoke about your having Summer Whitewings awhile back. My
grasp of breeding nuts and bolts is very limited. I think I read in an
old thread Walter Moore saying many of Brown's irises would bloom in
summer heat even if they died from the stress. Sounds like if one could
capture that drive and put in stamina from somewhere else it could be
interesting.

Forever Blue has grown very well here but in it's two years it has not
rebloomed for me here in z6b bordering 7a. Being in the mountains we get
cool nights starting in late Aug and chilly ones by late Sep. That
obviously has not been a ticket to re.

Where did you source your AT. Iris City perhaps?

On 12/19/2013 10:37 AM, Linda Mann wrote:

Not a cross anybody would make to get anything from the first
generation that would look good, but I'm wondering what the rebloom
habit of seedlings from such a cross might be.

Has anybody tried a cross of these two?

Forever Blue grows well here, I've had it for several years, & it has
fall bloomed once on one fan. I assume it's too hot here for it to be
willing to bloom earlier.

Autumn Twilight is one of the few that sends up a lot of stalks in hot
weather here.

Linda Mann


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