HYB - TB: Reg. 7 Irisarian Reprints #16

> A series of articles reprinted from the Region 7 IRISARIAN with myself as
> Editor in 1990-91.  [Gary Sides--Jan. 1998:  Posted to Iris-L]
> 
CURIOSITY'S SURPRISE
Tom Magee      Littleton, CO
	    
The curiosity of a cross and the surprising results are hybridizer's fever.
 My first infection was in the early '60s visiting Chuck Gordon's garden. 
Dr. Durrance demonstrated how to make a cross.  With his thumb, he pulled
the stamen from one flower and brushed the pollen on the style arm lip of
another.  Place a tage on the flower recording the pod flower X pollen
flower.  That's it.  Dr. Durrance does just that to successfully bloom
thousands of seedlings each year.  My method has become involved, using
Neva Sexton's toothpick, tweezers and file of pollen.  Details filled a
whole Elmohr Iris Society program.
	    
I can handle 1000 to 1500 seedlings in my back yard garden.  10%
germination of 56 crosses year before last resulted in 544 plants.  37%
germination of 41 crosses last year resulted in 1714 plants.  Whenever it
gets to 2500, I'm pressed for space.  This year's harvest of 6363 seed from
53 crosses is apprehensive.
	   
 I look for a beautiful and colorful flower on an elegant plant.  I like
uniqueness.  Proportion is noted as it relates to the foregoing:  never by
the ruler.
	    
I've had 22 introductions.  It's been 3 to 6 years from maiden bloom to
introduction.  The most interesting maiden bloom this year was a large
almost floppy blue on a stalk with long branches and long foliage evenly
spaced.  Six buds bloomed one at a time.  There'll be excitement if that
last holds.  One bloom at a time will herald Phil Williams' call for
extended garden time.

In the background of most of my better irises are WINTER OLYMPICS, PINK
SLEIGH, and COLORADO SUNSHINE.  Cross any favorite with these for a reward.
	    
Finally, the pleasure is personal and private.  Sharing is icing on the
cake!
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index