HYB: Not exactly my first try

I suppose you could say this is my third year with seeds.  First year (2001)
was just experimenting on bee pods from historics.  Of course, every one of
them sprouted and a few bloomed - all are now living at the neighbour's, who
can't bear to see a healthy iris composted.  Last year we had 4 nights in a
row of hard freeze the third week in May and I only got 5 pods from 53
attempts.  I was busy and just planted the seeds out - none are up yet.

So, like the dummy I often am, I started out this spring expecting about a 10%
success rate.  By the time I realized that high humidity combined with
daytimes from 65-75 degrees and night time lows in the high 40s and 50s seemed
perfect, I had pods all over the place.  I suspect the 6-24-24 from the Farm
Bureau might have something to do with it too.  I'll bet I won't get this high
a percentage again if I make crosses for the next 20 years.

The real agony was reading George Sutton's recommendations in the Reblooming
Iris Recorder after most of my iris were about done.  I spent a ridiculous
amount of time sitting on the porch trying to decide what to do with my last 4
blooms on Bethany Claire.  Mother Earth was not a problem, as I had been using
it all along.  BTW - I spaced ME on the bloom season list.  It showed open
blooms 25 days.

Am planning the burrito regimen for the pods I'm most excited about.  Am also
eyeing the corner of the 56 acre bean field behind the fence.  He loses a lot
of planting area turning that corner anyway.  Surely he'd want to sell me the
corner, maybe at an angle, to make it easier for himself.  Barring that, my
folks haven't planted their garden in at least 5 years, but it's 127 miles
away.  I'm not sure I could stand that!

Here's a question - What's the youngest pod to produce viable seeds after
being knocked off the stalk?  Lou the Clumsy did this to the only pod on
Tennison Ridge.  Am wondering how forlorn my hope is.

Mary Lou, near Indianapolis, Z5

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