Re: RE: Tough Judging
Chuck Chapman wrote:
> The public sees the beauty whereas the judges may have only seen the
> faults.
> This also can be a problem when evaluating seedlings. I have found myself
>
> looking at the faults and ignoring the beauty. Often it is visitors that
> alert
> me to beauty that I may have otherwise ignored because of the judges
> training.
> There needs to be a balance.
Chuck -
This is good advice for evaluating one's seedlings, and valuable to keep in
mind. I have nothing but trouble in this area, as I don't always know what
to evaluate my plants AGAINST and sometimes, for.
I've been trying to get setosa from as many outside sources as possible to
get a more 'global' measure of the plant, and hopefully develop a standard
for myself. I know what I like, but I'm not comfortable calling it a
standard to choose by.
These purchased setosas have slowly started coming into bloom over the last
several years, and sometimes I'm surprised by how doggy some are, ones I
would definitely pass by in the field. The doggier ones are usually
non-named setosa, though I've been struggling to decide if it is the
differences in the climate that are producing a different quality of setosa
for me than for my source, or whether the specimen is just unexceptional in
any climate. I'm really hoping that this isn't indicative of what is being
disseminated stateside "setosa-wise", as I wouldn't buy some of these
homely ones if I saw them in a pot in a nursery. A named one,
"kirigimanae", has been very nice, though I'm sure it's not pure setosa -
it almost looks alien in my patch. I love its serene, smooth look, though.
Anyway, your comment is an encouragement to bring as many people out to my
iris bogs as I can, to get their reactions and input. I do think one can
get too carried away on one's own focus and miss the broader picture. I
tend to love the larger, lusher blooms, with broad petals that flutter in a
breeze. A couple visiting my sister from Denmark (the husband is the
overseer of landscaping for the old cemetery in Copenhagen, a prestigious
position), were attracted to the dark purple tailored form, which I find
quite handsome, but which is not my true weakness. His input was important
to me for balance.
I enjoy your input, as you always have something interesting and well
thought out to add.
Kathy Haggstrom
Anchorage/Flathorn Lake (this is where the iris are - 30 airmiles across
Cook Inlet from Anch.) AK/USA
USDA zone 3/AHS zone 1
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