Re: The bright new stars

In a message dated 96-09-12 07:46:59 EDT, you write:

<< >Clarence -- a man who was a member of Niagara Southwest Area of ESIS some
 >thirty years ago is looking for sources of the "newest and best" TB's and
 >SDBs.  I'm wondering how you would respond to that?  If you give me some
 >names, I'll look them up in the Bulletin. How would you define "newest and
 >best"?  We've been talking about reblooming, about hardiness (this man has
 >moved to SC, I think) about space agers.  >>

Sorry to take so long to answer this one.  I am by no means an iris expert
but I decided to take this question very seriously.  First I pulled my
records out of excel and had it sort by year.  Then, I gave that list some
serious consideration.  The first thing I noticed was that some of my
favorites were not on the list.  Newer is not always better. 
Personnaly, I would describe "new" as within the last 5 or 6 years.  "Best"
would have to be those iris that do well for me.  This means increasing,
blooming, holding their flowers in our heat and winds, that sort of thing.
 Although we have 4 acres of land I do not intend to weed and feed an iris
that doesn't "do".  Nor, am I one to pamper most of my iris.  The beardeds
have to make do with what they get.
Back to the point, my search produced a list of 235 iris that meet the "new"
criteria.  I weeded it down to 13 TB's and 9 SDB's.  I hope this is of some
value.
Firestorm Smith 94  SDB - very nice - rebloomed last year under 3 ft tall
weeds
Gemstar Smith 94  SDB - love the color on this one
Aladdins Flame Messick 93 SDB - the beard makes this little guy, it also
grows 
     like a weed
Jeweler's Art Lankow 93 SDB - What color! What bloom!
Tweety Bird Black 92 SDB - the ruffles are out of sight
Kid Creek Dyer 92 SDB - my very favorite SDB, hoping for some babies from
this!
Leota D Dyer 92 SDB also gorgeous and very vigorous
Hot Byers 91 SDB rebloomed the first year in the ground
Gypsy Star Dyer 90 SDB where did he get all these toys?
Classy Chassy Osborne 90 TB - nice space ager
Gallant Rogue Blyth 90 TB - love this color but I have to admit that it tried
to bloom-
     out?
Tennessee Woman Innerst 90 TB it's hard to decide whether I like this or the
next
     one the best
Tennessee Gentleman Innerst 91 TB  I do love plicatas and this is one of them
Night Ruler Schreiner 90 TB very nice black
Unforgettable Fire Schreiner 91 TB  a really nice red
Lady Fire Gibson 92 TB  another one of those plicatas
Lady Juliette Nichols 94 TB One of his best in my opinion and it will rebloom
Knock 'Em Dead Ernst 93 TB show stalks, robust grower and weather resistant
Boss Tweed McWhirter 93 TB show stalks, and I just plain like it
Spirit World Keppel 94 TB WOW!  
Wench Miller 93 TB I love this color pattern and she is a good doer.
Shooting Stars Ernst 92 TB the ruffles on this are great

I know I have taken up a lot of room with this but, in all honesty I have to
tell you that the visitors to our garden picked something not on this list as
their favorite.  The reason it didn't make the list is because it is an
Aril-bred.  Lancer Shockey 95 AB set everyone to talking.  It was gorgeous
with three stalks on a first year clump.

Dana Brown in Lubbock, TX Zone 7.
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