Re: The bright new stars

In a message dated 96-09-11 21:04:11 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. 
>
>I'm asking this publically so that other folks can contribute their
>opinion of the definition of "newest and best" and sources for them, also.

Carolyn,

To some extend attempting to define which are the newest and best TBs and
SDBs, or any type of iris, is an oxymoron.  As you know, the newest
introductions these days are seldom tested in a variety of climates and soils
before introduction.  Unless they have been tried and proved to be good
growers and performers in different climates and regions, I would not
conclude they were "best" no matter how beautiful in form, color, etc. This
was one reason we changed the time for beardless irises to qualify for an
Honorable Mention award from two years to three years.  (It was a mistake, in
my mind, not to do the same for bearded irises...but the opposition from out
West was quite strong re bearded irises...I hope one of these days we
revisist this issue!)  

So if I conclude an iris is one of the "best" it is not likely to be
"newest".  Now if we use the term "newest" to mean relatively recent
introductions, i.e. last 4 or 5 years, I would venture some opinions as to
"best".  Among the TBs, some of the more recent that I think are very, very
good irises are WAR CHIEF (red), PACIFIC DESTINY (blue), OMINOUS STRANGER
(yellow ground plicata), LIMELIGHTER (light to medium yellow), MELTED BUTTER
(white and yellow) ABBEY ROAD (reverse yellow bitone), STARLIT VELVET (near
black), COLETTE THURILLET ((apricot/raspberry), STRIKING(pinkish plicata
effect), TIGER HONEY(tannish yellow and white) TEXAS GLORY (variegata) to
name a few.  All of these are good growers everywhere I have seen them
growing, including my garden (except for ABBEY ROAD, which I keep meaning to
get!)

As for recent "best" SDBs, I continually try to improve my knowledge of the
standards in this class of irises, but I am not as sure of myself in
venturing opinions here.  I know which ones I like best among the newer
introductions (although there are many introductions in this class I have
never seen and so cannot venture an opinion).  Some that I think are very
good:  ICE AND INDIGO, TICKLED PEACH, ORANGE TIGER, BEDFORD LILAC, TRESCOLS,
SERENDIPITY PRAYER...and although there are more, my mind just went blank! So
I will end it at that. 

I would be very much interested in others recommendations re "newest and
best"....Clarence Mahan in VA
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