[SpaceAgeRobin] Catalogs and thinking "Spring"

In the last few days it has started to warm up enough that I have been going over some of last year's catalogs and the few that have trickled in of new ones, as sure sign of "Spring Fever."
 
I note quite a few SA's in Winterberry, Don and Ginny Spoon's catalog from Virginia.  I don't have a new catalog from them yet, but last year's is quite a list of interesting irises.  Don has done quite a bit of work with SA's and it would be good for us to sample his work, perhaps even making sure some of it is included in Phase Two of our crosses--the next round.
 
Another catalog--this just came yesterday--is Denise Stewart's Snowpeak Iris and Daylily in Lebanon, OR.  I have ordered from her in the past and she does very good work.  She works closely with Keith Keppel, who is her mentor.  She carries a number of SA's, marks them quite plainly in the catalog, and has a sampling from all over the country.  She's another one we would be good to take note of. 
 
Her own breeding work is new and no introductions have surfaced yet, but will in a couple years, I suspect.  Snowpeak is also on-line, with photos for many of the varieties.  Some of the photos are much better than most catalogs, as they are more honest.  No "glamor" shots there--and no attempt to hide faults.  Some of the photos show damaged blooms, which I hope she replaces with better ones as time goes on.
 
Another, and this one is an on-line work in progress, is Vincent Christopherson's new venture out on his own.  He still has some introductions in the pipeline through Argyle Acres, but his own Accent Iris Garden is also introducing some that are not Argyle introductions.  Many of them are SA's.
 
Larry Lauer also has bred many SA's.  We need to take a look there also for Phase Two.
 
Superstition Gardens (Rick Tasco and Roger Duncan) are in CA north of Sutton's by a good stretch--in Cathy Valley south of the mountain national parks.  They have a lot of SA's--of which SOLAR FIRE is already on our list for this coming spring as an alternate.  It appears to be a superior iris--AND an SA, a happy combination.  I encourage those who have it to plan to use it heavily (as if you were not already!)
 
Lloyd Zurbrigg's SA's are superlative, from the looks of things.  Robin Shadlow's photo of GLADIATRIX is spectacular.  Lloyd will be much missed--he has moved on into the Greater Life, so his work with us is done.  I would not be surprised if several seedlings are still in the pipeline toward introduction, so we may see a few more new Zurbrigg introductions in the next few years.
 
Hopefully Sutton's 2003 introductions have recovered enough from their disaster that cut down the stock of those introduced that some will be available.  Mike Sutton's BOTTOMS UP is one I especially find interesting, as it is a second generation from Honky Tonk Blues AND Yaquina Blues crossed with the same SA, Dauber's Delight--from two of George's SA named ones, Bye Bye Blues X Bugle Boy Blues.  It is a flounced blue with fabulous ancestry.  The 2003 cover featured BARBARA'S LACE, one that everyone who has seen, wants.  I hope it too will be offered.
 
SA's are no longer at the fringe of the iris world.  Considering three Dykes Medals, and a number of AM's showing up for SA's, we're on our way to the middle of things.  These awards say that there are a fairly large number of judges voting the awards ballot who find SA's both worthy and interesting as garden irises.  Another good feature is that quite a number of SA's that ALSO rebloom are appearing.
 
Remember to begin working toward preparing your seedling patch for the trial crosses--we need to try to standardize the pH levels--as this has become clear it is one of the variables affecting how SA traits show--or WHETHER they show, as witnessed by the behavior of DEVONSHIRE CREAM.  So in order to try to get to a standard, the target pH is 7.0, with as little variation above or below as possible.  Above is better--up to 7.5 is ok, but those of us in highly acid soils will have to work hard just to reach the neutral 7.0.  It's going to take heavy liming and/or Gypsum applications to reach it.  I know that is true here for me!
 
Some of the publications will soon be out--*Tall Talk* has an article on variability in irises, expecially SA's and what some of the factors are.  It is written a bit tongue-in-cheek and hopefully is understood as fun, and meant to promote understanding of SA's.  There will also be a SAGE project article in the AIS Bulletin, either January or April issues.  A general Genetics article will preceed it, I believe.
 
If any of you are interested in writing for either of the above publications about SA's, the editors would welcome them, I'm sure, and I want to encourage any or all of you to think about the possibility of writing.
 
I am so glad winter is at last sliding into memory.  Think Spring!
 
Neil Mogensen  for SAGE    z 7 western NC mountains

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