In reading their negative feedback it looks like they might have only started selling irises Aug of 2007. There is however one positive feedback dated late July 2007.

Here is what the seller claims:
Welcome to another great year of sharing my iris on Ebay.Thanks so much to all of the customers that purchased my plants over the last 5 years.I hope they are as beautiful as all of the plants growing in my beds.

I have been growing iris for many years in my flower beds and now it's time to share them with you again.Iris are very hardy and will grow in any soil from clay to sand.Iris will also grow in full sun or in the shade,i have many plants growing under shade trees in my yard and they grow just as well as the iris planted in the sun.

Sheesh...there is no feedback for any irises being sold for 'years'.

I think it says they only show feedback for the last 12 months. It does say the seller has been selling since Oct. 2002. However, many people may not even keep the name of the seller they bought a particular iris from, and by the time the iris blooms, in a year or maybe two from the size of some of the rhizomes, they wouldn't even know who to complain to. Most probably wouldn't do a search to see if the iris even exists. If I hadn't read this forum, I wouldn't have thought of it. One of the irises I got, supposedly Rythmn Moon, is supposed to be black and white. I didn't find it on the web. Actually, there seem to be very few black and white irises listed. Rythmn Moon wasn't one of them. I contacted a buyer, Conquered-ms, who had complained about small, dry rhizomes. She did get a refund, but was left negative feedback by the iris cottage saying the rhizomes weren't small and dry. Conquered-ms says in the feedback followup that she has pictures of the dry, small rhizomes. I wrote and asked if she checked to see if the names existed for the ones she purchased. Waiting for her reply. Will let you know.
Charlotte

Their are many good iris growers to fool with those on E-Bay. Any iris grower who says iris grow well and bloom in shade is not to be trusted.
These are a few listed as rebloomers that are not registered as such:
CRAZY IN LOVE not a rebloomer
MIDNIGHT PASSION photo is not true and two 2007 intros for $4.99 is about $40 short
ARCTIC FOX not a rebloomer
BRAVE FACE not a rebloomer
CRANBERRY ICE not a rebloomer photo wrong no white beard
STAR SURGE not a rebloomer
CHINA WALK not a rebloomer
and the list goes on.

Mike G

Merciful Goodness! Thanks Mike. You sure do know irises well.

I'm going to go later and make a post at the Rate and Review Vendor Forum here at GW listing these discrepancies, along with any other info folks can provide.

I asked that the member who emailed esofva to please post to Garden Watchdog over at Dick's Garden. She said she couldn't due to not having an address and pone number for the ebay seller. She was however going to post about the seller on the Ebay Forum.

I think it says they only show feedback for the last 12 months.
The feedback from the last 12 months is all that is used in giving them their percentage rating. All of the feedback is visible for reading back to 2002...and like I said, after surfing them back to 2002...looks like no one had commented on any iris rhizomes until July/Aug 2007....and a lot of them were puny, so probably have not even bloomed yet.

Sue

Thanks Mike, for the info. I'm certainly going to be more careful from whom I order from now on. I ordered from a couple of other sellers on Ebay. Hope I don't have the same problem with them.

Thanks Sue. I guess I misunderstood the listing about the feedback. I'm rather new at checking on that sort of thing, but am learning fast out of necessity. I appreciate the info and any advice. I want to learn all I can about irises.
Charlotte

OUCH Mike, not fair! I sell on ebay and I know several others that do. The money earned goes toward gardening expenses. I only ship the best rhizomes I have and if they are small I include lots of extras as bonus's. The problem is ebay makes about $1.00 off every sale and I don't know of too many people my age that would dig, wash, treat, trim, box, and make a trip to the PO for $1- $2 a rhizome???? Plus the time it takes to answer all the questions. It amazed me how many people asked how many irises they would get in a rainbow package of 12---unbelievable!!!!! One of my iris club members also sells on ebay and for every iris she mails she includes at least 2 bonus's---never have I gotten a deal like that from a commerical garden. Plus you don't even want me to start on how many misnamed irises I have gotten from commerical gardens over the years!!!! And yes, there are bad sellers out there, READ THE FEEDBACK! I just bought 20 ostrich ferns off ebay and the seller has disappeared---but I can't blame every seller for his dishonesty. I believe after a seller gets "X" amount of negative feedback they should be kicked out. You meet alot of super people on ebay, also some that can really try your nerves.

I'm certainly not down on all Ebay sellers. I bid on and won some from a lady in Ohio. We communicated back and forth by e-mail. She sent really nice big rhizomes and loads of extras. I actually ordered from her twice. My last order was about the time she was stopping selling for the season. I ordered one Tanya Lynn iris. She sent a bag marked "left over Tanya Lynn". I think there were seven in that bonus bag, in addition to the one I bought. I would certainly buy from her again. I also bought iris from Stoutgardens in Ok. He sent absolutely huge iris, some with three and four big green fans. He sent me two huge bonus iris. He apologized that the Okapi Poppy was small, sent me two, and said if they didn't grow and do well next spring, to contact him. Those "small" Okapi Poppy were about as big as the largest one I got from The-iris-cottage, and these were freshly dug with green fans. The ones I got from iris cottage were kinda dirty, dry, and some just had a hint of green, some had none.
So, no, I'm not giving up on Ebay iris sellers, just being more careful from now on, and keeping pictures and all seller information until I see what the blooms look like,thanks to the advice of some of you more experienced iris growers.

Charlotte

Sorry to lump all E-bay sellers together. I have never bought from E-bay. iris-cottage ebayer is a horror story in the making. Most commercial growers do it to put a roof over their head and food on the table. Those that do it to make a little money can be more generous with extras. The commercial gardens I have used have sent good extras.

I would recommend a small purchase from E-bay to start. I donated 2000+ rhizomes to an iris club this year, they had to dig. It is a big job digging, packing and shipping not even counting paper work. Somthing I am too old to deal with. Don't spend more than you can afford to loose.

Another place to buy or sell iris

Mike G

Here is a link that might be useful: The Lily Auction

I have ordered from Schreiners, Cooley's, Keith Keppel, Melrose (now closed), Mid-America, Bay View, Superstition, Rockytop...some for over forty years and have gotten only TWO irises that were incorrectly named. If you want bargain irises on the net from good dealers, go to the LILY AUCTION or find out the time of the sale for a local club in your area. I have looked at hundreds of pictures of incorrectly named irises on eBay over the years. I have bought irises from eBay only once and that was because I had also bought from this dealer on the LILY AUCTION. Sounds like what is sold on eBay would be comparable to what you'd get from Michigan Bulb or Spring Hill, hopefully still defunct.

I agree with Mike G.

hey Sue-
do you know about the Toolhaus?
Plug in that user-name...get all neg/neuts history

Here is a link that might be useful: Toolhaus dot org

Yes iris can grow well in full shade.I grow my iris in full shade and they are mulched year round.

Most people say they need full sun(not true in my case)and they do not get mulched(not true in my case).

My iris grow well planted more deeply and in full shade and lots of mulch.We have lived in our house for almost 10 years and have had iris growing very well.

They do get a little sun for about an hour when it peaks through the leaves of the tree.After the sun moves they are in full shade.My reblooming iris are blooming again in full shade.