I saw some of the new intros on Dave's Garden ~~ Wow!

Maybe I should post a link for anyone that doesn't get the catalog.

Shadow

Here is a link that might be useful: Tempo Two web site

Thanks!

As always, they're stuff is truly gorgeous.

whoops ... "THEIR" stuff!

On another note, "their" irises are some of the strongest, hardiest growers of any that I have had. I wonder if others find them to be particularly strong growers?

Mike,

I find their stuff to be the hardest to grow. This is my third try with Decadence and I decided to put it in my back forty where it will not get TLC. Louisia's Song rotted twice without ever blooming. Wearing Rubies bloomed once and promptly rotted. Tuscan Villa is an exception. It grows like a weed and the flowers are huge and overlapping, but the branching is not good at all. Mastery nearly blooms out, and I never have more than two fans. Two older ones I still have are Lipstick Lies and Rembrandt Magic (one of the best browns). They don't rot but are slow to increase. I could go on, but this is enough.

I've heard alot of mixed results about the Blyth intros. I'm growing an extensive collection of theirs and some are hit and miss when it comes to performance, but I've yet to lose any.

A close friend from my local club lives about 30 minutes from me and they just don't grow well for her.

I've moved about half of my plants to my new garden and I'm curious to see what will happen in this new location. The only regrets I've had with Blyth irises is that I didn't buy more.

Thank-you for letting us know about the catalog mshadow. I knew they would have the new intros up soon, but wasn't sure about when. Did they have any median, SPU, or SIB intros this year? I really wish they would post them along with the TB intros.

I may have to request the catalog after all. I was hoping I would have enough self control that I wouldn't have to have it. :)

Correction: WE'VE moved half the garden. The aforementioned friend and I planted around 600 divisions at the new place and the rest will go in the Spring.

Wow, sounds like you and your friend have been very busy! I knew you had a lot of iris, but didn't know you had that many. It must have been a big project. Really looking forward to seeing pictures at your new place. There are 3 new SDB intros and 9 IB in the catalog also. I didn't see any new SPU or SIB. You should send for a catalog!

Shadow

I think I will give in and ask for a catalog. While I'm at it, I'll try to convince them to post their non-TB intros too. I'm especially crazy about the medians they produce.

I'm certain it's not what you meant, but here's a photo of the hill that's quickly becoming my new garden. This is before it was tilled and I haven't taken any photos of the planting yet. We took up about a third of it this Fall and the rest isn't going to be bare long. From the trees to the soybeans will be irises (and a few daylilies).

{{gwi:1039704}}

The planting's not much to look at right now anyway. Because it was so late in the season by the time we got started, we gave up on "pretty" and everything's just lined out. I'll be making alot of changes in the layout.

Brock

I forgot to mention, to give you an idea of the scale, the green and white weeds you see were up to my shoulders.

I'm just wondering how do you keep the native plants from coming back?

Chere

For the last (almost) 10 years now (I didn't realize how long it's been) I've done everything by hand, but as I keep expanding I think I'll have no choice but to resort to chemicals eventually. Things like Poast, Preen, Roundup...

Lately I've really taken to the oscillating hoe for general weeding. But this particular spot was tilled under by the man that cultivates the crops.

Nothing will keep nature from reclaiming this patch, but I do plan on holding things off for a while, say the next 0-60 +/- years. :)

Brock

I failed to mention the bad news from Barry. While he did say they might just find the space to add this year's medians to the website, he told me something that's left me uneasy.

He said sales on the medians have been slow lately and they've been considering discontinuing them. If you ever wanted to order any of the stunning median creations the Blyths have offered now would be a good time to buy.

Your order could be what sways their decision in a positive direction.

Brock

Unfortunately it is so expensive to buy irises in Australia. The Blyth irises are so beautiful. Maybe I will share an order with my irisarian friends.
Anja

Hi fellow Iris lovers from Downunder,
I have always thought I would love to grow Iris and when I saw a Tempo Two catalogue about 4 years ago, I was hooked.
I have just bought up copies of all the previous ones that were available too.
I am curious to know if your catalogue just has Iris that have been hybridized by Barry and family - because of the fact that you have a lot of growers over there that Barry visits in May so he can import some that he wants to grow here.
For those of youi who have received this year's catalogue, it should have had a message that Barry and Lesley were retiring from the commercial retail world and would just continue visiting other growers and keep on hybridizing.
I just had a new Tall Bearded only catalogue yesterday from Tim & Paul Blyth who now call the business Pearcedale Iris Farm. Apparently they have been running Tempo Three Wholesale Nursery for the past 12 years and will continue that. Paul has a daytime job in computers and does Iris at weekends and Tim has been working in the family business since he was 8 or so and full time since age seventeen.
They say they will hope to add Median and Dwarf Bearded in future catalogues.
That's the story here in Australia's catalogues anyway. I would love feedback on what you get in yours overthere.
I have posted the link to my Flickr where you will see what has bloomed here in the past couple of weeks.
I will add more as they come out. This is the first year in the past three that Ian and I have been home for the whole of the flowering season - so I am excited to see some that I have not seen for a while.
Beth

Here is a link that might be useful: Flickr

Hi Beth. Thank you for the interesting information! My catalog has the new introductions for the tall bearded, median and dwarf bearded, plus general listing of the same from Blyth and US hybridizers. Also has daylilies and hostas listed. It is about 48 pages. Thanks for posting the link to your iris pictures. Very pretty! Beautiful mosaics too.

Shadow

Thanks for the info about your catalogue, Shadow. Sounds like you receive the same catalogue as we do.
Thanks also for the compliments re my mosaics. I am still very much a novice, feel that my end results are improving. I did have them sorted into three different years but that used up all my sets and no room for the iris so I had to combine them. I might add notes about when they were done at a later date.
I will be adding more iris photos tonight of the ones that have opened this weekend.
Beth

Here is a link that might be useful: Iris photos