May 15 --
First, we have Radagast The Brown, the earliest of the Istari.
Note that Radagast is not really brown, but his cape is beige with multi-colored clothing, including some yellow, pink, purple, even some sky blue and orange.
Next up, Celeborn. A new variety this year. We suspect a cross between Sauramon and Galadrial.
Still blooming on May 25
The Lord of the Silvian Galadrium, but himself of Sindarian lineage. Markings of the wood elves but with silver white falls outlined in yellow.
Alatar (Opened May 19)
Alatar, one of the two blue Istari, is shown here back for its third year. Time to move this one into isolation and see if we can stabilize the variety for rhizomes.
Mithrendel New from the cross fertilizing seed bed.
Mithrendel is smaller in stature than Saruman but is likewise almost entirely white. The falls in this new variety have a touch of grey, looking almost translucent. So Mithrendel is easily confused with Saruman, which will open in a few days.
Saruman (Opened May 19)
The head of the order, Saruman sends up waist high blossoms on massive green foliage. Pure white standards and falls, gold beard and a week or more of blossom life, Saruman easily cross fertilizes. Seen in the above photo in an isolated bed surrounding bunches of blue Siberian Irises which should begin blooming in a few weeks, Saruman is in isolation now, a reliable cultivar for producing rhizomes. Time to begin making borders around everything up here!
Strider (Opened May 22) New Variety For 2018!
Here is Strider on May 26
This is really Strider's second year. But last year it emerged on the side of the cross-fertilization plot and did not even produce a whole blossom. But it looked pink to me and I am always looking for something in the reddish hue to use for cultivation. So I took a chance and isolated it. When it opened I knew. Of course, its Strider! "All who wander are not lost."
Galadriel Season Opening May 24
The queen of the high elves, Galadriel has all of the markings of the forest dwelling Eldar.
"Witch-king of Angmar" New variety this year; started blooming on May 23
Witch-king of Angmar has pure black falls and purple black standards. How this might have emerged from a mixed up patch of irises, none of which have black standards and/or falls is anyone's guess. One of those mysteries of DNA, I suppose. But "whispers and warnings tell of a darkness arising in Middle Earth."
Slow in blossoming, here it is on May 25. Still mostly black but with what looks like chocolate brown hues.
First blossom out on May 26
"Frodo" emerges on May 26
Frodo has been isolated in a bed surrounded by another species. Frodo, a Siberian Iris, will not cross with the bearded iris in the bed's border. About a third to a half the size of Saruman, Frodo will continue to bloom for weeks.
"Gimli" First blossom of 2018 on May 26
Gimli has purple falls outlined in white, golden beard, and white standards. "Very dangerous at short distances."
"Elrond" New variety in 2018, blossomed May 26
Arwen Undómiel emerges on May 28
Just as you think the plot is concluded, long after we pass "the end of all things." Long after you have been led to believe that the Evenstar Princess of Rivendell must have already passed beyond the grey havens, you turn around and realize that another Iris is beginning to bloom.
Blossoms larger than even Saruman, a uniform color between a royal purple and that color of evening sky that happens sometime shortly after the sun passes the horizon and makes morning in the Undying Lands, and ruffled edges, the blossom of this variety is worth the wait.
June 4 Eldarion
As an afterward to the plot, Eldarion emerges; evidently a cross between Strider and Arwen. With the falls of his father (see Strider above) and the standards of his maternal grandparents, Eldarion moves this year into isolation. We will attempt to stabilize the cultivar and see if we can propagate some dependable rhizomes.
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