However, after a few years and being more in love with irises than ever Sue thought, what the heck, let’s give it a try and see what happens, so in the spring of 1998 made our first crosses.  Geoff at this stage was not overly impressed especially when it was widely known that 99% of crosses turn out to be inferior flowers (“dogs”!) and not worth the ground they are grown in. 

To cut a long (three year) story short, the flowers set seed, the seed was planted, some germinated (certainly not all) and the tiny little seedlings were planted out.  In the spring of 2000 a very small proportion of those growing sent up their first blooms and yes indeed, were “dogs”.   Sue told Geoff that the second year bloom is the important one and that more ground was needed to spread out these rapidly multiplying clumps of future champions.  Needless to say, Geoff was still not overly impressed but got out the rotary hoe nonetheless!! 

Spring 2001 dawned and there were new spikes appearing throughout the seedling bed.  This is where the whole process becomes exciting and even the doubting husbands start showing a reluctant but ever increasing interest.  The first one to open is not too bad, no world beater but quite presentable, so from that moment on it’s a race up to the garden each morning to see what new flower has emerged.  This is where it all becomes worthwhile because it is the anticipation, the not-knowing what is going to emerge from that bud and, whatever it is, it is yours alone - no-one else has this flower.  Yes, the majority are not worth keeping but it is the odd really nice flower (and a couple of “wows”) that gives you a big thrill and then you start thinking like those people you first heard talking about breeding - “now if I cross this seedling back with “xyz” maybe it will be have even better colour/form/variety/whatever”. 

If you have the time and the space I urge everyone who loves irises to give hybridising a try - it is well worth it, it is fun and you certainly don’t have to be an expert. 

In our first flush of excitement and on the advice of more knowledgeable persons that ourselves, we registered three of our seedlings, “Yarrabee’s Child”, “Magenta Glow” and “Sarah Nicole”.  Whether we ever register any more remains to be seen but we will continue our breeding program and see what we come up with.