McAllister's Cyberspace Iris Gardens

2007

My name is Sharon McAllister.  If you read iris society publications, like those of AIS, ASI, HIPS, MIS, and SIGNA, you may recognize my byline.  If you're familiar with arilbreds, you've undoubtedly seen some of my introductions.  Fifty years after I made my first crosses, I'm still here -- but my iris gardens now exist only in cyberspace. 

This site is being completely remodeled.   To see the updated portions, select a category from the following table.  The emphasis of this site is on hybridizing, so you'll find that most of the photos here are of my own seedlings and introductions and the foundation stock I've used.  You'll find no sales pitch and no links to request a catalog (we haven't had one since 1996).  Just page after page of information about these special iris, with pictures. Lots of pictures, the newer ones of better quality than we've had before because our new host has the capacity to handle them. 

My selected seedlings are now with Vern & Dana Brown in Lubbock, TX.   To see their online catalog, just click on Malevil Iris Gardens. 

Links to Remodeled Site
Tribe of Judah	Eventually, this photo gallery will include almost all of Eugene Hunt's Arilbred Introductions, although I do not have photos of some of his earliest ones. Photos include both those he introduced himself and the selected seedlings I introduced for him after his death.    Gene's Esther, the Queen and her descendants became the core of my own aril breeding programs.  In addition to line-breeding, I also outcrossed his stock to arils, other arilbred lines, and a number of medians and TBs.
Edith Seligmann	The photo gallery of Col. Gus Seligmann's Arilbred Introductions, is a relatively small one, because he took up hybridizing rather late in life, just a few years before I turned from pollen-daubing to serious hybridizing.  Many of these were joint productions.  Crosses made in his garden, seeds cultured and germinated out at the mesa, potted seedlings returned to grolites and ultimately lined out in his garden.
Codetalker	The photo gallery of McAllister Introductions through 2000 is being updated and should eventually be complete, although not all of the cultivars themselves survive.
Mixed Messages	The photo gallery of McAllister/Malevil Introductions includes all of my arilbreds introduced through Malevil Iris Gardens.  Some were already registered before the hiatus.  Others had been slated for introduction, but not named.  The newest had been through the initial selection process but were further tested and the final selections made in Lubbock.  So if you want to see the latest introductions -- browse through this gallery.
90-14-13	The photo gallery of seedlings is being remodeled and separated into several smaller galleries.  The photo on the left is of a "Silver Selection" slated for introduction in 2008 or 2009.  This is the group that has passed all tests and is being increased for introduction. A "Re-Selected Seedling" has passed all initial tests.  Many will move to the Silver level, but if several similar seedlings pass all of the initial tests only the best will actually be introduced. Photos of many other seedlings are posted, not because they will be introduced but because they provide valuable information.
	In addition to the old Chat Excerpts, this section now includes instructions for joining our regular chats in the new room.
Cultivars	While this is being updated, you can access the old version using the link to the left.
Hybridizing	This part of the site is being updated, reorganized, and expanded.  In the meantime you can still access the old version by clicking on the link to the left.
Library	While this is being updated, you can access the old version using the link to the left.
Photo Gallery	This has grown so large that it is being reorganized into a number of smaller galleries.
Selection Process	This part of the site is being updated, reorganized, and considerably expanded.  In the meantime, you can access the old version using the link to the left.
Cinco de Meow	Garden visitors often remember the Menagerie as much as the iris, so this section provides some requested photos, as well as a few stories about MVIS mascot (Fred), garden hostess (Suze), the guard cat (aka the Grizzled Old Warrior), and the wildlife.