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Where the Arils and Arilbreds Are Always in Bloom New host with lots of room for expansion -- but still no sales pitch. 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, most of better quality than we've had before because our new host has the capacity to handle them. If this is your first visit, the rest of this page will give you a brief overview of the site and help you find your way around. Curious about the pictures on this page? Each one is now identified, with a link to more information about it. Returning? See What's New as of 05/07/2005, use the buttons below, or just scroll down to learn more about the various sections. The photo to the right is a selected seedling 93-14-13. Sometime between dusk on April 24 and dawn of April 25, Cinco de Meow gave birth to five kittens. She rejected all three sheltered birthing boxes and chose the lumber bin as her nursery. With "Grandma Suze" and "Grandma Spook" standing guard at each end, there was no question about where the kittens were even though we could not see them. See Cinco's Cinco for photos. |
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My name is Sharon McAllister. If you read iris society publications, like those of AIS, ASI, HIPS, MIS, and SIGNA, you probably recognize my byline. If you're familiar with arilbreds, you've undoubtedly seen some of my introductions. Because the emphasis of this site is on hybridizing, you'll find that most of the photos here are of my own seedlings and introductions -- but this site is dedicated to all aril and arilbred iris and you'll find a quite a few references to both iris and hybridizers who were on the scene long before I discovered this wonderful world of exotic-looking iris.
Sections of this Site |
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Chat. A
relatively small section, presenting excerpts from some of the weekly
chats during which arils and arilbreds were discussed. Every Friday night, a small number of irisarians meet on an IRC [Internet
Relay Chat] channel for a live iris chat. The room is opened
about 9 p.m., Eastern Time, 8 p.m. Central Time, 7 p.m. Mountain Time, 6
p.m. Pacific time. The Chat page
tells you how to join in.
The flower on the left is Fine Feathered Friend, a conventional 1/4-bred. |
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Coming Attractions,
has been expanded to include more information about The
Selection Process
itself. Some have already been registered. Others are simply coded "TBR" for "To Be Registered". The
remainder are in the final stages of the process. Some of these will
be introduced, some will be kept as breeders, while others will be eliminated. This section will be
subject to frequent changes as older seedlings are eliminated and newer
ones added. Nothing newer than '95 crosses for now, as that was the last year before
my hybridizing hiatus. Malevil
Gardens will be handling my future introductions. Superstition
is another reliable source of arilbreds, with online photo albums.
The flower on the left is Cope Goodwin, a 1/4-bred from the Triploid Route, . |
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Cultivar Lists These
focus on the ones that have caught my attention as a
hybridizer. Many have photos. Entries include more detailed descriptions than most catalogs
offer. There are stories about the origin of some of the names, reports of
breeding experiments for many, and hybridizing tips for some. For
information on other cultivars, consult one of the official
checklists.
The flower on the left is Pure at Heart, a 1/2-bred. |
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Hybridizing For
almost 30 years, my primary interest in the iris world has been hybridizing arils and
arilbreds. The time has come to share what I've learned
with the next generation of hybridizers. This section will continue to grow and I expect this web site to come very close to
replicating my master notebook, with everything from my long-term plans, through
detailed descriptions of individual programs, to breeding records.
The flower on the left is Engraved Invitation, a triploid 3/4-bred. |
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Library This is the reference area. Want to find out the modern equivalent of an archaic species name? It's here. Want to know more about the descendants of a special progenitor? I'm uploading the entire book I've compiled.
You'll also find annotated bibliographies if you want more technical
details from conventionally published books, bulletins, and newsletters.
The photo on the left is of Daringly Different, a tetraploid 3/4-bred. |
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Photo Gallery Pictures
can't do justice to these exotic beauties, of course, but they do help to show why hybridizers have
been working for decades to put these spectacular flowers on gardenable
plants. Special collections are housed here, such as quizzes I've used when
presenting programs down through the years, and Sibling Sheets with photos of both parents and a selection of representative
offspring. My goal is to include a photo of every cultivar in my
foundation stock and all seedlings that have contributed to the current
gene pool -- but considering the number of years to be covered that's
going to take a while.
The photo on the left is of I. susiana, as shown in the Rainbow Catalog in the 1950s. |
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Our Menagerie.
Garden visitors often remember these special animals 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.
The little gal on the left is Cinco de Meow, our latest addition. |
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As you explore the site, watch for some special symbols: |
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Completed Section. Whether it's a set of hybridizing records, a reference list, or a program plan, this symbol says it that the information itself is essentially complete. Often more details and clickable links will added, but the basic information is in place. |
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A section still being assembled. Some finished files have been uploaded, but there are more to come. If you print one of these for reference you'll get only a portion of the planned material, so do come back and check for new pages. |
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A workspace where I organize and analyze records. Some are already rather large, but I don't expect any to ever be truly "finished". In any workspace, existing pages will be expanded and new pages will be added to accommodate more data. |
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A section whose design is still changing as I find better ways to organize and present the material. Not only will new pages appear and existing ones be expanded, but sometimes old pages will be taken apart and reassembled in completely new ways. This is especially true of pages with photos. |
I hope you'll enjoy browsing around the place and invite you to come back often to see what's new. If you have questions, or special requests regarding updates to various sections, please write
Guestbook
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Visitors