Everyone is out enjoying the flowers.

I wouldn't be shocked to see this message on the first page of this forum in a week or two from now either, mainly because hopefully a lot of people will answer your post, but maybe that is why you posted this, to get everyone worked up. The people on this forum are very passionate about their hobby. For a lot of us, iris bloom season is already over and just beginning for others. There are also a lot of iris lovers out there that don't participate, but just like to lurk in the background and enjoy this forum. It is too bad that you feel this way. I have met a really wonderful group of people here, and I guess if you are so unhappy about this group and think that the Gallery is ridiculous, then maybe you should stop hanging out here and find another iris forum that is more to your liking instead of complaining about it.

Shadow

It was a little speedier last year. I think that there is competition from other discussion forums elsewhere on the internet that are more focused as to specialities within the iris group. Many of the subjects that people bring up here have already been discussed in depth in the last two years. Nevertheless, I also wish there was a little more input from everyone. I also would like to see more pictures in the gallery.

I don't post often, but I look nearly every day & enjoy the photos & info.

My guess is that tree people and rose people don't spend as much time in their gardens, and hence have much more time to spend on the computer?
From what I have seen, the people here are very passionate about their irises, and gardens.
Re the gallery - do the photos really require comments, except where a question is asked? Aren't they there for us to look at. I like a nice photo not to have any replies at all, so it stays at the top :-)

I have been thinking about the best way to reply to this thread. I am at a loss for words for a change. My first thought is Gee what a great way to make new friends by cutting our throats with your thoughts.
I know I am very passionate about the irises that I grow and the ones that I add to my gardens every yr. I post to the threads where I can offer something to someone else to help them along and get them interested in growing them. We have many knowledgeable people here that teach all of us something new every single day. No we may not get alot of new topics going but we do get replies and we all learn something.

littlebit

I have not found it slow here. I find that when I ask a question many answer in personal email not needing to continue here for it was said in the email. I am new in the iris group but have grown them for years without knowing much about them other than they are beautiful, fragrant, or not, live in my area or not. Finding out my noid ids and learning about the iris language is new to me. Sometimes I do not know to how the ask the questions properly but the people have always been nice answering. Many thanks to you who have helped. My iris season is just starting but the ones who just had iris season those pics cheered me up greatly while I was coping with frost or northeasters. What a wet season it has been in Maine. The sun is finally out but the rain and wind has messed up many of my pictures.

I'm fairly new to iris and just recently got my first digital camera. I suppose I come to this forum at least 3 or 4 times a day but don't think I have enough knowledge to give any advice - maybe in a year or two but surely not right now - I have a lot to learn and if it wasn't for this forum I would know NOTHING. Thanks everyone for posting when you can and know that I read every post and learn so much from you.

If you think it's slow now you should have been on in 2001. If you visit clematis, dahlias, geraniums you will see slow turnover.

Our season is very short compared to roses. And most of us tend other loved plants as well.

I would like to toot our horn for the courtesy used in sharing reasonable sized/compressed photos as well as information. I recently opened a post on the rose gallery and that displayed the real meaning of sloooow. About 6+ photos at 900 Kb each on that thread! They were bmps. Aughh. I love our iris forum/gallery. My photos are only posted for others to decide if they want to acquire that cultivar.

I log on here a couple of times a day, but don't often reply. It's my favorite place.

Tree_Oracle........I think Viola is right, everyone is out enjoying their flowers. Could be, it's also the beginning of vacation season for some.

I am new to this forum as well. I mostly listen. Being a new admirer of Irises with much to learn, there isn't a day I don't learn something.

Stick around and share. There are great people here with an abundance of knowledge about gardening, and not just limited to Irises, but then, the Irises are what brings us here, right?

Welcome Tree_Oracle.........visit often.

David

I visit this forum a couple of times a day, but don't post very often-- especially now that the season is over here. Now I'm just a voyeur, hoping others will extend my iris season by posting photos of iris they have in bloom.

I feel very grateful to those who post photos and wish I had more to post myself! It actually takes some work to make good photos and post them. I'm impressed with how kind and helpful people are at this site.

I think there would be more responses to gallery photos if there were more shots of groups of iris, iris borders, and entire gardens, although perhaps the last should be in the Garden Gallery section anyway. I know that on the Roses Gallery, I like it when the posters have pictures of the entire bush and the garden, instead of just close-ups of the blooms.

Well, well, well, there is some life here after all. My first thoughts are 1) "Only the Shadow Knows" is false. 2) I am out working in my yard/gardens everyday but I still have time to take and post pictures. 3) If everyone is here to just look then this is not a forum. By definition, a forum is "A public meeting or presentation involving a discussion usually among experts and often including audience participation." I come to the forums on the GardenWeb to interact with others. Otherwise, I might as well be surfing the net for info and pictures of plants.

Dear Tree Oracle: Why not lighten up - do you own thing and let others do theirs? Participation should not be an obligation, for heaven's sake.

Tree_Oracle, how often do you post in the Iris forum?

As I mentioned earlier, I'm new to Iris and this forum so I haven't had a chance to post much yet. I just posted pictures in the gallery a few days ago and I've responded to many pictures there. This is only the second thread that I've started in this forum. I have participated in a few in the past but I got very frustrated at the lack of involvement from everyone else.

For Alicia 7B, the reason we mostly post photo's of the flower is because that is the least variable thing. I have seen Titan's Glory range in height between 18" and 48". The bloom doesn't vary nearly so much.

Wow. Someone who refers to himself as an "oracle" complaining that we aren't a real forum...

Hang in there T.O. Maybe this isn't what you had in mind but it is what it is. Happy gardening.

I'm grateful the Iris Forum is not as busy as some. I can't be in here 24/7 so it is nice that I can keep up with the topics being discussed and not miss things as they fly by so quickly, as happens in some forums. For example, I never catch the same thread twice in the Northwestern Gardening foum. I post when I feel my experience is relevant and helpful, or when I just want to praise a great photo or a great variety.

I like that the gallery here is slow this year. Some years there are so many posts you can't see them all before they are dropped off. I, like many others, enjoy the photos but am only moved by a few to respond to them. Doesn't mean I don't appreciate everyone sharing their pictures - but some just don't thrill me enough to comment. You want me to post my ambivalence? What's the point?

I'm happy you posted this - look at the diversity of the responses! So many different perspectives. I like that alot. And you certainly got some discussion going, eh? =)

Mike

i have been at g/w since it started, the fun board is roses! if you want to have good day to day chats there is a group at the perennials forum, on the conversation side, called idylls. jump in head first, it is hard core gardeners that bonded and chat about their lives, pets, gardens, etc. everyday. i was there for years myself but have since retired. you may find it pleasurable to share your pics and chat with that group, i am sure they will welcome you!

Here is a link that might be useful: idylls

Honestly! How can anyone who spends heaps of time each day reading several very busy forums, ever get anything done in the garden, let alone have a real life apart from the computer?
It is early Summer over there, there must be heaps to do in the garden!

They hire a gardener :) j/k

Actually I think showing variability would be a good thing! I would love to see the short and tall Titan's Glory in other people's gardens.

Hello from a lurker!
I'm just starting with iris, mostly with the historicals, I don't have much to add other that "nice iris" or "really nice iris" (haha)

Just wanted to take a second to say thanks to all the posters! I love all the NOID posts and photo gallery, it amazes me how knowledgeable and helpful you iris people are.
I thought I was the original genius when I started collecting "abandoned" old iris... imagine my surprise when I found a whole group of devoted professionals already at it!
Maybe next year I'll have a little experience and photos to share, but I think that even if I don't, the iris forum will still be the same great helpful forum it is today!
Kato

Everyone is different and has their own ideas of how things should maybe be, how many times they get on here a day or when they do what they read or respond too. I don't think about 8 responses on the 9th, 16 responses on the 11th shows lack of participation:) now maybe today you could say that:) I think as long as everyone does their own thing or posts like you did when you have a question or concern is what all of this is about, just my opinion.
I posted just recently on the shrubs forum and was thinking I wouldn't get much of a response but I was so very pleasantly surprised.

Just my 2 cents,
Yvette