there are 3 i just HAVE to buy from each year. schreiners, because i LOVE their display gardens, for that reason alone i will forever more support them, besides, they have wonderful plants. mid amc and superstition ALWAYS have the cream of the crop size wise. i just have to get a box of both their beauties or it wouldn't be a very fun summer. i love superstition because its close to home and they have been so generous with their bonuses, i truly love their giant generous plants!
if walter says the plants are good from napa country iris, believe him! i always buy their excellent pots in bloom during the season, i have not ordered from them because i really own 99% of their stock, BUT she has the most gorgeous, meticulous garden and deserves ever penny for the superb job she does growing fantastic plants!

Tie for me between Superstition and Napa Country.

What I have ordered from Schreiners the last few years have been on the small side.

Rockytop has nice plants with the most tremendous root systems ever.

Bay View has nice rhizomes, as well.

Walter Moores

For me I would have to say Keith Keppel hands down. He's always been extremely nice responding very quickly anytime I email him with questions, the plants are massive and the bonuses are superb.

Does Rockytop have a catalog available?

Yes - You can order Rocky Top's catalog from Phil Williams, PO Box 41, Eagleville TN 37060-0041, or by phone 615-274-6426.

Barry Blyth

I placed 5 orders this year and I would rate them as follows:
1 Superstiton---nice big healthy rhizomes as always
2 Iris Greens-- small order from them and was pleased
3 Cooleys---always nice to deal with and healthy rhizomes.
4 Woodland--hoping they have a handle on the mis-labeled problems now
5 Blue J---- probably my last order to them

What was your problem with Blue J?

I received my first order from Blue J Iris, a few weeks ago. The Rhizomes were verrrrryyyy small, for the most part. They did, however, send two each, of some of the smallest, but I don't think many of them are going to make it.....

Some of what I planted, are already gone! They just kinda' shriveled up and died!

Do they do replacements?

Sandy

Woodland replaced the one that I told them was mislabeled from last year. Some of the rhizomes were on the small side - they gave me extras of those and they all made it through the winter. I ordered again from them this year and the rhizomes were all of good size this time around.

I've never ordered from Blue J. Wanted to last year - but they stopped shipping too early for me to get an order in.

Sandy, It is not uncommon for a newly planted iris to lose its fan and put out new growth before the end of the growing season. I always have a few to do this but most survive. I think its depends on the iris. Last year was my first year to order from Blue J and all survived and all bloomed this spring but one. Their rhizomes are no where near the size of west coast rhizomes. I was impressed last year by their prices and the fact they sent two of the smaller ones. I ordered again this year. So far all have lived and are growing. I planted 27 counting the bonus. We have been very dry and I have been watering them once per week. I have never had to ask for a reship from them but I think most growers do replace iris that do not live the first year. Lee Mincy

1. KEITH KEPPEL - NO QUESTION ABOUT IT, LARGE & HEALTHY, SHOWING NEW GROWTH QUICKLY.
2. WOODLAND - THEY'RE ALL GROWING AND HEALTHY, NOT AS LARGE AS KEPPEL'S.
3. BLUE J - I REQUESTED AN EARLY DELIVERY. GOT 2 OF SOME SMALL ONES. ALL ARE LIVING, GROWING AND HEALTHY.
4. MOUNTAIN VIEW IN OKLAHOMA - SHE REPLACED ONE THAT HAD BLACK MOLD, WITH 5 EACH OF TWO I DIDN'T HAVE. I SENT HER SOME FROM MY COLLECTION ALSO.
5. RIVERVIEW - I BELIEVE IN 2ND CHANCES SO I ORDERED FROM THEM AGAIN,AFTER RECEIVING A MISLABELED ONE LAST YEAR, BUT THIS YEAR, SOME WERE SO SMALL, LIKE A PEA, 9 OF THEM FIT IN A LARGE YOGURT CONTAINER! AND THEY DIDN'T EVEN REPLACE THE MISLABELED ONE OR THE TWO FROM LAST YEAR THAT "NEVER MADE ANY GREEN." AND THEIR WEBSITE STATES "GUARANTEED". AND NO EXTRAS WERE INCLUDED. NEXT YEAR I'M GOING TO TRY MID-AMERICA AND SCHREINERS FOR THE FIRST TIME.
MY ORDER FROM IRISBOB IN COLORADO HASN'T COME IN; I'LL GIVE Y'ALL A FULL REPORT WHEN IT DOES.

IRISVAL

I had the same problem with Riverview 4 yrs ago. I ordered 199 rhizomes and they sent 194 in 2 of the large 12x12x12 priority boxes and one box was about half full. Most died, ones that didn't took 3 yrs to bloom...and some were mislabled.
We order most of our iris auction irises from Mountain View and he has been very generous and always sends beautiful rhizomes.

I have been ordering iris for three years. I have had very good experiences with all my orders so far. It seems that more often than not the trouble reported on this forum has been when people place large orders. You would think that the growers would be very careful with large orders because they bring the most profit. I have never ordered more that 40 at one time from the same grower. Maybe that is the key to successful orders, keep them small. I have been ordering about 150 a year from about 5 growers and a few from vendors on ebay.

Blue J, hands down! My order from them was fantastic. And the prices, wow.

Just rec'd order from IrisBob in Colo. All are large and healthy looking. I would place their company in the top 3 of 6 I ordered from this year. Since I was the proud and happy recipient of a FREE 2006 Introduction, I will give them growth-habit-bud-count feedback on it when the time comes.

IrisVal

Ive purchased a large order of Japanese, siberian and LA. Irises from Aitkens Solomon Creek gardens and was Quite pleased with their packing as well as their large healthy plants! I also placed and order from Iris City gardens but am waiting for my order to arrive, they should be coming in the next few weeks.....excitedly waits! Anyone else deal with these people? ;) have a good day! Melissa

I agree with the choices here except for Woodland's. I'm averaging about 14% misfills from orders I placed with them over a three year period (161 iris total - not all have bloomed yet). They sent the same misfill twice. Their response (until they stop responding all together)was "That what we have it marked as."

Neil

This thread is really making me nervous about my Woodland's orders of the past three years. I have one that was wrong and the replacement was wrong also. They never got back to me when I sent them a photo. I am going to pay very close attention next bloom season to see just where I stand in regard to proper ID before I order from them again. I am not sure how carefully I checked the Woodlands iris to the check list when they bloomed this spring and I have received and planted my order from them this year so I could have a lot that are labeled wrong based on what I have been reading here.

I ordered from two places, Schreiners and Zebrairis but have only recieved one shipment so far. Holey Cow I still can't believe the size of the rhizomes from Schreiners, about the size of my fist! All of them already have increases growing too! Can't wait to get my Zebras too!

~Rose

Melissa I ordered from Iris City Gardens this year and was pleased with them.

Since I dumped on Woodland above, I need to add a postscript. In May, 2005, I mailed seven photos of misfills I wanted help with id's. A month later I e-mailed a few pictures I really wanted to know what they had sent me. I never got a response at all.

In yesterday's mail, I received my photos back that they had found with possible id's. They had filed my letter in the wrong place and found it a year later. I've always been more interested in what I actually received than in replacements.

One hint with Woodland's..... if you get a misfill, check the listing in their paper catalog. They seem to grow them alphabetically, so often you can id the misfill by checking what's close to that listing.

i visit woodlands every year, they are just the nicest folks, but for 2 years the miss fills were a real problem... she told me this spring they had some girls that were not good with english helping and that they would be doing the filling themselves this summer.

all my orders are in now and planted. the best rhizomes were from napa. they gave me mulitples of some even though i only ordered one, and the rhizomes were very fine looking.

Superstition takes the cake.

They were awesome--huge, huge, huge; beautifully packed, timely arrived, and unusually well-identified. Iris rhizomes of my dreams.

I tried Mid-America this year, and was very happy with my rhizomes-really big and nice looking. I only ordered a few, eleven I think it was. The smaller rhizomes just don't do as well for me, probably my crummy soil.
Jen

I haven't ordered from that many places in the past, mostly from Schreiner's. I was always pleased by the size and health of what they sent - until I got my first order from Mid-America this year. Oh my goodness! Bigger and more recently-dug than Schreiner's, great personal customer service by e-mail from Paul, and a second free bonus - of an expensive new introduction, matched to my taste. I got my Schreiner's order a day later, and although they sent a second free bonus also, their rhizomes just weren't as big and fresh as Mid-America's.

I visited both places this last June, although I didn't have any time to spend at Mid-America and basically met Thomas (who seemed a little nervous - he was expecting an AIS convention bus any minute) and got a catalog. I hope to walk their field next year. And of course I'll go back to Schreiner's display garden, who wouldn't?? (I think I probably benefited from the Portland AIS convention presence, even though I wasn't a participant. All the growers put on their best show for the convention). But I'll only order varieties from Schreiner's that Mid-America doesn't have.

Thanks, everybody, for the names of other merchants!

Jeanne

Money was short this ordering season. I did not get to order from MOUNTAINVIEW iris they closed early ( sadly) from such a overbearing Oklahoma heat & drought. I feel like they should be mentioned; as their rhizomes are HUGE + great service..
SNOWPEAK is very worthy of mentioning, ( I wasn't able to order) and Denise is such a sweet& dear person & terrfic rhizomes as well!
I could only buy $2 iris this year. My vote for for best for my $2 each (I realize is real cheap, and who could afford to dig up a iris for $2 ? )

1)IRIS GREENS ( fresh & huge- VERY clean!)
2)BLUE J
3)WOODLAND

ALL the commercial iris recieve KUDOS, many are retirement age, and with the weather/gas prices/ Iraq War going on.
God bless them all!
And thanks for making the world a beautiful place!

Just got my Blue J Iris Order today!! :) 23 including bonus.

I couldn't be happier! Nice healthy green leaves, most rhizomes were as big as mine ever get here in zone 5, the smaller ones I received 2 or 3 of each. And most already had increases showing... I will definately order from them again next year, and I love their prices! :)

Maria

Jain and Jeanne
I envy you being able to visit Schriners. Have ordered from them several years and been happy with what i got.
Can anyone tell me where Mountain View in OK is?
Can probably make it to OK.
Thanks
oakleif

Jeanne, you really need to make Mid America in bloom season. Especially a better spring than we had at Convention time. Their seedling beds are always the highlight of my spring. Schreiner's display garden is a must for anyone who thinks iris must be planted exclusively in rows. I wish Ray Schreiner would host a garden show. He knows much more than iris.

Only ordered one place this year--Blue J, and as usual I am very very pleased with my order.
Last year I ordered from Lacey Hagood in Oklahoma..Mountain View, and Snowpeak, and before that from Aitkens Salmon Creek, Suttons and MidAmerica. All were excellent! The only one that I would not order from again was Gilbert H Wild. Theirs were dried up and dead. I buy daylilies and peonies from them, and although they don't look good, they grow well. The iris were dead even before they were shipped.
I really like when I get the catalogs and see the growers have added new ones, because like Jain, I'm almost to the point where I have the same collection the sellers have. I have also learned the hard way that you have to order early!
Cindi

Do Superstition, Mid America and Kappell have catalogs or websites? How can I get on a mailing list? In the past I have only ordered from Schreiner's and I haven't been disappointed but I'd like to expand my horizons. Thanks!

I received my first order from Argyle Acres yesterday and was quite pleased with the large, healthy rhizomes and generous "extras."

Gardengirl, Keppel can be reached at: plicataman@earthlink.net
Mid America and others are on the AIS Commercial Links page below.

Here is a link that might be useful: AIS Commercial Links