Brock, if anybody is guilty of writing too much, it is I, appreciate your input on the matter. I believe you are correct, it's Chinese or Japanese roof iris aka crested iris (did some googline). I did see zone 5b somewhere which is the colder limit for them, and I definitely think there is a difference b/t 5a and 5b, but I might be able to squeak some things through anyway. Now that is distressing that they may not survive the winter. I just set them out this afternoon, new area where there is no protection, and will have to mulch (or something) for the winter and expect to lose them. There are too many similar in this class to know exactly what to expect. If they make it through the summer, I could pot a few up and bring them inside, but that defeats my purpose as I have enough already to winter inside. They look so nice with that pretty foliage. Yes, I could move some, but I've got scads more plants waiting to be set out. Yes, I agree that some, not all, mail-order retailers exaggerate the zone business because they would lose sales. A topic for another time, tired after setting out 24 plants, used my bulb planter which made things go a little faster. I think I had my tiller set to till and not cultivate, oh well, it had gotten so bad so fast, it needed the extra power, but I'm worried if I could have compromised the roots forming on the Austins I set in there ealier. They should recover.

I have tried many of the above labeling options and have never really been 100% satisfied. I have been looking at new options myself (as spring will be here soon...best to label my irises while I know what they are). See the link below for stamped spoon labels. You don't have to use silver spoons...just go to Goodwill and get the really cheep ones, but if you know what you are looking at you can fine silver spoons at Goodwill for the same price as all the rest. I have a lot of different varieties and I'm also an artist, so I would be more likely to justify the investment in some of the tools involved with this one. For someone who only has a few varieties, it might not be worth the money to invest in the letter stamps. I'm not sure if I would use the spoons in my garden, but I really like the stamping idea...one could use the stamps on all sorts of metal labels. I too have lost varieties do to having a mixed iris border at the beginning. Over the years, I have been trying to drastically separate out each variety, giving lots of space between each, so I don't accidentally loose more. Matthew Indiana.Matt Here is a link that might be useful: Stamped Spoon Garden Labels

I think Hazzard's Wholesale Seeds will be one of my main suppliers from now on. They have 100, 250, 500, and 1000 seed packs of tomato seeds. I ordered 250 seed packs of Cherokee Purple, Marianna's Peace, and Opalka. 58 of the 60 seeds I planted from these packs germinated, which was a better germination rate than even the seeds from Baker Creek. They also print the germination test data on the package, which I don't think many vendors do. The seed packets don't have any pretty pictures on them, but they are hermetically sealed which may account for the high germination rate. Seed prices end up being about 2 to 4 cents a seed for open pollinated varieties of tomato seeds, and as much as 18 cents apiece for hybrid seeds. For open pollinated varieties including most heirlooms the per seed cost ends up being much lower than most vendors prices, but not everyone wants 250 seeds. But I have sprouted tomato seeds eight or nine years old so the 250 seeds should last me many years. They have a flat $5.95 shipping charge no matter how big the order, and ship in a padded envelope.

I haven't used the Iris Patch (new to me) but I have ordered from BlueJ and Aitken's Salmon Creek. Both sent nice looking rhizomes but more importantly they were as marked! The size of the rhizome does not predict a healthier plant. I used to order from a place in the midwest that sent rhizomes the size of your little finger and they were great. He's now retired. Any of these sellers on the AIS site are going to be reliable. http://www.irises.org/Resources/Commercial_Ref.html