Blackberry Dragon looks impressive - especially with all those blooms on a first-year plant. I got In the Name of the Father this year too. Yours looks exactly like mine with skinny petals. The hybridizers's photo was of a much rounder flower. So I don't know if the flowers will be rounder once the plant settles in. If not, mine will be moving on. All three of the clumps of old friends are beautiful!

Debra

Blackberry Dragon is soooo dark. Pretty amazing..........Willow Dean Smith is a popular cultivar. Must be a good one.........I grew Orange Velvet when I first started out but didn't like the way the color changed by late PM. It's a pretty orange color if it would just hold..........Well, I just giggled over the name Monkey Giggles. What a cute name..............Maryl

I love Blackberry Dragon! I find I am really liking the darker ones. Orange Velvet is pretty, and Monkey Giggles is pretty too. EITPF is different every day, and I am liking it. It will grow on you or it won't, and there will be space for another one.

kay

Cradle of Bethlehem is so interesting, with the changes you have to check it out several times during the day.blackberry Dragon looks really nice, I you show us more of it. Your old friends are all so nice and photogenic. I won’t have Explosion In The Paint Factory here, reminds me of splotchy spring blooms that disappoint me.

Sherry

I am glad you posted those pictures of Cradle of Bethlehem. I got mine spring of 2019 I think, raccoon kept digging it up and I thought I would lose it. I got 1 bloom off of a tiny scape. This year it is many fans, not too many scapes. Guess I might have a show next year though. I think I was expecting it to be a better version of Laura Harwood though. I like Mountain Violet. I always like Orange Velvet, huge sturdy tall blooms. Hold their color pretty well here except on the hottest days.

Debra, I had to go look up In the Name of the Father to be sure I had my label correct. It was not quite what I expected but this is first bloom on first year plant-we will see.

Maryl, Blackberry Dragon is indeed dark-held its color pretty well today in heat and humidity in full sun. Just a matter of taste in that I kinda like the way Orange Velvet fades in the heat!! I think it shows lots of variation in color. Willow Dean has just started blooming so it is one of my last to bloom and I can enjoy it more.

Sherry, I was not aware Cradle of Bethlehem bloomed that way. I think I got mine from Laura-maybe she will give her assessment of how hers blooms.

Kay, you know I will give EITPF a chance! This was first bloom on a young plant!

Nancy, I edited my photo name to the correct one-Mountain Orchid. I always want to call it Violet because that is the color that pops into my mind when I see that edge!!

Thanks, all, for the comments.

Hope everything ends up good for you work-wise. Thanks for taking time to share photos. Blackberry Dragon looks great! Sure is quite a difference in Cradle of Bethlehem blooms, especially when seen next to each other like that.

Beautiful group Kate. Interesting comparison on Cradle of Bethlehem. Hope all goes well with the reopening of schools in your area.

Nice group! Love the darks!! I hope you love EITPF! Well it is either love it or hate it....no in between. I happen to really like the streaked flowers, and this one is definetely that.............every bloom will be quite different! Too early for it to bloom yet hear in NJ.