The really hard work of the season begins

Today we started moving out of the greenhouse the approximately 4500 seedlings from seeds planted last August. It takes 3 of us about 3 weeks to do it since they're so large. Have made more new beds to put them in across the street in the gravel pit - there are now 7 beds that hold about 2000 seedlings each. The achingly beautiful faces with great branching inside have to show their stuff outside. In Minnesota that's a harsh test and few pass. The goal is to obviously increase the passing rate each year. I try to include one hardy parent in each cross, or use a seedlings where all or most of its parents are hardy, but it is so easy to forget.

New seedlings the past few days include 39410, out of Fear Not x It is Finished.

This is 39110 - out of 15303 x sharky 11808.

Seedling 38910 is out of Mount Ararat. I was delighted to get a beautiful edge in one generation. Have seen a couple of others out of Mount Ararat and am very pleased with the color and form. Mount A was always an "outside" plant (meaning I first saw it and numbered it outside rather than in the greenhouse, and left it there for several years of evaluation), so it didn't get used in breeding until 2009. Wish I'd known a few years ago how good it would be as a parent. Just like 15303 - serendiptity that it ended up in the greenhouse.

Seedling 38710.

Seedling 37210 - tall and 7" and thick substance with great opening - just what I'm looking for.