Trip with unexpected end

Today/2013.06.08/ I went in Poland with family for shopping. Yes I am from those families, who better go to Poland to buy less expensive and better foods than in Lithuania buy expensive and old. But this is not important part of this day. After that I went to meet relatives back in Lithuania. But I don't stay there long. Leave parents and sister with them and I go to meet their neighbor, famous Lithuanian hybridizer, Jonas Auksuolis Liutkevičius. He is my first mentor, and I treasure every moment spend with him. I just go to ask how his health, works and etc. And one news sad me very much. The government of Kalvarija (his town) want to take his land, where growing all the flowers, which he hybridize. That takes off all energy and healthy. And in results - he end the hybridizing works... This was shocked me. He say, that healthy and problems with land cause it. Sad, that local government do those things. I think they must to treasure this person, who gladiolus "Pupų dėdė" was in first five place in one color group at exhibition in Russia. Where all the best gladiolus was exhibited.

But this doesn't mean, that he stops any work with it. He still keep some flowers, some seedlings, wait for unbloomed and try to get ready for exhibitions in Lithuania. But from land, where all the best irises was land, he say that will take them all out. Some to himself and others just for others. So I have a possibility to get some irises from him:  Horizontas, Žydrius, Džiugas, Žaibas (varieties, which he create, but they wasn't registered), Badlands, Gnus Flash, Bewilderbeast, Decadence, Starship Enterprise, Mesmerize, Rodeo Girl, Whispering Falls, Secret Rites, Supreme Sultan, and bunch of his seedlings, which are very good. So some part of genetics from him, I treasure there, in my garden. Sad that he leave this business. And I ask him to stay there for a wile, but he said, that there is younger people, who make better works than him. They just need a good genetics. Other good news, that Liutkevičius relative this year start membership in Lithuanian flower hybridizers society and she takes a big part of flowers from Liutkevičius. He say, that she is very enthusiastic about it and may work truly good. I hope too.

So after all those diggings and talks in almost empty field, which last year was full of amazing flowers, I must to go home. I with family decided to call for some news reporters to say about this situation of Liutkevičius land. He work there for 20 years and this year, by spring he get news, that place is planed for other things. So I think this is not legal and it must be some other way.

Well time will show.

For now, he have where to take a flowers and a new "student", which will learn all about hybridizing and continue his works. I am also continue some programs with irises. If everything will be all right, in the end of this summer I will go to buy some his daylilies. He have few beauties, that I wish to have and treasure as his masterpiece and lye to my hybridizing programs.

So some serious works and worries by one day. Irises now in ground. All labeled and mapped in my notes. Well, there is other problem now. L.Tasquier said, that he will send other package with irises, and the bed, which I make for them, now is filled with Liutkevičius seedlings and varieties from him. So one genetics gets, and other may lost. I have no more space. Maybe for 10 or 15 SDB irises. Maybe I found what to dig out and make more space, if Loic still can send the irises.

Busy time. There is few photos from last year visit at Liutkevičius field:

This is that field, which now is almost empty. Only some irises left... And there is a back of J.A.Liutkevičius. Great mentor.

Bewilderbeast. This iris I get from Liutkevičius. He call it monster in Lithuanian.

 

Liutkevičius seedlings, which now was in my garden:

 

Horizontas. One of the first his variety. His goal is rich color beards. And this one has it.

Rodeo Girl. This variety comes from Schreiner's garden to Liutkevičius. Now this beauty is in my garden.

 

One of the finest iris I get from Liutkevičius. It is Decadence seedling, which grow well. Sad, but he doesn't give names for those seedlings. He ask me to give names. So I will give names to his honor, or some of his other flower varieties names.

 

Liutkevičius seedling with name Žaibas. He get almost identical kid to the pod parent, but this one stand better and grow well. So this is why he gave me a piece of it.