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New, Exciting Mohr-type Irises

January 9, 2018, 6:00 am
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By Bryce Williamson

In my one and only year at Chico State, one of the highlights was the ability to go to Leo T. Clark’s garden at Corning and to see his aril and arilbreds in bloom, irises that sadly had a limited growing range for growth. As a result, I have been keenly interesting in the new generation of Mohr-type arilbreds being introduced, often from a combination of medians and half arilbred irises. Current hybridizers have pushed the colors and patterns into new, exciting directions and the flowers, although only a quarter aril, show more of the aril characteristics that make this exotic group of irises so much fun to view especially since growing the half aril hybrids and pure arils can be a challenge in many climates.

Eye to Eye (Keppel) is an example of more aril-like flowers, including the signal,
and the winner of the 2017 American Iris Society Mohr Medal.
Image by Keith Keppel.

The hope of these new Mohr types is that they will expand the areas where they can be grown with little trouble and bring these exotic, flamboyant flowers to a much larger audience both in The American Iris Society and the general gardening public. For a background on these interesting hybrids, Tom Water wrote a informative World of Irises blog,  Arilbred Iris: A Little History.

Older Mohr type hybrids tended to be crosses of tall bearded irises with, at first, William Mohr, but the new hybrids are using medians and tall bearded irises with variety of arilbred hybrids. I do hope you, as I have done, will add some of these varieties to your garden, expanding your bloom season and bringing fresh colors and patterns into your palette of spring flowers.


Calypso Dancer (Tasco)--image by Rick Tasco

Confederate (Rick Tasco)--image by Rick Tasco

At the present time, the leaders in producing this new generation of Mohr type arilbreds includes Keith Keppel, Paul Black, Thomas Johnson, and Rick Tasco.


 Octave (T. Johnson)--image by Paul Black
 Sri Lanka (T. Johnson)--Image by Paul Black
Suspect (T. Johnson)--image by Paul Black

These are garden irises of limited fertility.  Paul Black in email wrote, "For most here is no fertility, especially the 1/2 breds X SDB....There is a very limited fertility with a few--meaning a seed of two."

His seedling V351A, pictured below, is "the result of Brash and Bold X reblooming TB seedling and there was only 1 seed in the cross, though V351A does show some limited fertility."
Brash and Bold (Black)--image by Paul Black


Black V351A--image by Paul Black

He was extremely lucky with the cross that produced four introductions, ‘Heart of Hearts’, ‘Galaxina’, ‘Perry Dyer’, ‘Red Ahead’ and ‘Soaring Falcon’ are all siblings.  As he wrote, "What a cross!  I’ve gotten a few seed from a couple of them and Adam Cordes has gotten 7 seeds from ‘Heart of Hearts.’"

Soaring Falcon
Red Ahead


 Heart of Hearts

Perry Dyer--images by Paul Black

In responding to my question about the range where these hybrids will grow and bloom, he wrote, "Yes, the aril-medians (1/2 bred X SDB) will grow further south than SDBs.  ‘Desert Snow’ has grown well and bloomed in Manitoba, Canada, and also for Walter Moores in Mississippi.  That probably accounts for its popularity."





Desert Snow--images by Paul Black

At this point, there are only a few sources for plants. Two reputable sources are Mid America and Superstition. Click on the nursery name and it will take you to a link where you can find out more information from the garden owners.




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The Legacy of 'Anacrusis'

January 15, 2018, 6:00 am
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by Tom Waters

'Anacrusis'(Mathes, 1992), OGB/ABM
There is a very interesting line of irises created by Harald Mathes of Germany, beginning with 'Anacrusis' (Mathes, 1992). This iris was produced in a very interesting way. Mathes crossed a pure oncocyclus aril hybrid (I. iberica x I. auranitica) with the dwarf bearded species I. suaveolens. Both the aril and the dwarf are diploids (two sets of chromosomes), and wide crosses between diploids ordinarily produce sterile offspring. Mathes, however, used colchicine treatment to convert the seedling to tetraploidy (four sets of chromosomes). Theory predicts that such a tetraploid would be fertile, and indeed it was! (See my earlier blog post, Tetraploid Arils, Anyone?) Tetraploids created in this way can be unstable, reverting to the diploid state or growing poorly or erratically. So to preserve this breeding accomplishment, Mathes used the pollen of the tetraploid seedling on a conventional arilbred, 'Dresden Gold' (Foster, 1975). The result of that cross was 'Anacrusis'.

'Anacrusis' thus carries an unusual complement of genetic material. It has two sets of aril chromosomes, one from the oncocyclus hybrid Mathes had used, and one from 'Dresden Gold'. It has one set of TB chromosomes from'Dresden Gold', and one set of dwarf suaveolens chromosomes. So it is a "halfbred", with two sets of aril chromosomes and two sets of bearded chromosomes, but with an important difference: one of the bearded sets is from the dwarf species I. suaveolens, rather than the TB ancestry found in most halfbreds. The aril species I. auranitica is also something different, not to be found in the ancestry of most halfbreds.  'Anacrusis', the result of this unprecedented combination of genetic material, is an arilbred median (20 inches in height) with the globular oncocyclus flower form, dark color, and a large black signal.

It is worthwhile to compare this with more typical arilbred medians, which come from crossing halfbreds with standard dwarf bearded irises (SDBs). These get their dwarf ancestry from I. pumila, whereas 'Anacrusis' gets its from I. suaveolens. Conventional arilbred medians are one-quarter aril, but 'Anacrusis' is one-half aril. And finally, conventional arilbred medians are sterile, but 'Anacrusis' is fully fertile, just like tall halfbreds are.

But what to cross it with? The first 'Anacrusis' child to be introduced was 'Invention'(Mathes, 1994), the result of crossing'Anacrusis' with a sibling. This iris is similar to 'Anacrusis', also 20 inches in height, and with a similar dark color.

'Concerto Grosso' (Mathes, 1998) OGB/ABM
The next avenue to explore was combining 'Anacrusis' with other arilbreds. To this end, Mathes made use of one of his other unusual arilbreds, 'Gelee Royale' (Mathes, 1982). This iris is that most unusual of creatures, a pentaploid (five sets of chromosomes)! Its pod parent was an triploid OGB+ arilbred (2/3 aril complement, with the aril sets coming from I. auranitica and the Regelia I. hoogiana), with 'Dresden Gold' again as the pod parent. Although this is a complicated pedigree, 'Gelee Royale' breeds much like other halfbreds do. Mathes crossed 'Gelee Royale' with its sibling, crossed the result with the 'Anacrusis' sibling, and then finally crossed the result to 'Invention'. The result of this multi-generation hybridizing work was'Concerto Grosso' (Mathes, 1998). Despite the presence of'Gelee Royale' (registered at 35.5 inches) in its pedigree, 'Concerto Grosso' is still only 20 inches tall itslef.

'Concerto Grosso' has larger flowers than 'Anacrusis' and 'Invention', and is a rich mahogany color, quite different from most arilbreds. It went on to with the C. G. White medal, the highest award for arilbreds, in 2005.

'Iridescent Orange'(Mathes, 2001), OGB
Mathes had not finished his work with this line, however.'Anacrusis','Invention', and 'Concerto Grosso' are all very dark in color, and Mathes wanted to extend the range of this line to lighter hues. 'Iridescent Orange'(Mathes, 2001) from ('Invention' x 'Gelee Royale') X 'Concerto Grosso' is a lovely orange self with a dark signal. At 23 inches in height, it is just above the limit for the arilbred median category, as defined in the Checklist of Arilbred Dwarfs and Medians. Its sibling, 'Suprassing Yellow' (Mathes, 2001) is a yellow rendition of the theme, also 23 inches.

The line is carried on in'Glittering Garnets'(Donald Eaves by Elm Jensen, 2010) is from 'Anacrusis' crossed with the arilbred 'Desert Plum'. This is 22 inches in height, at the upper limit of the arilbred median category.

These irises have also been used in crosses outside the halfbred fertile family to which they belong. 'Dotted Sunsuit' (Mathes, 2001), is an OGB+ triploid from a yellow 'Anacrusis' sib crossed with an oncogelia seedling.'Chain Reaction' (Tasco, 2007) comes from an SDB seedling x 'Concerto Grosso', a small arilbred median at 13 inches. 'Arcanum' (Jensen, 2013) is from 'Anacrusis' x I. pumila'Crouching Tiger', a diminutive arilbred dwarf at only 6 inches in height!

There is still potential to be tapped from the 'Anacrusis' legacy. Its value in breeding fertile arilbred medians should be noticed and pursued. The most promising way to go about this is to cross 'Anacrusis' or any of its descendants with the smallest halfbreds available. 'Peresh' (Whitely, 2001), at 15 inches, and its siblings 'Eglon', 'Kedesh', and 'Tekoah'come to mind.

The creative, unprecedented cross that produced'Anacrusis'is a true hybridizing success story, not only producing an interesting, attractive iris, but opening up new paths for the hybridizer and for others who were to follow.




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Joint American Iris Society and Society for Louisiana Irises Convention in New Orleans

January 22, 2018, 6:00 am
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by Patrick O'Connor and pictures by Ron Killingsworth

Plan now to attend the joint convention in New Orleans.  Perhaps this garden on the tours will tempt you!

The Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden, New Orleans, LA

The Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden is one of New Orleans’ brightest attractions.  Like the City, it is both old and young.  Designed initially to display a permanent collection of over fifty sculptures by twentieth-and twenty-first century American, European, Latin American, Israeli and Japanese artist, the nearly five-acre garden was dedicated by the New Orleans Museum of Art in November 2003.  It sits in a prime spot in historic City Park, adjacent to the Museum and not far from the confluence of Bayou St. John and the remnant of Bayou Metairie where the park’s extensive system of bayou-like lagoons beings.


Located in one of the Park’s oldest sections, the Sculpture Garden is itself transected by a lagoon and crossed today by modern bridges that offer beautiful views of the Garden.  The original landscape design for the Garden called for Iris pseudacorus, the European native, rather than Louisiana irises.  Hurricane Katrina took care of the anomaly.  The magnificent Live Oak trees survived, but the lingering brackish water destroyed much of the under-story planting in City Park, including the pseudacorus in the Sculpture Garden.

Live Oaks and Spanish moss

A virtual blank slate was created along the lagoon banks.  Several iris growers and enthusiasts were among the volunteers who emerged to participate in the Garden’s – and in the Park’s – rebirth.  These growers donated Louisiana iris rhizomes by the thousands. The plants were maintained in pools and tubs and planted out by multiple groups of volunteers in several waves over a couple of years.

State Flower of Louisiana
 
Coincidentally, the Garden occupies the site of an historic iris garden that was created during the frenzy of iris activity in 1930s New Orleans not long after the plants were “discovered” in the wild and promoted for the benefit of modern horticulture.  Dubbed a “Rainbow Memorial,” the original plantings are long gone, but it is fitting that the Sculpture Garden created a path for the return of native irises.
Lagoon in Sculpture Garden

 Today, the Garden boasts fabulous new sculptures and is embellished by Louisiana irises in every imaginable color along the banks of the lagoon.  A permanent Display Garden features named cultivars to accompany extensive mixed plantings.


Each Spring, the Sculpture Garden, along with the Greater New Orleans Iris Society, hosts a Louisiana Iris Rainbow Festival.  The Festival is a one day event that features music and presentations on the irises.  It offers the public an opportunity to stroll among the fabulous sculptures and the beautiful irises and to enjoy the Sculpture Garden at a particularly beautiful time of the year.  Admission to the Besthoff Sculpture Garden is free, a rare and wonderful gift to visitors and New Orleans residents alike.

The New Orleans Botanical Garden offers the richest, most varied display of plants in the City.  Opened to the public in 1936 as part of a Works Progress Administration project, the Botanical Garden’s twelve acres are home to 2,000 varieties of plants surrounded by the Live Oaks typical of City Park.  City Park is the sixth largest urban park in the country and boasts the nation’s largest stand of mature Live Oaks.

Theme gardens in the Botanical Garden are dedicated to aquatics, roses, native plants, ornamentals, trees, shrubs and perennials and shade plants.  The Conservatory of the Two Sisters features a simulated tropical rain-forest and a magnificent fern collection.  Irises are scattered throughout the Garden and include a planting of recent cultivars near the Shade Garden.

The Art Deco style is evident in the Botanical Garden, which also features sculptures by the celebrated WPA artist Enrique Alferez.  His original sculptures are spotted throughout, but two new and exciting garden attractions were added last year:  the Helis Foundation Enrique Alferez Sculpture Garden, with additional sculptures by Alferez, and a beautiful arrival garden with a green wall and an infinity water feature.
Front of Museum of Art






To learn more about City Park in New Orleans go to their website.

To learn more about the 2018 AIS and SLI convention in New Orleans, visit the convention website http://www.2018irisconvention.org

To make reservations at the convention hotel, visit the Hilton New Orleans Airport Hotel website (http://group.hilton.com/American-Iris-Society

For more information on the American Iris Society here.

To visit the Society for Louisiana Iris website click here
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IRISES, the Bulletin of the AIS - Winter 2018 Edition

January 26, 2018, 8:30 am
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By Andi Rivarola

A warm welcome to those who are seeing IRISES, the Bulletin of The American iris Society for the first time. If you are a member of The American Iris Society I hope you enjoy this new issue.

The Winter issue of the AIS Bulletin is already available for online viewing and accessible via the Emembers section of the AIS website. The print copy is in the hands of U.S. Post Office. On the cover this time, the Winner of the 2017 AIS Photo Contest, called "Blue Tectorums," by Beth Conrad from New Zealand. Congratulations!

Note: to access this area of the website you must have a current AIS Emembership. AIS Emembership is separate from the normal AIS membership. Please see the Electronic Membership Information area of the AIS website for more details.




On page 3, Winners of the 2017 AIS Photo Contest are announced, photos are located in several segments of this publication. 

AIS President, Gary White's message is on page 8, with great news about the 2021 AIS National Convention location, and the names of newly elected AIS Directors. Take a look.

Ready or not, it's good to know about A Charitable Bequest to AIS, ex-AIS President, Jim Morris explains on page 11. 

What's happening with HIPS (Historic Iris Preservation Society)? What's happening with the Novelty Iris Society or the Spuria Iris Society? Check pages 12 and 13 for Section Happenings.

An introduction to AIS Gold Medal Recipient Jeanne Clay Plank, by Jill Bonino on pages 15 and 16. 

A wonderful read on pages 16 - 18, by California hybridizer Doug Kanarowski, called Two Hybridizing Advancements: One Intentional, One Accidental. Nice hybriding technique photos accompany the piece. Enjoy.

The 2017 AIS Tall Bearded Iris Symposium Results are published starting on page 22 and continue through page 27. 

Beautiful shots of iris in many different garden situations comprise the list of the 2017 AIS Photo Contest Winners. Some are quite unique and original. On pages 18 through 31.

The request for bearded irises for the 2020 Centennial Convention is on page 32, and the International Iris Competition information for the same year follows on page 33. 

Don't miss the piece on Images Now Required with Iris Registrations on pages 34 and 35, by Neil Houghton, the new AIS Image Coordinator. 

Lastly, extensive information about the 2018 AIS National Convention in New Orleans, Louisiana, on pages 37 through 44. Hope to see you there! More online information about the convention can be found here: http://www.2018irisconvention.org/

Not a member of The American Iris Society? Please see our website for information about becoming one: http://irises.org/

There's a lot more to see and read in this edition of IRISES, either in digital or print formats. If you are an AIS member know that you will receive the print edition soon (it's in the hands of the U.S. Post Office), or if you are an e-member, then that version is already available online as described above). 

Happy Gardening!



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Iris Stories: April Melody 2

January 29, 2018, 6:00 am
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By Bryce Williamson

In “Iris Stories: 'April Melody,'” I wrote about the hard work over many years Jim Gibson put into the creating of the iris. Being so difficult to achieve a good pink plicata flower, it was much to everyone’s surprise that 'April Melody' proved to be a prolific parent from him, leading to the creating of many fine and interesting variations of the pink plicata pattern. Needless to say, other American hybridizers quickly realized that 'April Melody' was a great parent and could be used in a variety of ways to create new colors and patterns.

Just as she had done with the early Paul Cook neglectas and amoenas, Melba Hamblen in Roy, Utah quickly used a first generation child of 'April Melody,''Porta Villa,' with a plicata seedling out of her yellow and blue bicolor breeding. The resulting bicolor plicata, 'Capricious,' was a hit, moving the warm toned plicatas into a new direction. It went on to win an Award of Merit from the American Iris Society.

Capricious image by Barry Blyth

On the East Coast, Dr. Charlie Nearpass had been making crosses with 'New Adventure,' the iris that started Jim Gibson on his quest for pink plicatas. He in turn took his work and crossed it directly to 'April Melody,' producing 'Rose Tattoo.'
'Rose Tattoo image' by Rosalie Figge

Perhaps the person, beyond Jim Gibson, who has made the greatest use of 'April Melody' is Keith Keppel, once of Stockton, California and now living and hybridizing in Salem, Oregon. He took his 'Montage' and crossed it with 'April Melody,' resulting in 'Roundup' (the iris, not the chemical). Some of us can remember the 10,000 seedlings Keith raised from 'Roundup.' From that line, I will mention only four of the warm toned children. 'Gigolo' is brightly colored and was popular and much used by other hybridizers. More recently, Keith has introduced other pink plicatas such as 'Musician' and his Dykes winning 'Drama Queen.'

'Roundup' image by Bluebird Haven Iris Garden

'Gigolo' image by unknown photographer

'Musician' image by Perry Dyer

'Drama Queen' image by Russian Iris Society

Using the Keppel and the Gibson irises, Joe Ghio of Santa Cruz and Australia’s Barry Blyth went into the pink plicata business. A recent examples of Joe Ghio’s warm toned plicatas include 'Epicenter' and his 2016 introduction 'All By Design.'

'Epicenter' image by Jeanette Graham

 'All By Design' image by Brad Collins

Barry Blyth produced 'Waiting for George,' an iris that I found useful when combined with the pink plicatas that I had created out of the Gibson and Keppel lines.

'Waiting for George' image by Barry Blyth

While the focus recently has been on the lined and the multi-banded wave varieties, other hybridizers have produced lovely pink plicatas including Terry Aitken’s 'Celtic Woman.'

'Celtic Woman' image by Terry Aitken

While it might not appear to be an 'April Melody' descendant, one of my all-time favorite Schreiner plicata introductions, 'I’ve Got Rhythm,' traces back to 'April Melody.'

'I’ve Got Rhythm' image by Schreiner's Gardens

And today’s irises continue the legacy of 'April Melody' either directly or indirectly. As Keith Keppel wrote to me in email, “And how far beyond 'April Melody' do you want to go?   It's a mini-version of trying to list 'Snow Flurry' descendants!  All the Gibson stuff that is descended from it, virtually all of my tangerine (and some other) plic (and luminata, glaciata) stuff.  And then Ghio began using mine, as did Barry and it went on from there (as well as their using Gibson stuff direct).”
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Iris ensata, Iris laevigata and Pseudata in Containers

February 5, 2018, 6:00 am
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By Chad Harris

Iris ensata and laevigata have been cultivated with container culture for centuries. In Japan several different flower forms and indoor display regulations were specifically formatted for container growing of Iris ensata. You may also find that growing these water lovers and the new hybrid “Pseudata” in containers easier, as you will have better control of the rich moist soils that they demand.

Soils: A good soilless container potting medium should be used. Here at Mt. Pleasant Iris Farm we use ‘Miracle-Grow’ with 6 month feeding. We use it not only for the patio container, but also for the germination of the seed of our breeding lines.

Container: A one gallon container is the minimum, for a single or double fan plant. This will keep the plant for one growing season, requiring yearly transplanting.


One gallon containers need to be transplanted yearly for the health of your plant and container.

I highly recommend that a larger container be used; three to five gallon will be optimum for two to three year growing seasons. Note that the size of containers for starting seed is a one half gallon.


Seedlings in half gallon containers.

The seedlings are grown for one to two years in this size before being transplanted out to the field.
Light: Full sun with a minimum of six hours to bloom properly. Areas with more intense sun and or heat will find that morning sun and afternoon shade will benefit both the plant and the bloom. While the plant wants to be in the sun the root zone needs to be kept cool. With a large collection this can be achieved placing the containers close to each other while shading the outside containers with planks boxing them in. The smaller collection the shading can be achieved by double potting.



Shading the poly container by double potting.

Placing the smaller container into a larger heavier decorative ceramic container, this is the method that we use on our patio. One could also use a very large decorative container that could hold several smaller poly or plastic containers. A clump look with many different varieties can be achieved without mixing them up, losing their names.


Iris ensata in containers.

Water: These plants are water lovers and should not dry out, keep evenly moist. During the summer this may demand a daily watering. A deep tray filled with water will allow the plant to stay completely hydrated for longer periods of time. For larger collections a child’s wading pool could be used, or a box made of planks lined with a pool liner. Drill holes into the sides one to two inches from the bottom for overflow drainage. The rhizome of the plant should be above the waterline, this is critical for Iris ensata especially during the winter months. Iris laevigata can grow with its crown under water with two inches covering; however it is best to start the new plant above the waterline to help prevent rot. You can gradually submerge the plant after new growth appears. Pseudata (being half Iris ensata) I would play it safe and would grow as Iris ensata, with the rhizome above the waterline.


Iris ensata in containers.

Fertilizer: Use a slow release for acid loving plants mixed into the potting mix. Or use a water-soluble and add directly to the water. Do not use Bone Meal in any application as this will change the PH and can kill these acidic loving plants.

Iris  laevigata in patio containers.

Transplanting: Repot right after bloom, discarding the old soil, roots, and rhizome. The new rhizomes are in a full growth mode at this time through the summer and fall until the winter sets in.


First frost: time to cut the foliage back.

Winter Care: After a light freeze, cut all of the foliage off at container level. Mild winter areas (USDA Zone 8-9) containers can remain out in the pools and or above ground. Colder climates the containers should be lifted from the flooding pools or trays and buried in a prepared bed with a good mulch cover. In the spring return the containers to the flooding pool, lightly fertilize after new growth starts to appear.

For the many that have tried to grow these water lovers in their garden and have failed, give container growing a try. It is definitely easier to maintain their demanding cultural needs of a rich moist soil. You may also be able to push the envelope of where they have not been grown before surprising your iris club at your next show. Give one a try.
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New Color Combinations in Plicatas

February 12, 2018, 6:00 am
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Editor’s Note: In recent blogs, Bryce Williamson wrote how the first good pink plicata, April Melody (Iris Stories: April Melody and Iris Stories: April Melody 2), expanded the range of colors in that group. Today’s hybridizers  have been  combining plicata patterns with other tall bearded iris patterns, taking plicata irises in new and exciting directions. Keith Keppel here shares a peek at some these developments in his Salem, Oregon, garden. Please remember, however, that these seedlings represent work in progress and most will not make the cut to naming and introduction based on plant growth or other factors.

By Keith Keppel

For the benefit of iris newbies, perhaps we should explain "plicata". Plicata is a pattern with a white or carotene colored (yellow, pink, orange) ground, the edges stitched, stippled, or solidly banded in a darker, contrasting color. This seedling (09-93C,  Ink Patterns child) is an example of the color and pattern of early plicatas...always white ground, markings in the blue to violet range.
Standards could be almost solidly colored or devoid of markings entirely; falls could be so widely banded that only a small area in the center is unmarked, or all markings could be confined to the haft (upper area at beard level) with little or no marginal marking on the rest of the fall. Many ultimate pattern variations can occur, and considering color combinations of ground and markings, the overall effects are almost limitless.

Image by Keith Keppel

Although the first plicatas had a white ground, crosses with Iris variegata brought yellow genes into the hybrid line. In the 1930's, plicatas with cream grounds began occurring, and in the following years the cream has progressed to yellow. Here is a Sorbonne seedling to show just how intense we can now have our yellow grounds.

Image by Barry Blyth

In the 1950's, plicatas with the tangerine beard factor began to make an appearance in iris catalogues. Although they still had white grounds, with time this has changed, and we now have plicatas with pink, or pinkish, grounds instead of white or yellow. This is another Sorbonne seedling, actually a sister to the yellow ground seedling in the prior post!

Image by Barry Blyth

The tangerine-factor plicatas began showing orange tones in the ground color, also. This one is 11-64C, from complicated breeding with Sorbonne and three numbered seedlings as grandparents.

When you consider that those original blue/violet plicata markings will appear differently on a yellow, pink, or orange ground than they did on white, you can understand why so many plicata color combinations now exist!

Image by Barry Blyth

So many pattern variations based on the plicata genes, yet there are still more  possibilities. Plicata markings are done in anthocyanin (water soluble) pigments....what if you change the capability of the plicata genes to act?

Enter Paul Cook. In the 1950's this master hybridizer began introducing a series of irises which carried an inhibitor for the production of anthocyanins....in the standards. These were the dominant amoenas (prior amoenas were due to a different, recessive condition), also referred to as the 'Progenitor' or 'Whole Cloth' factor. By the 1970's we  had plicatas which also carried this factor, with suppressed markings in the standards but not the falls. We suddenly had "neglecta plicatas", with paler markings in the standards, and "amoena plicatas" with little or no standard markings. A whole new range of plicata variables was now possible.

In 12-103J, a grandchild of Ink Patterns, you can see how the plicata standard markings are reduced to a very faint bluish shading along the petal margins. This seedling also carries the "tangerine factor", hence the reddish beard hair tips and the faint peach pink blush on the otherwise white ground near the beard. A tangerine-bearded amoena-plicata.

Image by Brad Collins

The appearance of a plicata depends on the sum of its parts: markings + ground. If we take that amoena plicata and put it on a yellow ground....voila!....a variegata plicata. (And by extension, that yellow ground could also be pink or orange instead.) This is 13-17A, from High Desert X Flash Mob.

Image by Brad Collins

Just as the pigment application of plicata markings can vary, so can the application of carotene (yellow, pink, orange) pigment in the ground. Most colored grounds will have some white, or at least a paler area, in the center of the falls. Fall color can vary from a distinct marginal band (like the falls on 'Debby Rairdon') to a small spot below the beard. Rarely, the color can cover the entire fall uniformly.

But what about other ground patterns? It might be strongly colored hafts or upper fall. Or possibly some variation of a carotene amoena, with or without the color bleeding upward in the midrib of the otherwise-white standards.

13-21A, (Ink Pattern seedling X Dark Energy), shows a yellow amoena style ground; anthocyanin reduction in the standards minimalizes the plicata markings.

Image by Brad Collins
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Joint American Iris Society and Louisiana Iris Society Convention

February 19, 2018, 6:00 am
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by Patrick O'Connor and Ron Killingsworth



The joint convention will be held in New Orleans with the AIS convention starting on April 8th, 2018 and ending April 13th.  The SLI part of the convention begins April 11th and ends April 14th.  Attendees may sign up for any or all of the conventions activities and tours.  See the Convention Web Site here..

This is a great opportunity to see New Orleans and to enjoy some fantastic gardens.  While visitors will not see any Tall Bearded irises or any of the other species of irises normally seen at an AIS convention, they will see more Louisiana irises than at any other convention.

Take advantage of this chance to attend a great and unusual convention.  Get your registration in quickly!

Let me tempt you with a short preview of some of the gardens on tour.


Baton Rouge Botanic Garden
The Louisiana irises in the Botanic Garden in Independence Park in Baton Rouge originated with the efforts of the late Joseph Mertzweiller, a major hybridizer and guiding force in SLI.  Joe conceived of the iris garden and donated the irises at the core of the original planting, most of which  survive in a well planned setting that makes them readily accessible to the public.  There is no charge for admission to this Garden, which also features daylilies, roses, herbs, camellias and crape myrtles, and gingers.
'Freddie Boy' one of Joe Mertzweiller's diploid irises that wears its years very well

'Full Eclipse' by Ben Hager in a clump

'Misty Boyou' by Joe Musacchia
Iris Pavilion
Original plans for the garden called for the construction of an “Iris Pavilion.”  With admirable long term adherence to the plan and the support of volunteers as well as Baton Rouge Recreation and Parks, the Pavilion  now sits in a prominent place in the Garden.  The Garden will feature Guest Irises for the Convention and other recent cultivars as well as many of Joe Mertzweiller’s tetraploid and diploid irises.  A nice mix of old and new cultivars.
 
A Louisiana Pond
Gary and Leigh Anne Salathe’s pond near Madisonville, LA, is testimony to inspired vision and perseverance.  The pond is in a subdivision common area adjacent to their home.  With the farsighted support of subdivision owners, Gary has turned it into a beautiful and unique destination.
'Praline Festival' by Dorman Haymon

"Atchafalaya' by Farron Campbel (Augh chaf a lie ya)

Gary and Leigh Anne house on the pound

Large clump of red iris.nelsonii
 “A Louisiana Pond” displays a mix of irises, including all five species, including I. hexagona from Florida, a few natural hybrids, and old and new hybrid cultivars.  It is evolving year to year with more and more hybrids to accompany the original planting that included lots of I. giganticaerulea and I. virginica, a native iris not in the Louisiana group.



The Black Swamp
The Black Swamp is a small bottomland, rain-fed swamp that probably was a river-fed swamp before the building of levees.  The canopy consists of water tupelo and black tupelo with some swamp red maple.  The tannins leached from the leaves of the black tupelo make the water appear black, although it is actually a clear light brown.

Boardwalk at Black Swamp
Boardwalk and Louisiana irises at Black Swamp
 
Clumps of blue and white iris.giganticaerulea and iris.nelsonii are thriving in the water of Black Swamp

Blue i.giganticaerulea growing in Black Swamp

No irises were found in this swamp, although it looks as if there should have been.  In 2015, Benny Trahan donated 200 rhizomes of I. giganticaerulea, fulva and nelsonii, which were planted by members of the Greater New Orleans Iris Society at the request of Burden.  At the time of the planting, the water level was so low that it was possible to walk through without boots.  Many of the irises planted were just starts about six inches tall, and when the water returned, they were inundated before they could become established.  Only about sixty or so survived, but those have thrived and are forming large clumps that look as if they are in their native swamp habitat.  The first good bloom of these plants occurred in 2017.


Burden Rural Life and Windrush Gardens
The Rural Life Museum is the best known of the several components that make up LSU’s Burden Museum and Gardens.  The spectacular Windrush Gardens sits adjacent to Rural Life, and both are but small parts - in terms of space - of the entire 440 acre Burden property.   A developing LSU AgCenter Botanic Garden, which includes the Black Swamp, is another component, and a great deal of additional space is devoted to agricultural research.

A highly recommended trip to the Burden website will do far more justice to the Rural Life Museum than is possible here.  On the Convention tour, Rural Life, Windrush and the Black Swamp will all be available, but one could easily spend an entire day at Burden.

Rural Life consists of a “village” of over 30 unique buildings and a Visitor’s Center displaying an extensive collection of artifacts.

Old statuary can be found throughout Windrush

Rural Life Museum is noted for its historical buildings and equpiment

Statue at Windrush

Antique wagons and farming equipment at Rural Life

Louisiana irises growing in pond at Windrush Gardens

Pond and Louisiana irises at Windrush Gardens

Statue in water feature with Louisiana irises at Windrush Gardens


Windrush Gardens was designed by Steele Burden and covers 25 acres of mostly shady paths interspersed by mature trees, azaleas, camellias and crape myrtles.  It is decorated with fascinating, old architectural features, especially statuary.

On the perimeter of Windrush Gardens, several large ponds feature plantings of older varieties of Louisiana irises.  There is too much shade in the Garden proper for Louisiana irises to thrive.

Burden is not a property that features Louisiana irises, although a significant planting is planned.  Irises will be seen here and there in various locations, in the Windrush ponds, in the Black Swamp and in another old pond nearby that also contains many specimens of I. virginica.

This is just a sample of the many gardens on tour during the conventions.  Attendees will also have time to visit the famous French Quarter and other attractions in the city of New Orleans.

To learn more about Louisiana irises, visit the Society for Louisiana Irises web site.  To learn more about the American Iris Society visit the web site.  To learn more about New Orleans, visit this web site.

Other tours during the convention include the Longue Vue House and Gardens.  The Sidney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden contains over fifty sculptures and many plantings of Louisiana irises.  You also do not want to miss seeing the New Orleans Botanical Garden.  Did I mention that the National World War II Museum is also located in New Orleans and is the place to visit if you are interested in WWII.  There are just too many other great places to visit in the New Orleans area.

So, pack your bags and head out to New Orleans in April!  Hope to see you there.


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Gerald Richardson

February 26, 2018, 6:00 am
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By Phil Williams

This blog is to honor the quiet legacy left to the iris world by Gerald Richardson.  I hope he is barefoot and up to his waist in new seedlings on the other side.  It is called paradise for a good reason!! 

Gerald Richardson was no ordinary guy!  Fully invested in his work at the Atomic Energy facility in Richland for most of his working life, his eventual retirement there gave him more time for growing and hybridizing Tall Bearded irises. Short in height, this brilliant and talented man was a giant among mortals.  He purposely remained busy and involved in his many studies and hobbies; he was an amazing wizard of investment, quietly turning his spare change into a sizable fortune.

Photo by Dale Austin

Richland is not a short drive from the Salem-Portland area. It was one of my highest honors and privileges to visit his matchless garden 5 times in the past 15 years.  This quiet and unassuming gentleman always had a garden filled with bloom. He declared that he had no idea how or why virtually every named variety and seedling in his garden were filled with stalks!  It was a corner lot that would slow traffic to a crawl. More often than not, this energetic human dynamo was covered and dressed for protection from the hot desert-like sun while his feet were bare and dusty!!!!

On my final visit with my friend Gerald, Parkinson's had slowed his speech and movements to a crawl—yet his mental capacities were as incredible as ever. He apologized profusely for not having felt up to fertilizing his plants though yet again virtually every clump was filled with iris stalks. Barbara Nicodemus exclaimed after her visit there that she had never seen such massive percentage of bloom in her lifetime of growing and breeding irises!

Gerald selected seedlings based on two primary factors: (1.) He had to really like it and (2) it had to show distinct improvement or be uniquely different from other irises in commerce. He was the first established hybridizer to quietly work with Allen Ensminger's “broken-color” patterns and he was an early fan of the Lloyd Austin “horned, spooned and flounced” irises.  He said he was not breeding irises for profit (followed by a full body laugh!) and that he felt that “different” was necessary for expanding interest in the tall bearded iris classes. He taught great lessons by example. He believed that an iris was a garden plant and he grew impressive 2-3 year clumps in his garden to perfection!

His last and final great gift to the iris world was financial in nature to the American Iris Society with a cash gift.  He wished above all else that his gifts would be  invested in innovative, hands-on, much needed research on bearded iris diseases—specifically soft rot, crown rot, and botrytis. 

And now a look at some my favorite Gerald Richardson introductions!
    
'Angler Fish' was his delightful contribution to the horned-spooned-and flounced iris flower form.  The combination of blended colors in the flowers with consistent  appendages on all flowers, “horns” of contrasting colors and easily grown plants were 
all accomplished in this fine iris.

'Angler Fish'--image by Dale Austin

'Crimson Tiger' and 'Infernal Fire' were his two contributions to the variegated/broken color patterning randomly applied to the entire flower.

'Crimson Tiger'--image by Brock Heilman

Blue was clearly his favorite color.  And why not? How many perennials with blue flowers are in your perennial garden?  'Blued Indigo', 'Donaghcloney', 'Dusky He-Man', 'He-Man Blues', Magheralin', 'Perrymount', and 'T-Rex' were among his darker and mid-toned selections.  Each had large, clean, smoothly-colored flowers with excellent substance and plant habits.  I would tease him about filling a void for magnificent blue varieties when Schreiner's Gardens expanded to many additional color schemes in their breeding program.

'Magheralin'--image by Dale Austin

'Surfer's Dream' was his supreme addition to the softer blue color class of garden irises!  I remember seeing this as a seedling in his garden for the first time on the day of its maiden bloom.  Gerald was glowing and standing tall just waiting for me to point and gasp at this magnificent iris!

'Surfer's Dream'--image by Dale Austin

'Bev' is named for his iris friend Bev Petrak. (She and one other iris person attended his memorial service.)  The red color in this iris is smooth and strong with chestnut undertones. 'Bev's Babe' followed a few years later and is still likely the strongest approach to “true” red in the garden. I never quite understood why one of the better known hybridizers didn't work with this amazing color gem. Both had unusually good form for the red color class.

'Bev'--image by Terry Aitken 

He worked consistently with lavender and magenta irises in all shades. '
'Blockbuster' had huge flowers and huge plants in a soft blue-lavender color combination with infusions of gray and yellow.  It was also tall and the stalks remained upright on established clumps. 'Blueberry Fudge' was a deep, rich “electric” violet like no other. Its bronze beards and blue flushes make it one of the most uniquely colored irises ever to appear in American gardens. 

'Lucille Richardson' was a blend of gray, lavender and orchid; its wonderful color and flower form can likely be credited to Larry Gaulter's 'Mary Frances'.  'Nora Eileen' was the first iris I grew with smooth, pleasing flowers in the magenta color class. Too few breeders have touched the surface in this vivid color class.  They should as visitors spot this color from afar!

'Nora Eileen'--image by Dale Austin

'Spring Social' was his favorite seedling from George Shoop's 'Spring Tidings'. It was a quality flower in shades of lavender, pink and rosy violet.

Gerald's work with pale blue flowers and dark violet beards was a difficult class that earned his diligent devotion.  'Clyde' is a milky blue with very dark violet beards and a dark purple eye just below them.  'Emilo' was a milky blue with beards not quite so black.  However, its perfectly formed rounded flowers on shorter stalks was the exceptional garden plant with wonderful, compact plants and strong stalks. 'Clouds of Glory' was a very pastel blue-white with fine deeper blue pastel petal edging. It is a difficult color pattern to work with but its impact on seasoned iris growers is to “ooh and ahh” at its simple elegance!
'Clouds of Glory'--image by Elladan McLeester

I was taught early on that concentrating on limited colors and patterns was the key fame for an iris hybridizer.  (Gerald NEVER made that declaration!)  Blends were everywhere in his seedling rows!  'Carousel of Dreams' was his newest and brightest and a spectacular combination of lavender, red, soft gold and wire gold rims on petal edges.  In addition, it is a great garden plant that offers heavy spring bloom with good increase and plant habits.


'Carousel of Dreams'--image by Dale Austin

'Days Gone By' is a wonderful combination of lavender, violet and peach with striking red beards. It is a sister seedling to 'Spring Social' mentioned above. 'Golden Legacy' is a superlative creations with strong, tall, well branched stalks, 7 buds, and strong plants that produce large flowers in gold and amber tones with orange beards.  It can hold its own among the best of the best! 

'Golden Legacy'--image by Dale Austin

'Grace Whittemore' is an early introduction from Gerald that is superior to many in the cream-yellow and white bi-tones.  Its amazing super-wide flowers was far ahead of its time and went hardly noticed by the iris crowd. Also heavily ruffled, it has soft yellow standards, cream-white falls with precise, yellow borders and orange beards. I would brag on it during every garden visit.  I was amused that he had the good sense not to waste time trying to improve it.  It remains a magnificent iris with a perfect score!  There is also no category or rival to 'Ivory Ghost'. Huge, perfectly formed flowers on strong stalks are ivory-white, infused violet and deep yellow hafts with faint amber wire edges and orange beards. Vigor and form is no doubt from 'Fogbound'.


'Ivory Ghost'--image by Betty Jacobs

'Sunset Storm' is from variegated/broken color breeding but it is not revealed in this flower. It is an attractive blending of lavender and buff and was years in the making. (Check the lengthy parentage!)  Sadly, its plant proved erratic in its behavior. Its magnificent blending of colors earns it a spot among my favorite Richardson introductions.

Three others stand alone.  'Demonic' is a sibling to 'Blueberry Fudge'. It is deep, deep violet and has beautifully formed flowers with domed standards and excellent holding power in the garden.  Its plants are wide bladed and can be left in 3-4 year clumps with excellent results. It is not quite black … and Gerald was working on the next step that never quite appeared--a sooty black iris with good form, strong foliage and good plant habits. 'Smoking Embers' is from 'Wild Jasmine' breeding and is a very dark rust iris from the brown side. The standards are slightly lighter and the falls have a pale with tiny “shadowed” rim.  The hafts and beards are yellow and there is a white sunburst at end of beards.  Compact plants and stalks that do NOT fall over.  Last I will mention 'Temple of Lights', and iris I will likely grow forever. It is a very wide flower in cream with strong flushing of melted butter; intense amber-gold style arms.  The cream falls have smooth gold hafts and tiny golden edging and orange beards. 'Grace Whittemore' (see above) is the proud Mother of this beautiful iris. Expect a magnificent flower on a rugged plant.
'Temple of Lights'--image by Dale Austin

Thank you, Gerald, for choosing me as your friend.  You have made my life and the lives of iris lovers around the world brighter and more interesting because of your tireless joy of spreading pollen in your wonderful garden.  I miss you terribly and I will see you on the other side with dirty bare feet and your wonderful, welcoming smile!
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New Color Combinations in Plicatas 2

March 5, 2018, 6:00 am
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Editor’s Note: In recent blogs, Bryce Williamson wrote how the first good pink plicata, April Melody (Iris Stories: April Melody and Iris Stories: April Melody 2), expanded the range of colors in that group. Today’s hybridizers  have been  combining plicata patterns with other tall bearded iris patterns, taking plicata irises in new and exciting directions. Keith Keppel here shares a peek at some these developments in his Salem, Oregon, garden. Please remember, however, that these seedlings represent work in progress and most will not make the cut to naming and introduction based on plant growth or other factors.

By Keith Keppel

Any time the plicata pattern overlays a colored ground, there is a change in the ultimate color effect. Here in 12-103H, the blue plicata is superimposed on a yellow amoena. Note how the fall edging appears more purplish, and on the hafts, where the yellow is strongest and the blue heaviest, it takes on a reddish tone.

Pattern of plicata, pattern of ground, plus color of pattern, color of ground. So many possible combinations! This is what makes breeding plicatas so much fun:  a row of seedlings is a floral kaleidoscope.


Image by Brad Collins

Twenty-plus years ago we began to see an influx of "gilt edge" standards on darker colors. (Think....Slovak Prince, etc.) The edges are now also on plicatas. 11-75A is an example. Complicated pedigree, but the pollen parent is a sib to Mixed Signals, thus goes back to Reckless Abandon which is a good source for the trait.

Image by Brad Collins

 We've had interesting style arms on plics before, such as very dark blue on blue to purple plicatas, but now, some different color combinations are beginning to show up.    This is 12-99D, from a complicated pedigree including Ink Pattern and Reckless Abandon as grandparents, otherwise all numbered seedlings.   With styles like these, you almost don't mind if the standards don't stay closed!

Image by Barry Blyth

Another variation in ground color patterning -- 14-34B, from ((Drama Queen x Tuscan Summer) X Vista Point):

Image by Brad Collins

A puny first-year plant which will probably never amount to much.....but love the pattern and colors! The ground color fall spot is fun, plus the wild markings. Somehow makes me think of a witch doctor's mask.

Image by by Brad Collins

08-14A, Drama Queen X Tuscan Summer. Another with colored "blot" in the falls. Actually there is also a yellow band on the fall, combining with violet to give the oxblood red marginal band.

Image by Brad Collins

A Cosmic Voyage seedling, 14-38C.   A somewhat more subdued spot, surrounded by cream rather than white ground, and obscured as well as upstaged by the dark anthocyanin patterning. An increasing number of similar ground patterns are beginning to occur, often overlooked unless you specifically search for them. In a lightly plic-marked flower the blot would be far more obvious.

Image by Barry Blyth

Beware: a pretty flower picture does not guarantee a desirable garden plant. It's like going to an auto show: we're immediately drawn to the flashiest colored, stylishly made new models, but before putting in an order for one straight off the assembly line, we need to ask a few questions, and the same applies to irises. How many miles per gallon (how many flowers per season)? Does it perform well under varying road conditions (does it prosper in the garden when stressed during differing weather situations)? What about design flaws like impaired visibility, premature air bag deployment (poor substance, weak stems)? A glamour shot of a single flower does not tell the whole story.

This is an unmarked 12-97 series seedling involving Reckless Abandon, Sorbonne, Class Ring, and unnumbered seedlings

Image by Barry Blyth

And finally, adding a touch of pumpkin:  14-35B, from  ((Barbados x 07-204P) X Cosmic Voyage):

Image by Brad Collins
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Pondering Pacifica Iris and Voles

March 12, 2018, 6:00 am
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Kathleen Sayce 
January 27, 2018

It is winter, and for the coastal Pacific Northwest, this means sleeting rain with the occasional snow shower, hail shower, thunderstorm, high winds, and flooding. Bottom line:  Not a lot is getting done outside in the garden. Iris unguicularis puts up flowers every week, only to have the wind and rain smash them flat within days. 

Between rain squalls, I went out to check on Iris hartwegii australis in its planter under the eaves—and it looks quite happy. There are double the number of fans from last year—and I’m hoping for flowers. 

Iris hartwegii australis--happy in its planter under the eaves. The three main shoots of last year are replaced by more than seven this winter. 

Last summer while harvesting iris pods for the SPCNI seed exchange, I saw a vole cleaning seeds from those same pods. It squeaked and dove off. These voracious herbivores do far more damage in my garden than I had previously realized:  
 *   Native West Coast bulbs that keep disappearing? Voles. 
 *  Ditto for Crocus and Lilium. More voles. 
 *  Rainlilies, which poke leaves up one day, only to have them vanish that night? Right again, voles. 
 *  The iris seedling pots and planters that are excavated one night as the seeds are starting to germinate? Yes, voles, expletives deleted. The last probably have some help from squirrels, crows, and jays.


Hypertufa planter with wire mesh cap, and inside,
Pacifica Iris seeds, soaking up winter rain
and getting ready to germinate. 


Voles tend to leave iris flowers and fans alone, but eat seeds and seedlings. I wonder how many species I’ve lost to them? All but two areas of Crocus are gone. As are Tulipa species bulbs—vanished by the dozens. Voles leave Alliums alone, mostly, and so those are doing well, as are the toxic bulbs of Hyacinthina, scillas or bluebells, which thrive here by the thousands. 

There are many potential vole reducing strategies. Mint-oil scented granules are apparently attractive to them; they cart off any that I apply, overnight. Cats aren’t determined enough to keep voles out of flower beds, and I like to birdwatch, so outside cats would defeat that activity. Terriers are excellent rodent hunters, but their indiscriminate digging is discouraging to any gardener. Haven’t figured out how to entice weasels to nest and breed here—though the years when we had resident weasels was also an excellent period for rodent suppression. When we rebuilt my cold frame, we added mesh panels, to protect the plants inside year round, and now finally have thriving, and flowering rain lilies.

I have plotted some strategies and am implementing several:  Wire cages, castor oil based deterrents, and gravel. New lilies went into wire mesh boxes underground, surrounded and capped by inches of gravel. Same for Crocus, Triteliaea, Dichlostemma, and other tasty bulbs and seeds. Pacifica Iris seeds are in hypertufa and stryofoam planters, with wire mesh caps. Over all garden beds, I am spreading castor oil mole-and-vole-deterring granules. 

Vole-resistance:  wire mesh box to bury in ground, and plant edible bulbs inside. For more deterrence, add a layer of gravel on top. 

The potential is what all gardeners want—better odds for a more floriferous garden in coming seasons. We’ll learn how these strategies work in a few months. 


The vole hazard here is probably due to location, which is next to a salt marsh in a temperate climate. Several vole species live in the marshes, and breed from March to October. The loss of even one key predator in a specific area means that voles can breed more quickly. Also, populations tend to peak every three to five years, thus my garden was overrun this year.  
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Looking to the Future of Mohr-type Irises

March 19, 2018, 6:00 am
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By Bryce Williamson

In my recent blog, The World of New Exciting Mohr Type Irises, I wrote about the recent introductions and their much more aril like appearance; today is the chance to learn about what the future has in store.

Paul Black wrote to me, "W306A which is a beauty is from ‘Energizer’ X TB seedling.  It looks like a good 1/2 to 3/4 bred."

Black W306A--image by Paul Black

Rick Tasco kindly provided information about his work with Mohr types: “Virtually all of the aril-median crosses I make are between 1/2-breds and SDBs, either reblooming SDBs or SDBs with large and bright spot patterns.  This has worked out very well for me.  We need to get more rebloom in the aril-medians.  I have a very strong reblooming aril-median that I’ll be introducing next year (2018).”

To whet our appetite, Rick provided images of some of his best selections.

Sun and Snow (Tasco '18)--image by Rick Tasco

Scheduled for introduction in 2018, this Mohr-type is a very strong rebloomer in its home garden, opening new possibilities for extending the season.

Tasco 15-AM-07-27--image by Rick Tasco

There is something about this color combination that I really like.

I have written about the value of yellow in irises and the next two seedlings will bring sunlight into the early spring garden even on a rainy day.


 Tasco 15-AM-01-16--image by Rick Tasco

Tasco 15-AM-11-17--image by Rick Tasco

Rick's next two seedlings show the value of crossing medians with spots with arilbreds.

Tasco 15-AM-03-16--image by Rick Tasco

Tasco 15-AM-03-03--image by Rick Tasco

The future of this old class of irises seems bright with hybridizers using new ideas and new blood to revitalize Mohr-types.

At this point, there are only a few sources for plants. Two reputable sources are Mid America and Superstition. Click on the nursery name and it will take you to a link where you can find out more information from the garden owners.


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Carl Salbach - Important Early California Iris Hybridizer and Purveyor

March 26, 2018, 6:00 am
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By Jean Richter

Carl Salbach is the third, and perhaps least known, of the early San Francisco Bay Area iris hybridizers, along with Sydney B. Mitchell and William Mohr, whom I have covered in some of my previous blogs. In addition to being an award-winning iris hybridizer himself, Salbach introduced iris for many other hybridizers, including many of the most important varieties of the early and mid-20th century. Although iris were his primary horticultural interest, early in his career he also hybridized dahlias and gladiolus.

Carl Salbach was born on a ranch near Stockton, California in 1870, one of seven children of Edward and Katherine Salbach, who left their native Germany to settle in California's central valley. After graduating high school he served as the Deputy County Clerk for seven years, before moving on to the field that occupied his interest for much of his early years, the selling of typewriters. He worked for, managed, and owned typewriter companies in San Francisco and Los Angeles. While living in Oakland (across the bay from San Francisco), his growing interest in horticulture led to him publishing his first plant catalog (devoted to dahlias and gladiolus) in 1922. Around this same time period he first was introduced to modern tall bearded iris, and he so enthusiastically embraced iris that he offered his first iris catalog just two years later in 1924. This first catalog had nine of William Mohr's varieties.

At this same time Sydney B. Mitchell established his Campos Altos Iris Gardens in the nearby Berkeley hills, but soon found that running an iris business left him little time to pursue his hybridizing activities. In 1925 he sold 4.5 acres of his land and all of his commercial iris stock to Salbach, who moved his office to the Woodmont Avenue location. His 1925 catalog included 23 Mohr introductions, including the important early arilbred iris 'William Mohr', which sold for the princely (for the time) sum of $50.00!

Salbach began introducing his own hybrids in 1933. From the start they began winning awards, and in 1944 Salbach was awarded the American Iris Society's Gold Medal for Achievement in Hybridizing, on the strength such introductions as 'Golden Majesty', 'Deep Velvet', 'Radiant', and 'Lighthouse'.

'Lighthouse' (Salbach 1936)
photo courtesy of Superstition Iris Gardens

In 1939 he introduced Clara B. Rees''Snow Flurry', one of the most important advances in tall bearded iris in the early 20th century, with unprecedented ruffling and form. 'Snow Flurry's importance as a parent in hybridizing led to it being referred to as the "Queen Mother of the Iris World." Local legend has it that Ms. Rees' sister Ruth cut several of its flowers, securing them with tissue paper in a shoebox, and made an all-day journey by train, ferry, and trolley all the way from San Jose to Salbach's home in the Berkeley hills. Upon seeing the magnificent flower Salbach was so amazed that, after seeing the plant in Rees' San Jose garden, he bought her entire stock on the spot.

'Snow Flurry' (Rees 1939)

Among the hybridizers that Salbach introduced for was Frank Reinelt. In 1940, he introduced Reinelt's important arilbred iris 'Capitola'. Apparently Reinelt was so disappointed by the cross (the parents were 'William Mohr' and 'IB-Mac', one of the first arilbred iris), that he considered throwing it away! Luckily for the iris world he did not, as 'Capitola' is a major parent in arilbred breeding.

'Capitola' (Reinelt 1940)
photo courtesy of Superstition Iris Gardens

In 1943 Salbach introduced one of his finest creations, the arilbred 'Lady Mohr'. This variety went on to win the Honorable Mention and Award of Merit, and many thought it deserving of the Dykes Medal as well, though it was not given that honor. This iris is a good example of Salbach's well-thought-out and planned approach to hybridizing (unlike the hit-or-miss methods of many of his contemporaries). 'Lady Mohr' was the result of a direct effort to produce a light-colored "Mohr" type iris from Capitola. The pod parent was chosen for its form, color, and ability to yield seedlings from hard-to-take crosses (a common problem when working with arilbred iris).

Lady Mohr (Salbach 1943)

The last year Salbach introduced his own creations was 1952, and he saved one of the best for last in 'Oriental Glory'. This striking iris has great garden impact. It's a difficult iris to photograph well, as the blue blaze beneath its beard can be tough to capture correctly.

Oriental Glory (Salbach 1952)

While iris were his main focus, Salbach also introduced a number of other plants. Along with the aforementioned dahlias and gladiolus, he introduced Reinelt's strain of delphiniums (which were to become world famous as the Pacific Hybrids). He also sold seed of Sydney B. Mitchell's hybrid broom (Cytisus), as well as Iceland poppies and helianthemums.

Salbach received a number of awards for iris as well as other plants. As well as the AIS Gold Medal, he received the Foster Memorial Plaque from the British Iris Society in 1948. In 1945 he received the Gold Medal of the New England Gladiolus Society for his work in hybridizing gladiolus, and in 1948 received the Achievement Award of the North American Gladiolus Council for "meritorious work in promoting and bettering gladiolus."

In 1933 Salbach took out the first plant patent to be given to a gladiolus for his introduction 'Golden Goddess'. He patented six gladiolus in all, and was so successful that he announced he was going to patent Clara B. Rees' iris 'Snow Flurry' and his own 'Deep Velvet'. For some reason (perhaps the difficulty of controlling the patents) he never actually did file the patents, which would have been the first filed for iris.

Salbach worked with other types of iris besides tall bearded and arilbreds, growing and selling numerous other kinds of iris and introducing a dwarf iris. He also hybridized Dutch iris. At one time a representative from the Dutch bulb growers visited his garden, and upon seeing several of his Dutch iris seedlings, asked if he would sell them. Salbach replied (probably in an effort to end the conversation) that they were for sale that day only and for $1000. Much to his surprise, the representative immediately handed him a check for that amount!

Salbach married Ella Stockwell in 1900, and their only child Edward was born in 1907. Edward was as keenly interested in iris as his father, and had begun taking on an important share of the management of Salbach Gardens when his life was tragically cut short in an automobile accident in 1939. Without a second generation to continue the management of the business, Carl Salbach retired and closed down the garden in 1959 and the acreage was subdivided for housing (which had already begun to encroach on the area). As Roy Oliphant noted in his appreciation of Salbach in the 1960 AIS Bulletin, "It seems a great loss to those of us who remember the many fine things that came from his gardens, and who remember the beauty of the gardens themselves with their fields of iris, the banks of wildlings, the great bushes of fragrant rhododendrons, the superb spectacle of the flowering cherries in full bloom and who, above all, remember Carl in his garden."

Carl Salbach passed away November 2, 1962, after a massive heart attack just before his 92nd birthday. His legacy among iris enthusiasts is vast, both from iris he developed himself and those he introduced through his business. Without Carl Salbach, the great accomplishments of the early 20th century northern California hybridizers might never have been known.


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IRISIS: The Bulletin of the AIS - Spring 2018 Edition

March 28, 2018, 6:00 am
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By Susanne Holland Spicker

The American Iris Society blog, "World Of Irises," extends a hearty welcome to all iris lovers and is happy to give an introduction to the Spring Edition of IRISES: The Bulletin of the American Iris Society. Whether this is your first time viewing, or you're a member of the American Iris Society, we hope you enjoy the new Spring 2018 issue.

Note: to access this area of the website you must have a current AIS Emembership. AIS Emembership is separate from the normal AIS membership. Please see the Electronic Membership Information area of the AIS website for more details.

The Spring issue of the AIS Bulletin is already available for online viewing and accessible via theEmembers section of the AIS website. The print copy is in the hands of U.S. Post Office. 

Featured on the cover is 'SUMMER HONEY' (Betty Wilkerson 2013 TB-Re), photo by Carole Buchheim.




This edition offers a wealth of information, good articles, and lots of beautiful pictures.

Page 11 gives us important information concerning Novelty, Spuria and HIPS (Historic Iris Preservation Society).

On page 12, Mike Lockatell gives us a nice article on the late Betty Wilkerson (1941-2017). "A Bridge In Time" highlights the cool season rebloom hybridizer with lots of beautiful pictures of her reblooming cool season irises. It's a wonderful insight to this great lady and her lovely irises.

On page 16 we have the news of our Youth achievers. The winner of the Clarke Cosgrove Memorial Award for Youth Achievement, Hope Winzer - Region 18, is announced. Congratulations!

On page 24, Jim Morris takes a look ahead to 2020, the 100th anniversary of the American Iris Society in New York City.  Jim also looks back with a comprehensive capsule of the Tall Bearded Iris history.  You won't want to miss this fascinating article!

On page 30, Terry Aitkin gives us an excellent article in "The Continued Search for the Red Iris." Compelling information from Terry--thank you!

And on page 44, "Ask the Vets" gives us some very informative and interesting answers to questions pertaining to all irises.  Excellent!

Not a member of the AIS (American Iris Society)?  Please see our website for information about becoming one:  http://irises.org/

There is much more to view and read in the Spring 2018 Edition of 'Irises,'either in digital or print formats. If you're an AIS member, you will be receiving your print edition soon. If you're an e-member, that version is already available online.


We wish you a great spring bloom season, 
and happy gardening!
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Rebloom With the Dwarf Irises

April 2, 2018, 6:00 am
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by Ginny Spoon

One night, I had a dream that our entire front yard was in bloom with dwarf irises. Not only were they a carpet of color, but they were blooming in the autumn. It doesn't have to be a dream though, there are many miniature dwarf (to 8") and standard dwarf (8-14") irises that will rebloom  in our cold climate zones. Our garden is located in zone 6b, and many dwarf irises have been reported to rebloom as far north as Canada.


         'Blue Hues'  (standard dwarf bearded) -- photo by Ginny Spoon

Our 'Blue Hues' is a prolific rebloomer for us and even when the temperatures go below freezing it will keep blooming sometime into late December.


'Blue Hues' after a cold snap in mid November--photo by Ginny Spoon


       'Rosalie Loving' in early December -- photo by Ginny Spoon

The dwarfs don't wait until it snows or freezes, they start their rebloom earlier in the fall since their spring bloom is earlier than the tall beardeds. They continue to rebloom until the freezing temperatures last longer than a week. Then they take a winter nap until they awaken in the spring.


'Forever Blue' is another dwarf that reblooms well into the cold season and has been reported to have multiple rebloom in some areas. Chuck Chapman is the hybridizer of this lovely iris and he lives and hybridizes irises in Canada.


                                              'Forever Blue' -- Photo from Iris Wiki

Working with the blues and teasing out some turquoise, we got this pretty dwarf rebloomer, 'Teagan'.


  'Teagan'  -- photo by Ginny Spoon

'Carmel Celeste' is one of my favorite yellow dwarf rebloomers.  It was hybridized by Rick Tasco, who hybridizes in California. 'Ray Jones' by Don Spoon is another bright yellow rebloomer that sometimes puts up multiple stalks on the same rhizome and is a prolific bloomer.


       'Carmel Celeste' -- photo by Ginny Spoon


'Ray Jones' -- photo by Ginny Spoon

There are many colors available in the reblooming dwarf irises. Here is one that is green, a newer introduction by Don Spoon, 'Lime Pie' (2017).


'Lime Pie' -- photo by Ginny Spoon

The miniature dwarfs also love to rebloom in cold climates. 'Sapphire Jubilee' (Ginny Spoon), 'Ditto' (Hager), 'Storm Compass'  (Chancellor/Rust) and 'Trimmed Velvet' (Don Spoon) are just a few that we grow.


 MDB 'Sapphire Jubilee' -- photo by Ginny Spoon


          
 MDB 'Trimmed Velvet' -- photo by Ginny Spoon

   
  MDB "Storm Compass'-- photo by Ginny Spoon

For more information on reblooming irises go to the American Iris Society website: www.irises.org and go to link for the reblooming iris society. They also have a checklist that lists the irises that rebloom and the zones reported for rebloom.


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Cords and Ropes from Pacifica Iris Leaves

April 9, 2018, 6:00 am
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Kathleen Sayce
January 27, 2018


For a change of pace, I’ve been making iris leaf cordage, using a simple three strand twist of dead Iris douglasiana leaves. Using fine thin leaves, this works up quickly into cord. The leaves are individually twisted counterclockwise and then wrapped clockwise around the other two twists. These cords are twisted together or braided to make stronger ropes. This method is widespread in Europe and North America as a way to make cords from many plant species, including nettles, milkweed, flax and other plants.

A few feet of Pacifica Iris leaf cordage, made in an hour from brown leaves
from Iris douglasiana. Note the lumpy area on the right where I twisted in a
larger leaf. Next time, I'll split the leaves into uniform widths first. 

Harvesting Pacifica Iris leaves when they have just turned brown probably gives a stronger cord. I went out this winter between rain squalls to get dead leaves, and quickly focused on thin, still-strong leaves of Iris douglasiana selections like Iris ‘Mission Santa Cruz’. I have several larger leaved selections, so could make larger cords from those leaves. 

Something to remember for next fall —harvest iris leaves at the right time, between loss of green in fall and subsequent decay in late winter. Clean and dry, the leaves can be stored for months, then soaked in water to prepare to twist. 

Iris douglasiana leaves before twisting into cordage. They were already damp,
so did not need a presoaking in water to soften before using.

West Coast tribes in northern California made rope from Pacifica Iris leaf fibers. Leaves were harvested from late summer into fall, wilted, then split and scraped to remove a strong fiber, one from each side of the leaf. Fibers were rolled and twisted into fine cord, then multiple cords  were twisted together to make strong light ropes. Strong lines to trap deer and elk were made from those ropes. The processing that went into removing and cleaning the fibers, then twisting into cordage, then wrapping cords to make rope, and making nets from the rope, was considerable. Read more about this method here:  http://www.paleotechnics.com/Articles/Irisarticle.html .

Irises, including all Pacifica Iris, have the same strong fibers in their leaves. Years ago the general iris leaf structure of two outer layers of leaf linked by fibrous cross walls was compared to a I-beam--creating a strong, flexible leaf. The authors looked at dozens of species in many iris sections, and while the cross-beams changed a bit in shape, the basic plan did not, across all species they examined. If you have access to a college library, look for "Structure and mechanics of the iris leaf", Journal of Materials Science, vol 23, pages 3041-3048, by L. J. Gibson, M.F. Ashby and K.E. Easterling, published in 1988.

Iris douglaisana, I. macrosiphon, I. purdyi and natural hybrids of these species seem to contain the right vein structure in their leaves, with two larger veins running up the outside edges. I suspect this is because they tend to have larger leaves. 
The thin end, made from fine leaves.

During dry moments this winter, I also collected long green leaves from several Pacifica Iris plants to see if there are usable fibers in them. It’s a little late in the year, but on the West Coast, this winter has been mild and wet, and iris leaves are still green. As with other fiber-containing species, longer iris leaves produce longer fibers, which spin more easily into cordage. Now I wonder what the leaf fibers are like in Iris unguicularis, I. lazica, ornamental Carex, milkweed, and Diplorrhena. 

A closeup of the three-leaf cord, showing natural color variation
in brown Pacifica Iris leaves. 


It’s a slippery slope from playing with natural cordage to spinning your own yarn, I understand, and I’m hoping to not be enticed into another hobby just yet. My goal is to garden as long as I can, and only then retire to less taxing hobbies. 
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Spurias in Oregon - Part I

April 16, 2018, 6:00 am
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By Kevin Vaughn

2017 was not the best iris year in Oregon. Our rainy season was a VERY rainy season, with over 45” of rain from October-April. Bearded irises that appreciate dry weather were not at all happy and a bed of Pacific Coast Natives were virtually wiped out after being flooded. The spurias were another story. In spite of the rain, the bloom on the spurias was especially good and every plant bloomed almost in excess, making up for their bearded cousins.

Spuria iris seedling by Kevin Vaughn (photo by the hybridizer)

For example, several years ago I planted 8 cultivars in a bed bordering a huge Douglas fir stump, in an effort to obscure this stump. It worked like a charm and I defy you to see the stump now and there were close to 100 stalks in that very small garden.

As much as I enjoy growing irises, hybridizing is my raison d’etre. I can’t help but look at a plant and not think of a way in which to improve it. Before I left MS, I was crossing a lot with my spuria ‘Banned in Boston’. It had lots of qualities I like in a spuria as the blooms are wide and the strong striping of dark purple on the falls is very distinct. The stalk is wonderful as the blooms open nicely with no crowding and all the flowers open well. The last year in MS, I crossed ‘Banned in Boston’ with ‘Destination’ and ‘Missouri Orange’, hoping to get a spuria with the basic color of ‘Banned in Boston’ but with a large orange signal to contrast with the purple striping. These seedlings bloomed in ’13 and ’14 and were a fairly motley bunch, mostly sort of dirtied purples and bronzes. Sometimes hybridizers have to hold their noses and make a cross that doesn’t look that good to the eye, but you know has “wonderful genes”.

Spuria iris seedling by Kevin Vaughn (photo by the hybridizer)

So, I dutifully crossed the best flower from each of the two groups of ‘Banned in Boston’ X orange crosses in ’14 and ’15. Most of these seedling bloomed this spring and although I didn’t get the planned-for ‘Banned in Boston’ with orange signal, what came out was a very nice crop of brown spurias with stripes of brown on an orange background. Although most of the seedlings had striping only on the falls, a number of the seedlings also had striping on the standards as well as the falls. This pattern had occurred in some of the other colors of ‘Banned in Boston’ seedlings but it seemed especially striking on these brown over orange combinations.

To be continued on Part II...

From the Editor: This article first appeared in Spuria News, the bi-annual newsletter by the Spuria Irises Society. Reprinted by permission of the author. The Spuria Iris Society is a section of The American Iris Society, and is dedicated to expanding the public's knowledge of spuria iris. For more information about growing spuria irises and/or becoming a member of the society please visit their website.
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Aril Trek 2018!

April 23, 2018, 6:00 am
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by Tom Waters

'Point Well Taken' (McAllister, 1998)
at the Pountney garden
On April 6 and 7, aril and arilbred enthusiasts from parts far and wide converged on Las Cruces, New Mexico, to enjoy each other's company and an astonishing array of arilbreds in bloom.

The Aril Trek was a joint undertaking of the Aril Society International and the Mesilla Valley Iris Society, and the arrangements were all excellent and smoothly executed.

A labyrinth patterned after the one at Chartres Cathedral,
in Howard Dash's garden
Friday evening registration was followed an educational session of "aril bingo" and a panel discussion with Dell Perry, Pete McGrath, Rick Tasco, Perry Dyer, and (much to my surprise) yours truly.

'New Vision' (Tasco, 2012)
at the Dash garden
At the Wilson Garden
The heart of the weekend was four garden tours on Saturday: the small but beautifully designed Pountney garden in the residential Tortugas area south of Las Cruces, the expansive Dash garden high in the West Mesa desert, the glorious Wilson Garden north of the city, with row upon abundant row of perfectly grown irises of many types, and the delightfully ornamented Ayres garden, northeast of the city.

The timing seemed perfect for arilbreds, with both halfbreds and quarterbreds apparently near peak bloom, amidst late medians and early TBs. I got to see many old and new cultivars in bloom that I have not grown myself. It was also rewarding to see such fine arilbred performance in gardens with such different growing conditions: desert sand to river-valley clay, cool verdant niches to sites exposed to the full sun, wind, and temperature extremes of southern New Mexico.

'Dubai' (Johnson, 2013)
at the Wilson Garden
Saturday afternoon featured informative judges training led by Dell Perry (who took us through the intricacies of aril and arilbred classification and characteristics with verve and expertise) and Perry Dyer (who applied his experience and keen eye to show how to look at these varied plants in the garden). Yes, I did pass the test at the end!

'Gideon's Lamp' (McGrath, 2004)
at the Wilson Garden
At the Saturday night dinner, keynote speaker Pete McGrath amazed us all with slides of startlingly beautiful pure aril hybrids and tantalizing arilbred seedlings from his continuing effort to bring bolder veining into this group. Pete's talk was also a story of his experience with aril and arilbred irises, full of deep disappointments and unexpected rewards, and always coming back to the personal dimension: the people and relationships that affected him and his work, often in profound ways.

'Mean Mr. Mustard'(McGrath, 2010)
at the Ayres garden
It was a great weekend. I particularly enjoyed renewing old acquaintances in the iris world, and meeting other new friends I had only known on line. If you are an iris lover, but not sure if you can manage the time and expense of attending a national convention, regional and special-interest gatherings such as the Aril Trek are a comfortable and rewarding way to see some beautiful iris gardens and meet many wonderful people!


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Quest for Pink I. ensata

April 30, 2018, 6:00 am
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by Chad Harris

The quest for a strong pink Iris ensata has been a breeding goal for many modern hybridizers. The Iris ensata pink is a pastel violet as there are only three colors found with this iris to work with; violet-blue, violet-red, and Alba (white). This color is most notable in the iris garden when compared to a true pink rose seen side by side with the iris.


Many problems with this color line are plaguing us due to previous breeding’s in Japan; most evident is from the Ise line. This line of breeding has given us good clear pastel pink tones. However, the plants were bred to be shorter with their blooms lower than the foliage height. The flower form of the Ise style also is problematic with drooping falls found normally with very little substance.

A row of seedlings all blooming down in the foliage

 A more modern hybridizer of Japan that worked with pinks gave us some bright colored flowers with substance. However his selection of plants has given us a stumbling block of poor plant performance, by purposely selecting weaker plants. As there were no records kept, no one knows why he did this.

Many hybridizers in the United States have recently introduced clearer pinks with strong growth habits, displaying the blooms above the foliage. I regret not showing photos of these at this time as they are still in the American Iris Society’s award system.

The following are some older pink iris’ that can be readily found on the open market for your garden.  Many are the same that I started with in my own breeding program over thirty-five years ago with a quest for pink. Which is your favorite?

 'Coho' (Harris 2005)

 'Dirigo Pink Milestone' (White 2000)

 'Geishunka' (Mitsuda Reg. by SJI 1995)

 'Hime Kagami' (Hirao 1976)

 'Honour' (McEwen 2001)

 'Joy Peters' (Ackerman1990)

'Joy Peters' (Ackerman1990)

'Pink Dimity' (Reid 1987)

 'Pinkerton' (Bauer-Coble 1999)

 'Reisyun' (Shimizu 1996)

 'Saigyozakura' (Mitsuda 1986)

Satozakura (Kamo 1993)

All images by Chad Harris

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More Reblooming Irises From Eastern Hybridizers

May 7, 2018, 6:00 am
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By Ginny Spoon

Many of us would love to have a fall bloom of irises like the one in the spring; however, I find it a bit more relaxing to see them in the autumn. In spring we seem to be always in a hurry, getting the beds weeded, seeing visitors, going to a meeting or just having garden flower overload. Below is photo of our garden in the spring. The beds in the foreground are the reblooming beds and in the fall there are many of them in bloom.


Don Spoon and Perry Dyer at Winterberry Gardens in May--photo by Ginny Spoon

In my last blog I mentioned hybridizers in the east who have introduced varieties that rebloom well in cold climates. Sterling Innerst, a Region 3 hybridizer who has passed away now, but left us with some beautiful cold climate reblooming irises, is one many of us remember fondly. Some of my favorite Innerst rebloomers include 'Again and Again', 'Lunar Whitewash', 'Twice Delightful', 'Over and Over' and 'Colorwatch'. 


   'Again and Again'--photo by Ginny Spoon 


   'Over and Over'--photo by Ginny Spoon

Another eastern hybridizer from Region 3, Joan Roberts, who has her garden in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, has also introduced some beautiful reblooming irises. We grow many of hers, including 'Nine Eleven Remembered', 'Amazing With Grace', and 'I Repeat'. 


'Nine Eleven Remembered'--photo by Ginny Spoon


'Amazing With Grace'--photo by Ginny Spoon

One of our own Region 4 hybridizers, J. Griffin Crump, who has his garden in Alexandria, Virginia, has introduced some reliable and lovely cold climate reblooming irises. We grow many of his including "Stealth Fighter', 'Haunting', and 'Autumn Nectar'.


 'Stealth Fighter'--photo by Ginny Spoon



'Autumn Nectar'--photo by Ginny Spoon


'Haunting'--photo by Ginny Spoon

Our Region 4 most remembered and beloved hybridizer and champion for rebloom, Lloyd Zurbrigg, who is now hybridizing with the angels, has perhaps introduced the most cold climate rebloomers. His last introduction, 'Gate of Heaven' is my favorite. 'Immortality', 'Harvest of Memories', and standard dwarf 'Baby Blessed' are probably his most well known.


'Gate of Heaven'--photo by Ginny Spoon


'Immortality'--photo by Ginny Spoon

We are thankful to another of our Region 4 hybridizers, Mike Lockatell of Central Virginia, who saved many of Zurbrigg's seedlings. Mike has introduced some amazing rebloomers of his own. 'Metro Blue and 'Double Dare' are two that we grow.


'Metro Blue' (Gate of Heaven X Daughter of Stars) photo Wiki




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