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New cultivars for New Zealand

March 9, 2020, 7:00 am
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By Maggie Asplet

I felt it was time to write about what it is that I am doing and perhaps even be brave enough to say what I would like to achieve.  

I have for many years been very interested in hybridising but found it rather uninspiring to use any of the over 1,000 irises I had growing at home.  They were all considered old (bit like me, really).  Sadly, due to our quarantine conditions it makes it virtually impossible to import irises into NZ (New Zealand), a situation that has been in place since 2004.  

We have relied on the generosity of others, like Barry Blyth to make crosses in America for us then send the seeds over.  The others we have gained new seeds have been through guest speakers bringing them to our annual conventions - Chad Harris, Patrick Spence, Andi Rivarola and James Geditz.  Sorry, I know I will have missed some others.  We here in NZ are very grateful to you all (even those not mentioned).

It is with thanks to the generosity of Thomas Johnson from Mid America for putting up with me, that I can finally get to follow my passion of irises and develop brand new cultivars.  I must also thank Paul Black and Keith Keppel for allowing me to pick their brains as well as their plants.  I just hope they can continue to cope with my questions.


 The excitement of a parcel arriving from Mid-America - March 2019

And a little more exciting seeing the packets of seed within the parcel
This arrived in March 2019

A parcel with so much promise - I hope.

I will start with Standard Dwarf Irises. I must say that I am really taken with these delightful irises.  Such a wonderful front of border garden plant.  To be fair, I'm not even sure what I personally would like to achieve other than to start off at home here in NZ with some lovely new cultivars.  Bright colours and strong beards is what I will be looking for with future crosses.  So many possibilities as Paul Black would say.

During 2018 I used some of the following SDB's in my crosses, and later this year I will post what I consider my successful outcomes are and will grow on with the intention of introducing them.  Hopefully by 2022 we should have the first ready for the general public to purchase.  Sadly, I haven't been able to do any MDB crosses as they are usually finished by the time of my trip.  Rather partial to these little cuties.


 'Alaia' - T Johnson '18

 'Kerpow' - T Johnson '18

 'Slightly Tipsy' - P Black '18


'Color' - P Black '18

I must say it is rather strange for me to spell Color like this.  I want to do - Colour.  This is only a small selection of the SDB's that I used, these were the most successful in the crosses, and now only time will tell just what they will look like.

I did dabble a little with MTB's and a couple of IB's and BB's but will leave them for a later stage, as did more on my 2019 visit.

The main focus was TB's, what I considered everyone's favourite, until my eyes opened so wide and I saw so many other beautiful irises and not just bearded one.  However, now onto TB irises. 

For these I used a wide range of cultivars as I wanted to get a variety of different new irises into the crosses I have done.  Many were very successful (seed wise), again, we still have to wait and see what this has achieved.  Here is a few of what I used.


Black X10A which if my notes are correct is a cross between Beauty Becomes Her X Haunted Heart.  I will confirm my notes with Paul this year.

'Oh What Fun' - T Johnson seedling now registered

'Apricot Smoothie' - T Johnson seedling now registered

'Call Me Maybe' - T Johnson '13

'Charmed I'm Sure' - P Black '14

'Solar Burst' - M Sutton '16

'Bedroom Romance' - P Black '16

'Another Suggestion' - K Keppel '16

AND, then I did a whole lot of crosses, some very wide and probably will not produce well with what I think is perhaps my most favourite (at this stage) the Luminata's.  Here is what I used.
'Belle Fille' - M Smith '15

'Dialect' - T Johnson '08

'Fancy Ideas' - K Keppel '13

'Montmarte' - K Keppel '08

This is only an insight to what I have begun my journey with and is by no means all that I used.  These images are of irises where I have had successful crosses and now plants are growing.

One of the seedling patches.  These are now well established and hopefully will be in flower this spring (October).

It is not long now and I will begin my journey back to Mid-America, where I hope to concentrate more on some end goals rather than crosses for crosses sake.  I particularly want to work with SDB and MTB irises this year.  I somehow think that the MTB's might just become my favourite bearded iris.

SO, if you have a dream, make sure you follow it.  It is so much easier to toil away on something that you have a passion for than not.  Later in the year, I will write a blog about some of the outcomes, but will probably only show you what I think is successful.

To American iris lovers, your spring has begun, enjoy your beautiful season.
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On the Road Again: Schreiner’s

March 16, 2020, 6:00 am
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By Bryce Williamson

After a good night’s sleep, I started my first full day in Oregon with an early morning visit to Schreiner’s Gardens. Everyone was just waking up and setting up the garden for the arrival of visitors and I had the gardens mainly to myself for much of the early morning.

After hearing much about him, I finally met Ray’s son, Ben. Ben is the fourth generation to be involved in the iris business and is bring a fresh prospective as Schreiner’s have now expanded into daylilies and other plants.


I find it sort of sad that Schreiner’s is really the last old fashion garden with irises integrated into the landscape with other plant materials.



Schreiner 3231-E
Schreiner A-278-2


I'm always on the outlook for selfs and we have too few good blues these days.

'Baja Blues'





'But Darling'
After a whirlwind visit here, I was on the road again to Mid America.


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Irises in Containers

March 23, 2020, 6:00 am
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by Tom Waters

Irises are not usually thought of as container plants, but they can grow quite well that way, and there are a number of advantages to doing so.

Two Iris pumila cultivars,
'Wild Whispers'(Coleman, 2012) and
'Royal Wonder'(Coleman, 2013),
growing happily in a large container
The irises I choose to grow in containers are mostly dwarf bearded irises and the smaller arils and arilbreds. Tall bearded irises look out of place in even the largest containers, and a light container soil mix may not give them the support they need when top-heavy with bloom. The smaller irises, however, are naturals for container culture. They bring the plants closer to eye level for viewing, and allow them to be moved from place to place for best effect. If attractive containers, like oak barrels or terracotta pots are used, the effect can be quite lovely and dramatic.

There are additional advantages to container culture. I tend to put rare or choice plants into containers when I first acquire them, as it makes them much easier to weed and care for. A small iris that might get lost in an overgrown summer garden and succumb to neglect, is kept safe in a container where it can get the attention it needs.

Two forms of the exotic oncocyclus species Iris paradoxa
in a large container with a gritty soil mix
Arils are another good candidate for container culture in climates where summers are too wet to grow them successfully in the ground. The container can be stored in a warm dry place through the irises' summer dormancy period. It is also possible to provide a coarse, well-draining soil mix that would be difficult to maintain in the open garden.

As a hybridizer working with dwarfs and other small irises, I also appreciate that containers make the blooms more accessible. It's much nicer to pull a chair up to a container than to crawl around on the ground to harvest pollen or make a cross.

Most of my containers are inexpensive plastic models, in the largest size possible (two to three feet in height and diameter). Even the smallest irises enjoy a wide and deep root run. I fill them with various soil mixes, depending on what I have at hand, but I usually use a mix of my garden soil (a somewhat sandy silt) and commercial potting soil, sometimes with addition of compost, coarse sand, or even small gravel. The irises do not seem too picky about the exact composition of the potting mix. I like to use a top dressing of gravel as a mulch. It also looks nice, especially if a few rocks are positioned on top to make a miniature landscape.

Even in a container with enriched soil, irises will not go forever without dividing them and refreshing the soil mix every few years. Keep an eye out for overcrowding or declining vigor. Also, it is important to keep to a regular watering schedule; how frequently you water will depend on your climate, but the only time I have lost an otherwise healthy plant in a container was when I accidentally let it get bone-dry in the summer. Containers are less forgiving in this way than garden soil.

If you've never grown irises in containers, give it a try this year! You may find it offers both esthetic and practical rewards.
Iris reichenbachii blooming profusely in a container


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News from Amasya

March 30, 2020, 6:00 am
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By Sylvain Ruaud

Between the cities of Batumi - in Georgia - in the east, and Sinope in the west, along the Black Sea, stands a coastal strip where the Cappadocia plateau slopes towards the sea. This is now Turkey, but in antiquity, it was a region colonized by the Greeks who founded there several prosperous cities, either by the sea, like the current Trabzon (Trebizonde, in the old days), Sinop ( Sinope for the Greeks), or, above all, Samsun (Amisos), either higher in the foothills of Cappadocia, and Amasya (Amaseia in ancient Greek). Amasya is located in the deep valley of the Yesilirmak river, which wiggles in the region before joining the Black Sea. In antiquity this river was called Iris! Here is a name well predestined for a river which crosses the region where our current tetraploid irises originate.

'Mrs. George Darwin'
'Mrs. Horace Darwin'
Although the city of Amasya to find a prominent place in the small world of irises, it was not until the end of the 19th century and the work of Sir Michael Foster, physiologist and professor at Cambridge, and famous collector of irises that the area became important. He had started iris growing by taking an interest in the oncoclyclus irises, then also in the iris spurias with which he launched into interspecific hybridizations. He also undertook the hybridization of what was then called the Germanica irises and obtained two varieties which remained famous: 'Mrs. George Darwin 'and' Mrs. Horace Darwin 'whom he named as a token of friendship with two of his neighbors. About these varieties we read this in The World of Irises: “They were whites and the first had a touch of gold in the throat that made it stand out from any other. It also had the virtue of being very late and was at its best when most of the other varieties had finished blooming. But fine as these varieties were, Foster agreed with those who said that further improvement of the bearded irises was impossible, or at least improbable, unless new species with new characteristics could be found to use as parents”.

'Lord of June'
But where to find these new species? Foster had heard of iris with huge flowers (for the time) that were found in Asia Minor. He therefore got in touch with missionaries who then went to these regions not only for religious reasons, but also scientific purposes. It was frequently that people of church took advantage of their mission to locate plants, and many of the plants which are today frequent in our gardens come from specimens brought back by missionaries. Michael Foster's emissaries sent him irises, good, mediocre, and uninteresting; but among the good ones there were some who revolutionized the world of bearded irises. Especially a species discovered in the north of Anatolia, in the region of Amasya and baptized for this reason 'Amas'. In fact there were in Great Britain several arrivals of these exceptional irises but none has been precisely described and distributed so that it is not known exactly which is at the origin of what. The varieties that we attribute to the iris 'Amas' may come from another plant, which by the way was perhaps of the same species! The fact remains that the fame of these Anatolian irises returned to 'Amas' and, as a result, to the city of Amasya.

'Amas'
Foster made many seedlings from his 'cluster', but it was not until his death in 1907 that these were brought to the market, among with other hybrids of the same origin obtained by Foster's friend George Yeld. These new plants include 'Caterina', 'Crusader' or 'Kashmir White', from the production of Foster and 'Halo' or 'Neptune' from that of Yeld. All these novelties were not masterpieces and they turned out to be fragile, often affected by rot and not very rustic. In addition, almost all of these varieties were blue-lavender or purple. They were nevertheless successful because of their exceptional dimensions and the hopes placed in them for a renewal of bearded irises.
'Kashmir White'
It took persistence and patience to believe in this revival because it did not appear overnight! The hybridizers tore their hair out when they noticed that the crosses made between these Amasya irises and European irises did not give much: almost no seeds or plants, large, certainly, but sterile and without other qualities remarkable. It was only in the long run, after many unsuccessful attempts, that they obtained hybrids that were both fertile and beautiful. No one knew why. A botanist by the name of Strassburger had observed in 1882 the presence of chromosomes in plants, but this discovery had not aroused any interest. It was only around forty years later that the first chromosome counts revealed the reason why the Anatolian irises, and their rare fertile hybrids, were larger and more beautiful: they had four pairs of chromosomes at the place of the two pairs which characterized the ancient irises.

To fully explain this phenomenon, I have found nothing more perfect than a text written by Ben Hager, the well-known hybridizer, published in the first part of a book of artistic photographs of iris, "L'Iris” from Dutchman Josh Westrich. Here is this explanation:
“All living organisms, plants and animals, are made up of cells. All cells have a common basic structure and each has a nucleus. In only one of its infinitesimal entities are numerous chromosomes grouped together, the number of which varies according to organisms. Chromosomes carry a genetic map that controls the development and characters of the new organism after fertilization. The egg cell produces new cells that are identical in every way and intended to form a completely rejuvenated structure. At the moment when the reproductive cells or gametes are formed in the flower, the number of chromosomes is divided into two equal batches but with, often, a mixing of the characters carried by the chromosomes. Male and female cells from the same parent (self-fertilization) or from different parents, will give egg cells with a different genetic heritage and will produce different plants. (...) "

“Nature prefers simplicity. Individuals resulting from the fusion of two reduced batches of chromosomes are called diploids. But accidents happen: if, during the formation of gametes, the cells do not correctly reduce the number of chromosomes, the egg contains four sets of chromosomes instead of two. Such cells are called tetraploids; because of the accident to which they are due, they have everything in duplicate. "

Why did the first crosses between the irises of Amasya and the “old ones”, originating from our countries, give only disappointing plants? It was that we had mixed tetraploid plants, the "new", with diploid plants, the "old". Hence the production of triploid plants (one batch of chromosomes from the diploid parent and two batches of chromosomes from the tetraploid parent), which are almost always sterile. And if later crosses proved to be superb and fertile, it was because they were, always accidentally, tetraploid, due to an unreduced gamete in a diploid parent. But no one was aware of this in the 1890s at the time of the attempts of Foster and his followers.

Fortunately, the accident described above has occurred often enough for the tetraploidy of the Amasya iris to settle down in a stable fashion and for the varieties obtained from the 1920s to be all tetraploid and to combine the qualities of the iris from Anatolia and those of European hybrids, giving birth to the irises that we know today.

This is why we owe so much to the plants harvested by the missionaries evangelizing the confines of the Ottoman Empire. This is why the region of Amasya and the banks of the Iris river (what a coincidence!) Can be considered as a cradle of modern iridophilia.



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Black is Dramatic!

April 6, 2020, 6:00 am
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By Mel Schiller

There is nothing more alluring and mysterious than a clump of black iris. Hearing the gasps from garden visitors as they gaze in disbelief upon the sultry beauty and pure elegance of these dark magical blooms, without a doubt the black iris are a firm favourite in our garden. Here are the top 8 black Tall Bearded Iris grown at Smokin Heights.

'Coal Face' (Grosvenor 2010)
Coming in at number eight is 'Coal Face,' hybridized by Graeme Grosvenor here in Australia. A fast and easy growing variety although it is not as dark as we would like.

'Black Is Black' (Schreiner 2010)
Seventh Place is 'Black Is Black,' hybridized by Schreiner's. Stunning depth of colour but not the fastest of growers, it also has purple based foliage.

'Obsidian' (M. Smith 2002)
In sixth place is 'Obsidian,' hybridized by Marky Smith. One of the first 'black' Iris that we grew, it will always have a spot in our garden!

'Visigoth' (M. Smith 2013)
Placing fifth is 'Visigoth,' another iris hybridized by Marky Smith. A newer variety here in Australia, it has thoroughly impressed us with its growth habits and depth of colour in the blooms.

Unfortunately there are no true black Iris on the market today, they will always have a blue, purple or even red undertone to the bloom. However, with extensive hybridizing we hope to achieve a true black Iris in the future.

'All Night Long' (Duncan 2005)
Beginning the top four we have 'All Night Long,' hybridized by the late Roger Duncan. One of our favourites in this colour class, it is a late bloomer that can handle the heat without burning towards the end of our iris season.

'Black Lipstick' (Keppel 2016)
In third place is 'Black Lipstick,' hybridized by Keith Keppel. It is very good parent that has given us some good seedlings. Amazing growth and bloom habits.

'Raven Girl' (Schreiner 2008)
Placing second is 'Raven Girl,' hybridized by Schreiner's, one of the best black Iris on the market. This variety has the best colour saturation of any black iris. This would be number one if it grew a bit quicker.

'Here Comes The Night' (Schreiner 2009)
And placing first is 'Here Comes The Night,' another hybridized by Schreiner's. Amazing growth and blooms habits coupled with depth of colour makes it a winning combination. Highly recommended for the lovers of black iris!

F79-1: (Raven Girl X Visigoth)
Finally we would like to show a sneak peak of one of our black seedlings currently under evaluation. This variety is looking very promising with great growth and bloom habits and gorgeous depth of colour.

Black iris create such a dramatic effect and really are a must have in the garden. Of course as with any variety of Bearded Iris some varieties grow better than others. We much prefer to grow the early to mid season bloom varieties as our hot scorching sun can scald and burn the bud in the socket before the bloom has a chance to open. Bailey and myself are working on black iris in our hybridizing efforts and of course black is Mel's favourite colour.....

We sincerely hope everyone keeps safe and healthy in these difficult times. Gardening is music to the soul--get out and enjoy it!


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IRISES: The Bulletin of the AIS - Spring 2020 Edition

April 9, 2020, 11:09 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 Spring 2020 issue of the AIS Bulletin will be available online soon, accessible via the Emembers section of the AIS website. The print copy has been mailed via the U.S. Post Office. On the cover, a lovely iris garden from New Zealand, and also this issue comes with Part 2 of the Centennial Supplement. Parts 3 and 4 will be published later in 2020.

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.







What's in this issue? See below:

A list of the 2019 Honorary Awards Recipients on pages 16 — 19, compiled by Gary White.

A reprint from our own blog on pages 20 —22, Italian Irises, Great at Last!

A very fitting article about Why Coronavirus is a Bigger Deal than the Seasonal Flu by Dr. John Heard on page 23.

My own article about my trip to gorgeous New Zealand called New Zealand, New Zealanders and Irises on pages 26 — 31.

If you're share your images for any purpose with AIS, please read About Image Requirements with Registrations, by no other than Neil Houghton on pages 32 — 39.

On pages 40 and 41, please don't miss Kathy Chilton's article, Growing Irises in Hot, Dry Climates.

Bruce Filardi writes about International News on page 43.

Lastly, a beautiful image of TB iris 'Outside The Lines' by our dear friend Roger Duncan on the back cover.

There's a lot more to see and read in this edition of IRISES, either in digital or print formats.

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

Happy Gardening!

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Planting Iris Seeds

April 13, 2020, 6:00 am
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By Hooker T. Nichols

Planting iris seeds in our warm Texas climate occurs this time of the year for me.  Usually we have very mild winters in North Texas.  I have found that if I plant the seeds either in the ground or in one-gallon black plastic pots and the seeds germinate before mid-January and we have a cold snap where the temperatures dip into the single digits, they baby iris will die from the extreme cold.

Hooker getting ready to plant his iris seeds.
The seeds have been air-dried after ripening on the iris stalks.  Next, I place the seeds in the miniature plastic bead bags and freeze them until I plant (typically now).  The soil in the pots is comprised of landscape mix topped off with a good potting mix (such as Miracle Grow).  The seeds are planted 1 inch deep.  The soil is kept moist.  The seeds start germinating around mid-March.  When the baby irises reach 3 inches in height and the danger of freezes is past, they are transplanted into the garden with spacing being approximately 4-5 inches apart.  I get 50 to 75% bloom the following spring.  This is a tried and true method for me.

Who knows what will come from the seeds?


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New Zealand Iris Society and its Awards

April 20, 2020, 10:11 am
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By Maggie Asplet

Normally, at this time of the year I am preparing for my journey to Mid America Iris Garden.  Not so this year.  At this very challenging time of our world pandemic of Covid 19, I decided to write about the Awards (some of them anyway) and who were the lucky recipients at our Convention in 2019.

Jean Stevens Writer's Award
This was first awarded in 2018. The Jean Stevens Memorial Award is a give away award.
To be eligible you must be a member of the New Zealand Iris Society; write an interesting informative article in any of the three New Zealand Iris Society Bulletins published in a current year; this could also be for someone who has written long term for the bulletin and the award will be judged by the editor of the Bulletin.

  Gwenda Harris (seated) was awarded the Jean Stevens Writer's Award from President Marilyn Fleming.  This was for Gwenda's outstanding article - Classification of Irises, published in the June 2019 bulletin.  photo courtesy of Heather & Bernard Pryor

South Canterbury Species Trophy 
This trophy consists of prints of Iris prismatica, I. stolonifera and I. reichenbachii and gifted to the South Canterbury Iris Group. The trophy can be awarded annually to the grower of the most interesting iris species (must be named) seen in a NZ Iris Society member's garden and is selected by participants' ballot.  It can either be garden or pot grown.

Pat McFadden holding her award which had been presented by Marilyn Fleming (President)
photo courtesy of Jim Gilligan

Anne Blanco White 'Festival Crown' Plate
This is a special edition plate marking the 70th anniversary of the British Iris Society. The Society's plate was presented at the 1992 Nelson Convention by Anne Blanco White.  The mounted plate is awarded annually to a member for meritorious service to NZ Iris Society.  Groups or individual members may nominate a member they think fits the criterion, and a written citation in support of the nomination should be forwarded to the President or Secretary.

Awarded to the editor of our wonderful bulletin -  Bernard Pryor, OAM
photo courtesy of Heather Pryor

Dorothy McLachlan Award
This is a silver cup, presented by the late Dorothy McLachlan and was first awarded in 1991 for the best New Zealand bred, cut iris bloom or stem seen at an annual Convention.  It may be any type of iris bloom or stem.  Three judges are appointed to carry out the judging.  If the award winning cultivar is a seedling, it is recommended that the whole plant then be sent to the relevant Trial Garden.


Marilyn Rathgen (left) was presented with the Dorothy McLachlan Award for her MTB seedling 1B-4-C
photos courtesy of Heather & Bernard Pryor


The Cook Photographic Award
This award is sponsored by Darlene and the late Owen Cook, and is granted for excellence of photographs of NZ bred and registered irises.  Entries are to be photographed by a financial member of the society.  Photos may be garden shots or show bench shots.  There is no requirement for the whole plant to be photographed.  

Beth Conrad was awarded the trophy for her photo of 'Mimic' and she was also awarded Highly Commended for 'Richmond White'.
photo courtesy of Heather & Bernard Pryor

Left is 'Mimic' (winner) and right is 'Richmond White' (highly commended)
photos courtesy of Beth Conrad


The President's Award
This award is presented by the Society's president, to a person whom they feel has contributed to the society as a whole.
2019 saw Stephanie Boot (right) being awarded with this trophy.

The President's Award was presented to Stephanie Boot (right).  
photos courtesy of Heather & Bernard Pryor

The Begg Shield for NZ Bred Irises (pogon)
The Begg Shield was present to the Society in 1975 by Mr James Begg of Oamaru.  This shield is awarded annually to a person with the most outstanding New Zealand bred iris seen at a convention.
The competition is for Tall Bearded Irises only.  The irises to be judged must be bred by the hybridiser living at the time of judging and are ineligible for future Begg Shields if it has won previously.  
Three judges are appointed to carry out the judging.  Judging will be to an HM (Honourable Mention) level (70) points.  Up to two rhizomes of the winning iris will be sent to the Trial Garden where it will be grown on for the first year and judged for an AM (Award of Merit) in its final year.

The winning iris for 2019 was bred by Brian Townsend.
photo courtesy of Brian Townsend

There are a number of other awards, however they were not presented in 2019.

To my friends in America and around the world, please stay well and stay safe.  Hopefully,  I'll be able to travel again in 2021.

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Tackling Overgrown Pacific Iris Patches

April 27, 2020, 6:00 am
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By Kathleen Sayce, April 26, 2020

What’s a body to do when the stay-at-home order will last another few weeks of spring, and there’s only so much cleaning and sorting inside my house a body can stand? 

The answer is:  Dig out that garden bed I’ve been promising to redo for at least five years! 
Iris douglasiana Lobster Creek, a wild selection given to me by Kareen Sturgeon
The basic plan was to remove two huge overgrown rhododendrons, one of which tip-rooted into seven plants, move a pillar rose to a new position—to clear the view from a window for better bird watching, remove all the plants along one side of the bed and into it more than four feet, so the low wall enclosing it could be moved. Then replant.

There's an iris in there somewhere, among bluebells (Hyacinthoides x massartina, Scilloideae) and fringecups (Tellima grandiflora, Saxifragaceae) 

The patch of rhodies came out first, then the rose, protective cage (deer, don't ask!) and its pole were moved. Plants were dug out of the wall-moving area, and either potted up temporarily, or gifted on. 

A gardener in the neighborhood was pleased to get >90 starts of PCI ‘Cape Ferrello’ along with dozens of other odds and ends for a summer garden sale, hopefully in July. Still, I had many more plants in pots than were planned on, so stay-at-home order or not, there was a trip to a local nursery for potting soil and a hunt round my garden shed for gallon pots. Then an email out to gardening friends, begging for more pots. . .

After carefully removing soil, there were ample fresh white roots to be seen,
so I got out my shovel, and lifted one large shovelful of fans and rhizomes. 

At last only the largest, single-stem old rhodie remained. I dug around it, using a new shovel, all metal, with a stout flange for feet, so strong that I can probably bend it, but unlike several former shovels, cannot break the handle. [I have been waiting for this shovel all my life!] Much digging with said shovel over several days as mounds of soil grew to both sides. Then clipping roots. Digging with a hand trowel and lifting soil into a bucket. More root clipping. Finally, I could rock the root mass. 

Free of soil, the mass of rhizomes can be inspected, and trimmed.
I cut off the older portions of rhizomes, leaving the last 1-2 years with fresh white roots.

Eventually I rocked it enough to break free the lower roots—which is when I realized that to get it out of the bed, it would have to pass over a large patch of Mexican fleabane (Erigeron karvinskianus, Asteraceae) and my only patch of Iris douglasiana 'Lobster Creek'. I’ve been planning to start new patches of this iris for years, spreading it around my garden, but you know how far those intentions went, until this spring. 

Consultation with adorable spouse ensued. I backfilled the hole with the piles of soil, rocking the root mass ever higher on the fill, until it was only 6 inches below the bed surface, lifted up more than a foot. Adorable spouse found ropes and a sturdy board, roped the root mass to it, and together we lifted it out of the bed and over the irises onto the lawn. Slick!

From one shovelful, 21 fans, trimmed and ready to replant

Back to irises:  Iris douglasiana lives along the coast from south central California to southern Oregon. This particular wild-grown selection came to me years ago from a friend in the McMinnville area southwest of Portland, OR. It has typical species-type lavender flowers, and striking dark evergreen leaves. It’s vigorous in the garden and holds its own with fringecups and other plants. The foliage is gorgeous on its own. 

Some of the pots of fans. Planted 3-4 starts per pot,
plan on having them all in the ground by fall 

I dug out along one side of the patch, removed the bluebell bulbs. Dug out the fringecups, which seed all over the garden and give year round color to the bed with their light green leaves. I dug one shovelful of PCI Lobster Creek from the patch. More than twenty fans trimmed and planted into seven pots later, no matter how flat the remaining patch is smashed, some will survive. I estimate another sixty starts remain in the patch. [I’ll be calling my friend to come get the rest.] 

Once the wall is moved, I will plant a mix of Pacifica irises, fleabanes, Sisyrinchium, and other perennials in the newly cleared bed. That takes care of the north fifteen feet. Only forty more feet to go. . . 
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Photo Essay: Historic varieties from 1959

May 4, 2020, 6:00 am
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By Mike Unser

A collection of historic iris varieties from 1959 that I have grown and loved.































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On the Road Again—Mid America Gardens

May 11, 2020, 6:00 am
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By Bryce Williamson

After my visit to Schreiner’s Garden, I headed over to Mid America Gardens. For some reason and even thought I have been there numerous times, I always get lost. Once my infallible since of direction would have only required one visit to a place and then I could back, but that was once upon a time in a distant galaxy.

I first went to the main garden and was amazed at the expansion of Mid America’s perennial business. There I met Thomas Johnson and he suggested that I visit the other garden down the road, mentioning that Paul Black was in that garden.

As has been the case with all my One the Road Again posts about Oregon and Washington, I have combined images and comments from the last two years.

Sadly, this series is drawing to a close. After this post, the final two articles will about Aitken’s Salmon Creek and Mt. Pleasant Iris Farm, both in Washington. Sadly with the shelter in place this year, no new garden visits will be possible.




Thomas Johnson in the new field
Paul Black X89H

Paul Black Y19A

Paul Black Y123E

Thomas Johnson TJ41-A

'In Full View'--Thomas Johnson 2020

Thomas Johnson TJ246-22

Thomas Johnson TJ240A
And some images from Region 13's 2918 Spring meeting:

Barry Blyth's 'A Certain Girl'

'Break Tradition'

'Kiss the Frog'--This Paul Black iris has a future with flower arrangers



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This Year in Images

May 18, 2020, 6:00 am
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By Bryce Williamson

Somehow in all this trauma, it is good to look at images from this year's bloom and hope for the best for people and a good iris season.

Here are a few things I liked.

'Fuse'

'All About Spring'
'All Smiles'
'Bottled Lightening'
'Magnificent Masterpiece'

'Coal Seams'
'First Prize'
'Rusty Taylor'
'Global Crossings'

'Raven Girl'
'Cosmic Voyage'
'Down In Mexico'


'Hearts on Fire'
'Deeper Meaning'

'Perry Dyer'


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Louisiana Irises in NW Louisiana by Ron Killingsworth

May 25, 2020, 6:00 am
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by Ron Killingsworth

'Bayou Tiger'
I just threw this picture in there to get your attention!  If you are a LSU fan, you really want this iris in your garden.

'Coushatta'

Usually when I take pictures during the “bloom season” in NW Louisiana, I take pictures of individual blossoms in each of our many iris beds.  The main reason is to positively identify the cultivar in that bed, in other words, to make sure the bloom matches the name.  I wound up taking more than 300 pictures this bloom season and usually take as many, or more, each season.  Once I finish verifying the beds with the pictures, I do not know what to do with the pictures.  Thus, I have a hard disc drive full of pictures taken from the bloom season of 2003 to 2020.  I doubt my children will be interested in these pictures, yet I hesitate to just toss them out.  I guess I am a “hoarder” of pictures.  Anyone who looks in my outside storage shed would quickly know that pictures are not the only thing I tend to hoard. I do not have a garage or it would be full of junk also.


This clump of ‘Coushatta’ (Farron Campbell 1998) (above) is always one of my favorites. Registered as “lavender” it really is a nice pastel color.  There is a town of Coushatta, LA, and I do not know if Farron named this iris for that town in central LA or for the Coushatta Tribe (Koasati). The Koasati tribe is now located in Allen and Jefferson Davis Parishes, LA. See  http://www.koasatiheritage.org/ for more information about this native American Tribe. My parents once lived near the town of Coushatta.

'Flareout'
‘Flareout’ (Marvin Granger 1988) is one of Marvin’s cartwheel style irises and this shows a nice clump of ‘Flareout’.  There is, I am told, a difference between a “cartwheel style” and a “double” but the explanation never stuck in my mind for some reason.

'Kristi G'
This clump of ‘Kristi G’ (Joe Mertzweiller 1985) is always a beauty to behold. ‘Kristi G’ grows like a weed for me and I have it scattered all over the property.

'Marie Caillet'
This large clump of ‘Marie Caillet’ (Sidney Conger 1963) is in a raised bed that is very old.  It once held a lot of Mary Swords Debaillion Medal winners, but has fallen into neglect recently. Marie Caillet was a charter member of the Society for Louisiana Irises and held many positions in the society over the years.

Iris View

This is a view of dug beds close to the crawfish pond (where we raise 'mudbugs') with Historic Caddo Lake and bald cypress trees in the far background.

View of massive planting of Louisiana irises
This is a nice view taken beside the “Catfish Pond” where Stanley raises and feeds some very large catfish.  You can see Caddo Lake and the bald cypress trees in the background. This is a massive planting of mostly “Professor” fill in the blank. (Joe Mertzweiller converted many LA irises from diploid to tetraploid and named the results for his professor friends.  So, 10 tetraploid LA irises have names starting with “Professor”.)

Another view of Louisiana irises in bloom
 This is another view of lots of Louisiana irises, in dug beds, on the back side of the crawfish pond.  A mixture of nice colors.

Rejected seedlings

Although this picture is not of a “clump”, over the years I have raised many seedlings that were not worthy of registration.  I always plant them around the edge of this small pond (crawfish pond) (“tank” for you "Texicans" and others in the “west”) and this gives a nice view of those rejected irises.  Each year I find at least two or three of them that makes me wonder why I “rejected” them! They are planted on the bank of this pond and the water level is controlled by a drain and by pumping water from Caddo Lake into the pond during the summer.

To learn more about growing Louisiana irises, please visit the website for the Society for Louisiana Irises.

To join the Society for Louisiana irises, email me at Society.for.Louisiana.Irises@gmail.com.

For information on more species of irises, visit the American Iris Society.
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Trip Down Memory Lane

June 1, 2020, 6:00 am
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By Mel and Barry Schiller

Mid America Field being watered 2019
What an unusual year it has been for the world at large....

Australia alone has endured severe drought, soul destroying fires, floods and now Covid-19.

In previous years we would of just arrived home from being in America for the bearded iris bloom season. That just all seems a distant memory.......a memory with which we are thankful for having photographic evidence!

Here are a couple of our fondest memories from previous trips we have made to Portland, Oregon USA.

Schreiner's Iris Garden 2019
We stay in Oregon and are usually not too far from Mid America Garden, Schreiner's Iris Garden, Keith Keppel Miller Manor and Robyn Shadlow.

It is not only the gardens we have truly missed this year but the wonderfully warm people who we have met along the way. Each person has a different piece of knowledge that we gratefully accept. Whether it be iris knowledge, plant knowledge, or just flat out warm friendship. We have missed it all terribly.

Schreiner's Seedling beds 2019
We reference ourselves as 'Learner' Iris hybridizers and we are like sponges soaking up the generous information that the Schreiner Family, Thomas Johnson, Paul Black, Lynda Miller and Keith Keppel can provide us on growing hybridizing and the general genetics of different varieties. These people hold a special place in our heart. It would take months of reading to provide the information that we receive in a mere few weeks!

Thomas Johnson and Bailey Schiller Mid America 2019
Another beautiful area that we have visited is the Multnomah Falls area and also Chad Harris's Mt Pleasant Iris. What a beautiful garden including the most extravagant beardless iris. What a jaw dropping experience!  We were blessed with beautiful weather and fantastic hosts.

Paul Black was our chauffeur for the day and we enjoyed Maggie Asplet's company.

Mel and Bailey Schiller Multnomah Falls 2018
Mt Pleasant Iris 2018


Pittock Mansion 2018
Japanese Garden in Portland 2018
Lynda Miller was our generous chauffeur and tour guide to the Pittock Mansion and the Japanese Gardens we also visited the Rose Garden in Portland that same day. Maggie Asplet provided lovely company as we trecked all over visiting these wonderful scenic educational places.

Ahhhhh the memories....

Visiting the wonderful people in and near Salem has given us the opportunity to expand our worldly sights and our hybridizing goals. We have been fortunate to have 2 bloom seasons to work with in achieving our goals quicker. Each year our visit to the states also gives us the opportunity to view the Iris we would like to import into Australia.

We see this year as the quiet time of reflection to reminisce on our previous years of wonderful memories and fun times with all our friends. Re-evaluate our goals and see where we are headed from here. The garden photo's that we are seeing from our Facebook family are lovely memento's for those of us who cant be there. We sincerely hope you all remain safe in these uncertain times and that your love of gardening makes your heart flourish.

Keith Keppel 2019

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Why grow reblooming median irises?

June 8, 2020, 6:00 am
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By Hooker Nichols


This past spring here in north Texas was very cool and rainy. Our median bloom was about three weeks early beginning in early March.  All four of the median classes were well represented and the season was very long.  Our season for bearded and beardless bloom ended before the last week of April.
 
Donald Spoon's reblooming 'Alberta Peach'
Around May 20th, we noticed that many of the median irises with reblooming traits were sending up more stalks and consequently several of the clumps put on a better show than four to five weeks previously.  The once blooming medians did not put up hardly any repeat stalks.

Hooker Nichol's reblooming Border Bearded 'Lenora Pearl'
Mike Sutton's reblooming IB 'Mulligan'
Those medians from the East and West coasts put on equal performances.  Several medians with reblooming tendencies introduced from Canada were well represented too.  Iris growers should check the Reblooming Iris Society annual symposium results to see with reblooming medians perform best in their particular areas.

Chuck Chapman's reblooming SDB 'Autumn Jester'

It should be noted that we had heavily fertilized our irises last fall and this spring. 

Terry Aitken's reblooming IB 'August Treat'


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Growing species Iris in planters when your garden and climate don't work

June 15, 2020, 6:00 am
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Kathleen Sayce, June 14, 2020

In 2017 I moved two irises, Iris attica and I. hartwegii australis, from the open garden to planters where I could control rainfall and drainage. I wrote about this in Fall 2017 for World of Irises. 

Iris hartwegii australis, photo by Richard Richards

Iris attica in flower


















I used styrofoam planters and a planting mix with ample pumice, to ensure good drainage. Both planters went alongside the east side of my house under the roofline, to reduce winter rainfall. On average, this lowers the winter rainfall by half, from 86 inches (cm) to 43 inches (cm) per year. Both planters are otherwise open to rain, snow, hail, and in sun half the day.

Iris hartwegii australis after planting, early spring 2017

After planting, the surfaces  were covered with granite chicken grit (5 mm) to provide surface stability in heavy rain. The planters were placed in a group near a hose bib so that summer watering is easy to accomplish. We have bird baths nearby that we clean and refill every day in summer; watering the planters is easy. At least once a week I soak both planters, mimicking summer rainfall. 



Iris hartwegii australis, spring 2020

Iris hartwegii australis has not yet flowered, but it has put out several new fans, 6 fans when planted, 27 fans today. Compare the original planting to the planter this spring, from early spring 2017 to late spring 2020 in the accompanying images. 

Fans are larger, healthier, their color is excellent, and there are more fans each year. Meanwhile, the remaining plants in the open garden have vanished.



Four growing seasons later, it is clear that Iris attica thrived with the move, though seed set has been low. Despite its small size, this species fills its planter every two to three years, after which I take it out, prune it back and replant. Two years ago, I sent more than twenty rhizome pieces to a regional iris group for their summer sale. The plant left in the garden disappeared. 

Iris attica flowering in 2018, this is a happy plant!

For both species, I concluded that winter wet and summer drought in a fine sandy soil did not let them survive or thrive. Use of compost, mulch and fertilizer was not enough for either species. 

Conditions in the open garden were simply not close enough to their native habitats. 


 By keeping both species in planters, using a potting mix with compost and pumice, placing these planters under the eaves and near a hose bib, and with occasional foliar sprays, both have done better.  

I am still working on promoting flowering for I. hartwegii australis. I would like to know about your fertilizer regimes in your gardens for winter dry, summer rainfall species, to help me decide how much more I should be doing. 

Every spring I think, this might be the year when IHA finally flowers! Meanwhile, flowers or not, I have been very pleased that this touchy Pacifica iris is still living in (or next too) my garden. 
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My Love/Hate Affair with Pseudatas

June 22, 2020, 6:00 am
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By Bryce Williamson

I had read about pseudatas in the Bulletin of The American Iris Society, but had not grown any. Then at the Region 14 Fall meeting in Chico, a poor, lovely plant of Tsukiyono was cryin' for a home and I thought, "Why not?" Having learned my lesson of buying things and then not planting them, I potted it up and then subjected it to neglect. In fact, at one point, I was certain that I had killed it.

'Tsukiyono'
Chad Harris wrote a post for The World of Irises post, "Iris ensata, Iris laevigata and Pseudata in Containers" and I had an attractive, empty clay pot and decided to try to salvage the variety. After three years, it rewarded me with bloom and I was thinking, "Three buds? I've wasted my time and water."

And then it keep blooming, blooming, and blooming some more.

That encouraged me last year to add more pseudatas to the container garden. Pseudatas are, as Chad Harris writes, “...a cross between plants with Iris pseudacorus backgrounds and Iris ensata (Japanese, Hanashobu). The iris world is very fortunate that Hiroshi Shimizu shared many years of his work finding a good pod parent (‘Gubijin’) so all hybridizers could explore the possibilities that this cross may bring to the garden."

Though I have a true Mediterranean garden--the soil goes dry during the summer between waterings--I am finding these irises have a definite place in the pageant color in the yard (or in this case pot) after bearded irises are finished. Give them a try. If you don't have a area in the garden that stays damp, you can grow a few in pots and use them as an accent on a patio or walk.

My thanks to Brock Heilman and Chad Harris for the theft of images!





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A Treasure From The Past - Jean Stevens

June 29, 2020, 6:00 am
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by Maggie Asplet 

For this article I was going to be a little nostalgic as I so missed my trip to Thomas Johnson at Mid-America Iris Garden, the visits to Lynda Miller's of Millers Manor, the wonderful visits to Chad Harris at Mt Pleasant Irises, but Melissa and Bailey from Smokin' Heights beat me to that topic.  So, here I am, still nostalgic and looking at Jean Stevens work.

I am currently the archivist for the NZ Iris Society and in this position have the job of making digital copies of all the files and came across an article that was printed in The Australian and New Zealand Iris Society bulletin, No. 2, August 1948.  I have chosen to reprint this article here, keeping with the theme of nostalgia. 

I was interesting to note the original author was from Gisborne now where I live.  Also, the photos in this post were not included with the original article; they are my contribution of the Jean Stevens irises I have growing now.  Sadly, over time many of Jean Stevens irises are no longer available.


'Sunset Snows'
Registered in 1963, so much later than when the original article was written in 1948.  This has just flowered recently for me, making it a re-blooming iris.


The Irises of Stevens Brothers
by D'arcy Blackburn, Gisborne, NZ

Mrs. Jean Stevens, eminent iris breeder from New Zealand, poses with AIS President Marion Walker in the Schreiner's Iris Garden, Salem, Oregon
One of my first visits to an iris garden was in November, 1933, when Mrs Stevens (then Miss Jean Burgess) was growing an extensive collection in her father's garden at Waikanae.  It was in 1921 that Mr A. H, Burgess made his first iris importations, the varieties received being 'Iris King', 'Rodney', 'Ballerine', 'Diadem', 'Bolingbroke', 'Lady Foster', 'Crusader', 'Azure', 'Isoline', 'Empress of India', 'Celeste' and 'Asia'.

These varieties are now so far back in the past, they will be recalled only by those who have grown irises for many years.

'Pinnacle' (1945) - 'Radiant Day' (1946) - 'Still Night' (1955)

As soon as these plantings bloomed Mrs Stevens made her first crosses and it was the encouraging results obtained from these that urged her to go more deeply into the study of plant breeding.  One of the earliest seedlings introduced from the Waikanae gardens was Harebell, still a worthwhile variety even today.  From my first knowledge of Mrs Stevens I was impressed by her very critical eye.  Raising seedlings for so many years she has consistently resisted temptation, if indeed such temptation has existed, to see her own creations through rose-coloured spectacles.  It is worth noting that even in the 1938/39 catalogue of Stevens Bros., issued from Bulls, there was not even on iris of Mrs Stevens' own raising listed amongst the novelties.  Nevertheless, Mrs Stevens went on hybridising more and more intensively until in the 1947/48 catalogue we find listed as many as seven new introductions of her own raising.

'Summit' - registered 1948

Last November, when bloom in my own garden was going over, I journeyed to Bastia Hill, Wanganui, when the Stevens nursery had been transferred from Bulls the year before.  Without exception, the irises were healthy, well-grown and blooming profusely.  Bloom was quite at its peak during my visit on the 8th and 9th and if some of the critics say that modern varieties are less floriferous than their ancestors, such criticism most certainly does not apply to the Stevens irises.  Conditions were anything but favourable on the first day of my visit, a thirty miles an hour gale blowing throughout the afternoon.  This was the first break in an otherwise most satisfactory season.  That Mrs Stevens has included substance as an essential quality in her introductions was very apparent on the following morning which broke bright and calm.  Her own varieties bore little evidence of the rough treatment of the previous day.

'Italian Joy', 'Hazel Grove', 'Cleopatra', 'Sylvan Song', 'Moonlight Sonata', 'Random Harvest', 'Royal Mission' and not least the widely acclaimed 'Winston Churchill', were all making a most impressive display.  A row of the last-named some twenty yards long, covered in beautifully smooth blooms of glowing dark pure red and copper, was a sight to behold.


'Winston Churchill' - registered 1941

'Sylvan Song' - registered 1947

Of the seedlings named but not yet introduced the bicolour 'Pinnacle' appealed very strongly with its large flowers on 3 1/2 ft (foot) stalks.  The standards are purest white with lemon-yellow falls.  Another, and one of the very latest, from the same lines of breeding was one of more intense colouring that has been aptly named 'Summit', having pure white standards and deep gold falls, very smooth, large and beautifully branched.  One that will prove extremely popular when it is introduced was 'Lilac Arbor', a very frilled and lovely lilac enhanced by a blue beard.  To make its bow shortly, the very broad-petaled Paragon of palest lilac pink with a pale cream beard made a striking picture.

'Foaming Seas' - registered 1957

Those seedlings already mentioned are some of the taller growers but Mrs Stevens is one of those who does not sacrifice all the irises of lesser stature.  'Gay Spirit' is a very smooth and even golden tan, a charming thing of 2 1/2 ft. and very clean.  In the very dark irises Mrs Stevens has two satisfying works of art in 'Black Belle' with standards of deepest ruby wine and almost black falls and 'Midsummer Night', a blue-black which is nicely frilled in both standards and falls.

'Black Belle '- registered 1947

Working on a number of lines in her iris breeding and with so much success achieved from Mrs Stevens' past efforts, there is no doubt whatever that we are going to see still further startling developments at Bastia Hill in the not too distant future.


Oh, how advertising has changed.  Also interesting to note, they were able to sell new irises from America, something that is now so difficult it is really considered impossible.  The requirements of our importing regulations is just too stringent, the rhizomes just would not survive.

NOTE: As this spring (October 2020) will be the first major flowering from my hybridising at Mid-America Iris Garden, I am very mindful of comments at the beginning of this article.  It is so easy to have rose tinted glasses when it is your own work.

I do hope you enjoyed my little bit of nostalgia.  My only regret is that I never had the opportunity to meet Jean Stevens.  There are some of our members who were more fortunate.

Editor's note: American English and UK English do have some differences in spelling and punctuation. We have not changed the article to American English.

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On the Road Again: Aitken’s Salmon Creek

July 6, 2020, 6:00 am
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By Bryce Williamson

At this time of year, I should have just returned from my annual Oregon/Washington trip to the iris gardens, but this year, sadly, is not normal. I am writing, instead, about my trips in 2018 and 2019 and the focus is Aitken’s Salmon Creek.

M. Smith 14-16E


Terry Aitkens showing me some of Siberian seedlings from a different bloodline.
A lilac that was almost a small tree.
Ah, if they would only grow in California...
In 2018 I was scheduled to meet my sister, her oldest daughter and family for dinner, so I went to Aitken’s last, but in 2019 I went there first since I thought I had shorted the garden the previous year. I always enjoy this garden not only for the irises—and a wide range of irises are gown there—but also for all the other flowering plant materials including Terry’s orchids.

Many of us wonder about the next generation of American hybridizers, so I was delighted to learn that Markie Smith’s grandson is now hybridizing and introducing irises.

Here are some irises and some other plants from the last two year’s visits.

Aitken 14-T-ZZA
'Black Cherry Blast'
'Cabbage Patch'
'Catching Fire'
'Soul Mate'
'Sunny Morning'
'Unconditional Love'
'Visigoth'
Some Siberians were looking good too:

'Judy, Judy, Judy'
'Lemon Blush'
'Simon Says'



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Classroom Iris Program: Virtual Iris Show

July 13, 2020, 6:00 am
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Something different this Monday and for the first time, we have a post with an imbedded video. Enjoy.

This Virtual Iris Show was put together by Churchill School of St. Louis County, MO.  The School has a Classroom Iris Program (CIP) sponsored by the Kirkwood Iris Society of Kirkwood, MO.  Credit goes to Jean Morris, Region 18 Youth Director, Janet Kieffer, Teacher/Tutor, Mary Brotherton, and Ellen Knubley of Churchill.



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