Tall Bearded Iris 'FOGGY DEW'

I have several clumps of the Pollen fertile Tall Bearded Iris 'Foggy Dew' spread around the Gardens. Always looks outstanding growing among the deep blues and black Irises. This variety is a vigorous grower with great plant health. 40 years old and is still an Iris that is much admired.
 
 Bulletin of the American Iris Society, April 1969. Number 193.
MORE CALIFORNIA FLAGS, 1969 Introductions, Keith Keppel, Stockton, California.
FOGGY DEW. M. 38" SIVA SIVA X DIPLOMACY. A pastel blended bicolor plicata?? The closed standards are pale, softly blended amber-cream and lavender. The flared and ruffled falls are white with a wide soft violet border, plus deeper violet plicata markings toward the haft. Lavender and light yellow style arms. Different but subtle. H.C. 1968....................$25.00

Bulletin of the American Iris Society, October 1969. Number 195.
"They'll Never Believe Me".  Lura B. Roach
FOGGY DEW (Keppel '69) was 'Seen in the garden as 64-37Q'. If there is such a thing as an amoena-plicata class, this iris certainly fits into it. This one lost its bloom stalk in the gale so I'll just have to describe it as it grows in my garden. A single rhizome planted last 'Summer' put up two bloom-stalks and made two nice increases. The foliage was a nice dark green and very vigorous. The thirty-six inch stalk had three modified candelabra type branches plus the terminal and all bud sockets were multiple and well timed. The large flower is well balanced with very ruffled erect pale lavender standards that touch. The broad flaring ruffled falls have a white base and are finely stippled with light violet in a plicata pattern. At the hafts this pattern becomes darker. The beard is an inconspicuous white. Texture is waxy and the substance is heavy and tough. Individual flowers lasted well for several days.
 
The Iris Year Book 1971
VARIETAL COMMENT FROM FLORENCE 1971, H R Jeffs
1st.- no 23 'Foggy Dew' (Keppel 1969) U.S.A. 80 points
Winner of the Premio Firenze for 1971, this is a representative of a new pattern in T.B. irises. Coming from Siva Siva X Diplomacy it is an "amoena plicata", and has taken lessons from its father which came second in the trial of 1969. The tightly coned standards are a soft blue, edged with pale yellow and with no plicata markings, the forms are white widely flared, with a blue stippling round most of the edge, but where the white beard starts the stippling changes to an all over pattern in deep violet making a fine contrast. When the judges arrived the clump of seven stems was in full flower and it says much for it that after a hot week including a thunderstorm ( which left it undamaged) a fine spike with five open flowers was still available for the prize giving ceremony. The stems had well spaced branching on there 32 inch height, with 7 to 10 buds, increase was good and the purple flushed fans a picture of health. The delicate colours were sun proof and the flowers lasted four days each in perfect shape despite the substance seeming to be in no way outstanding.

Mission Bell Gardens, Roy, Utah. Iris for 1973
FOGGY DEW (Keppel, '69)M 38in.
Beautiful pastel bicolor-plicata. Some thing new and completely lovely ! Warm white stands tightly closed; flare ruffled falls with wide soft violet border and deeper violet plic markings toward haft. Vigorous. (Siva Siva X Diplomacy). HM '70

The Iris Yearbook (BIS), 1975,"The Garden at Tanglewood", page 116,George H. Preston.
'Foggy Dew' is one of those new and unusual creations resulting from crossing of a bicolour with a plicata, the flowers were nicely shaped on well branched stems, but it is not easy to describe the colouring, the tightly held standards being of a creamy white and pale lavender blend, and flaring ruffled falls with a wide, soft violet-coloured border and deeper violet plicata markings toward the haft to show off a yellow beard. It is blessed with up to 10 buds, is a unique and interesting colour, but not one to show up well in the garden.

BayBloom Nurseries, Tauranga, The Connoisseurs Catalogue Spring-Summer 1988
FOGGY DEW. A misty and beautiful pastel bicolour plicata. A warm white ruffled flower with a soft band of violet to the edge of the falls............... $3.00

AIS Checklist 1969
FOGGY DEW (Keith Keppel, R. 1968). Sdlg. 64-37Q. TB 38" M. W2VY. S pastel blended greyed cream (M&P 19-B-1) and lavender (43-B-2); F white ground, wide soft violet border with darker plicata markings (42-H-8 to 46-L-8); white beard tipped yellow. Siva Siva X Diplomacy., Keppel 1969. HC 1968. H.M 1970. Premio Firenze 1971.

For the latest from Keith be sure to visit the 'Keith Keppel Iris' web site listed in the International Iris Links above

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Photo credit and copyright Iris Hunter