Message from the President

..Hi: Now you’ve seen the great pictures and are itching to add some of these special perennials to your garden beds–why not consider joining the Society for Siberian Irises. $10.00 for US citizens, $15.00 for people overseas will bring you twice yearly info. on the latest cultivars, and a connection with others who grow these lovely plants!Contact our membership Secretary at ssimemsec@nc.rr.comJudy Hollingworth, President, The Society for Siberian Iris*****...

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Siberian Iris 'LUCY LOCKET'

Its great to finish the Siberian Iris Feature month with what was once considered unobtainable, a Yellow Siberian and this 2009 introduction 'LUCY LOCKET,' shows the considerable advance made recently by Hybridisers in this colour tone.Congratulations to and Well done Jan and Marty.LUCY LOCKET . Schafer/Sacks (Seedling No. S01-91-10), 26", E-M. Small, sweet, golden yellow bitone flowers with lovely flaring form. Two branches with six buds and a long season of bloom. Foliage remains beautiful late in the Fall. Very vigorous. (((sib...

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Siberian Iris Back To A Bright Future

Hybridisers are somewhat shy when it comes to show and tell what is in the future breeding patterns so we are really lucky when Jeff Dunlop gave his consent for me to post these brilliantly bright new seedlings of his. Jeff had this to say "As pointed out earlier 'Another Pretty Face' is not only a lovely and pleasing new tet flower but is also proving to be a parent with interesting kids too. 'Another Pretty Face' really has a lot of red in it from both parents: a nice red Dunlop seedling, 96102-3T X Strawberry Fair (Hollingworth...

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Siberian Iris 'WEALDEN MYSTERY'

Another species look alike variety which I have gathered by page viewed statistics to date are the most popular Siberian Irises with visitors to this blog.From Aulden Farm CatalogueIris sibirica 'Wealden Mystery' £ 5.00From the same cross as 'Wealden Butterfly' came this stunning plant. Blue standards and style arms, falls ivory but with exquisite blue veining. Floriferous. Ht 90cm2006 Cumulative Checklist of Siberian IrisesWEALDEN MYSTERY Wells, Olga Reg. 2005 Sdlg. F0B5 SIB (dip.) (36" 91 cm) EM. S. vivid bright blue-violet,upright;...

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Siberian Iris 'SWEET LITTLE SUSIE '

Look its really great to show the latest and greatest Siberian Iris but it would be wrong not to point out to readers that, listed within the 2009 catalogues of Siberian Irises from all growers contains some fantastic varieties with reasonable price tags .(Check out Siberian Links for a grower in your area).Sweet Little Susie is one of many great selections available in the six to eight dollar price range, an amazing shorter growing iris for the front of the border. So if you are new to growing Siberians or have never tried these Irises...

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Siberian Iris 'LOVE ALWAYS'

An unusual shade of lavender-blue is presented in a ruffled flower with elegant wide, overlapping form. The falls are decorated with a small white signal, veined violet, and surrounded by a bluer glow. Beautiful upright foliage and stems. AIS Checklist 2005 LOVE ALWAYS Calvin Helsley, Reg. 2008 Sdlg. 05-03. SIB, 35" (89 cm), M ; S. medium lavender-blue (RHS 94B) veined violet; style arms lavender blue, turquoise midrib; F. same as S., bluer area around small violet veined white signal; ruffled, flat form. Where Eagles Dare X Rosy...

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WEBSITE IS BLACKED OUT

..THIS WEBSITE IS BLACKED OUTThis Saturday, February 28th, Section 92A of the Copyright Act is due to come into force.This website has voluntarily been taken down in protest against this law, which will be used to disconnect New Zealanders from the internet based on accusations of copyright infringement, without a trial and without evidence held up to court scrutiny.May we be very clear: we do not support or condone copyright infringement or illegal downloads.But this blatant disregard towards the basic human right to a fair trial is completely unjust and unworkable and it has the potential to punish New Zealand businesses...

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Siberian Iris 'WHITE COLLAR BLUE'

Tempo Two Catalogue 2005-06WHITE COLLAR BLUE Blyth, Barry EM. 28-30" 71-76 cm Standards tending towards and are red violet and lightening towards the edge. Fall are bluish violet with a very fine wire edge of pale blue. Style arms are white with a slight turquoise midrib and feathering at the end.Schafer S92-97-12: (S90-43-1: (Sailor's Fancy x S86-8-1, Trim the Velvet sib) x S89-9-2: (Isabelle x Silver Illusion)) X Three Hand Star Sdlg No.J252-42006 Cumulative Checklist of Siberian IrisesWHITE COLLAR BLUE Blyth, Barry Reg. 2004 Sdlg....

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Siberian Iris 'HUNTRESS '

Tempo Two Catalogue 2005-06HUNTRESS Blyth, Barry EML, 36" 91 cm Lemon-grey standards with a lighter edge. Falls are coppery -brown with an all over deeper veining and a large gold signal. Stylearms are lavender-grey. An elegant and stately plant with 3-4 buds and some later stems. A great new colour pattern in Siberian Iris. Delightful 2006 Cumulative Checklist of Siberian IrisesHUNTRESS Blyth, Barry Reg. 2004 Sdlg. J245-4 SIB (dip.) (36" 91 cm) EML. S. lavender-grey with lemon-gold borderededge, style arms lavender-grey; F. coppery...

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Siberian Iris ' HEARTWAVE '

More Barry Blyth Introductions just catalogue and Checklist descriptions and I'll let the photos do the talking.Tempo Two Catalogue 2005-06 HEARTWAVE Blyth, Barry VE-M. 28" 71 cm The best shade of pink we have seen to date. Its a soft , pastel raspberry pink with slightly lighter standards and pinkish white stylearms. It has a small golden signal. Very smooth colour and loads of flowers2006 Cumulative Checklist of Siberian IrisesHEARTWAVE Blyth, Barry Reg. 2004 Sdlg. J253-3 SIB (dip.) (28" 71 cm) VE-M. S. light pink over white; style...

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2008 British Dykes Medal Winner, Siberian Iris 'PETER HEWITT'

Photo Credit and big hat tip to Aulden Farm My congratulations to Jennifer Hewitt for her Dykes Medal Award for the Siberian Iris 'Peter Hewitt' which continues a proud British Iris Society tradition of awarding DM to beardless Irises. Available in England from Alden Farms who have a great catalogue of Iris.Alden Farm Catalogue 2009 Iris sibirica 'Peter Hewitt' £ 5.00 A dependable iris producing plentiful flowers and deserving its Dykes Medal. A combination of violet-blue against an eye catching deep gold signal. The falls are usually...

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Siberian Iris 'PARASOL'

.. The Siberian Iris PARASOL, formerly known as 'HARASUGATA' clumps up well. The style will probably not appeal to traditional Siberian Iris purist, but these spectacular forms of Siberians can add novelty to the perennial border.SSI Checklist 2006PARASOL Shidara, Ho Reg. 1999 SIB (dip.) (30" 76 cm) S. absent; style arms white; F. light to medium lavender-pink, small yellow-green signal, multiple (6). Unknown parentage. Ensata Gardens 1997.Available in USA from Ensata Gardens and Draycott GardensAnother extraordinary hat tip to Mike...

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Siberian Iris 'HELICOPTER'

Society for Siberian Irises Checklist 2006HELICOPTER Shidara, Ho by Ben Hager Reg. 1988 Sdlg HO#6 SIB (dip.) (32" 81 cm) M Six falls (no standards), dark violet. Petals reach out horizontally, and the sharply contrasting gold-leaf signals do suggest the propellers on a helicopter. 3" flowers. Description from Melrose Catalog. Unknown parentage. Melrose Gardens 1988 HM 1990Available in USA from Ensata GardensExtraordinary hat tip to Mike Unser for sharing the photo which is an outstanding display of this variety.Photo copyright M U...

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Siberian Iris 'BELIEVE IN ANGELS'

Emphasis is on form with this new white Siberian iris. Horizontally flaring, flat flowers are ruffled to the extreme! Newly opened flowers have pale yellow falls that become creamy white by the second day with yellow veining streaming from the small lemon-yellow signals. You will believe!AIS Checklist 2005 BELIEVE IN ANGELS Calvin Helsley, R. 2005 , Sdlg. 04-17. SIB, 33" (84 cm), ML ; White self, signal bright lemon yellow, some veining half way down F., all petals edged with small ruffles; flat form. Ships Are Sailing X Where Eagles...

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Siberian Iris 'THEN SINGS MY SOUL'

A clump of this iris will draw you from across the garden. Well branched stems have flowers of violet blue with reddish tones. The style arms are red violet with copper tinges. Very slight white signals are veined violet.Calvin Helsley has always been a hybridiser that I have admired for his talent of consistenly producing no fuss Siberians that form good clumps with copious bloom stalks. His 1984 introduction 'Mabel Coday' is still a standout Siberian in my Garden and much admired by garden visitors. The current 2009 introductions...

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Siberian Iris 'GATINEAU'

GATINEAU by Miss Isabella Preston of the Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa, Canada, was a significant advance Siberian Iris hybridising in the 192o's by Crossing Iris sibirica maxima with Snow Queen and is a good example of the Hybrid Vigour that can be achieved when crossing two inbred varieties. The more recent use of 'Snow Prince' is a similar example. Available in USA and Canada from Chuck Chapman Iris. Excerpt From The Iris Society (BIS) Year Book 1935 page 31A Few Notes on Breeding Iris Sibirica by Isabella PrestonThe orientalis...

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Siberian Iris 'HOW AUDACIOUS'

With seven Morgan Wood Medals to his name and Countless Awards of Merit and Honourable Mentions, Bob Hollingworth's 2009 Siberian Iris ' HOW AUDACIOUS' is another award winning Iris in the making. A tetraploid out of Ruffles and Flourishes and a seedling out of Currier x Bright and Beautiful. Tetraploid Siberians have features that include bigger plants, foliage and flowers.2006 Cumulative Checklist of Siberian Irises HOW AUDACIOUS Robert Hollingworth, Reg. 2009  Sdlg. 02B10B10. SIB (tet.), 34" (86 cm), ML ; S. red violet; style...

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Siberian Iris 'SO VAN GOGH'

This is another colour advance from Jan Sacks and Marty Schafer. These smaller flowering species like Siberians are very popular when seen by Garden Visitors and after first viewing rapidly become a must have plant. Joe Pye Weed's Garden 2005 Introductions SO VAN GOGH - 2005, EM, 30” Schafer/Sacks Everyone who saw the large clump of this iris in 2004 mentioned Vincent Van Gogh. The flower is stunningly different, the first bi-color 28-chromosome Siberian we have ever seen with purple standards and yellow falls.It is not a perfect...

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Siberian Iris 'BUTTER AND SUGAR'

Considered to be the first 'Yellow' Siberian and possibly the most important colour break in Siberian Iris breeding at the time.Hybridised by Currier McEwen the father of modern day Siberian Irises.Falls of bright butter yellow between neat white standards. The large, shapely flowers are carried on 70cm stems, and in our garden 'Butter and Sugar' blends in well with other plants in the perennial border. Awarded the Morgan Award and the Morgan-Wood Medal. As a 33 year old it has become a relatively new Historic Iris.Available World...

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Siberian Iris 'GRANDIS'

GRANDIS an Historic Siberian Iris that is just as elegant today, as the day it was introduced 97 years ago. A great example of classic form.It is appropriate to feature an heirloom Siberian iris introduced by Bertrand H. Farr . Considered to be the first person in the United States to take up seriously the breeding of Irises, his first introduction being in 1909.Indication of I. sibirica parentage are the bud pattern, height, and form.  Beauty from Bulbs' Catalogue published by John Scheepers Inc, 522 Fifth Avenue, New York...

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Siberian Iris 'SO BE IT'

..Tempo Two Catalogue 2005-06SO BE IT (Blyth 05 Aust.) EM 34" Gorgeous and rounded pure white and with a hardly noticeable lemon area right in the throat. Horizontally flared and lightly ruffled. Loads of bloom like a snow fall. Schafer S92-97-12: (S90-43-1: (Sailor's Fancy x S86-8-1, Trim the Velvet sib) x S89-9-2: (Isabelle x Silver Illusion)) X Three Hand Star Sdlg No.J252-2Massive hat tip to Barry Blyth for sharing the photos and informationPhoto copyright B. Blyth***...

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Siberian Iris 'PROPHET'S KISS'

I think that this variety is Truly Amazing!Tempo Two Catalogue 2004-05PROPHET'S KISS (Blyth, 04 Aust) (24" 61 cm) EML.Standards are a soft greyed lavender with deeper veining and lemon edges. Falls are a washed brownish rose with a large gold signal. Stylearms are greyed lemon with with a deeper turquoise midrib. A long season with lots of flowers over a compact clump. A new colour combination in Siberian Irises Sdlg. J245-1 Sib to Huntress. Seed from M. Schafer cross S97-23.2006 Cumulative Checklist of Siberian Irises PROPHET'S KISS...

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Siberian Iris 'TROUBLED WATERS'

TROUBLED WATERS Tempo Two Catalogue 2005-06TROUBLED WATERS (Blyth 05 Aust.) EM 36" Huge blooms slightly waved and with broad falls. Standards are Blue lavender. Style arms are blue white with a turquoise haze. Falls are deep blue-lavender with 1/16" edge of Standard colour. There is a very small signal. Tall and stately with some secondary flower stems. (Seed from M Schafer crosses;Sib to "So Be It" ) Sdlg. J252-52006 Cumulative Checklist of Siberian Irises TROUBLED WATERS Barry Blyth, Reg. 2005 Sdlg. J252-5. SIB, 36" (91 cm), EM...

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Barry Blyth's Siberian Irises

Barry has kindly sent me ten photos of his more recent Siberian Irises to share and starting today with 3 great varieties, and the balance to be posted over the period of Siberian February  Barry Blyth is a world class hybridizer with a half century of introduction's and has made a fantastic contribution to the Iris world which thankfully included Siberian Irises. However he is not listing, selling or growing Siberian Iris any longer. Barry and his partner Lesley are cutting way back and taking it easy, and are now just concentrating on TB's.As far as far as he is aware the varieties that he named are all in US and...

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Siberian Iris 'DREAMING OF YOU'

'Dreaming of You' is in a word, 'Elegant' It give's me great delight to display another standout Siberian from the talented hybridizing duo, Dunlop & Cole. Introduced last season 2008 by Fieldstone Gardens Maine,USA. From Fieldstone Gardens Catalogue 2008 DREAMING OF YOU (Jeff Dunlop,R. 2007). Sdlg. 994336-1T. SIB (tet), 26" (66cm), Mid to Late. Ruffled light yellow near amoena. S. near white, slightly darker veins near center base; style arms very light yellow with darker midribs. Falls light yellow (RHS 4B) with deep yellow...

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