Tall Bearded Iris FESTIVE SKIRT

This vigorous Pink and White amoena can sometimes rebloom for me at home. 'Festive Skirt' is taller than its pollen parent 'Sunset Snows', with larger blooms that have extremely clean snow white standards with flaring falls of a good cocoa salmon pink that gradually lightens to a pale whitish pink towards the edge, subtle orange beards complete the package.... All and all a better 'Sunset Snows'. Frank Hutchings was renowned by some breeders for his work with Pink Amoena's which was equalled to Jean Stevens pink amoena breeding programme but sadly a lot of Franks work was virtually unheralded. This Iris is still widely available in New Zealand and it's worth noting 'The Iris Boutique' (formerly Dublin Bay Irises) Catalogue has it listed this year for the very reasonable price of $9.00

AIS Checklist 1979
FESTIVE SKIRT
(F. Hutchings, R. 1973) Sdlg. 71-28A. TB, 35" (89 cm), M
S. white; F. salmon with pink overlay; orange beard; slight ruffling. 68-61: (inv. La Parisienne, Barbara Luddy, Just Annie, Golden Eagle, Pinnacle, China Gate, Numero Uno) X Sunset Snows. Tell 1974.

'Festive Skirt' is in the parentage of another of my favourite irises I grow at home 'Oriental Alabaster'.

As always clicking on the above image will take you to the larger, higher resolution version.
Photo Credit and Copyright Iris Hunter