Tall Bearded Iris ROCOCO

Which plicata is it? we had to ask?? I have always grown this Iris as 'Rococo' but......first of all there is that registration colour 'Blue' (just which of the hundreds of blues did they mean?) and as you can see just plain old 'Blue' wasn't in the mix on our plant growing at home.The Schreiner's Catalogue 'Artist enhanced' colour portraits on the cover of their 1960 catalog the blue is almost a Blue Black. Turns out we had it nailed after-all and I guess you could say with help from that 7 year old camera we have captured 'Rococo's'...

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Book Review 'A Guide to Bearded Irises: Cultivating the Rainbow for Beginners and Enthusiasts'

I was approach by a Bookseller to review the book 'A Guide to Bearded Irises: Cultivating the Rainbow for Beginners and Enthusiasts' (2012) by Kelly Norris, this was before the books publication and it was an offer I turned down, the reason, Mr Norris recently became the Editor of the American Iris Society Bulletin so I had become reluctantly used to his media style, this understandably tempered my expectations for substance and possibly not the attitude required for writing a review for a bookseller who expects all the bells and...

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Standard Dwarf Bearded Iris SMOKEY BABE

Another pleasant surprise this bloom season! This iris colouration reminds me of the Intermediate Iris 'Confederate Soldier' both are an odd concoction of colours, but find the right place in the the garden for them to grow and they turn out to be winners. 'Smokey Babe' is a good grower but does have a little trouble getting all its bloom stalks above the foliage in its first year, although I have been informed that it sets itself right in its second year of growing. As you can see it's a smoky lavender plicata,with upright and...

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Border Bearded Iris SOUNDZ OF COUNTIES

If you know 'Cherry Garden' the SDB then you will be familiar with the colour of 'Soundz of Counties' but that's where the familiarities finish. This Border Bearded Iris has branching (if you can call it that) far to close to the stalk, the flowers open touching the stalk and the blooms have crowded each other which never is a good look, and this is exactly what the photo shows one flower on top of the other. We all have the right to ask more of a new iris than just "new and introducing this season". Let me quote a respected...

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New Zealand Standard Dwarf Bearded Iris FOREST GLADE

'Forest Glade' has been blooming its socks off at home and shows no signs of stopping just yet. It produces beautiful two buds per stalk with consistency no matter what the weather conditions throw at it. Strong vigorous growth with hearty clean foliage, all of the great plant habits that we have come to expect from a Jean Stevens introduction. As an aside, the pollen parent of 'Forest Glade's' is an iris named 'Sulina' and has its own interesting history. It's a 3 inch deep violet seedling pumila, one of two (Carpathia was the...

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New Zealand Standard Dwarf Bearded Iris HENHAM

'Henham' Noel tells me is a good growing iris. Named after grandson Henry & used part of surname. New Zealand Hybridisers Checklist 2011 HENHAM Noel Lapham, Reg. 2011 Sdlg. 05-79/2. SDB, 11" (28 cm), E Standards light yellow, lighter towards center; style arms white, slight lemon midrib; Falls, yellow-brown, light yellow rim; beards white, orange tips,paler at end. Zero X Yippy Skippy. A 'Huge Hat tip' to Bev and Noel for the use of their photo. Send them an email and get their catalogue, you will be surprised...

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New Zealand Standard Dwarf Bearded SAY SO

      More of the New Zealand Bred Standard Dwarf Bearded Irises hybridised by Noel Lapham as promised and available for sale this year from Mossburn Iris Gardens.Noel has explained 'This iris lucky to be registered after growing it for eleven years, "SAY SO" is an interesting colour, with striking white beards'. I am sure that an Iris that has been grown at Mossburn Gardens for eleven years has considerable merit New Zealand Hybridisers Checklist 2011 SAY...

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Intermediate Bearded Iris IN BETWEEN

'IN BETWEEN' is out of a cross of Shirley Spicer's 1996 SDB 'Little Bridget' and Gordon Plough's 1976 Blue TB 'Glacier Magic'. Robust growth with nice clean foliage, blooms have good form with strong fluted standards, flaring and lightly ruffled falls and the colouration that reminds me of a indecisive modern version of the great Intermediate Bearded classic, 'June Prom', A. Brown 1966. Standards are solid icy pale blue with no markings, the falls are one shade lighter, smartly deepening...

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Pacific Coast Irises at Queen Elizabeth Park

Tucked away in Masterton’s Queen Elizabeth Park is a little iris garden, originally established by money donated by the Wallis family and named in their honour. Bert and Nance Wallis were keen irisarians and founder members of the New Zealand Iris Society (NZIS) in the late 1940s. Bert loved Tall Beardeds – the taller and brighter the better – while Nance preferred smaller bearded and species irises. They passed their love of irises onto their family – son-in-law Ron Isles was President of the NZIS and grandson Gareth Winter...

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New Zealand Standard Dwarf Bearded Iris KIM MAREE

I am quite partial to Blue and White coloured plicata's in the Lilliput's as they add a special carrying power to the emerging spring garden. Noel Lapham thinks that there are a lot of iris with this colouring but this one is a brighter colour. Obviously a Lapham family favourite as 'Kim Maree' was selected by their daughter, and has been named after her. New Zealand Hybridisers Checklist 2011 KIM MAREE Noel Lapham, Reg. 2011 Sdlg. 04-7/2. SDB, 11" (28 cm), M Standards white ground, dark violet rim; style arms violet, lighter...

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New Zealand Bred Aril Median Iris HAIDEE

New Zealand Bred and classified as a Arilbred Median (AB-MED), it also has the classification from the Aril Society as OGB- which is a  a hybrid containing any combination of oncocyclus and regelia and other eupogon irises. To simplify things this iris at 14 inches has the same height requirements as a Standard Dwarf Bearded Iris to give you an idea of size, it just has different mix of iris genetics. 'Haidee' blooms have striking and vibrant rose lavender standards and falls of a darker rose lavender tone. Small lighter...

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New Zealand Standard Dwarf Bearded Iris 'KINKAID'

Over the next week or so I have the privilege to feature 4 more New Zealand Bred Standard Dwarf Bearded Irises hybridised by Noel Lapham and available for sale this year from Mossburn Iris Gardens.Noel tells me that KINKAID was very popular last season and that he will be Breeding with it this season, grows well. Its one that's on my order sheetNew Zealand Hybridisers Checklist 2011KINKAID Noel Lapham, Reg. 2011 Sdlg. 07-11/1. SDB, 11" (28 cm), E.  Standards, dark violet, light lemon ground; style arms light violet, deeper...

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Barry Blyth's 2012 Introductions

'IN HIGH HEELS' B. Blyth 2012  The Tempo Two web site has now been updated with all of the photos of his new 2012 Introductions.(Yes folks there are more than three outstanding irises introduced by Barry each season.) Mr. Blyth the generous chap that he is sent these three photo's of his new introductions to share with you all as a preview to the release of one of the finest kaleidoscopes of sensational new Irises for 2012. Checklist descriptions for these varieties are listed at the bottom of this page. Tempo Two gardens...

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