Spuria Iris BARBARA'S KISS

One of the good thing that happens when the Tall Bearded iris season nearly comes to the end, is the start of  the Spuria Irises season . This is one of my favourites spurias out of my very limited collection, it has amazing large blooms that have an incredibly long vase life that make the similar looking Dutch Irises look like poor little tryhards. Length of bloom stems are a florists delight. Spuria Iris bloom stalks range in height from 100cm to 150cm (3 to 5 feet) tall. They are usually planted at the back of the border...

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Historic 'IRIS GERMANICA BLACK PRINCE'

Courtesy 'THE GARDEN', 30th June, 1900. The Garden, New and Rare Plants, June 23, 1900. IRIS GERMANICA BLACK PRINCE This is certainly one of the most distinct of the german or Flag Irises. We welcome it heartily as a good variety for woodland and border. The flowers are large, fragrant, and handsome in colour, with light purple standards and deep velvety falls, the broad rich yellow marking running into the depth of the flower relieved the other shades. Shown by Mr. Amos Perry, Winchmore Hill,...

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New Zealand Tall Bearded Iris 'IRWELL GOLD STRIKE'

I thought it was time for an update for the post 'Irwell Gold Strike' with a new photo and a few additional encouraging words. This iris just will not and has not stopped blooming this season and I think a note should be made to its registered bloom season to change from Mid to Mid to Late. Large blooms on solid as iron rod stalks that more than help make a bold and brilliant garden statement, plant habits that never fail to impress with good clean foliage and great increase. 'Irwell Gold Strike' was the stand out iris and the...

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New Zealand Tall Bearded Iris IRWELL TRIBUTE

IRWELL TRIBUTE is a very fine blending of old gold standards with very smart burgandy plicata on  creamy orange ground falls. Attractive sanded and dotted pattern much in the style of the great 'COLORTART' (Innerst 83). Magnificent form, substance and texture that is simply presented with only light waving, no lace or other clutter. In only one season it is already much admired in the garden for it's vigorous clean growth and the unusual color pattern. Registered as parentage unknown but I have filled in the parentage...

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Tall Bearded Iris BEAUMONDE

Tempo Two, Pearcedale, Victoria, Australia. Iris, Daylilies, Hosta Catalogue  1986-1987 BEAUMONDE  (Lorna Hodges '86 Aust)  M. 36"  This has been a favourite of ours since it was a seedling in the raisers garden. This popularity was increased when it started to win awards in the trial garden. It is a plicata with a ground colour of white.  Standards are muted blue violet with a cast of colour throughout; falls are heavily veined muted blue violet.  Beards are bright ...

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Tall Bearded Iris AURORA LIGHTS

'Aurora Lights' a great looking plicata that you see a lot growing in the more established gardens in the Wairarapa. Key point in identification is the purple base foliage inherited from the pod parent. Nice clean foliage and robust growth. This plant has often been mislabelled  as 'Harlequin' which it does not even remotely look like but the most telling fact that eliminates it as 'Harlequin' is that it does not have the PBF trait referred to above. Stevens Bros, Bastia Hill, Wanganui.  Irises 1949-1950 catalogue Novelties...

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