'Shipshape' is one of the great blue classic irises and an all time favourite of mine. Long flowering season with strong spikes carrying 6-8 buds with good branching. A very strong and masculine looking iris, with falls have that chiselled look, very triangular in their early bloom form that later becomes a very balanced look between the standards and the falls. Absolute stand-out iris this past season and my garden notes taken when visiting a large iris garden in Greytown one of the beds with forty large blooms counted with a strong count of buds to follow up in the large planting of this variety, a truly outstanding display. Incredible almost weed like high health growth. This iris took America by storm in the early 70's. Great parent.
Melrose Gardens, Stockton, California, 1969 Introductions.
SHIPSHAPE (Sanford Babson) TB 38" (Epic X Pacific Panorama) Very large, VERY wide medium blue. Also popular at the 1968 convention and going fast................................................NET $25.00
Melrose Gardens, Stockton, California,The Connoisseur's Catalog 1981.
SHIPSHAPE (Babson '69) Still one of the GREAT iris ; wide, sea-blue with super form supported by a vigorous plant. Dykes Medal '74....................................................................$3.50.
Brown's Sunnyhill Gardens, Milton-Freewater, Oregon. 1972 Iris.
SHIPSHAPE (S. Babson,'69) Huge ruffled flowers of medium blue with domed standards and wide semi-flaring falls. Tall and well branched. HM '70.
The Iris Society Year Book (BIS) 1973, page 125, 'The AIS Convention in Philadelphia', Harry B. Kuesel.
Our next stop was at Mr and Mrs E. A. Chariott's garden in Moylan, Pennsylvania. The large, well landscaped grounds had many interesting trees and shrubs that made a perfect background for the Irises. Here I noted that 'Shipshape' (Babson,'69) was particularly good. This is a dense medium blues self with no haft markings and a bright light yellow beard. It has deep fluted standards over folding each other rising into a crown of furbelows. Its falls are ruffled and flaring. This Iris was awarded the Franklin Cook Memorial Cup which is given to the Iris originated outside the local region which gets the most Convention visitors votes.
Mission Bell Gardens, Roy, Utaha, Iris for 1973.
SHIPSHAPE (S. Babson,'69) M 38in.
Magnificent intense medium blue self with light yellow beard. Deeply fluted standards domed and closed ; broad spreading falls with ruffled shoulders and waved petal edges. Strong stems with ideal branching.
(Pacific Panorama X Epic) AM '72..............................................................................$12.50
Jean Collins Iris Garden, Cambridge Road, R.D.1 Tauranga.
SHIPSHAPE M- Wide mid-sea blue. D.M.U.S. 1974.
Schreiner's, Salem,Oregon, 57th Annual, 1982 Iris Lovers Catalog.
SHIPSHAPE (S. Babson, 1969) EM. 38"Broadly petaled and finely balanced in shape, massive. Shipshape ranks among the largest medium blues. Rich in color, an intense medium blue, it has an easy, undulating form with excellent, well branched stems, which support this mammoth flower beautifully.
(Pacific Panorama X Epic), HM 1970, AM 1972, Dykes Medal 1974.
Bay Blooms Nurseries, Cambridge Road, Tauranga Spring / Summer 1996 Catalogue.
SHIPSHAPE Massive ruffled flowers of dense medium blue with light yellow beards. Well-branched strong stems. Winner of the Dykes Medal, 1974.
IRISES, A Gardener's Encyclopedia, Claire Austin.
Iris 'Shipshape' (S. Babson, 1968) Cobalt-blue in colour, the ruffled flowers are borne on well branched stems and have short white beards. The petals are shiny, and the flowers are lightly scented. Height 97 cm (38¾in.) Bloom ; mid-season. Parentage : (Pacific Panorama X Epic). Dykes Medal Winner USA 1974.
AIS Checklist 1969
SHIPSHAPE (S. Babson, R. 1968) Sdlg. Q46-11. TB, 38" (97 cm), M., Medium blue self. Pacific Panorama X Epic. Melrose 1969. HC 1968, HM 1970, AM 1972, Dykes 1974.
As always clicking on the above image will take you to the larger, higher resolution version.
Photo credit and copyright Iris Hunter.
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