Tall Bearded Space Age Iris CONJURATION

Flowers are small for the height of the stalks. It's a more subtle Space Age form and some people take a lot of convincing that it is a Space Age Iris at all. Covers itself in blooms with a great backup of buds. I've always been impressed with this Iris growing in other gardens but only just purchased this Iris last season, so for me to write that I'm looking forward to this multi-award winning iris blooming at home would have to be the understatement of 2013 . Moonshine Gardens, Potter Valley California. ...

Read More

Barry Blyth's Tall Bearded Iris ABOUT TOWN

'About Town' from a cross with Joe Ghio's 1989 apricot pink 'Bubble Up' X with Barry Blyth's stunning 'Electrique', and the result is a sultry exciting iris with ruffled lilac mauve standards, velvety deep wine red violet falls all set off by a distinctive ruffled pinstriped edge in colour of the standards. Tangerine beards that contrasts nicely against the fall colours. Good plant health. One of the great parents for Barry Blyth. Tempo Two, Pearcedale, Victoria, Australia. Iris, Daylilies, Hosta Catalogue, New Introductions, ...

Read More

Barry Blyth's Tall Bearded Iris HOSTESS ROYALE

This star performer 'Hostess Royale' was purchased many years ago from Mossburn Irises. It's one of those iron clad irises that has amazing garden presence and visitors to the garden all want to know its name. Excellent branching and with sound, vigorous plant habits. As you can see it's a self of a peach pink tone with a white patch in the center of the fall which highlights the big fat fuzzy deep tangerine orange beards.  All topped off with extravagant ruffles on standards and falls....

Read More

Winter Blooming Tall Bearded Iris ETERNAL BLISS

In New Zealand it's less than four days away from the 2013 Winter Solstice when the day duration will be 09 Hours 37 Mins 53 Secs (Hardy worth turning the lights off) and in the home garden today Ben Hager's  'Total Recall' (92) has three bloom stalks that are just covered in buds and Monty Byers very fine re-blooming 'Eternal Bliss' (87) is in full bloom, now ain't that great? 'Eternal Bliss' is in it's second season re-blooming for me, which has erased the suggestion that when the Iris re-bloomed last season it was...

Read More

THE CALIFORNIAN SECTION- Californian Iris

Coloured forms of Iris innominata,  Courtesy of the book, 'The Iris and its Culture' Jean Stevens. Some Lesser Known Irises   PART IV THE CALIFORNIAN SECTION By Miss J. Burgess, Waikanae. THE NEW ZEALAND SMALLHOLDER, June 17th, 1935. Many factors have mitigated against the garden distribution and consequent popularity of the Californian irises, but none more so than the confusion hitherto existing among collectors...

Read More

Sir Michael Foster, NOTES ON IRISES

NOTES ON IRISES  THE GARDENERS CHRONICLE 1883 ON SOME HYBRID IRISES. - I find that many have a great objection to the raising of hybrids. From a gardening point of view this is of course wholly unreasonable, seeing how every year sees the birth of hybrids more beautiful and more manageable than their parents; and even from a botanical point of view the hybridist, it appears to me, deserves praise and not blame. I will say nothing of the evidence, gradually growing stronger, that some of the wild forms of plants regarded...

Read More

PREAMBLE NOTES ON IRISES

Please take the time and read the above from one of the Greats! Published in 1883, I considered Sir Michael Fosters completely unabridged article 'Notes on Irises' needed once again to have some light shine upon his words and allow the readers see how prescient the man really was. Now as an aside, I did consider sending the article to a ghost twitter writer who works for one of those gossip mag things to add some spicy little snippets of completely useless information like, without identifying the source suggesting the colour...

Read More

Tall Bearded Iris SPANISH LEATHER

  Considered by Carlos Ayento, of Brighton Park Iris to be endangered in its American homeland, 'Spanish Leather' a twenty eight year old classic is still regularly available here in New Zealand. It was one of my pleasant new purchase surprises last bloom season. This well named variety is a medley of autumn colours in bronze, copper-brown, and rosy-rust, completed with rich golden tones in the centre of each fall.The flowers are thickly substanced with a leathery texture. Iron rod stalks...

Read More

Tall Bearded Iris I'VE GOT RHYTHM

Very early, starts blooming in Mid October and carries on for weeks. Standards are rosy-raspberry with just the right amount of ruffles. Falls are a creamy white with an edge of the standard colour that broadens towards the hafts. An excellent highlight in any garden, vigorous with great plant health making it a delight to grow. Schreiner's, Salem,Oregon, 74th Collectors Edition, 1999 Iris Lovers Catalog. I’VE GOT RHYTHM (Schreiner 1998) EM. 38" One of the first tall beardeds to bloom, this effervescent...

Read More

Iris Pseudacorus X ROY DAVIDSON

'Roy Davidson' is a clump-forming evergreen iris growing to 1.1m, the strong stems have up to 10 flowers or more, light but bright yellow with light brown veining, the falls with a crescent-shaped brown central flash and just look at the photo how is that for amazing carrying power!! This variety's pollination was possibly by an insect a bird or the wind, and for a intervention of nature it is a super good looking 'Water Iris'. As a hybrid 'Roy Davidson', has like the species an excellent...

Read More

New Zealand Aril Bred iris MOUNT MELITA

  Another quality New Zealand  Aril Bred iris from the Richmond Iris Gardens. Alison Nicoll has really made a mark with her Aril selections of late which show a good eye for form selection in this class. The colour is a self of a dark diva blue (Ridgway 196) and bloom form is good with that rounded Aril trait on 40cm stems. Once again Alison has used 'Tabriz' (Kidd,'83) as a parent but this time a cross with Paul Blacks hauntingly blue Standard Dwarf plicata 'Cubby Cheeks' ('85) for an outstanding...

Read More

Tall Bearded Iris IRWELL STAR STRUCK

As with all the 'IRWELLS'  its a strong and vigorous grower with great bloom count on rod like stems. 'Irwell Star Struck' was awarded an Honourable Mention when it was grown in the NZIS Tall Bearded Trial Garden at Makikihi in 2012. New Zealand Hybridisers Cumulative Checklist 2013 IRWELL STAR STRUCK Ron Busch, Reg., 2010. Sdlg.1901-4085. TB, 30" (76 cm), E. Standards and style arms white flushed wine; Falls wine, wine-white edge, white veins at shoulders and around orange beard. Parentage unknown. H.M. 2012 (NZ) The...

Read More

Tall Bearded Iris SKATING PARTY

Perception, Perception,Perception. Just look at it! Now if I was to tell you that this iris is 'Historic' I think it would not be unreasonable for readers to inquire what has the Iris Hunter been drinking? or maybe recommend to me some restful accommodation with discreet professional support. However folks I kid you not, 'Skating Party' has this year being newly classified as 'Historic' because it is thirty years old and that's the official determination of the classification. This method of classification of a so called 'Historic...

Read More

Border Bearded Iris ORINOCO FLOW

I purchased this Iris this season as it fascinated me with its dark purple style arms and I am sure looking forward to it blooming at home. Return to this post in a years time I will have expanded my thoughts. Interesting that this iris is reported to slip between growing in some gardens at tall bearded height and in other gardens its the height of the Border Bearded class. English bred and registered in England in 1989 but it was not until 4 years later it was introduced in America by the late George Sutton at his  'Sutton's...

Read More