New Zealand Tall Bearded Iris BEYOND RICHES

'Beyond Riches' is an iris introduced by Alison Nicoll, Richmond Iris Gardens, New Zealand, and certainly has inherited the genes from the pod parent George Shoop's 'Prince George', with an extra large dollop of added zest and wow!!
 Standards are a lilac white with a distinctive gold edge, hafts are veined leading to a solid magenta purple with a mandarin orange coloured beard. Large slightly fragrant blooms on well branched stems, that carry a upmarket sophisticated bling look with a dash of Parnell. A very nice iris with good plant health, a sister seedling to the New Zealand Dykes medal winner, 'Atavas'.

Richmond Iris Gardens, 376 Hill St., Richmond, Nelson, New Zealand
Specialist Growers and Hybridisers of Beautiful Bearded Irises Catalogue, Issue 62, 2012-13.
BEYOND RICHES: [A. Nicoll ’07] Standards, pale lilac blue with fine gold edge. Falls, Purple blend on magenta, white area around tangerine beards.

New Zealand Iris Hybridisers Cumulative Checklist 2015
BEYOND RICHES    (Alison Nicoll, R. 2007) Sdlg. A00T2-1. TB, 30" (76 cm), ML    S. light pale lilac-blue, fine gold edging; style arms lilac blue, darker lilac center, gold tips; F. rich magenta and purple blend, white area around beard, fine gold edging, gold and violet veins; beards tangerine; lightly frilled, ruffled; slight sweet fragrance. Prince George X Outrageous Fortune. Richmond 2007/08.

Reproduction in whole or in part of this post, its opinions or its images without the expressed written permission of Terry Johnson is strictly prohibited. Photo credit and copyright Terry Johnson and Heritage Irises ©.

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New Zealand Tall Bearded Iris LACE AND VIOLETS

This is a terrific iris to grow and being New Zealand bred iris makes it just the bit more special. The multi award winning iris 'Fancy Woman' (Keppel '95) gives Lace and Violets a luminata lineage and perhaps helped with its fragrance. Laced and ruffled, the colour patterning is a marbled lavender to violet airbrushed look over blue, white in the heart of the flower, most likely a variation of a luminata-plicata. Outstanding plant habits, includes good increase, clean light green foliage. Last season this iris was listed in the 'Richmond Iris Catalogue' for $10.00 which is a great deal for such a stunning and good growing iris. Seriously you need to put this iris on this coming seasons 'Buy-It List'.

Richmond Iris Garden, 376 Hill Street, Nelson. Issue 57, 2007-2008 Catalogue.
New Introductions
LACE AND VIOLETS  TB  [A Nicoll 2005] This lovely laced and ruffled blue/violet iris will delight you. The standards have a lavender wash over frosty pale blue and the falls a violet wash over blue. A pronounced sweet fragrance is a bonus.

New Zealand Iris Hybridisers Cumulative Checklist 2013.
LACE AND VIOLETS Alison Nicoll, Reg., 2005. Sdlg A01T9:1. TB, 31″, (80 cm), M ; S. lavender wash over frosty pale blue; style arms lavender; F. violet wash over blue with white glow around beard, hafts veined violet; beards white, yellow in throat, cream in middle; laced and ruffled; pronounced sweet fragrance. Fancy Woman x A99T10:6: (About Town x Honky Tonk Blues). Richmond Iris Gardens 2007/08.

Available in New Zealand from Richmond Iris Garden.
As usual, clicking the above image will take you to the larger, higher resolution version.
Photo credit and copyright Iris Hunter. 

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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 result. Introduced in the same year as 'Magic Mushroom' another of Alisons Aril Bred Irises I grow successfully, in fact all the Arils I purchased from Richmond Iris Garden in January 2012 established themselves well in their first season and bloomed in October 2012 just 9 months after planting which is a good result, so if you want my advise give them a go.

Richmond Iris Garden Catalogue, 376 Hill Street, Nelson. Issue 56, 2008-2009
New Introductions.
MOUNT MELITA: AB [ A. Nicoll '06] Dark blue, falls have a purple wash.

New Zealand Hybridisers Cumulative Checklist 2013
MOUNT MELITA  Alison Nicoll, Reg., 2006. Sdlg. AO2D1-7. AB (OGB-), 15″, (39cm), M-L. Dark blue self, style arms tipped purple, F. washed purple; beards lemon. Chubby Cheeks X Tabriz. Richmond Iris Gardens 2008/09

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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New Zealand Tall Bearded Iris ATAVUS

When I first saw this iris bloom at home, my first thought was that I was having another enjoyable mid life crisis that involved visiting the Caterpillar from Alice in Wonderland. This Iris colouration is an acquired taste and some either love it or loath it, me? I put the colours in the loud but possibly interesting file. 'Atavus' grows well, has good plant health, but its the open and somewhat chaotic form of the cream standards and the uneven ruffling on the falls lets the bloom down. Had the form of the bloom been more even on the falls and the standards controlled, coupled with the interesting colours it could have been a brilliant iris. Certainly an Iris that's impossible to take no notice of !!

Courtesy Cayeux Iris, 2013.

'Atavus' is an Iris introduced by Alison Nicoll in 2006 and is very similar to the above photo of the brand new Richard Cayeux 2013 introduction 'Un Peu Fou' which appropriately translates 'A Little Crazy' a label that could apply to both the varieties

Richmond Iris Garden, 376 Hill Street, Nelson. Issue 58, 2008-2009 Catalogue.

ATAVUS: L [A. Nicoll '06] Cream standards with central lilac flush. Tan hafts and border with strong lilac centre.

$24.00

New Zealand Iris Hybridisers Cumulative Checklist 2012

ATAVUS Alison Nicoll, Reg., 2006. Sdlg. A00T2-2. TB, 28″, (72 cm), ML S. cream flushed lilac in centre; style arms cream and lilac; F. strongly washed violet, tan hafts and border; beards red; flared; slight spicy fragrance. Prince George X Outrageous Fortune. Richmond 2007/08; Begg Shield 2009 (NZ) Dykes Medal 2014 (NZ).

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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New Zealand Bred Aril Iris MAGIC MUSHROOM

As you can read below the Catalogue introduction has as much 'hooray henry' as the Checklist description and someone must have told the writer of both to stick to the facts, or perhaps its just a display of the hybridiser's modesty . This is an iris that I purchased from a seller on 'Trade Me' last season and I am mighty glad I did. A ¼ bred oncogelia hybrid, intermediate in height strong stalks that display smallish blooms that are pleasing on the eye, blooms have a nice sheen that highlights a broken colour maroon purple flecking adding to the intensity of the mixed colours certainly draws the garden visitor towards the bloom . Strong plant growth very rounded blooms. A cross of a standard dwarf iris as the pod parent and the pollen parent is the ½ bred oncogelia hybrid  'Tabriz'  a winner of 'Clarence G. White Award'. Very Early, Blooms with the SDB but even with only first year growth has a long bloom period, and is a must see should you want your definition of beige to change. If you find it for sale on Trade Me or if you have to add it to your order from Richmond Iris Garden, Buy it! It's an exotic look you'll love.
Based purely on merit this is an iris that should be in the NZ Dykes Test Garden and would be a winner.

Richmond Iris Garden Catalogue, 376 Hill Street, Nelson. Issue 56, 2008-2009
New Introductions.
MAGIC MUSHROOM: AB ( A. Nicoll '06) Standards purple flecking over beige, falls old gold washed purple with maroon veining around beards.

New Zealand Iris Hybridisers Cumulative Checklist 2012
MAGIC MUSHROOM  Alison Nicoll, Reg.,2006. Sdlg. AO2D5-4. AB (OGB-), 17", (43cm), M ; Standards beige, purple flecking; style arms old gold, bluish centre line; Falls old gold over washed purple, maroon-red veining around gold beard. Adoring Glances X Tabriz. Richmond Iris Gardens 2008/09.

As always clicking on the above image will take you to the larger, higher resolution version.
Photo credit and copyright Iris Hunter. (Just how many New Zealand Bred Irises is that now?????)

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New Zealand Tall Bearded Iris 'CABBAGES AND KINGS'

"The time has come," the Walrus said,
 "To talk of many things:
 Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
 Of Cabbages--and Kings--"
Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There, Lewis Carroll, 1872.

Well yes indeed the time has come to talk of 'Cabbages and Kings'.Strong purple blush in the heart of the standards reminds me a lot of 'Freedom Road' (Gordon Plough,1976), colour placement, frills, ruffles and crimping all taking direction from the Keppel genes. Strangely elegant pastel colour's have that 'painted in watercolours' effect. Standards have a tendency to open uneven which is at odds with the Falls more "finished" form. Large blooms on strong stalks with good bud count giving the plant a good length of bloom (much longer for me than just the mid season as noted in it's registration). Good plant health and reasonable increase. Will transfer this iris among the darker black and purple toned irises to display in a different landscape to see if it 'grows' on me a little more than it's done to date. It's certainly an iris that grabs your interest!

Richmond Iris Garden Catalogue, 376 Hill Street, Nelson. Issue 56, 2006-2007
New Introductions.
CABBAGES AND KINGS TB ( A Nicoll 2005) $25.00
This lovely frilled and crimped lemon has an unusual purple blush in the heart of the standards. A sweet fragrance is a bonus.

New Zealand Iris Hybridisers Cumulative Checklist 2011
CABBAGES AND KINGS   Alison Nicoll, Reg., 2005 Sdlg A01T5: 3. TB, 32″, (82 cm), M. Standards purple blush in centre merging to lemon at edges; style arms lemon; Falls lemon edges merging to cream centre, more intense lemon at hafts; beards lemon tipped white, gold in throat; frilled and crimped; pronounced sweet fragrance. (Knock ‘em Dead x Keppel seed, LLFBKK: 2: (Lotus Land x Fogbound)). Richmond Iris Gardens 2006/07.

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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