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 a one off. This cracker of a iris was purchased wrongly labelled as 'Fine China' from a seller on Trade Me.

AIS Checklist 1989
ETERNAL BLISS Monty Byers, Reg. 1987. Sdlg. C86-100. TB, 35" (89 cm), M & RE. Standards pale violet; Falls violet white; tangerine beard; heavily ruffled. A-3-1 RE-SA: ('Startler' x 'Sky Hooks') X 'Heaven Helped'. Moonshine Gardens 1988.

 If you get yourself a moment check out the Reblooming Iris Society web site and join! Its one of the premier Iris Societies, and if you don't own some re-blooming irises make a note to purchase some next season, you won't regret it!

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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Tall Bearded Iris "PEACH SPOT "

Another Re-blooming dazzling, zestful colour combination from George Shoop still flowering off and on well after all the other Tall Bearded Irises have packed their blooms away until next year. Fragrant with just the right amount of ruffles and a lovely grower. This photo taken today after some heavy downpours of rain last night and this morning.

GEORGE A SHOOP, 2009 N.E. Liberty, Portland, Oregon 97211, 1973.
PEACH SPOT (Shoop '73). TB. 36" Midseason
White, lightly ruffled standards. White broad falls, with a medium colored peach spot covering two thirds of the fall. Good substance and form. Tangerine beard. Branched. Fine plant. New-different. 68-30-1 HC '72
Snow Peach X sib....................$25.00

Bulletin of the American Iris Society, October 1975, Number 219.Vintage Year. Larry L. Harder, Nebraska.
PEACH SPOT from George Shoop gives us a color pattern not seen for a long time: white with a large peach spot on each fall.

Bulletin of the American Iris Society, Summer 1978, Number 230. Flightlines, Medians, Joe Gatty, California:
If you wish to have fun IBs try a cross of PEACH SPOT or SNOW PEACH with DOVE WINGS. The row of these that I bloomed were a fun lot of seedlings-all amoenas with fall pattern of apricot, peach and violet on white.

AIS Checklist 1979
PEACH SPOT (G. Shoop, R. 1973). Sdlg. 68-30-1. TB 36" (91 cm) M. S. lightly ruffled white; F. white with large medium peach spot; tangerine beard. Snow Peach X sib., Shoop 1973. Highly Commended 1972, Honorable Mention 1974


Available in America from Riverview Iris Gardens, Bluebird Haven Iris Garden, Blue J Iris, The Iris Farm

Photo credit and copyright Iris Hunter

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