EDENITE and CALIENTE and that blasted wiki iris thing again.

We grow large clumps of 'Edenite' (Plough, '58) and 'Caliente' (Luihn, '69) at home so it was with some wonderment that I recently received an email from a concerned Iris grower about the identification of his Iris and could I inform him if the Iris in the photo attached to his email was Edenite or Caliente??
I replied to the gentleman politely pointing out he must be confused as the two irises are so completely different, and inquired how was it possible to confuse the two varieties?????
Back came the email reply which referred me to a listing for 'Edenite' on that blasted wiki thing and on the page a note states " 'Edenite' is almost identical to 'Caliente' (W. Luihn, R. 1969) The difference is the color of the beard." and 'Yes Folks' after looking at the listing for 'Caliente' there is a double dose of this claptrap, the note on this page states " 'Caliente' is almost identical with 'Edenite' (Plough, R. 1958). The difference is the color of the beard." These pearls of wisdom have been there since 1st February 2011, that's almost three years of misinformation!!

Well I put the gentleman straight that these statements are pure works of fiction which took a bit of convincing as unsurprisingly he was sure the American Iris Society would know best.  The 'slam dunk' is the above image, but I also copied him the registered descriptions from the 'real' Checklist database, also the introduction notes by Eden Road Gardens and Mission Bell Gardens which all make no mention of this little known look-a-like fantasy.
As readers can see that the official check lists entries below list the colour of 'Edenite' as "Sooty red-black". 'Caliente' on the other hand it's colour is described as "Wine red" two totally different hues. 
I sent the above photo collage to one of Americas most distinguished Irisarians and the reply "THAT'S IT!!! I first saw Caliente in the Luihn garden before introduction. There is NO way it could be confused with Edenite" 

AIS Checklist, 1959.
EDENITE (Plough, R. 1958). Sdlg. 55-11-14. TB 30" EM. RN1. Sooty red-black. Great Day x Sable Night., Eden Road 1959. H.C. 1958, H.M. 1959 A.M. 1961.

Eden Road Iris Garden, Wenatchee, Washington. 1959 introductions.
EDENITE--- EM. 30 in.( Great Day x Sable Night) Entire flower is deep red-black with falls having a sooty black appearance. Flower is large with wide petals. Fertile both ways. H.C. '58 ...........................$35.00 net.

AIS Checklist 1969
CALIENTE    Walter Luihn, Reg. 1967. Sdlg. 64-9. TB 38" ML. R1.    Wine red self; bright gold beard. ((Tompkins 54-173 x Bang) x (Oriental Glory x Huntsman)) X Forward March., Mission Bell 1968. HC 1966, HM 1969.AM 71.

Mission Bell Gardens, Melba and Jim Hamblen,  South Roy, Utah. Introductions for 1968.
CALIENTE (Walt Luihn). ML. 38". Brilliant wine-red of exceptional smoothness and clarity of color, highlighted by a heavy beard of antique gold. The standards are domed and the wide flaring falls have a jaunty lilt. Strong stalks with superb branching and prolific bud count. ((Tompkins 54-173 x BANG) x (ORIENTAL GLORY X HUNTSMAN)) X FORWARD MARCH. Sdlg. 64-9. HC '66 Net $25.00

When this wiki thing was first mooted did someone say the price for the Iris Encyclopedia will be to make the American Iris Society purveyors of inaccurate information?? I think not! But that is what is happening. Apparently a huge amount of the AIS membership do not even own a computer so are blissfully unaware that Iris nomenclature and the status of the AIS as the 'go to' organisation for accurate iris information which members take so much pride in, is being constantly eroded by the inaccuracies deceminated by this Ersatz Iris Encyclopaedia.   
Maybe if the Manager of this iris wiki free-for-all spent more time editing the web site information and less time trying to emulate that Hanna-Barbera animated fictional character 'Muttley wants a medal' the problems highlighted above would have had a slimmer chance of seeing the light of day! But Hey that's not something that's going to change any-time soon.  

As always clicking on the above image will take you to the larger, higher resolution version. 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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Tall Bearded Iris IRWELL DANCE

 Another great photo sent to share by Julie May the owner of the legendary 'The Iris Garden'.  The late great Ron Busch was a master of the surprise and 'Irwell Dance' is no exception to this rule. This iris and 'Irwell Fancy' may be soon winging their way to overseas Test garden destinations. I have been informed by an official of the NZIS that after Ron's passing his Irises are no longer eligible to be entered in New Zealand Iris Society sanctioned test gardens for the Begg Sheild or Dykes Medal. Who would of thought!!! How flawed could the logic be?? I thought awards are won by the iris, not the hybridiser, and in many peoples opinion not just mine his passing away should not affect any of his Irises eligibility. But more on that in a month or so.

New Zealand Iris Hybridisers Checklist 2012
IRWELL DANCE Ron Busch, Reg., 2010. Sdlg.010. TB, 30" (76 cm), EM. S. white; style arms white tipped yellow; F. lemon yellow, white spot and shoulders veined lemon yellow; beards tangerine.  Parentage unknown. The Iris Garden 2013. H.C. 2012 (NZ)

As always clicking on the above image will take you to the larger, higher resolution version.
Photo credit Julie May. Copyright Iris Hunter.

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HERITAGE IRISES YEAR IN REVIEW 2012

      It was just a few days ago that doomsday theorists said it was the end of the world! never happened! Another non event was the Green Party who tried to convince us this year that 'Jack Frost' was going to become 'Jack the puddle' and that also never happened! its been a year where so called major predictions have gone hopelessly askew.
My bloom season for 2012 was the same as many New Zealand growers reported, it came early and all at once making the garden very surreal. At home we had Siberian Irises flowering with Standard dwarfs, the reliable strong Nor-westerly winds came and went and about half the Irises did not bloom at all, so all and all a interesting bloom season. Now before the climate change wonks say this is proof of their dribble, they should read any Iris Journal from the past and they will find published within are a multitude of reports that show the weather has its own mind and most likely always will. Some have immediately attributed  'Climate Change' to recent statements 'No Blooms for the Iris Show this year', my thoughts are that it has very little to do with a change in the weather but more to do with a change with the show date. History shows us that show dates year on year can and have changed by as many as 10 days either side of the previous year's date which has a far bigger impact on the amount of blooms for the show bench but always seems to be overlooked.
   Oh and today, Bee Warburtons 'Reprise' has decided to start blooming again, Bob Hollingworth's 'Shall We Dance' has not stopped blooming since it started 2 months ago, and looks like it will be around for Christmas Day, Terry Aitken's 'Double your Fun' has started to bloom today for the first time this season, it's an intermediate that is registered a re-bloomer but I think it's just a straggler.

Change is so swift in the digital world that Smartphones and Tablets are changing the way we use the internet and web masters need to make it a priority to view the way their web site display's on the smaller screens as within a year these little power packed wonders will be the major player in the world of digital media, web masters who ignore this rapidly advancing change will be rewarded by decreased visitors to their website.
While I am on the subject of digital media let me say the AIS E-membership is not what it is cracked up to be. I am a E-member so I can access the iris register database (the real one). The fee last year jumped from $10.00 to $15.00 and for the 50% jump in fees I get access in advance of the printed Bulletin as a PDF file and help fund the Twiki thing. The bulletin in Portable Document Format (PDF) is a huge data file, takes for ever to download cannot be printed or saved so every time you visit cost more megabits which I have to pay to the phone company, adding to this, once the bulletin is released in the digital format it is then parroted via the AIS Book face thingy and AIS World of Iris blog, parts of the featured articles are discussed on various Iris forums, and all this before my printed copy (which I have to pay for as a separate membership) arrives in the mail. By the time I get to read the printed bulletin half the publication has articles that have already been part published on the AIS Book face thingy and includes some expanded articles that were originally posted on the AIS World Of Irises Blog.
  Hey some people may like this new way of doing things but for me it devalues the Bulletin which is after all the AIS premium publication and this repetitive media strategy is getting a lot like listening to a Wagner opera, you know, where the lead character first tells you what he’s going to say, and then he says it, and then he tells you what he just said.
 
Also it was a year with some people getting sniffy about this blog expressing my opinions on the inaccuracy of the Iris Encyclopedia.
Am I opposed to a web site undermining the considerable credibility that we associate with the Checklists? Yes I am, but why should I have to shut up about that? Who says any faction of a Society should be able to step over me and say 'shut up, you're not allowed to open your mouth on that'. I am been seen by some to be doing something wrong by pointing out mistakes that are been published on the internet as facts.........huh?
However this is the real point....... Censorship is undesirable and a threat to liberty. We should always think long and hard before bowing to the ever present wowser elements in our society who would wish to align the limits of our liberty to their own tastes. You either believe in freedom of speech, or you do not.

In 2012 my eyes particularly like these irises ... George Shoops, 'Spring Tidings', 'Deep Venture', and 'Private Treasure', Barry Blyth's 'Covet Me', Joe Ghio's 'Caption' Ron Busch's 'Irwell Wild Child' and 'Irwell Fancy',

BEST IRIS PUBLICATION Bulletin or Journal for 2012 (That I receive, and I receive a few) goes to The Historic Iris Society online magazine  'Flags'. It's well set out, can be downloaded, great photos, and its free to everyone who visits the web site. After a trying year for the editor with back problems and surgery the publication still came out for the Fall. If there is one small criticism from me its the need to publish other points of view in regards to various issues but I am sure it will go on to even better and brighter things in the future.

 I DON'T THINK SO AWARD 2012 goes to the Iris Encyclopedia now often referred to as 'Bob's Bloopers' . It wins the award for putting the wrong photos against a check list description and I think my post 'Tall bearded Iris Beaumonde' covered problem well, but from all reports these problems have not gone away.
Now, when I visit the site (which is not often) I am reminded of that old saying 'Trust is like a eraser. It gets smaller and smaller after every mistake.'

Anyway Merry Christmas to all 'Heirtage Irises' readers, thanks to the comment makers, thanks to all the Worlds Iris Hybridisers both past and present for whom I have the utmost respect, to the contributors of Photos, and also to the International commentators, thank you all for a really great year .

All the Very best for 2013 and may your New Year be full of family, Irises, laughter and love.
 See you mid January and thanks for 2012.

  An explanation, 'Heritage Irises'  is a record some of the irises growing at my Home, features photos of 'New Zealand Bred Irises' and also the blog at times  features new introductions of Irises from International Breeders. As opposed to a Bulletin, Journal,or Year Books, 'Heritage Irises' is more of a personal diary with a minimum amount of interactivity.

 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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GOT ME THINKING AGAIN

GOT ME THINKING AGAIN

The thoughts for these posts on hybridising came about late February when I was sent the photo of 'Sopra Il Vulcano' re-blooming in Auckland and looking through the pedigree got me thinking. This stunning Iris is the result of crosses between three irises that on average were each twenty years old at time of its registration. 
Now several years later Paul Black used the iris 'Sopra Il Vulcano' (1998) as the pollen parent in a cross with seedling he labeled 12A, ('Apricot Topping' 1997 X 'Romantic Evening' 1994) and as you can see all of the irises involved in this mix are irises of the nineties. The seedling selected from this cross became the impressive award winning iris 'Some Like it Hot' (2007).
I am also hesitant when writing about 'Some Like it Hot', as it could once again fan the smouldering embers for the 'Hell that’s a good looking iris, lets make moves about importing irises again' crowd, so before there is a mad rush to start drooling over the latest  international catalogues just let me tell you that all the irises used in making this cross are all available commercially in New Zealand, so it could just as easily been bred here in New Zealand today without importing a single iris.

Having to fly overseas to do crosses in iris nurseries beds is just so naff and unnecessary to produce a great iris, and as for having a Jean Stevens Medal for an iris grown from imported seed…… Sure, get seed from overseas to introduce different genes or to short cut a breeding pattern into your breeding pool but don't make it a class or set up a trial ground for the seedlings, as it sends the wrong signals. I have read many, many articles written by Jean and all I can find on the subject is her great enthusiasm for breeding ‘New Zealand Irises’ and you can sense her reserved enthusiasm when you read the following article ‘Breeding Bearded Irises’.
Should a new hybridiser produce a world beating Iris, please don’t expect a rush of recognition and awards. The New Zealand Iris Society has its own awards system which is, quite frankly, puzzling, erratic and underwhelming and that’s being kind. Seriously, New Zealand has fantastic pool of talented hybridisers that deserve better recognition than they currently receive. With only three (last week there was only two) NZ Dykes medals awarded in the last 20 or so years, so perhaps the trial gardens need to grow a few recent Dykes Medal Irises amongst the trial irises just to give the judges a direction on what they might be looking for!!!!
One would have to think that trail grounds politics and the debating of the rules (which in some instances still have unresolved discussions that have lasted years) all seem to have taken on greater importance than the Irises themselves. Then there's the BIS guidelines for entry to a New Zealand Dykes Test Garden that state: “An Iris must be grown and pollinated on New Zealand soil to be eligible” (Has this always been the guideline?) and then go on to say “the person who pollinates the iris plant is the hybridiser and must be a member of the New Zealand Iris Society. This iris can then be called ‘New Zealand bred’”............ Really? I know some very clever New Zealand Iris Hybridisers who are not members of the NZIS that would take issue with this.

Who (and it’s a safe bet it wasn’t a committee of hybridisers) has made so many complicated rules regarding awarding Dykes Memorial Medals when the purpose for which it was originally instituted in 1926 was simply "For the best new Iris of the year, not hitherto in commerce".

All New Zealanders that are interested in breeding Irises need to stop thinking let's import more International Irises for their 'new genetics', because quite frankly the genetics aren’t new and start thinking about the great iris genetics that are readily available in New Zealand, they are about as new as you will find anywhere else in the world. Also keeping in mind with all the fuss about the kiwifruit pollen importation currently going on in New Zealand and two government agencies at each others throats playing the blame game, how likely is it that these same government officials are going to consider relaxing restrictions on importing Irises? Let me enlighten you. I was in Wellington just last Friday and this subject was part of a discussion I participated in and the answer, without having to go into details, is zero, zip, nil, not going to happen, so forget about it.

My closing thoughts......... you will not have sell out speaking tours if you had some Iris Society policy wonk espouse ‘the thrill of Iris Society Rule Committee meetings I have attended’, but you do get great attendance and attention when hybridisers speak, and that should tell you something. So, let’s get on with encouraging more New Zealand hybridising which will allow us to grow more New Zealand-bred Irises which, surprisingly, like growing in our gardens. Without the increasingly diminishing but extremely valuable group known as hybridisers Iris societies can quickly disappear!

The next few posts extend the topic of New Zealand Iris hybridising with amazing and informative contributions from Jean Stevens, Keith Keppel, and Paul Black.

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Heritage Irises 2011 Year in Review

HERITAGE IRISES YEAR IN REVIEW 2011

HERITAGE IRISES has been around in the blogosphere for over four years now and its hard to imagine my life without it. (sad huh).

The bloom season for me in 2011 was erratic and many New Zealand growers reported a bloom season that came late by 2 weeks. At home, not only was it late, it all came at the same time for the Standard Dwarf Bearded and Intermediates, Dutch and English Irises and early flowering Tall Bearded. Then the strong Nor-westerly winds of up to 140 kph wasted the iris bloom several times during the season, and about half the Irises did not bloom at all, so all and all a disappointing bloom season.

'Heritage Irises' measured success and the many Google #1 page ranks it has received for subject matter has been achieved without links from Iris Societies web sites making visitor numbers accurate and avoiding 'Iris Churn' also Google does not track my own page views. Referring sites are almost all search engines.

The Internet is not the "be-all-and-end-all", nor is it going to be, it's a telephone party line, a broadcasting medium, an Archive, a Library, a Botanical Garden, a Public Park and the Garden Centre. Sure, it puts a digital spin on each of those things, but it's fundamentally the same, not fundamentally different. I don't have, facebook, twotter, squidly or any other of the try hard so called 'social media' bunk, if you want social networking, go to a cocktail party, a community barbecue, a street party, or try and overthrow a government.

My awards this year are somewhat like the 2011 European Economy, on negative watch sprinkled with a small amount of positive.

Time for the Awards

BEST IRIS PUBLICATION, Bulletin or Journal for 2011 (That I receive, and I receive a few) goes to 'Tall Talk,' for its 'Content', 'Content' and wait for it,'Content'. Its a great read. Now I do not want to encourage another deluge of emails on this subject but, 'Just how is it that there seems to be more content in some Commercial Growers Catalogue's than in some Official Iris Societies Bulletins???'

MY 'I DONT THINK SO AWARD' for 2011 was a copy of a report sent to me regarding a Iris Website which included the following point of interest, "If the society were to pay for a site like this it would be spending between $5,000.00- $10,000.00". Now having visited the said Web Site I cannot see where one thousand dollars could have possibly been spent on it let alone ten times the quoted value. Web Sites are so Static and when will some web-masters get to understand that unless its new and informative and current, visitor numbers will just fade away.

THE 'LETS COMPLAIN SOME MORE AWARD' goes to a editorial comment which is a bit of an old chestnut actually, and no doubt you have heard it before. It goes something like this, "send more information and photos after all this is your bulletin blah blah blah." I always smile when I read these articles and you may hear me mumble "What's the big deal??? Write a Blog you have to do it all yourself !!!"

THE IRIS LIKEJACKING AWARD for Tricking users of a social media site, especially on Facebook, activated by clicking a “like,” “fave” or “thumbs up” button goes to the AIS Facebook Page. To view the American Iris Society Facebook pages the Welcome page message currently reads "The American Iris Society. Please click, "Like," above, to get started, then go to the Wall tab to browse around. Thank you for visiting."
 Just how do you know you are going to like it?? you haven't seen anything yet !!!!! They count these 'likes' as members!! Gives the facebook page a 'Please like me I'm really desperate' look.(Almost got my 'Worst of the Worst' award as well)

WORST OF THE WORST AWARD, goes to selling Irises on the internet for a 'Trade Me' listing of a common garden Iris Pallida hybrid listed as "One (1) Rare Spring Flower Lilac Blue Bearded Iris" I mean what is rare about it?? not sure if it is just a selling point or the seller needs to get out more often or just lives in a plain old fantasy world. The majority of Iris listings on Trade Me are most likely to be genuine but sellers who use photos that are not theirs to use (Its Called Theft) always makes me think that maybe the iris they are selling is not what they say it is, and after all the purchaser is going to have to wait until next bloom season to see if they are genuine or not, why take the risk!!! It never ceases to amaze me the amount of coin some people spend purchasing Irises on 'Trade Me' when they could buy the same Iris for many dollars less from a Commercial Grower and in most cases get a better rhizome with a guaranteed name.

MY 'RECOVERING LUDDITE FOR 2011' would have to go to a Publicity Chair who recently labelled members without a computer as "Internet Challenged" and insulting the members who made observations regarding the error of his ways by informing them that "complaining is their art form not producing results".

Reading the latest NZ iris clubs 2011 booklet, (I do this so that you don't have to.) the club has lost its editor and does not have a replacement, so potentially there will be no publication, and will anyone be sure if the membership will notice.
While we are on the subject of the NZ iris club I received anonymously in the mail a few days ago a complete set of the last seven years of NZ iris club booklets. My first thought was that I could wrap them up for the office Secret Santa, but that just seemed a bit cruel for the potential recipient. It took me awhile, but I figured that they where sent to me as a sort of 'Chain Booklet' so I added the years 2001 to 2002 to the parcel and sent them on to someone I am sure firmly believes that there are fairies at the bottom of the garden and so its quite possible that he might try and see some merit in the parcels contents, but I'm not holding my breath.

 Anyway Merry Christmas to all of you, and thanks for your visits to the blog, for your understanding when I have my rants and raves, thanks to the comment makers, also to those who don't comment but often visit to read, Thanks to the Worlds Iris Hybridisers both past and present for whom I have the utmost respect,to the contributors of Photos, and also to the International readers and contributors.

All the Very best for 2012 and may your New Year be full of family, Irises, laughter and love.
See you later and thanks for 2011.

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The Iris known as "Braemar Station"

"One of the most serious difficulties the American Joint Committee has had to encounter is the duplication of names caused by the re-use of established names for the new introductions, or, in some cases, the renaming of old varieties; in fact, these mischievous practices have caused a large part of the chaos in common names of plants which now exists in American horticulture. The duplications doubtless occur more as a result of ignorance than deliberate intent to deceive. The genus Iris is a conspicuous example of this bad practice." Statement of the American Joint Committee on Horticultural Nomenclature in Check List No. 8 of the American Iris Society, October 1923":[Ref 1]

My friends, oh my friends!!! The things I wrote and then deleted from this article! Words like, “Indignation”, “Deception,” and “Ignorance”! And then phrases like “I suppose an apology will be out of the question,” “smoke and mirrors,” “in denial of reality” and “yep we gotcha”!! Gone – all of them. It seems that even after waiting six years for a confirmed ID result that has exposed the iris ‘Braemar Station’ as just a impostor, a cultivar with lost labelling that was renamed, none of these reactions are appropriate for an Iris blogger.
I am sure the above photo will interest you. It shows a group shot of 'Gypsy Queen' and 'Braemar Station' growing together this growing season in the garden of an eminent American irisarian prominent in the Historic Iris world. Would you care to guess which flowers are which? It would be difficult not to reach the conclusion the two irises are the one and the same. [Ref 2] So let’s look at how a 2005 registered iris could possibly be the same as the Iris 'Gypsy Queen' which the 1929 Check List attributes the breeding of to 'Salter before 1859' (his catalogue listed it in 1848).

This is the registration from NZIS Checklist 2007:
BRAEMAR STATION Carol Mackenzie by Gwenda Harris, Reg., 2005. SPEC-X, 39″, (100cm), L. S. and style arms greyed yellow (RHC 62A); F. white tinged yellow at haft and edges, heavily striped deep red-purple (59A) deepening to almost solid black; beards white deepening to gold; sweet fragrance. I. variegata X unknown. Maritima 2005.

It was apparently found in a horse paddock growing beneath a Lombardy poplar tree in the Mackenzie Country in New Zealand's South Island. It must be said that I do not have a problem with Carol Mackenzie finding an historic iris in a paddock and wanting to keep it – in fact she should be applauded for doing so – but the registration of this iris by Ms. Harris has always been of a concern.
First up there is a problem with its registered class. This description comes from AIS Judges’ Handbook: “ “CHAPTER 20; SPECIES IRISES
SPEC-X is the class for interspecies crosses. These hybrids have a mix of species traits creating a new plant. Any cross involving an iris species as one of the parents and another plant not of that species is a species cross. Also included in SPEC-X are further hybrids from interspecies crosses. All of the above crosses are included in the SPEC-X class. Even when a specific class exists for an interspecies cross, the hybridizer may elect to register his/her iris as SPEC-X if he/she feels it is more ''species-like'' and not representative of the definition of the specific class. The Randolph-Perry Medal is the highest award for irises in the SPEC-X class.”

In 2007 an eminent European Irisarian wrote to both myself and Ms. Harris stating: "I am afraid its registration could cause confusion without a notice that it is a cultivar with lost labelling. The picture speaks for a variegata parentage but it is decidedly NOT a species, dry tops of spathes, at least, speak clearly for a hybrid origin. No one wild variegata can have such spathes".
How is an Iris found in a paddock able to be registered with I. variegata as the pod parent?? What evidence was submitted at time of registration to justify this part of the pedigree????
The NZIS bulletin (September 2009 #179 page 17-18) published the introducer's self-reinforcing and awkward interpretation of how the registration could be justified with regards to ‘Braemar Station’ and part of the article stated "Iris variegata, I. pallida and perhaps I. aphylla were the main parents of modern TB cultivars. I. variegata was particularity prolific, but its progeny have had a confused history with many names and many spellings. Some early hybrids and cultivars like, 'Victorine' have been listed in catalogues under at least seven different names".
Nothing new here!!! ‘Gypsy Queen’ also had been listed in catalogues under at least eight different names and this iris was sold in New Zealand under at least one of its synonyms – "Hamlet" listed in the 1904, H. C. Gibbons, Wellington Bulb Catalogue, page 17. It could have also sold in New Zealand in other catalogue listings by others as, ‘Queen of Gipsies' and ‘Virgil’.
Ms. Harris has also stated in the same article: “The ‘Braemar Station’ debate is reminiscent of the confusion surrounding two other variegata cultivars, ‘Honorabile’ and ‘Sans Souci’, which went on for more than a century and is also described by Mahan 2007 [Ref 3].” Well sorry, but no its not! I am not sure how an American domestic ID problem that is still subjected to discussion in America today becomes a justification for the registration of 'Braemar Station'.
The difference between the above described scenarios and the registration of ‘Braemar Station’ is that all the confusion with catalogue published names of historic irises occurred prior to the publications of the 1929 or 1939 checklists. As irises rose in popularity in North America and Europe in the 1920s, an immense amount of research work in Catalogues and Journals, as well as in the recognised reference books, was undertaken in Britain and America prior to the publication of the check lists, to ascertain which varieties circulating under different names were in fact, the same plant, and to determine which was the original and therefore the legitimate, so that each iris cultivar, past, present, and future, would carry one “approved” name which identified it uniquely.
Since then, there have been very limited examples to date where anyone has blithely attached a new registered name to an historic Iris with lost ID, and probably even less that have had a parentage fabricated.

Now that the iris ‘Braemar Station’ has been grown alongside ‘Gypsy Queen,’ it has removed any doubt that the two named irises are one and the same. The day has come for registration of 'Braemar Station' to be withdrawn and nothing could be more inept than publication by Ms. Harris of any more dubious reasons of why the iris was registered in the first place. In case of ID confusion with the above photo, the iris labelled and sent to America by Ms. Harris as 'Braemar Station' is the stalk on the left of the photo, all others in the shot are ‘Gypsy Queen’.
The original article 'Braemar Station- The Iris' by Gwenda Harris was published in The New Zealand Iris Society, June 2005, Bulletin 166, and then republished in 'ROOTS' the Journal of the Historic Iris Presevation Society, Volume 20, Issue 2, Fall 2007, the later a real surprise as by then many doubts had been raised, both in New Zealand and internationally surrounding the authenticity of this Iris. A second Article,'Braemar Station- An Update' by Gwenda Harris was published in the New Zealand Iris Society, September 2009, Bulletin 179.

Update 2014; The truth about this iris is scarce but the supply has always been in excess of the demand. The NZIS on their web site now refers to photos of this iris as an 'Iris of no certain identity'. 

References:
 [Ref 1] AIS Alphabetical Check List 1929 'EXPLANATION' page 3
 [Ref 2] Some of the Iris blooms shown in this shot belong to the iris named as 'Braemar Station' and was sent to America by Ms. Harris two bloom seasons ago
 [Ref 3] Chapter 6 "Classic Irises and the men and women who created them" C Mahan, published Krieger 2007

As always clicking on the above image will take you to the larger, higher resolution version. 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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Of Concern

On the subject of Growing Irises in New Zealand, it has transpired that 0.006962970458901531% of the total New Zealand population* are claiming to represent us all.

The New Zealand Iris Society organisation has embarked on a spectacularly unsuccessful campaign from day one to shut this blog down and many web masters who have Links with this blog have been pestered with correspondence from some members of the NZIS executive to have Links with this blog withdrawn and have used a contentious opinion 'that a Link with my blog is a validation of my personal viewpoints', to justify the request.

This behaviour is not what could be reasonably expected from a Iris society or any other society that makes the claim to represent New Zealand a democratic country that believes in the strong defence of a broad right to freedom of speech.

My critical but justifiable points of views that challenge so called published wisdom and the highlighting of factual errors of Iris Nomenclature within the NZIS, that have been featured, and will continue to be posted by this blog could offend individuals or a group of individuals but this should never be the basis on which something is judged, and certainly not the basis on which facts or the free exchange of ideas are censured.
That would make the rest of us – the majority – beholden to the sensitivities of a small group of over-sensitive souls.
All of which it seems to me suggests the desirability of a legislative restraint on people purporting to act officially on behalf of New Zealand in any capacity.
No individual or group should be denied the right to pursue private interests but to assert that they represent us all is a privilege that properly ought to be sanctioned on our behalf by the government and not be an automatic right that anyone can assume.

The peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is, that it is robbing the human race; posterity as well as the existing generation; those who dissent from the opinion, still more than those who hold it. If the opinion is right, they are deprived of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth: if wrong, they lose, what is almost as great a benefit, the clearer perception and livelier impression of truth, produced by its collision with error. John Stuart Mill, On Liberty, 1859

*The generous figure of 300 members of the NZIS is calculated as 0.006962970458901531% of the total New Zealand population of 4,308,506.

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SIDESWIPE

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STOP THE BLOG
RON BUSCH WINS THE NZIS BEGG SHIELD FOR HIS TALL BEARDED IRIS "IRWELL ACE" AT THE 2008 NEW ZEALAND IRIS CONVENTION. STILL WAITING FOR THE PRESS RELEASE
Note; I have taken a bet with fellow iris grower that by time "IRWELL ACE" blooms in my garden next bloom season and a picture of the iris which has to be taken by me is posted on my blog, that no published picture or article in any major NZ garden publication featuring "IRWELL ACE" will have occurred. The Bet does not included a blurred photo featured in a limited print members only garden club booklet. Its a bet I would love to loose but I am not holding my breath!!!
To Mr Harris, "sufficient at present" with reference to publicity in this matter is no longer relevant. Your 'GOYA' moment has arrived.

Myself personally, have tired of tiptoeing around the issue of the better promotion of New Zealand Bred Irises. So from now if the job is not been done and someone or some organisation is responsible for doing something to improve the current status, but not pulling their weight they will receive a sideswipe on this blog. 2009 is going to be an interesting year for some, which could include if the rumors are correct the setting up of a new Iris Organisation within New Zealand!!!(probably the best option to have this issue and others addressed expeditiously)

Promotion of New Zealand Bred Irises does not include Irises registered in New Zealand that have a parentage as a packet of seed from overseas. Growing seed on is not a NZ breeding program is just an extension of someone's overseas breeding program without critical selection. Seed from overseas is helpful in extending the available gene pool to hybridisers, but should not be used for extending egos


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