Tall Bearded Iris CASCADE

A cross of two irises attributed to Fernand Denis the pod parent was the violet rose with a white ground claw heavily striated brown purple named 'J. B. DUMAS'  and this was crossed with the very rich coloured neglecta named 'AURELLE' with its light purplish blue standards, rich luminous purple falls with a a heavy gold beard. The result of this cross was the lavender purple self  named 'Cascade'.
'Cascade' was the first iris to be catalogued by Jean and the Iris was introduced in the 1930 A.H.Burgess Irises Catalogue "as a seedling of our own raising". It continued to be listed in the Stevens Bros. catalogues until 1942. It is a terrific iris of classic style and form, grows well with high plant health. Super large flowers that last well in both garden and the vase. Have no idea and can find no clues to why this iris never made the pages of a Checklist, but because it is not registered does not mean it does not exist.

CASCADE Emily Burgess sdlg. 1/C33 TB 44" (J B Dumas X Aurelle) 

Jean Emily Burgess Breeding Notes
1929 Blooming.
Seedling 1/C33 ;  3 ft 8"; Flower 6½" Soft light purple self. Haft white vented brown. Stands up well to weather. Scented.

A H Burgess and Son Iris Specialist Waikanae Wellington. Irises 1931
Cascade This is a seedling of our own raising that was much admired by visitors to our gardens last season. It is a huge flower, measuring over six inches from the tip of the standards to the bottom of the falls. Colour is an even tone of light lavender purple : a true self ; 3½ ft................12/6

The reason why I have been hesitant  in posting this iris is the deluge of nincompoops that will find an iris that looks something like this iris and then list it on that collective madness known as Trade Me. So if you see an iris listed on Trade Me as 'Cascade' you can bet it most likely is not.

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 TENNESSEE GENTLEMAN

This is one of my all time best 'other coloured plicata' Irises. (Not blue). An absolute magic combination of  colours makes for a standout iris with great garden carrying power. Good clean foliage and quickly forms a clump. Branching and bud count par excellence.
In 1993 'Tennessee Gentleman' won the Walther Cup a prize for the most Honorable Mention votes (112) in all categories, then in 1995 it  also received the most Award of Merit votes (124).

Sterling and Barbara Innerst, Oakland Road, Dover, York County, Pennsylvania. 1990 Introductions.
TENNESSEE GENTLEMAN will be introduced in '91. In 1988, I was scheduled to visit the fall meeting in Tennessee, but ended up hospitalized for several weeks and had to cancel. In 1989, I was rescheduled when Hurricane Hugo stranded meat the airport with no flight available for 24 hours. By the time this ad appears, I should have appeared in Tennessee in Feb. '90. These two irises are named in honor of all my friends in Tennessee. . $25.00

Sterling and Barbara Innerst, Oakland Road, Dover, York County, Pennsylvania. 1991 Introductions.
TENNESSEE GENTLEMAN Sdlg. 3361-1. TB, 36", M-L. Medium yellow with ½" blue purple trim on f.; bronze blue beards. Very vigorous 7-9 buds with excellent stalks. Point Made X 2375-10: (Capricious x Colortart). Very fertile both ways........................................................................ $25.00

Bulletin of the American Iris Society, April 1993, Number 291.
Duncanville Garden, Riley Probst (Missouri)
TENNESSEE GENTLEMAN (lnnerst 91), a creamy yellow with purple plicata had 5 stalks, but from a distance it looked like many more because it was so well-branched.

Tempo Two, Pearcedale, Victoria, Australia. Iris, Daylilies, Hosta Catalogue  1994-1995
TENNESSEE GENTLEMAN    (Innerst '91, USA) ML. 36"
Reblooms, prolific amount of bloom even when it reblooms. Petals are lemon buff with vibrant soft purplish rose stitching and a  ⅜" edge to falls only. Light yellow orange beards. Wide and lightly ruffled and waved. Excellent branching. (Point Made X (Capricious x Colortart)) H.M. 93

Bulletin of the American Iris Society, April 1994, Number 293.
Dr. Loomis Iris Trial Gardens, Mike Moller (Colorado) 2 Year Classes.
The 2-year TB class had many fine irises. The Loomis Award was won by top scorer TENNESSEE GENTLEMAN (83) by Sterling Innerest. This is a very distinctive plicata with outstanding plant habits. It displayed 20 fans with 9 bloomstalks.

AIS Checklist 1989
TENNESSEE GENTLEMAN    (Sterling Innerst, R. 1989). Sdlg. 3361-1. TB 36" (91 cm) M-L.     Medium yellow with 1/2" blue purple trim on F.; bronze blue beard. Point Made X 2375-10: (Capricious x Colortart)., Innerst 1991. HM 1993, AM 1995.

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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ABOUT IRIS, John Thorpe

Horticulture
An Illustrated Journal devoted to the Florist, Plantsman,
Landscape Gardener and Kindred Interests.
The Horticulture Publishing Company, Boston, Massachusetts.
Vol. VIIII July 4 1908

About Iris

Iris means "Rainbow" and that means all the colors there are. Twenty years ago, in our Queens catalogue I prefaced our Iris section thus: "The orchids of open air gardens are the Irises. If there are any more beautifully illustrative of form, more cheaply obtainable, more easily cultivated, more continuous in flowering than is the Iris that family has not yet come under our observation." This 10th of June, 1908, I would not change a single line.
We know it takes time to start again old-fashioned things, peonies, and phlox's and delphiniums for instance, reference to which I hope to take up later, and now the Iris begins to shimmer in the limelight, so much so that it may be expected to be one of our next first numbers. This Iris family should have more told of it than there is time and space at my disposal today. Some good every day German Irises are Sapho, violet and deep purple, early, distinct : three or four kinds travel for Sapho; fifteen or twenty kinds carry this name. Augustina, yellow and maroon. Eugene Sue, white and purple. Gertrude, violet blue, new and distinct. Gracchus, yellow and brown crimson. Celeste, pale blue, sweet as a gardenia. Jaacquesiana, maroon, bronze and crimson. Sans Souci, gold and mahogany, a gem. Judith, purple, sulphur and violet. Duchesse de Gerolstein (Harlequin Milanais), white, flaked and reticulated, a fine old variety. Dalmatica, lavender, tall : this has about twenty names. Madame Chereau, a gem amongst gems : pure white, cerulean blue and Tyrian purple, so beautiful and yet not young: has many names, — twenty or more. Fairy (?), white with violet veining. Darius, yellow, purple shading to cream. Ulysee, bronze, purple and gold and drab. Speciosa (catalogue), lavender and dark purple, large grower. Sir Walter Scott, yellow, brown and rich crimson. King Henry, deeply colored, crimson, purple and yellow. Leopold 1st, amaranth, yellow and smoky bronze. Peterson Harlequin Milnais is the glorious old Duchesse de Gerolstein.

The Iris man, after he has become acquainted with the preceding varieties will be looking for more and more, providing always that there is accommodation for the same. Everybody should have Florentina, with all the grace, beauty and expression of everything charming: colors, are white, lavender, green, brown and yellow. I know that this old dear thing is carrying twenty names: some of them are Chameleon, Peacock, Iridescence, Multicolor. Western Glow, and the glorious old favorite has stood its ground since 1596 and it is the same Florentina. Chamoeris Olbiensis, purple, white and gold, dwarf, flowers in April. Guldenstadtiana, white and gold, tall, June. Iberica, purple and lilac and coffee color. May and June. Laevigata (Kaempferii), the Japan Iris: the 4th of July banner flower, one hundred distinct kinds. Pumila, dwarf, purple, blue and white. April. Siberica in various colors, tall and graceful, May and June.

Another class of Irises is the Xiphions, including alata, caucasica, filifolia, Histrio, juncea, persica. reticulata, tingitana, vulgare and xiphioides. This section of Xiphions have bulbous roots and they are rather more delicate than the ordinary above-ground rooters.

Somebody some day will write a popular Iris book.

John Thorpe. NY

I have published this article as it ticks a few boxes that are interests I am pursuing at the moment when I get time, like how was the the pecking order of Irises named in the first 1929-1939 checklists determined who got the priority of a name over another with the same name? Some Irises mentioned above did not even rate a mention in the Checklist, which is another consistent early check lists anomaly, and why is this so?  The article describes differently the iris 'San Souci' which is also an area of interest for me, and last but not least it has a description albeit brief of a very early American historic iris and a garden favourite of mine 'Gertrude', its one of those pallida hybrids of sorts that never fail to please.IH.

AIS Checklist 1929
GERTRUDE TB-M-B1M Peterson 1907 class IVb, ☐ slight faint fragrance. AAA

Iris 'Gertrude' in the garden at Home.

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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Historic Tall Bearded Iris PURISSIMA

Purísima means "purest" in Spanish and is most commonly used in Spanish to refer to La Purísima Concepción (the Immaculate Conception) of the Virgin Mary. Historical misspelling in English resulting in double "s" which, as you can see is how the Iris was registered.Well used in iris breeding in the Thirties, Forties, and Fifties.
Has a New Zealand connection, first used by Jean Stevens in  her 1936 breeding programme as a pod parent and the first cross recorded was M7 Purissima X Inspiration although no seedlings were finally selected. The hybridiser Pattie Levett who lived at the family homestead "Beccles" in a small North Island town called Bulls used Purissima in the parentage that produced a beautiful creamy white Tall bearded Iris 'Wychnor'.
In America, lets not forget Purissima was the Pod parent to that game changer of hybridising the amazing 'Snow Flurry'. Also parent of Helen McGregor, Her Grace, Mary Rich Lyon, Pike's Peak Pink, grandparent of Cahokia, Pierre Menard, and Sleighride.

Irises for Every Garden. History of Bearded Irises. Sydney B. Mitchell.
In the perspective of thirty-five years it is now possible to rate William Mohr the outstanding American breeder. Through is work with Iris mesopotamica and Foster's Kashmir White, American breeders were given in the late twenties such outstanding irises as Conquistador, bred from the diploid Juniata by the huge ungainly mesopotamica; El Capitan bred from Oriflame by mesopotamica; Purissima which came from a seedling of Caterina by Kashmir White crossed with Conquistador ; the epoch-making tetraploid plicata's, San Francisco and Los Angeles and many others.

Rainbow Fragments, J. Marion Shull, published 1931.
A List of Better Varieties. Whites.
The supreme white self has not yet appeared, and this group includes none that has earned a rating of 90 or more at the hands of any considerable number of judges. Kashmir White and White Queen have won the same rating as Taj Mahal, but the former is not always a dependable grower. Purissima though rated very highly by a very small number of judges, does not promise to live up to a somewhat over-pretentious name, since it does not appear to be purer white then the ubiquitous Florentina, with which everyone is familiar, however much finer it may be in other respects.

Cooley's Iris Gardens, Silverton, Oregon, Bearded, Japanese, Spanish and Dutch Irises, 1932.
Recent Novelties and Specialties
PURISSIMA
If you live in the Pacific Northwest, in California or in the South, by all means add this glorious white to your collection! Nothing that grows can compare with it when flowered under congenial conditions. Growers in colder and wetter sections of the country can also succeed with it, but it must have winter protection except in warm climates. A normally flowered stalk of Purissima is a never-to-be-forgotten sight...............................Each  $1.75

Quality Gardens, Iris, Freeport, Illinois. Iris 1933.
PURISSIMA (Mohr-Mitchell)
A pure white iris of great size and splendid form. Not hardy in all climates, but ideal for moderate or warm climates. We grow it perfectly by giving it winter protection, and it is well worth the effort. It is the only tender iris variety we list...........................................$1.00

Bulletin of the American Iris Society, January 1933, Number 46.
VARIETAL NOTES From England, Australia, and Elsewhere (editorial comments added).
PURISSIMA (Mohr-Mit.) The finest white. I cannot conceive of anything finer; 5-5½ft., perfect in every way. England.
Mr. Pilkington must be impatient to see the flock of American whites of which the New England Committee has selected Easter Morn, Polar King, and Venus de Milo as of equal interest to the connoisseur. Ed.

National Iris Gardens, Beaverton, Oregon, 20th Catalog, 1936.
PURISSIMA (Mohr-Mitchell, 1927) E, 48".
The finest pure white Iris. Roots are tender and it is not recommended for the more northern states (for which Easter Morn and Los Angeles are more suitable), but grows well on the Pacific Coast and south of the Mason & Dixon line. A normally flowered stalk is a never-to-be-forgotten sight. Perfectly branched with finely shaped flowers.

Carl Salbach, Berkeley, California. Iris and selected seed Specialities.1937.
PURISSIMA (Mohr-Mitchell). Although introduced ten seasons ago, this remarkable iris still blooms as the most perfect white, handicapped only by a touch of tenderness when grown in regions of severe wintering. Latest reports indicate perfect wintering in many regions, but it is definitely erratic in its bloom in the Midwestern and Eastern regions of the United States. Grows ideally where winters are mild. Pure white with great poise, fine form, and heavy substance. With the sun shining through it, it has the appearance of frosted glass. Ideal branching. Where the climate is mild, or where the quest for perfection outweighs the risk of no blooms, Purissima will be every bit as good as Bridal Veil and Snow King, the two new and hardy leaders in white, although all three are non-competitive, being different in type. We suggest yearly replacements with our fully mature rhizomes for the greatest probability of bloom in cold climates. Early. 50-inch. ---- 40c; 3 for $1.00

Stevens Bros, Bulls, New Zealand, Catalogue of Irises 1937-38.
PURISSIMA
This splendid flower still sets a mark of perfection and purity unequaled by any other iris. A pure white of great poise, fine form and heavy substance. With the sun shining through it, this has the appearance of frosted glass...........................................................4½ft.

Iris 'Purissima' in the garden of British Iris Society President G. L. Pilkington.
Illustration from The Iris Year Book 1938, insert facing page 52 

The Iris Yearbook (BIS), 1942, Bearded Flag Irises-An Initial Thirty, F.Wynn Hellings.
10. PURISSIMA. This superb Californian variety, a veritable queen, would have been in my first list (above) if it were not for the fact that some growers consider it tender in England. Its conduct in this garden has been exemplary, planted as it is in a position sheltered from north and east winds in soil lightened with sand. Its grave, statuesque beauty justifies this little extra care. It is early flowering, in fact in most years it is the first of the tall, bearded, May-June Irises to flower, only yielding in some years to HARMONY. The stems run to 5 feet in height and the branching is excellent. The flowers, which have a slight bluey tint at first, are perfect in form and are noticeably lasting,

AIS Checklist 1939
PURISSIMA (Mohr-Mitchell, R. 1927). TB, M. WW. Argentina X Conquistador.  Preliminary Commendation RHS 1933. Salbach 1927.

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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The Iris Re-Christened SUNSET, The Garden 1922.

Below is the story of the Iris Re-Christened Iris Sunset. It is as relevant today as when first published in 1922.

THE GARDEN.
June 17, 1922.
NEW AND RARE PLANTS
Iris ochracea-coerulea. A very delightful Iris. The standards are copper coloured and the falls have brown reticulations with a yellow base.
The blade is bluish, shading to copper. Award of Merit. This variety was raised by Mr. Denis of Balaruc-les-Bains and shown by Mr. W. R. Dykes.


THE GARDEN
June 24, 1922.
AMONG THE JUNE IRISES
The richly if somberly tinted Sunset, also illustrated, also marks a notable advance. It received a well deserved award of merit at the recent Iris Show under the clumsy name I. ochracea-coerulea. Very free flowering and an excellent grower, its good form the picture will attest. It is, we understand, to be distributed this autumn by Messrs. G. G. Whitelegg and Co.

THE GARDEN.
July 8, 1922.
IRIS NOMENCLATURE.
AT the Iris Conference held at the R.H.S meeting on June 7 one of the points raised was the desirability of the regulation of Iris names. This was emphatically advocated by almost every speaker. Mr. Dykes, Mr.Wister, M. Mottet and others agreed that the duplication of names was to be strongly deprecated, and various suggestions were made for the purpose of ensuring that in the future no new Iris should be sent out under a name that has already been used. The American Iris Society have compiled a list of names under which Irises have been distributed from time to time, and it was proposed that the English and French raisers should so far as possible consult this list and make it a basis of a permanent record, so that duplication should not occur in the future. On opening The Garden for June 24 the necessity for some such arrangement becomes very apparent.
In 1914 we received at Colchester some plants from M. Denis of Balaruc-les-Bains under the name Iris Ochracea-coerulea. This variety was shown by Mr. W. R. Dykes on June 7 and received the award of merit. According to 'The Garden', someone has now decided to rechristen this variety " Sunset." In the first place, has anyone other than the raiser any authority for altering the name given by him to one of his productions ? Secondly, if it was considered necessary to alter the name, surely some suggestion would be made by the Floral Committee of the R.H.S. when considering the flower for award, and the natural course would be for them to certificate the plant on its merits with the suggestion that the raiser be consulted regarding the alteration of the name. As far as one can gather, no suggestion of this sort was made. Thirdly, on referring to the Check List published by the American Iris Society, I find there is already an Iris registered by the Society under the name of Sunset. If therefore this Iris, after having been in existence in English gardens for eight years as Ochracea-coerulea and having been certificated by the R.H.S. under that name, is now to have this name changed in such a casual manner, nothing but confusion can be the result, especially if the substituted name is that of another Iris already in cultivation. It is certain that some firms will adhere to the only name to which it is at present entitled, and we shall therefore have this variety being distributed to the public under two distinct names, one of which is already borne by another variety.
There is also a slightly misleading statement in the same issue of The Garden, namely, that it is " to be distributed this autumn." As it was in cultivation in England in 1914 and registered by the American Iris Society as having been distributed in 1919, this statement is a little misleading.
Certainly Ochracea-coerulea is cumbersome and somewhat misleading. The first thought it conveys to one hearing the name for the first time without seeing the plant is that it may have something to do with two species or varieties that have nothing to do with the section to which it belongs. For instance, Baker gives the variety Ochracea of Regel as a form of I. iberica. I notice even the American Iris Society seems to have lost sight of this fact, as it has registered the name of this tall bearded variety in its " standardised plant names " as Ochracea. It may be that in the effort of the Society to eliminate double-barrelled names it has unconsciously erred in the duplication of varieties under the same name.
Certainly something definite and authoritative would seem to be necessary, and if the name is to be altered it should be done in such a way that the new name can be universally accepted as correct. In the meantime we have only one authoritative name for it, and that is the one under which it was certificated by the R.H.S. and introduced by the raiser. 
George Dillistone.

THE GARDEN.
CORRESPONDENCE, July 22, 1922.
IRIS NOMENCLATURE.
OUR attention has been drawn to a letter appearing in your issue of July 8 over the signature " George Dillistone," criticising our action in giving "the supplementary name " Sunset " to M. Denis' beautiful Iris Ochracea-coerulea.
We think it is desirable to state that Mr. George  Dillistone is a member -we believe a director - of the firm of R. Wallace and Co., Limited, of Tunbridge Wells. A few of your readers may he aware of this, but the majority probably are not, and we draw attention to the fact because we will not be drawn into a controversy with a trade competitor in the – columns of the amateur gardening press ; it would be neither interesting nor edifying to your readers.
We wish to say that those of your readers who are interested in this matter will, we think, be quite satisfied with the manner in which we have dealt with Iris Ochracea-coerulea in our Iris catalogue if they will be good enough to refer to this publication.
We must also add that, so far as we are aware, "this Iris has never been offered to the public in any Iris catalogue hitherto published in this country, on the Continent, or in America, and that if we should have stated at any time that we are distributing it this season, we should have been perfectly justified in doing so. Further, the name " Sunset " has not previously been appropriated for any other variety in any Iris catalogue with which we are familiar, nor does it appear in the American Iris Society's List of Irises (at any rate, not in our copy), as stated by Mr. Dillistone, and we have every right to use it as a supplementary name. Our reasons for doing so are sufficiently obvious and well founded.
We have never willingly misled our customers with regard to any matter in connection with the plants we sell, and we are not doing so in this case.
G. G. Whitelegg & Co.


THE GARDEN.
CORRESPONDENCE, July 29, 1922.
IRIS NOMENCLATURE.
WHY Messrs. G. G. Whitelegg and Co. should consider it necessary to " broadcast " the news that I am associated with the firm of R. Wallace and Co., Limited, I do not know, after fifteen years connexion with that firm it would be hopeless for me to prove an alibi, even if that association were a crime. In any case, if it is a crime, I am proud to be able to plead guilty.
With reference to the remark about the manner in which they have dealt with Iris Ochracea-coerulea in their Iris catalogue, I have no doubt that this is quite satisfactory. In any case it is a matter of indifference to me. Reference to my notes on this question must convince everyone interested that nothing that I have written was intended to cast an aspersion on either their commercial integrity or business procedure. I have the highest opinion of both.
One point, however, in the letter that does concern me is the accusation of my lack of veracity,and this I am compelled to deal with.
They say : " This Iris has never been offered in any Iris catalogue hitherto published in this country, on the Continent, or in America." One example will be sufficient. I have before me two successive editions of the catalogue of Messrs. Millet et Fils, a French firm of some considerable standing, and in both I find the following ; in the second edition the page is 13 :

"OCHRACEA-COERULEA (Denis) très tàrdif, jaune citron et mauve lilacè, violet cobée, coloris original " (followed by price).

The next statement made in their letter is that " the name Sunset has not previously been appropriated for any other variety in any Iris catalogue with which we are familiar, nor does it appear in the American Iris Society's List of Irises," etc. I do not know which edition of the Iris Check List they possess, but in the copy that I have before me, on page 34, in the second column, the thirteenth name down the list is Sunset T. B.
With reference to their concluding remark in this paragraph. They have the indisputable right to name any number of different plants with the name " Sunset " if they wish to do so ; whether it is wise or conducive to the avoidance of complications is another matter.
  I might point out that, in addition to being registered in America among the varieties in commerce in 1919, see Iris Check List, page 18, column I, thirteenth name down the list (curious how this 13 recurs), and having been certificated in London, it has also been certificated by the Society Nationale Horticole de France under the name Ochracea-coerulea. This latter award had escaped my notice when writing previously.
Thanking you in anticipation for your courtesy. -
George Dillistone (of R. Wallace and Co., Limited, Tunbridge Wells). 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

A blue Iris with a orange beard was sold in America as 'SUNSET' as well. 

AIS Checklist 1939 listed the many versions of SUNSET as follows ;

SUNSET Span-S6L ; Barr, 1898.
SUNSET TB ; W.J. Cararne, 1901.
SUNSET Eng. B9L ; J. Backhouse,1902.
SUNSET TB ; A. Bliss
SUNSET Jap-Dbl-7RD ; Elliot Nursery, Pittsburgh,1926.
SUNSET TB ; Mixed with OCHRACEA-COERULEA.
SUNSET TB_S4L ; Denis 1932 (DARIUS X DARIUS) Mixed with OCHRACEA-COERULEA.

Today the AIS Irisregister E Database states
SUNSET No description available for most 1939 & 1949 registrations.

As you can see above  incorrect listings of Irises are an age old problem and today you can still find Irises being sold with names like 'Kerry's Red', 'Dulldoug' or 'Junes Pink' which can lead to problems in later years. At times to ID irises can seem like beating a dead snake.

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Siberian Iris SNOW QUEEN

Not sure how the Siberian Iris Society came up with the 18 inches (46cm) height of Snow Queen as it grows 6-8 inches taller than their checklist height and small flowers are reported by HIP in their photo galleries, which most other catalogue listings would indicate small is not a great bloom size description. The 1939 Checklist show a listing for 'Snow Queen' as a Illustration in 'The Garden'  28th July, 1917, page 298, so I have taken this opportunity to show the image as referred, it accompanied an article written by Robert Wallace of Robert W. Wallace & Co. nurserymen, specialist in Irises for many years. I will see if I can dig out the Wallace catalogue of 1902 and look up the listing and see what it says, (I will post this at a latter date).
'Snow Queen' a natural hybrid of  I. sanguinea and is an exceptionally nice example of a historic Siberian Iris. Clumps up quickly, and becomes a welcome addition to any classic or modern garden.

Courtesy 'The Garden', 28th July, 1917.

 The Garden, 28th July, 1917.
June in a Devon Garden, A Garden of Little-Known Shrubs and Hardy Plants, Robert W. Wallace.
COVERING about an acre, the interesting garden of Mr. Eden Phillpotts, the famous Devon novelist, contains within its walls an unusually fine collection of little-known trees, flowering shrubs and plants........................................................
On a slightly lower level a new pond has been prepared, into which, with great care and interest has been placed the greatest of all Water Lilies — the glorious ruby 'Escarboucle' — and as a companion 'Mrs. Richmond', with its magnificent flowers of soft pink. I do not think there are any two finer Water Lilies than these. Again, beyond these in the surmounting beds are masses of Iris orientalis and Snow Queen in a happy contrast, while Primulas and a host of other moisture-loving subjects are planted in close proximity, including the new golden yellow Marsh Primrose.

Robert Wayman, Bayside, New York. Irises 1930-31.
SNOW QUEEN Collected By Peter Barr 1900) this is a very handsome snowy white flower, with rich yellow markings at the throat. It is large enough to be mistaken for a Japanese Iris and is very free flowering. The flower is of a firm waxy texture. It is the best white and should be in every collection.
50c each ; 3 for $1.25 ; 6 for $2.00 ; 100 for $25.00.

The Society for Siberian Irises.
Cumulative Check List of Siberian Irises, 2006.
SNOW QUEEN Collected By Peter Barr Listed 1900 Collected in Japan SIB (dip.) (18" 46 cm) M & re White form of  I. sanguinea.   Peter Barr 1900 AM: RHS: 1902

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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Iris Evansia, Iris Japonica, Crested Iris, FAIRYLAND

Dainty white speckled florets smother this plant making a truly welcome display that starts in late winter and continues until the Tall Bearded Iris. Flowers are listed as in the checklist as B7 (Pink to Red toned self) which is just so completely wide of the mark. This plant has smaller growing sword like glossy green leaves, has no canes but sheathed stolons spread from plants traveling close to the surface quickly establish new plants that lead to form a large clump. In New Zealand  'Fairyland' grows best in semi shade as our harsh sun tends to badly burn the leaves. Registered by James C. Stevens of New York and introduced by Samuel Berry of Redlands, Southern California, who specialised in species Iris. My 'Fairyland' plant was gifted to me by Mary Richardson of Upper Hutt, whose garden is just full of New Zealand Iris History and also pleasantly packed with Iridaceae bulbs that put on a bold complementary display in the spring and early summer.

IRISES, A Gardener's Encyclopedia, Claire Austin.
Iris japonica 'Fairyland'
This short, spreading plant bears white flowers on upright stems. Height 30cm (12in.) Parentage I. Uwodu X (an American form) X  I. confusa.

AIS Checklist 1939
FAIRYLAND James C. Stevens, Reg 1936  Evansia. Ev.-E-B7 L  I. uwodu X I. confusa. J C Stevens 1936.

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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Bearded Historic Iris GYPSY QUEEN

I was given this iris from the owner of a large Estate which has magnificent gardens in the year 2006 as an 'Iris of Antiquity' and was first recorded as growing in these gardens in 1896.
The 1904 H C Gibbons Bulb Catalogue, Hutt Valley Nurseries, Upper Hutt, is the earliest cataloguing I could find in a New Zealand plant nursery and the iris was listed as HAMLET which is a synonym for Gypsy Queen. (See 1939 Checklist description below) Adding to this the first time 'Gypsy Queen' bloomed at home in 2007, identification was complicated as  'The Historic Iris Society' had a completely different variety of an iris displayed on their web site as 'Gypsy Queen', the 1929 AIS Checklist listed Gypsy Queen as a Tall Bearded, then the 1939 AIS Checklist changed its classification to a Intermediate Bearded Iris. Now for an Iris that flower height is 76-91 cm (30"-36") and its bloom period is toward the end of the Tall Bearded Iris season and these two facts took 'Gypsy Queen' well outside the Intermediate Iris classification. Today it would most likely be classified as a Miniature Tall Bearded Iris or 'Table Iris' as I still like to call them. Then to really throw a spanner in the works a New Zealander in 2005 recklessly renamed 'Gypsy Queen' (At the time a iris with lost label) and registered it as 'Braemar Station'. One of the great evils of antique irising is the application of entirely new names to existing cultivars.
 All of the above led to confusion with many people, making 'Gypsy Queen' one of the most complicated conformation of an Iris ID I have ever been involved in. 

Gypsy Queen standards are open and coloured old gold that has been airbrushed with a smoky rose tone, inside the bottom of the standards colours are lemon lime with purple maroon veining. Style arms yellow with greyed centres.  Falls are white tinged yellow at haft and edges, heavily veined deep red-purple confluent to solid black; beards white deepening to old gold, mild citrus fragrance. Nice clean foliage with a nice level of Purple bottom foliage. This iris was one of the parents Fryer used in his hybridising, and its imprint is seen in W. J. Fryer and Kathryn Fryer.

 H. C. Gibbons & Co.,Hutt Valley Nurseries,Upper Hutt, Wellington, New Zealand. Bulb Catalogue 1904.
GERMAN FLAG IRIS
Hamlet Standards and Falls straw and peuce, dark veins.

Biltmore Nursery, Biltmore, Asheville, North Carolina, The Iris Catalog, 1911
Gypsy Queen. Still another unusual and welcome blending of rich colors is found in this meritorious variety. Standards are of golden hue shaded with smoked pearl, and the falls are dark maroon with delicate tracings of pale yellow. It blooms late.

The Dean lris Gardens, Moneta, California.The Iris 1916.
SQUALENS GROUP The standards are clouded shades of copper,bronze and fawn.
Gypsy Queen (syn. La Prestigieuse). S. old gold, shaded smoked pearl; F. black-maroon, reticulated light yellow. Each, 25c.

Farr's Hardy Plant Specialities, Wyomissing, Pennsylvania.Seventh Edition 1922.
SQUALENS GROUP The standards are clouded shades of copper,bronze and fawn.
GYPSY QUEEN (syn. La Prestigieuse). S. old gold, shaded smoked-pearl; F. black-maroon, reticulated light yellow; late bloomer. 2 ft.

A.B. Katkamier, Macedon, New York. Hints to Pleasure and to Profit in Growing the Iris, 1931.
Gypsie Queen; Honey yellow : Black maroon. Tall. Strong.

Cornell Extension Bulletin 112, Austin W. Sand, 1925.
Gypsy Queen (Salter before 1859) 
Color effect an old gold, velvety maroon veined bicolor.Standards honey yellow to old gold much undulated. Falls velvety maroon-brown to blackish brown , distinctly  veined to a point one-half inch from the end of the blade. The edge blends yellow to old gold on the haft. Occasional lavender or cream white flecks occur on the blade. This plant is a vigorous grower, and has stiff, slender, deep green  foliage, tinged purple at the base. The flower spikes are tall and well and widely branched.It is very late bloom, its dull color combinations like those found in the Cypripedium orchid and its early history,being a parent of the variegata groups, make it still worthy of selection.

1939 AIS Checklist
GYPSY QUEEN IB-MLa-S6M John Salter before 1859 Floricultural Cabinet and Florist Magazine 29 172 June 1859: L'Illustration Horticole 40: tab 182 1893%%. The Garden Chronicle 14th July 1899; Farr, 1912; Francis 1920; Bonnnewitz, 1920; A.B. Katkamier 1939; Journal Royal Horticultural Society January 1928 page 146 Trials; germanica gypsea; Hamlet; La Prestigieuse; Queen of Gipsies; Reine des Fees; Reine des Pays; Virgil (Lovett); Gypsie Queen; 
Note: The above checklist notation L'Illustration Horticole 40: tab 182 1893 %% is another of the early checklist anomalies as the L'Illustration Horticole published full page colour plate image of Iris Germanica var. Gypsea which shows a white coloured Iris that has all the appearances of a Florentina hybrid of sorts. The percent sign (%) is the symbol used in the 1929 and 1939 Checklist to indicate % -Illustrated and %%- Colour Plate.

Perhaps the very, very small group of people within 'The Historic Iris Preservation Society' who are currently embarking on a campaign to 'call out' iris growers who are growing and displaying images of what is now known as 'The fake Gypsy Queen' should be mindful of the fact that HIPS photos at a time 'not so long ago' were also stating the so called 'The fake Gypsy Queen' was the real deal and at that time these gardeners could have used HIPS as an authoritative means to identify their Iris!!! 'Pot calling kettle black'??

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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A NEW RACE OF HYBRID ALPINE IRISES. W. J. Caparne, Guernsey.

A NEW RACE OF HYBRID ALPINE IRISES.
The Garden Chronicle November 30th. 1901

This addition to the race of early spring flowering Irises is the result of many years of experiment in hybridising Irises, undertaken, in so far as the plants of this section of Iris is concerned, with a view to the improvement of that very promising little group of dwarf bearded Iris which are the first of all the rhizomatous Irises to bloom in the spring, and are included under the names of biflorus, Chamæiris, Olbiensis, pumila, &c., which have one or two variety names to add to their list, but were still very limited both in number and an the range of colour they presented, having nothing of the gorgeousness that the numerous varieties of tall bearded or " Flag " Irises had accustomed us to connect with the word Iris. 'This lack of variety in colour was a considerable bar to any chance of popularity they otherwise deserved — and that they did deserve it was evident from their many other qualities: their freedom in blooming, their acceptance of and delight in a windy, exposed position, where other plants could not thrive; their hardiness, and power to withstand extremes of weather, flourishing on a dry bank where grass was unhappy, and being withal, at every season of the year, neat and cheerful-looking plants, with a pleasant contrast of character in their foliage to all other plants in the border, looking after themselves for the most part, and satisfied with an occasional clean up of weeds and dead leaves, happy in the privilege of being let alone.
Questions which had to be considered at the outset were : What should be done to impart new colours, and to improve the old? Would Nature herself do it by simple intercrossing? Was the artist's pigment theory one that might be reasonably expected to act? or was the scientist with the spectrum right ? for very queer things arise from the admixture of spectrum colours to the eye of Art, and that Nature herself was perfectly independent of any calculations on the matter was evident from the way she produces brilliant scarlet, as in the Pelargonium, &c., when a pure white opaque ground is covered with a thin skin of dingy, semitransparent material which works the miracle — one could not hope to even remotely follow.

However Art stuck to its colours, and the event proved reliable, the pure whites must be set to the credit of Nature alone, and both the yellows, the purples and blues shaded with these as was expected through Art experience. Crimsons, rich yellows, and bronzes had their rudiments in plants of species which were either wholly new, or had been previously unobtainable ; and to whose aid I was, as must be surmised, entirely dependent upon the liberality, kindness, and interest of Sir Michael Foster. With these new means at hand the possibilities of success were greatly forwarded. Many things which had previously seemed hopeless became accomplished facts, though not all at once visible, for Iris raising is a matter of many years' patience, and many pleasant surprises began to arrive.

DESCRIPTION OF THESE IRISES.

To describe the Irises which are the result of this inter-crossing of species, which, as regarded their parents, hail from all the alpine and sub-alpine districts of Europe, I have ventured to call them hybrid alpine Iris. One must say that they are rhizomatous plants, with practically evergreen leaves, four or live to a tuft, thin, flat, sword or sickle-shaped, 3 or 4 inches long at flowering-time, afterwards prolonged to 6 or 8 inches, and from half an inch to 1 inch wide, growing out towards the end of the rhizome on all sides, so that the tendency of the plant is to form a circular patch. The flowers are produced in early spring, as soon as the weather breaks and will allow of growth to be made, upon stiff, succulent stalks, which enable them to remain fresh for a long time without water after being cut, and standing from 4 to 8 inches, or in the tallest, 10 inches in height. The flowers are large, often larger than the plant which produces them, and are of similar shape to the German or summer-flowering Iris, with three upright petals, the standards, which in some of the varieties, however, lay flat open, and expose the 3-petaloid styles to view; the three lower petals, or falls, are pendent, sometimes contracted and tucked in, so to speak, and they all have a more or less conspicuous white, primrose-yellow, rich orange, or blue beard.

THEIR COLOURS

In colour they range from the purest of white selfs, white standards and cream or yellow falls, white and blue, white and violet and purple, each being white, yellow or orange bearded ; primrose-yellow self, cream and canary-yellow to rich yellow, with conspicuous orange-scarlet beard ; blues from the palest porcelain to deep blue-purple, lavender, violet-purple and crimson self, and bronze and almost black. These, with many changes of smooth or folded petals, long or round, plain, unmarked, or covered with lines, dots, and tracery, make up a sufficiently varied amount of combination and change to please a fastidious taste, and all of them together maintaining a constant relay and succession of flowers from very earliest spring to the end of April or early in May. Indeed, if the weather is mild, they will begin during October, November or December to throw up fitfully one or two flowers.

AS A NEW FORCED FLOWERS.

They have proved a welcome addition to greenhouse (either slightly heated or cold) decoration, they occupy but little space in small pans or 3-inch pots ; and if in clumps larger sizes may be used, but they require very little soil whilst in pots, and are very impatient of much water until growth has well set in, so that it is best to err on the safe side.
If grown in quantity for cutting, shallow boxes are equally satisfactory. In heat they will bloom from January to the end of March ; in a cold-house they commence early in March or end of February, and continue through to April. In all cases plenty of air should be given, especially when in bloom ; for if in a close, stuffy temperature, a minute fungus besprinkles both the petals and leaves, and the remedy is, of course, ventilation. They do not make satisfactory growth in pots, pans, or boxes, and so they should be hardened off and replanted in the open ground as soon as the weather will permit, for it must be remembered that they are hardy plants, accustomed to a rigorous climate.

FOR SITUATION AND SOIL

A free, rather gritty soil is perhaps the best, and provided there is no stagnant moisture about, they are not exacting ; they have thriven in a stiff clay in a windy, exposed, and
sunburnt situation, and in ordinary garden loam. Their roots are voracious feeders, and quickly interlace in all directions where the plant is happy ; but if they get a rather dry,
sunny bank, where it is too hot and dry for most things, their growth may be much smaller, but their flowers will gain greatly in refinement. There is, in fact, no difficulty about their culture, provided that it be understood. Weeds and the shade of trees or large plants are quickly fatal to them, as is stagnant moisture; but beyond this, they are happy almost anywhere — on rockwork, as edgings, small borders, old walls, &c. ; and as they are small, bright green plants, they give an added charm to any situation they may occupy.
Their enemies, other than the conditions above stated, are chiefly the winter-slug, snails, and woodlice, the first two being very destructive. The latter is very insidious and troublesome if not looked after when the plants are grown in dry situations, as it makes its home underneath the rhizomes, or in the interior of the older decayed ones in the centre, and foods on the budding tips of the now roots just at the end of the advancing rhizome, which of course prevents its growth altogether; but these can be trapped or otherwise kept down, should they make their appearance.

In conclusion, it is hoped that they may prove useful, satisfactory, and popular plants, for there are no special cultural difficulties connected with their culture, as is the case with most of the bulbous Iris, together with the magnificent group of Oncocyclus Iris. With the new hybrids of "intermediate" Iris, which have caught the larger habit and flowers of the later, tall, bearded, summer-flowering Iris, together with many of their colours, but winch have placed themselves in time of blooming in front of I. germanica, the tall, blue flag, whose group furnishes the advance guard of summer Iris, we may have a continuous display from the earliest days of Spring, that endures without a break up to
August.

W. J. Caparne, Guernsey.

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