Standard Dwarf Bearded Iris SMOKEY BABE

Another pleasant surprise this bloom season!
This iris colouration reminds me of the Intermediate Iris 'Confederate Soldier' both are an odd concoction of colours, but find the right place in the the garden for them to grow and they turn out to be winners.
'Smokey Babe' is a good grower but does have a little trouble getting all its bloom stalks above the foliage in its first year, although I have been informed that it sets itself right in its second year of growing. As you can see it's a smoky lavender plicata,with upright and open standards, moderately ruffled falls and a mysterious but sweet fragrance. Beards are white tipped blue lavender and are certainly a stand-out feature.
'Smokey Babe' has been bred by the late Mrs. Lynette Black who also registered two other Standard Dwarf Irises, 'Plum's & Custard' (registered at the same time as 'Smokey Babe') and 'Kiwi Lass'. Mrs. Black who lived in Heriot a small settlement in West Otago was a Test Garden Director for the NZIS from 1992 until 2000. Now I know where I can purchase 'Kiwi Lass' but as for 'Plum's & Custard' who knows? anyone reading this that does know, drop me a line.

New Zealand Iris Hybridisers Cumulative Checklist 2011

SMOKEY BABE Mrs L. Black, Reg., 1996. Sdlg. 89-54-H. SDB, 10″, (26cm), ML ; Smokey lavender plicata markings on cream white ground; beards blue lavender; ruffled; pronounced sweet fragrance. Muchacha X Court Magician. Netherby Gardens, 1996/97.

This was one of a few Irises I was more than just a wee bit dubious about purchasing and then having to grow this iris at home, the reason for my apprehension, well you would have needed to see the photo used to sell this iris on Trade me was pretty bloody awful, OK lets not beat about the bush the photo was appalling and frankly if the Iris bloomed at home looking like the trade me photo it would of been on the compost heap already. I made the decision to purchase knowing that most New Zealand hybridisers have a good eye, also very few people I assume would register an iris that looked as bad as the Trade Me photo and as you can see my good faith paid dividends! Can someone inform me why does anyone want to make a Standard Dwarf Bearded Iris look like an out of focus Three Prong Frizbee on acid??
As 'Smokey Babe' and several other irises from the same supplier showed once they started growing that they where shipped with fungal infections (I assume as a bonus for no extra cost) they where all subjected to a rigorous spray programme with a systemic fungicide (Taratek 5F) and this also could have had an affect on the bloom height.

Its sad that some clueless commercial growers of irises in New Zealand can't be bothered having a robust spray programme for fungal infections like leaf spot and think it is OK to send you infected plants, but they also want to charge a premium price for doing so. If you do nothing its rapidly becomes like a leaf spot chain letter. The solution? just don't purchase irises from these growers again but make sure you write to them and let them know your displeasure. I do! And they sure as hell don't make it to the New Zealand Iris Growers link list above.

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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Border Bearded Iris SOUNDZ OF COUNTIES

If you know 'Cherry Garden' the SDB then you will be familiar with the colour of 'Soundz of Counties' but that's where the familiarities finish. This Border Bearded Iris has branching (if you can call it that) far to close to the stalk, the flowers open touching the stalk and the blooms have crowded each other which never is a good look, and this is exactly what the photo shows one flower on top of the other. We all have the right to ask more of a new iris than just "new and introducing this season".
Let me quote a respected opinion on breeding irises ;
"Branching sufficient to display adequately the blooms according to their size, and height of stem to give balance to the flower, are also essential virtues. Beauty of form, substance, and colour are lost, if the branching is not sufficiently wide to display each flower separately. I have seen lovely seedlings, the first flowers of which looked perfect, but the branching was so poor that the succeeding flowers ruined the whole effect. Very short branching will mean that individual flowers will crowd each other out on the main stem until form and balance are lost in overlapping petals and a splash of colour". Jean Stevens, Iris and its Culture, Part One, 'On Breeding Bearded Irises'.

I will give this iris the benefit of the doubt and grow it on for another season to see if this poor branching trait decides to grow itself out via maturity, I'll keep you updated. In the meantime should you need a Border Bearded Iris of this colour tone and you don't want to compromise on good form and lets face it you shouldn't have to, go looking for a supplier who has Duane Meek's 'Honky Tonk Hussy'(1991) or Terry Aitken's  'Cranapple' (1995) both are award winning irises with good branching and are available in New Zealand for very reasonable prices.

New Zealand Hybridisers Checklist 2011
SOUNDZ OF COUNTIES Peter Berry, Reg., 2010. Sdlg. SA 98-6. BB 26" (65 cm), E. S. and style arms maroon; F. same, white lines at haft; beards white base, hairs tipped ginger in throat and middle, white base tipped maroon at end; slight fragrance. Cascade Pass X Cherry Garden. Limavady Irises 2011.

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 Standard Dwarf Bearded Iris FOREST GLADE

'Forest Glade' has been blooming its socks off at home and shows no signs of stopping just yet. It produces beautiful two buds per stalk with consistency no matter what the weather conditions throw at it. Strong vigorous growth with hearty clean foliage, all of the great plant habits that we have come to expect from a Jean Stevens introduction.
As an aside, the pollen parent of 'Forest Glade's' is an iris named 'Sulina' and has its own interesting history. It's a 3 inch deep violet seedling pumila, one of two (Carpathia was the other) grown and selected from a collection of seeds Robert Schreiner obtained from the University of Cluj in the Provence of Transylvania. Considered by Robert Schreiner to be a lower Danubian form of the pumila species, 'Sulina' and 'Carpathia' are named after one of the three channels that carry the river Danube to the Black Sea. Another of Robert Schreiners famous dwarf breeding irises was named 'Nana' this variety is a collected form of pumila, grown from seed sent from the Crimea. All three of these irises were never registered but were introduced by Schreiners and all were used extensively by many hybridisers and are noted in the parentage of more than just a few MDB, SDB, and Intermediate Irises.

Waterson Iris Garden, Wanganui, Irises 1960-61
FOREST GLADE
One of the new class of irises called "Lilliputs", raised by the crossing of the tiny pumilas with the Tall Bearded Irises. This little iris is very exotic in colouring, charming in effect. The standards are palest citron yellow - almost cream - while the falls are a clean soft olive brown with green overlay and with a wide margin around them of the same citron yellow as the standards. Free flowering and vigorous. 9 inches..........................17/6

THE IRIS (Australia) 1962, 'Comments from Tasmania', Page 70, Marion Calvert.
Forest Glade. One of the lilliputs (raised by Stevens of N.Z.). Standards palest citron yellow, while the falls are a clean olive brown with a wide margin of the same citron cream as the standards. It is very attractive in the garden and much admired by all who have seen it. 

A.I.S. Bulletin #184, January,1967, 'Varietal Comments, Region 3', Page 61,Charlotte Ganz.
A very striking flower with lemon standards and olive reddish falls edged lemon. It achieved more height here than it had "Down Under" but still was not in proportion, a failing of which Mrs Stevens is aware. It is a pity because the colors are so lovely.

New Zealand Hybridisers Checklist 2011
FOREST GLADE Mrs J. Stevens, Reg., 1960. Sdlg.1/f361. SDB 10″, E, Y3. S. pale citron yellow; F. green-toned olive-brown, edged citron yellow; yellow-cream beard. D127 X Sulina. Waterson Iris Garden 1960-61

Waterson Iris Gardens were the first to introduce 'Forest Glade' in 1960 the same year of its registration not Sunnyside Gardens, 1969/70, as shown in the official AIS Checklist description .
I think 'Forest Glade' is still commercially grown in New Zealand somewhere, but I purchased mine on Trade Me from hctnz (Lyn Nell) a Mid-Canterbury gardener who sends generous plants that have great plant health and who I have no hesitation to recommend highly.


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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New Zealand Standard Dwarf Bearded Iris HENHAM

'Henham' Noel tells me is a good growing iris. Named after grandson Henry & used part of surname.

New Zealand Hybridisers Checklist 2011
HENHAM Noel Lapham, Reg. 2011 Sdlg. 05-79/2. SDB, 11" (28 cm), E

Standards light yellow, lighter towards center; style arms white, slight lemon midrib; Falls, yellow-brown, light yellow rim; beards white, orange tips,paler at end. Zero X Yippy Skippy.

A 'Huge Hat tip' to Bev and Noel for the use of their photo. Send them an email and get their catalogue, you will be surprised the selection available.
Photo Copyright and Credit Mossburn Iris Gardens.

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New Zealand Standard Dwarf Bearded SAY SO

      More of the New Zealand Bred Standard Dwarf Bearded Irises hybridised by Noel Lapham as promised and available for sale this year from Mossburn Iris Gardens.
Noel has explained 'This iris lucky to be registered after growing it for eleven years, "SAY SO" is an interesting colour, with striking white beards'.
I am sure that an Iris that has been grown at Mossburn Gardens for eleven years has considerable merit

New Zealand Hybridisers Checklist 2011
SAY SO Noel Lapham, Reg. 2011 Sdlg. 01-F. SDB, 9" (23 cm), M
Standards dark blue violet; Falls dark blue violet, cream at hafts; beards white, tipped yellow in throat. Parentage unknown. Mossburn Iris Garden 2011.

Once again a 'Huge Hat tip' to Bev and Noel for the use of their photo.
Photo Copyright and Credit Mossburn Iris Gardens

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Intermediate Bearded Iris IN BETWEEN

'IN BETWEEN' is out of a cross of Shirley Spicer's 1996 SDB 'Little Bridget' and Gordon Plough's 1976 Blue TB 'Glacier Magic'. Robust growth with nice clean foliage, blooms have good form with strong fluted standards, flaring and lightly ruffled falls and the colouration that reminds me of a indecisive modern version of the great Intermediate Bearded classic, 'June Prom', A. Brown 1966.
Standards are solid icy pale blue with no markings, the falls are one shade lighter, smartly deepening to a medium blue towards the falls centre, this is overlaid with deeper toned subtle violet blue striations that change to a heavier concentration of Olive coloured markings at the shoulders, just like 'June Prom' did. A pleasant but not overpowering fragrance and soft violet beard tipped light orange yellow darkening down the throat. Blooms are the ideal size for an intermediate and on rather strong , well-branched stalks. Works for me!

New Zealand Hybridisers Checklist 2011
IN BETWEEN  Shirley Spicer, R. 2009. Sdlg. SS/17/90. IB, 38-42" (97-107 cm), E ; S. pale blue; F. pale blue flushed deeper blue,  greenish striations on hafts; beards pale violet hairs tipped yellow; slight sweet fragrance. Little Bridget X Glacier Magic.

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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Pacific Coast Irises at Queen Elizabeth Park

Tucked away in Masterton’s Queen Elizabeth Park is a little iris garden, originally established by money donated by the Wallis family and named in their honour. Bert and Nance Wallis were keen irisarians and founder members of the New Zealand Iris Society (NZIS) in the late 1940s. Bert loved Tall Beardeds – the taller and brighter the better – while Nance preferred smaller bearded and species irises.

They passed their love of irises onto their family – son-in-law Ron Isles was President of the NZIS and grandson Gareth Winter is the current editor of the Almanac of the Society for Pacific Coast Native Iris. Gareth, who breeds PCIs in Masterton, has donated some of his seedlings to his grandparents’ garden, and I recently went down to have a look and see what was flowering. This exceptional blue variety took my eye, and I couldn’t help but think of 'The Mamas & the Papas' song, “Californian Dreamin”, partly because the next line is ‘on such a Winter’s day’!

I sent Gareth a copy of the photograph and he went over to the park to see the flowers himself, but before he got there a thief in the night had beaten him, and all the flowers had been picked and taken away. While we admire their extreme good taste in stealing the iris flowers we think they should have been left there for the rest of the public to enjoy.

Gareth's blog 'IRISES & ARCHIVES' is an very good read and a link can be found above in 'MUST READ BLOGS'
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 Standard Dwarf Bearded Iris KIM MAREE

I am quite partial to Blue and White coloured plicata's in the Lilliput's as they add a special carrying power to the emerging spring garden. Noel Lapham thinks that there are a lot of iris with this colouring but this one is a brighter colour. Obviously a Lapham family favourite as 'Kim Maree' was selected by their daughter, and has been named after her.

New Zealand Hybridisers Checklist 2011
KIM MAREE Noel Lapham, Reg. 2011 Sdlg. 04-7/2. SDB, 11" (28 cm), M
Standards white ground, dark violet rim; style arms violet, lighter edge; Falls, white ground, violet rim and hafts; beards white, yellow tips in throat. Chubby Cheeks X Crispin Babe. 

A 'Huge Hat tip' to Bev and Noel for the use of their photo.
 Photo Copyright and Credit Mossburn Iris Gardens

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New Zealand Bred Aril Median Iris HAIDEE

New Zealand Bred and classified as a Arilbred Median (AB-MED), it also has the classification from the Aril Society as OGB- which is a  a hybrid containing any combination of oncocyclus and regelia and other eupogon irises. To simplify things this iris at 14 inches has the same height requirements as a Standard Dwarf Bearded Iris to give you an idea of size, it just has different mix of iris genetics. 'Haidee' blooms have striking and vibrant rose lavender standards and falls of a darker rose lavender tone. Small lighter violet highlights around a deeper violet beard. Growth is less than average but I am sure this is one of those irises that I will have to find the right spot to grow in order for it to be a success. Difficult to bred with because of its varied chromosome count derived from its parentage.

Richmond Iris Garden, 376 Hill Street, Richmond, Nelson. Catalogue 2006-2007 Issue 56
HAIDEE (Catton 1979) Lavender standards, falls flushed rose. Brown hafts, purple beards......................$6.00

Aril Society International Checklist 2010
HAIDEE  OGB-  (Hilmary Catton, R. 1979).  Sdlg. C731-10.  AB-MED (1/4), 14” (36 cm).  S. lavender; F. lavender, washed rose; light brown hafts; deep violet beard.  Myra X Saracen Warrior.  Wyuna, 1979-80.  [APTT]  

I purchased this iris last year from Richmond Iris Gardens but it has not been listed this season, so maybe next year.
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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