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Karin Olding a New Zealand bre
d Intermediate Iris Hybridised by Glady's Watson and registered in 1978 (I cannot find much information about this lady).Length of bloom makes this is one of the best reblooming intermediate irises. Yesterday I was chatting to Gloria Rapson one of New Zealand's finest Irisarian's ,who informed me that in her Tauranga garden Karin Olding is currently a mass of bloom stalks and flowering is expected within the week. KO starts to bloom for Gloria in June and can still be blooming at Christmas Time and into January. The temperature is a lot warmer in that part of the country than it is here but Karin Olding is one of the first to bloom in the Wairarapa. Whilst the flowers would not be considered perfection by the so called NZ Iris Growing Elite the iris can not be faulted for its bud count,the bud colouration, its good increase, and its extraordinary long bloom season makes it an Iris your garden can not be without. 
Its registered Bloom season classification is VE (Very Early) but if this Iris was to be registered today it would probably have a bloom season classification VE-ASRE.(All Season Rebloom)Its amazing homozygous recessive condition would mean it has enormous breeding potential as a parent.
AIS 1979 Checklist entry
KARIN OLDING (Mrs G Watson R.1978) Sdgl; W2-31-63 IB, 22" (56cm) VE. Light blue,overlaid and veined deeper blue on Falls;Yellow beard tipped white.Helen McGregor X Schreiner sdlg.
Introduced Collins Iris Garden 1978/79
Last bloom season was the first time I had seen KO in all its glory, it instantly became a 'Must Have' in my garden, and 3 Rhizome's of Karen Olding were purchased for a group planting.
The only New Zealand catalogue listing of this iris in 2007-2008 is Amazing Iris Garden 138 Walford Road RD2 Katikati.Email wendy@irisgarden.co.nz
Karin Olding is yet another treasure of New Zealand iris Hybridising which to date has been very poorly promoted. Pictures taken of unlabelled Karin Olding growing in Queen Elisabeth Park, Masterton, New Zealand last bloom season. With the registration date of 1978 Karin Olding is now 30 years old so has archived Historic Iris status. I have no doubt it will still be around 30 years from now
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