Sunday, October 19, 2008

Tall Bearded Iris 'JESSE'S SONG'




Jesse's Song Awarded Honorable Mention 1985, Award of Merit 1987, Dykes Medal 1990. One of the first modern plicata irises to bloom at home and a consistent Rebloomer. Strong straight stems.



Pacific Coast Hybridizers, Campbell, California. Three for 1983 from Bryce Williamson
JESSE'S SONG A white ground plicata that has wide, sanded borders of methyl violet, deeply ruffled form, double buds and show stalks that will open three wellplaced flowers. See the January Bulletin for our color ad. American Heritage sib X Iris Nelson's 34·73A: (Smoke Rings x Decolletage) . $25.00


IRISES A Gardener's Encyclopedia, Claire Austin.
Iris 'Jesse's Song' (B. Williamson 1979)
This plicata is consistently the first tall bearded Iris to flower in my nursery. The white petals are beautifully speckled with violet. The beads are soft violet, and the neatly ruffled flowers are borne on strong, straight stem. Height; 91 cm (36½in.) Bloom; early to mid season. Parentage; (Charmed Circle x Kiss) X (Smoke Rings x Decolletage).Dykes Medal Winner USA 1990.

IRIS Flowers of the Rainbow, Graeme Grosvenor.
BLUE PURPLE PLICATAS
'Jesse's Song' (Williamson 1983) is one of the all-time great Iris, an American Dykes Medal winner and a garden and show Iris without peer. Base colour is white with standards and falls stitched and dotted methyl-violet. Flower form is very attractive with wide ruffled blooms produced throughout the season from early to late on 90 cm or taller spikes that carry from 10 to 12 quality blooms.'Jesse's Song' is healthy, vigorous, and a very quick increaser to provide a garden spectacle in all climates where its versatility and consistency ensure success. On the show bench 'Jesse's Song' is superb and I have taken grand champion with it at the NSW region of the ISA show in Sydney in the year when the two best spikes at the show were both of 'Jesse's Song'. Breeding is (Charmed Circle x Kiss) X (Smoke Rings x Decolletage) and I cannot recommend or praise this Iris highly enough.

Schreiner's, Salem, Oregon, 74th Collectors Edition, 1999 Iris Lovers Catalog.
JESSE'S SONG (Williamson 1983) EM 35"
With a prominent accent on its generous ruffled form, this plicata is well known for its fine garden growth. The centers of the flowers are solid white, the plicata patterns are actually bands of violet peppering around the falls. The standards are more solidly colored. An exceptionally fine branched stem with 7 to 8 buds.

Cooleys Gardens, Silverton, Oregon. Iris Catalog 2002
JESSE'S SONG (Williamson 1983) EM 35"
A white center on the falls is framed by a striking violet plicata border.The standards too, have a clean white ground with a substantial plicata band. The beard is lemon, tipped blue white. HM '85; AM '87; Dykes '90.

AIS Checklist 1979
JESSE'S SONG (B. Williamson, R. 1979). Sdlg. 65773. TB 36" (91 cm) M. S. white center, sanded into a solid methyl violet band; F. white plicata edge of methyl violet, sanded into a clean white ground; lemon beard tipped blue-white. 474-1: (Charmed Circle x Kiss) X Iris Nelson 34-74A: (Smoke Rings x Decolletage)., AM 1987. Dykes 1990

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4 comments:

  1. A few years ago, a beautiful white and violet iris bloomed in my garden.It was absolutely beautiful and I have no idea how it got there!I showed pictures of it to the local greenhouses but nobody could tell me the name of it.I posted it on facebook and one of my friends looked into it.It is a Jesse's Song!Everyone who sees it comments on how beautiful it is and I look forward to it each year.

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  2. My friend's daughter's name is Jesse. I have a Jesse's Song iris along with over 200 other varieties. When I work in my garden and see the Jesse's Song I think of her daughter. She was born with physical challenges, but has overcome them and risen to the occasion. She is an intelligent, beautiful, educated and independent young lady now. I took my friend's favorite Bible verses, Isaiah 40:28-31 (which reminded her of her daughter) and had them engraved on a plaque/plant stake with Jesse's Song engraved at the top. Now when my friend walks her garden and sees the plaque she can not only think of her daughter, but she can read the Bible passage.

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  3. I bought an iris at a garden shop without any idea of its color because my father was Jesse and the iris was labeled Jesse's Song. It was totally gorgeous and over the years I shared rhizomes with many friends, who enjoyed them as much as I did. Each Spring I would get emails that Jesse's Song was blooming in their garden. When I moved from Virginia to Mississippi I brought one with me and it graced me with its beauty for nine years but this year there was no sign of it. My garden will not be complete until I have this spectacular iris in my garden again.

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  4. On Oct. 26, 1991 I planted a Jesse's Song Iris in my New England garden to commemorate the birth of our grandson Jesse Patrick. My husbands work relocated us many times over the years, but my favorite iris always came along and never let me down. We are now retired in NC; our grandson Jesse is now serving his country in the U.S. Army; and, next year will mark 25 years of sharing this prolific bloomer with fellow gardeners in six states! I rejoice as the 'song' plays on.....

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