New Zealand Dykes Medal Winner SALUTE D'AMOUR

I purchased this Iris from Shirley Spicer when I visited her last summer at her home in Wanganui.
An all-round good garden variety, nice clean foliage with strong increase clumping up quickly 'Salute D'Amour' is a almond pink blend (RHS19D Pale Orangish Yellow) in the tradition of 'Mittagong' (Grosvenor, 1989)  but with much more clarity and strength of colour. Falls slightly darker than the standards gradually lighten in the centre just below the light yellowish pink beards (RHS27A). Good strong stalks of a average height with nice open branching that display well the frequently open multiple blooms, however the standards do concern me as they are very upright and tight and have a tendency to get stuck when trying to unfurl which is never a good look. Awarded the New Zealand Dykes Medal in 2003. Just a little bump in the road I cannot find someone who sells this iris in New Zealand today!

Waimate Iris Garden, Waimate, South Canterbury , 2006 Catalogue.
Salute D'Amour, Spicer 2003
A delightful mix of coral and light and warm pink. Beards coral. Sweet fragrance. L.

New Zealand Hybridisers Cumulative Checklist 2011
SALUTE D'AMOUR Shirley Spicer, Reg., 2001. Sdlg. SS/29.  TB, 33″, (84cm), L ;  S. light pink blush; style arms soft coral pink; F. warm pink blush, soft white haft marking; beards coral; sweet fragrance.  Elysian Fields x Flirtation Waltz. Waimate Iris Garden 2006. Dykes Medal 2003 NZ.

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

'As An Aside'
The New Zealand Iris Society Checklist 2007 notes 'Salute D'Amour' was awarded the Dykes Medal in 2003, the British Iris Society Year Book 2004 confirms this date on page 108, the NZIS bulletin 165, March 2005, page 10, is an in-depth report on 'Salute D'Amour' award and the headline reads 'The New Zealand Dykes Medal 2003', but on page 32 in the same bulletin under the heading 'For Sale- Dykes Trail Gardens Irises', it states "Rhizomes of 'Salute D'Amour' the 2004 Dykes Medal winner bred by Shirley Spicer, salmond pink can be purchased for $21.00 each". Finally there is the much vaunted for its accuracy 'Iris wiki encyclopedia thing' that has 'Salute D'Amour' listed as having been awarded 'New Zealand Dykes Medal 2005'. 
What can I say??? Ready for the advanced iris aptitude test??