Please join us in congratulating Barbara
& David Schmieder on their Williamson-White Medal winning iris "Peebee and Jay."
"Peebee and Jay" Barbara and David Schmeider |
This medal is restricted to miniature tall
bearded (MTB) irises. It is named in honor of E. B. Williamson (1877-1933), his
daughter Mary Williamson (1909-1987) and Alice White (1886-1969).
On the AIS Awards page, Clarence Mahan tell us that "although
others had introduced irises that fit into the miniature tall bearded iris
class before
Williamson, he and
his daughter were the first to breed them as cultivars in a distinctive class
of irises."
"In the early 1950's, Alice
White of Hemet, California began a crusade to gain recognition of the assets of these wonderful
smaller irises. She organized table iris robins and wrote many articles for the AIS Bulletin and
gardening magazines promoting their virtues. She encouraged iris hybridizers to breed these
irises to obtain new and finer cultivars. She led the campaign to have a
separate class established
for table irises. When the class was finally approved, Alice White graciously accepted the name
"miniature tall bearded" irises, although she always preferred to
call them table irises."
"Peebee and Jay" Photo credit Stout Gardens at Dancingtree |
The description from the AIS Wiki says the following:
'Peebee And Jay' (Barbara & David
Schmieder, R. 2005). Sdlg. 98-BP-1. MTB, 22" (56 cm), M. S. and style arms
near moderate orange (RHS 166D); F. near strong purple (83C), thin rim similar
to color of S., some white lines at haft; beards light yellow (10B). 'Bangles'
X 'Pardner'. Hermit Medlars Walk 2006. HM 2009, AM 2011; Williamson-White Medal 2013.