The American Iris Society Announces the 2021 Nies Medal Winners

'IBEX IBIS' and 'STEELY DON'

The Nies Medal is restricted to spuria irises. It is named in honor of Eric Nies (1884-1952). Eric Nies was born in Saugatuck, Michigan, but soon after Nies moved to California, he became interested in irises of all types. He obtained his first spuria irises from Jennett Dean, who operated one of the first iris specialist nurseries in the U.S. Spurias were his special interest. His first cross was with I. orientalis with 'Monspur' He interbred seedlings from this cross, and in the second generation there was a virtual explosion of color: blue, lavender, brown, bronze and cream. During his lifetime, Nies was recognized as the foremost breeder of spuria irises in the world. Marion Walker took over his seedlings and breeding lines after he died in 1952.

Editor’s Note: Due to the pandemic last year, the American Iris Society Board of directors suspended garden awards. As a result, and only for this year, two medals will be awarded in each area. Previous awards winners can be found at https://wiki.irises.org/Main/InfoAwards.

'IBEX IBIS' (Brad Kasperek)

'Ibex Ibis' (Brad Kasperek, R. 2012) Seedling #SPH-350. SPU, 45 (114 cm). Midseason bloom. Standards and style arms light medium lavender; falls bright medium yellow center darkening to gold at the crest of style arm, light medium lavender rim; slight fragrance. Parentage unknown. Zebra Gardens 2012.

STEELY DON (J. T Aitken)

'Steely Don' (J. Terry Aitken, R. 2012) Seedling #05SPU-2A. SPU, 54" (137 cm). Midseason bloom. Standards steely blue-grey outside, washed inside with white at midribs blending to blue at rim; style arms steely blue-grey; falls pale lemon-yellow, light steely blue-grey veins and petal edges. 'Missouri Clouds' X unknown.

The World of Irises blog will be posting classification medal winners as soon as the hybridizers are notified. The entire list of winners, including award of merit and honorable mention, will be published in the AIS website, the AIS Encyclopedia, and later in the AIS Bulletin, IRISES.

"Talking Irises" SPURIA IRISES WITH BRAD KASPEREK-- MY VISIT TO ZEBRA IRIS GARDENS PART II

By: Susanne Holland Spicker

Last week I visited ZEBRA IRIS GARDENS. The spuria irises were in bloom, and it was a visual treat! I saw rows and rows of stately spuria clumps.  The warm sunlight brought out the beautiful veining on the exquisite iris falls and the garden was  a myriad of colors with the lush green foliage showcasing their loveliness; it was extraordinary--ethereal.

You might ask, "What exactly is a spuria iris?" 

 FACTS ABOUT SPURIA IRISES

• Spurias are beardless iris with elegant blooms
• They will grow and flower with ease in most areas of the country, especially those where summer months are dry
• They don't like to be disturbed, and can go 10-15 years without dividing
• Their tall, bright green foliage and eye-catching blooms are not bothered by winds
• They are great in floral arrangements, having a long vase life
• Spurias love a well-balanced fertilizer, such as 14-14-14
• Don't let spurias dry out before transplanting; some people use a wet paper towel to keep them hydrated until time for planting
• They like full sunlight, or at least 1/2 day of sun
• After established, they are quite drought tolerant
• Plant in an area with good drainage

Brad Kasperek's interest in hybridizing spuria irises began in 2005.   He had often lost much of his bearded seedling bloom to hard April freezes, and had been thinking of switching his hybridizing priority to spuria irises. The president of the Spuria Iris Society cornered him one day and helped convince him it was something he should do.  Well, he was right!  Brad says he wishes he had started a decade earlier. 

Brad says that "most seasoned iris hybridizers develop an 'intuition' about which two parents to select when pursuing new flower coloration," but that he is too new at spurias to have that ability yet.  He said that his "first couple years of seedlings were a great disappointment since their flowers were just like what had already been introduced."  After that experience, he said that he chose his "spuria parents more carefully, and this year's seedling bloom from 2008 and 2009 crosses is providing some 'gnu' flower colors and rounder form."

Hybridizer Brad Kasperek, Zebra Iris Gardens, with one of his stunning seedlings, pictured below.

The evening I arrived at ZEBRA IRIS GARDENS I was in luck--Brad was in the process of hybridizing.  Brad says he has found the best time for this is between the hours of 7 and 9 pm, when the flowers are more fertile.  Watching the painstaking procedure of pollinating, tagging, and recording the data was fascinating.  It will be one or two years before Brad sees the fruits of his labors. He says "his current hybridizing goals include a line of non-yellow solid colors and transferring some of Charles Jenkins' and Barry Blyth's color breaks, new colors or patterns, to better plants." He says that he believes that "the best plants are from Dave Niswonger with some from Jenkins and Floyd Wickencamp as well."

 A bed of newly transplanted spuria iris among the established clumps of blooming flowers.

Brad believes that spuria hybridizers and the AIS should "focus more on advancements in spuria flower color and form at this time, rather than on the 'perfect plant.' "  He said that "Melba Hamblin, a very successful Utah hybridizer, always taught 'first you get the flower, and then you get the plant.' "  Brad says "both goals often take decades to reach, but almost every commercial hybridizer knows that color and form, not plant, is what sells."   So, his advice for both the Spuria Iris Society and AIS judging would be "a greater emphasis on colors and form at this time, in the hopes of expanding the garden appeal of 
l. spuria." 

This year, Brad has two exceptional spuria introductions and one was in bloom when I visited. "WAPITI CITI" (SPU 42" EM Kasperek '13), is lightly ruffled, with rich, medium red-purple standards, style arms and fall rims.  Matching inverted eyelash veining on a bright yellow signal completes this introduction.  It also has 6-8 buds.  Regal!

An introduction last year, "IBEX IBIS"  (Kerr/Kasperek 2012) is a well-proportioned clump.  It has 6 budded stalks with a mass of flowers with medium lavender standards and a matching band around sunshine yellow falls.

Outstanding seedlings include the following:

ZEBRA IRIS GARDENS also has an impressive selection of award-winning spuria irises from other hybridizers. Some of my favorites in bloom that day are pictured here:

"SPARKLING CIDER" Cadd 2002--WOW!

"BLUE SPIDERWEB" Ferguson 1966

"LEMON TOWER" Walker 2008

"BOLDLY ELEGANT" Cadd 2003--striking!

"ADRIATIC BLUE" Niswonger 1996--superb!

"ADOBE SUNSET" McCown 1979

"IMPERIAL BRONZE" McCown 1970

"WILD AT HEART" Blyth 1999

"SULTANS SASH" Niswonger 1990--elegant

"CINNAMON MOON"  Blyth 2003--a real dazzler

"NORTHERN MUSE" Walker/Aberego 1985

"STEELY EYES" Walker 2006

"LOOK LIVELY"

"KAIBAB TRAIL" Wickenkamp 1985

"PEAK ALONE" Evans 1997 (Australia)

"STELLA IRENE" Jenkins 1995--Dramatic!

"CANDLE LACE"  Jenkins 1990--Ruffled falls

"RESPONSE"  Corlew 1989

"FIREMIST" Niswonger 1991--Gorgeous!

"NOBLE ROMAN" Blyth 1994

"VIOLET FUSION" Walker 2006

"DANDELION SMILE" Cadd 2005

"MISSOURI BOON" Niswonger/Wilhoits 2007

I eagerly look forward to additional introductions from Brad. I predict a resurgence of these remarkable flowers in the iris world--the possibilities are exciting!  I appreciate Brad's hospitality and thank him for welcoming me to his stunning iris garden.

To read more on spuria irises, or to join the Spuria Iris Society, (SIS) a section of the AIS, see them on their facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/spuriairissociety or  you can find them at www.spuriairissociety.org.

I'm planning on adding some spuria irises to my landscape this year, how about you?

On a personal note: I didn't have the pleasure of meeting Kathie, who is an integral part of ZEBRA IRIS GARDENS.  She recently had surgery for breast cancer, which will have to be aggressively treated. She will be having a mastectomy, with associated lymph node removal, followed by probable chemotherapy and radiation.  I, along with so many others, wish Brad and Kathie all the best these next months as they deal with this new challenge, while keeping up with the rigors of their commercial iris business. 

"Talking Irises" BROKEN COLOR IRISES WITH HYBRIDIZER BRAD KASPEREK AT ZEBRA IRIS GARDENS

By Susanne Holland Spicker


A recent drive to ZEBRA IRIS GARDENS, a commercial iris garden in Elwood, Utah, gave me a "GNU," (as the Kaspereks would say) appreciation for BROKEN COLOR IRISES and a newfound love for SPURIA IRISES. Brad and Kathie Kasperek are the owners/operators of this beautiful iris garden.  It is the world's leading source for broken color (BC) bearded irises, and I was impressed with their large variety of award winning spuria irises as well.

Brad has been hybridizing irises for several years. He has a wealth of knowledge and is recognized as the pioneer of broken color irises, which are flowers with random streaking and/or splashing of 2 or more colors. They come in Tall Bearded (TB), Border Bearded (BB), and Intermediate Bearded (IB) varieties. Visiting with Brad was interesting and very educational. He stated that it takes roughly 100 years to "perfect" a flower, and since broken  color irises have only been around for about 25 years, the hybridizing is still in its infancy. Improvements in bud count, branching, and form continue to be perfected.  I was impressed with his irrigation system, and the neat, well organized way his garden is laid out--especially the identifying markers on every plant.

Brad's first introduction was award-winning "TIGER HONEY", (TB 38" EM AM 1994). Since then, he has introduced roughly 100 irises--many, award winners. The names of his irises are as unique as they are. Most are whimsical names based on African or wildlife themes.

After viewing rows and rows of blooms, some of my favorite Kasperek irises that were in bloom include:

Bi-color plicata "LLAMA MAMA" TB  37"  EM  2005  HM.  Large and vigorous!

"OKAPI POPPY"  TB 37"  M  2004 AM  Vigorous and graceful.  

A favorite:  "DRUNK SKUNK" TB 32" EM  2012.  Stunning!

"MAGDALENA LOUISA" TB 36" M  2003  HM.  A clean, BC pink--beautiful!

2013 Introduction, "MINK PINK."  Simple and elegant. TB 35" M.   I Love the beards!

2008 Wister Medalist, "MILLENNIUM FALCON"  TB 38" M.  Stunning--A real knockout!

 "MEERKAT MANOR"  BB  25" M  2008  AM.  A personal favorite!

"KINKAJOU SHREW" TB 38" EM  2000  AM.  This large bloomer is an excellent grower.

"PEEKABOO ZEBU" TB 35" ML  2005 AM.  Ruffled, bright and cheery.

This seedling is sure to be a winner--I loved the new, exceptional color!

Exciting seedling!

 "GNU BLUES"  TB 36" M 1994 AM.  Lovely!

"BEWILDERBEAST" TB 30" EM  1995 HM. A favorite--goes with many color combinations. 

"GRIZZLY GOSLING" TB  36" M 2006--Exceptional color and form on this ruffled BC iris.

"IWAN'A IGUANA" TB  36"  M  2004 HM--Lights up the garden--a favorite of garden visitors.

"SPICED TIGER" TB  31" EM  1996  AM.  Dramatic!

"KILIMANJARO SUNRISE" TB  37" M HM  The first BC yellow/violet bicolor.

"QUAIL ALE" TB  37" EM  1996 HM.  Understated elegance on this light yellow beauty.

This radiant charmer stood out in the garden

"FLAMINGO GRINGO" TB  30" EM 2008.  Exciting in the garden!

"OCTOPI PI" TB  36"  ML  2012.  This plicata has  clean, bright orange standards.

A favorite--2013 introduction, "YETI AGAIN" TB 36" ML.  A sure winner!

"CHOCOLATE MOOSE" TB  37"  M  2003 HM.  Dramatic--a lovely clump.

"HOT DOGS AND MUSTARD" (Kathie Kasperek) TB  36"  M 1995  AM.  Kathie's creation works great in designs.

"BRADLEY BADGER" TB 34"  M  2013.  A favorite--Lights up the whole garden!

Brad's introductions have received many awards from the AIS judges, and last year he received The Founders of SIGNA Medal for "Z Z ZANZIBAR" and both "MEERKAT MANOR" (BB) and "PLUM DUCK" (Spec x) received Awards of Merit.  Also, "ORANGUTAN ORANGE" (TB) picked up an Honorable Mention. This year's introductions are exceptional as you can see by the pictures of 3 of my favorites:  "BRADLEY BADGER," YETI AGAIN," and "MINK PINK".

Whether you're a lover of broken color irises like me or not, you'll have to agree that the Kasperek  irises must be recognized as something relatively new and different in the iris world. I am grateful to Brad Kasperek for his passion, and for the countless hours and patience involved in hybridizing these unique flowers. I find them beautiful, and have a long wish list after visiting his iris garden. Whether in a clump or a single stem, they are very striking, making exciting attention-getters in the garden. I see many possibilities for companion plants and other irises that compliment their wonderful patterns and colors.

What do you like most about Broken Color irises?  Which is your favorite?

NOTE:  Look for part II of my visit to Zebra Iris Gardens, where I talk about Brad's hybridizing priority shift to spuria irises, and pictures of some award-winning spurias, as well as some of Brad's stunning seedlings!