By
Carlos Ayento
I
have been involved with irises since seventh grade. That was back in 1992 when I planted eight
tall bearded irises from a collection offered from Burpee’s Seed catalog. Seven of those irises I would later find out
were introduced by Schreiner’s. These
were Invitation (1982), Grand Waltz (1970), Stepping Out (1964), Gay Parasol
(1974), Deep Fire (1979), Pledge Allegiance (1984) and Tut’s Gold (1979).
I
had expanded the collection vastly during my college years in my parent’s
Chicago garden; some performed well, others not so much. However, those seven irises were still among
the hardiest in the garden and would serve as the catalyst for creating my
Schreiner’s iris collection. With the
exception of Deep Fire, I still grow all of these irises today. My website, Brighton Park Iris, was born from
this obsession.
Since
moving to my own property, I had the chance to really expand my
collection. I have tried introductions
from nearly every major iris hybridizer and grower. As an iris gardener, I’m presented with many
problems which are not ideal for bearded iris: humid and sometimes rainy
summers, cold winters (lately without snow cover) and of course, the dreaded
iris borer.
This
has been the triple-whammy of trying to grow irises for me in Chicago...only
the toughest irises survive here. Irises
that have originated in the West Coast area (California, Oregon, Washington)
have had the hardest time transitioning in the Windy City and many don't
survive that first winter. However,
there have been a few irises that snuff at whatever Chicago throws at them. So
here I present some of the hardiest West Coast irises that thrive in Chicago
and that have been introduced within the last 20 years.
From
Paul Black, one of my top selections for standard dwarf bearded iris is Mini
Mouse (2012). It is a vigorous and
fast-growing iris with wonderful and faint plum dotting over cream. Don't forget to check out those solid purple
styles!
Lowell
Baumunk's Vivaldi (2007) is another standard dwarf bearded iris that has also
performed well here in Chicago. This
blue and white plicata is a Baroque classic!
Delicate, yet hardy!
If
you’re looking for an intermediate bearded iris to continue the season along,
look no further than Rick Tasco’s Flying Solo (2001). This creamy pink self with interesting pink
horns multiplies quickly and will take over your garden if you leave it alone.
From
Joe Ghio, his Spiral Galaxy (2014) is performing very well here. It’s a ruffled yellow bitone with his
signature “Ghio-form” and unique maroon veining on the falls. It blooms for a long period of time with
multiple blooms per stalk.
An
iris that I believe is truly deserving of the Dykes Medal is Keith Keppel’s
Venetian Glass (2003). Creamy white with
a slight pink cast and crisp, laced edging.
Has bloomed consistently every year and never fails to impress.
Of
the few introductions that I have tried growing of Bob Van Liere, my favorite
and his best growing of those is Sisters of Loretto (2006). It’s a creamy, rosy-strawberry iris with a
flush of cream on the center of the flower.
Roger
Duncan’s Arctic Burst (2008) never fails to impress. It’s unique color pattern is
unmistakable. I love the yellow infusion
both on the lower part of the standards and hafts of the falls.
Irises
introduced by the Schreiner’s have done consistently well here in Chicago. If you’re looking for TALL bearded iris, then
you must try Schreiner’s Downtown Brown (2013) for its creamy coffee
coloration.
Next,
Salzburg Echo (2009) will light up that dark corner of your yard with its
brilliant cream standards and rich yellow falls. A dependable bloomer and one that increases
rapidly.
Miles
Ahead (2010) is aptly named. Its miles
ahead of the competition in terms of blooming reliability and vigor to
withstand what Chicago weather throws at it.
Most
dark selfs that I have tried in Chicago perform well, but if you want the best
growing and most saturated jet black of them all, then Here Comes the Night
(2009) is for you.
Another iris that has done well from the Schreiner family is Glad (2011). The lavender-blue self would be easily overlooked if it weren't for those blazing orange beards on the falls!
Finally,
the most recent introduction that so far is performing very admirably, and
namesake of the founding member of the Schreiner’s firm, F. X. Schreiner (2015) is making a big splash in my Chicago garden.
If you have difficulty growing some of the new irises on the market today or are unsure of what to try of the more recent irises to hit the market, give these beauties a try!
