Greetings from Down Under

By Melissa and Bailey Schiller

Today marks the day that we publish our first post for the American Iris Society blog. We would like to thank the editors for offering us this opportunity to be part of the blogging team all the way from Down Under!

Smokin Heights Spring 2016

We are Melissa and Bailey Schiller, mother and son owners of Smokin Heights Nursery. We specialise in bearded iris, with a further interest in hybridizing novelties. Melissa started collecting iris about 25 years ago after acquiring 5 iris from her grandmother. The iris virus soon took a hold and it became an obsession for Melissa. She soon discovered Tempo Two Nursery and started to increase her collection.  Every Spring she would open the garden to the public and offer excess varieties for sale.

Barry, Lesley and Heidi Blyth soon became mentors to what Melissa wanted to grow and use in her own garden and to achieve in her hybridizing goals.

Bailey at the age of 13 watched on while Melissa dabbled in the iris field with replant and hybridizing, and just like that Bailey took the tweezers from Melissa’s hand and started doing his own crosses.

Bailey and Barry Blyth back in  Spring 2013 at Tempo Two

The Spring of 2013 Barry invited us to Tempo Two. This was a quick day trip with a bored dad and husband in tow. We remember being so overwhelmed with the view in front of us. Being allowed into Barry’s seedling field was a soul fulfilling experience…..frantically we rushed around doing so many crosses with the little time we had. On this our first trip Barry spent only a little time with us as the Barn was open with people everywhere. Barry, Lesley and Heidi were flat out. We even met Tim Blyth this day too near the end of our visit. This is where Bailey and his photographic memory was first recognized. A very useful tool but can get annoying when he gets going. Bailey has the ability to read the pedigree of iris and remember it, as well as where it is positioned in the garden. A very useful tool for everyone who spends time with him in the iris field! This visit we met with Roland Dejoux and also Kirk Hansen.

In the spring of 2014 we were invited again to Tempo Two. We spent several extremely busy days hybridizing and spending special time with Barry, Lesley and Heidi Blyth. We were also privileged to meet and begin our friendship with Thomas Johnson and Kirk Hansen. WOW.

Thomas Johnson and Bailey in Spring 2014 at Tempo Two

This particular year Barry spent a lot of time with Bailey discussing the iris with a focal point on genetics. Over the next few months any questions that Bailey had he would email Barry. Barry and Bailey discussed everything iris related. Seedling pictures were exchanged and more discussion ensued. Bailey would offer ideas to Barry and vice versa. I think Barry got the idea pretty quickly that Bailey’s style of hybridizing was much like his own. Have a go with this to that and who knows what you will get! This rule of thumb applies to the Blyth genetics where Barry’s lines are criss crossed and then crossed together. Does that make sense?

The mentoring continues to this day but now has branched out to include Thomas Johnson, Paul Black, and Keith Keppel. We love the frivolity and guidance we receive from these gentlemen in the iris field.

We would like to finish off the blog with a couple seedlings and just a brief overview of our hybridising goals which will be continued in our next installment.

F74-1: (Chaos Theory X Fiasco)

Bailey is a lover of all things weird and whacky, and this shows in his hybridising. With a particular focus and interest in breeding novelties. F74-1 (pictured above) was his favourite seedling to have its maiden bloom in Spring 2018. Coming from two 6-falled (flat) parents is this consistently flat iris. Bailey has been working on flat iris for a few years now and this is the best to bloom thus far.

F50-4: (Blyth A117-1: involved pedigree X Boston Cream)

If you look closely at the photo of  F50-4 you will notice some white colour breaks on the falls. Very interesting to see the plicata pattern and broken colour pattern in the same bloom, neither one dominating the other. We definitely plan on exploring this further!

In our next blog we will delve deeper into our hybridizing and show everyone what we have been working on and where we would like to go with our breeding lines.

Editors' Note: Barry Blyth, along with Graeme Grosvenor and John Taylor, are the best known to the rest of the world of the Australian iris hybridizers. For many years, Mr. Blyth operated Tempo Two, but two years ago, he retired. His introductions are now listed at Mid America Gardens in Salem, Oregon. Thomas Johnson and Kirk Hansen run the business. Please note that we leave UK spelling of English words alone.

IRISES: The Bulletin of the AIS - Fall 2018 Edition

By Andi Rivarola 

A warm welcome to those who are seeing IRISES, the Bulletin of The American Iris Society for the first time. If you are a member of The American Iris Society I hope you enjoy this new issue.

The Fall issue of the AIS Bulletin will be available for online viewing soon, and accessible via the Emembers section of the AIS website. The print copy has been mailed via the U.S. Post Office. On the cover this time, the Winner of the 2018 Dykes Medal, 'Haunted Heart,' by hybridizer Keith Keppel (R. 2010, TB). Congratulations!

Note: to access this area of the website you must have a current AIS Emembership. (AIS Emembership is separate from the normal AIS membership.) Please see the Electronic Membership Information area of the AIS website for more details.

Starting with beautiful pictures of all the 2018 Award Winners, on page 2 and 3, then it continues on pages, 58 and 59. 

AIS President, Gary White says goodbye, after three years at the helm, on pages 8 and 9.

The list of AIS 2018 Awards is on pages 10 though 16. 

Don't miss the invitation to submit an article for the AIS 2020 Centennial publications. Details are on page 17. AIS NEEDS YOU!

On pages 18 and 19 you will find detailed information about the 2019 AIS San Ramon Convention, and the registration form. 

Section Happenings are on pages 20 and 21, followed by dates of future AIS Conventions. 

On pages 22 and 23 beautiful images and article about International News, compiled by Bruce Filardi.

Interested in garden photography? Here's an article for you by Neil Hoghton, Ready for Your Close-up? on page 24.

Youth Views are on pages 25 through 27, compiled by Cheryl Deaton. 

Remembering Friends gives us details on the life of talented long time AIS-member Perry Dyer, on page 28. 

A detailed article that can't be missed, Coming to Terms with Arilbred Medians, by Tom Waters, on pages 30 through 38.

Scarlet Ayres, gives us information about New Mexico's The Big Dig, at the Mesilla Valley Iris Society, on pages 40 through 43.

And, lastly, having soil issues? Please read, Improving Your Garden Soil, by Wilbur Bluhm, on pages 44 through 47.

Not a member of The American Iris Society? Please see our website for information about becoming one: http://irises.org/

There's a lot more to see and read in this edition of IRISES, either in digital or print formats.

Happy Gardening!

Wister Medal Winner 2018

 The American Iris Society Announces
The 2018 Wister Medal Winners

Notta Lemon
Bottle Rocket
Strawberry Shake

This medal is restricted to tall bearded (TB) irises. It is named in honor of John C. Wister. Three medals are awarded each year.

John C. Wister led the organizing meeting that created the American Iris Society and became its first president, a position he held for fourteen years. He guided the society through its formative years.

This year's three Wister Medals are:

'Notta Lemon'--image Howard Dash

'Notta Lemon' (Tom Burseen, R. 2009). Early to late bloom. Standards and style arms lemon yellow-gold; falls white, lemon yellow-gold edges, yellow texture veins; beards gold, large; very ruffled; pronounced spicy fragrance. 'That's All Folks' X seedling 02-169: (seedling 98-521, 'Jaw Dropper' pollen parent, x seedling A166, 'Vegas Bound' pollen parent). Burseen 2010. Honorable Mention 2012, President's Cup 2013, Award of Merit 2014.

'Bottle Rocket'--Image by Mike Sutton

'Bottle Rocket' (Michael Sutton, R. 2009). Seedling# U-524-A. TB, 35" (89 cm). Early midseason bloom and rebloom. Standards orange buff flushed pink at midribs; style arms buff orange; falls ruby red veined orange, lighter veining around carrot beards, greyed-orange 1/4" rim; slight musky fragrance. Seedling# S-702-A: ('Connie Sue' x 'Let's Boogie') X seedling# R-687-A: ('Return Address' x 'Tropical Delight'). Sutton 2010. Honorable Mention 2012, Award of Merit 2014.

'Strawberry Shake'--image by Robin Shadlow

'Strawberry Shake' (Keith Keppel, R. 2011). Seedling# 05-92B. TB, 36" (91 cm). Midseason bloom. Standards hydrangea pink (M&P 2-E-7); style arms peach (9-A-5); falls peach to orient pink (9-A-6), center creamier pink (9-AB-4); beards shrimp (1-E-10). 'In Love Again' X seedling# 99-115C: ('Crystal Gazer' x seedling# 96-35C, 'Adoregon' sibling).

The World of Irises blog will be posting once a day the other medal winners as soon as the hybridizers are notified. The entire list of winners can be found at http://irises.org/About_Irises/Awards_Surveys/AIS_Awards.html, the AIS Encyclopedia and later in the AIS Bulletin, IRISES. Pictures can be found at http://wiki.irises.org/Main/InfoAwards2018.

Dykes Medal 2018

 The American Iris Society

Announces the

2018 Dykes Medal Winner

First awarded in 1927, the Dykes Medal is the highest award of the AIS, awarded to no more than one iris per year. Irises are eligible as a Dykes Medal candidate for three years following the winning of a classification medal. Only AIS registered judges may vote.

‘HAUNTED HEART’

Image Keith Keppel

From (Royal Sterling x (Last Laugh x (Electrique x Romantic Evening))) X (Hello It's Me x Reckless in Denim)), it is described in Keith Keppel’s 2010 catalogue: “From the cross of two Blyth seedlings comes this ethereal beauty. Pale pinkish grey to heliotrope grey standards, falls a bit deeper, with shadowy, ghostly emanations of deeper veining from the heart, paling as they move outward. Inconspicuous heliotrope to ibis pink beards. A very subtle, very lovely flower with superb ruffling and heavy substance.”

Congratulations to Mr. Keppel for winning the Dykes the second year in a row.

The World of Irises blog will be posting once a day the other medal winners as soon as the hybridizers are notified. The entire list of winners can be found at http://irises.org/About_Irises/Awards_Surveys/AIS_Awards.html, the AIS Encyclopedia and later in the AIS Bulletin, IRISES. Pictures can be found at http://wiki.irises.org/Main/InfoAwards2018.

New Color Combinations in Plicatas 2

Editor’s Note: In recent blogs, Bryce Williamson wrote how the first good pink plicata, April Melody (Iris Stories: April Melody and Iris Stories: April Melody 2), expanded the range of colors in that group. Today’s hybridizers  have been  combining plicata patterns with other tall bearded iris patterns, taking plicata irises in new and exciting directions. Keith Keppel here shares a peek at some these developments in his Salem, Oregon, garden. Please remember, however, that these seedlings represent work in progress and most will not make the cut to naming and introduction based on plant growth or other factors.

By Keith Keppel

Any time the plicata pattern overlays a colored ground, there is a change in the ultimate color effect. Here in 12-103H, the blue plicata is superimposed on a yellow amoena. Note how the fall edging appears more purplish, and on the hafts, where the yellow is strongest and the blue heaviest, it takes on a reddish tone.

Pattern of plicata, pattern of ground, plus color of pattern, color of ground. So many possible combinations! This is what makes breeding plicatas so much fun:  a row of seedlings is a floral kaleidoscope.

Image by Brad Collins

Twenty-plus years ago we began to see an influx of "gilt edge" standards on darker colors. (Think....Slovak Prince, etc.) The edges are now also on plicatas. 11-75A is an example. Complicated pedigree, but the pollen parent is a sib to Mixed Signals, thus goes back to Reckless Abandon which is a good source for the trait.

Image by Brad Collins

 We've had interesting style arms on plics before, such as very dark blue on blue to purple plicatas, but now, some different color combinations are beginning to show up.    This is 12-99D, from a complicated pedigree including Ink Pattern and Reckless Abandon as grandparents, otherwise all numbered seedlings.   With styles like these, you almost don't mind if the standards don't stay closed!

Image by Barry Blyth

Another variation in ground color patterning -- 14-34B, from ((Drama Queen x Tuscan Summer) X Vista Point):

Image by Brad Collins

A puny first-year plant which will probably never amount to much.....but love the pattern and colors! The ground color fall spot is fun, plus the wild markings. Somehow makes me think of a witch doctor's mask.

Image by by Brad Collins

08-14A, Drama Queen X Tuscan Summer. Another with colored "blot" in the falls. Actually there is also a yellow band on the fall, combining with violet to give the oxblood red marginal band.

Image by Brad Collins

A Cosmic Voyage seedling, 14-38C.   A somewhat more subdued spot, surrounded by cream rather than white ground, and obscured as well as upstaged by the dark anthocyanin patterning. An increasing number of similar ground patterns are beginning to occur, often overlooked unless you specifically search for them. In a lightly plic-marked flower the blot would be far more obvious.

Image by Barry Blyth

Beware: a pretty flower picture does not guarantee a desirable garden plant. It's like going to an auto show: we're immediately drawn to the flashiest colored, stylishly made new models, but before putting in an order for one straight off the assembly line, we need to ask a few questions, and the same applies to irises. How many miles per gallon (how many flowers per season)? Does it perform well under varying road conditions (does it prosper in the garden when stressed during differing weather situations)? What about design flaws like impaired visibility, premature air bag deployment (poor substance, weak stems)? A glamour shot of a single flower does not tell the whole story.

This is an unmarked 12-97 series seedling involving Reckless Abandon, Sorbonne, Class Ring, and unnumbered seedlings

Image by Barry Blyth

And finally, adding a touch of pumpkin:  14-35B, from  ((Barbados x 07-204P) X Cosmic Voyage):

Image by Brad Collins

New Color Combinations in Plicatas

Editor’s Note: In recent blogs, Bryce Williamson wrote how the first good pink plicata, April Melody (Iris Stories: April Melody and Iris Stories: April Melody 2), expanded the range of colors in that group. Today’s hybridizers  have been  combining plicata patterns with other tall bearded iris patterns, taking plicata irises in new and exciting directions. Keith Keppel here shares a peek at some these developments in his Salem, Oregon, garden. Please remember, however, that these seedlings represent work in progress and most will not make the cut to naming and introduction based on plant growth or other factors.

By Keith Keppel

For the benefit of iris newbies, perhaps we should explain "plicata". Plicata is a pattern with a white or carotene colored (yellow, pink, orange) ground, the edges stitched, stippled, or solidly banded in a darker, contrasting color. This seedling (09-93C,  Ink Patterns child) is an example of the color and pattern of early plicatas...always white ground, markings in the blue to violet range.

Standards could be almost solidly colored or devoid of markings entirely; falls could be so widely banded that only a small area in the center is unmarked, or all markings could be confined to the haft (upper area at beard level) with little or no marginal marking on the rest of the fall. Many ultimate pattern variations can occur, and considering color combinations of ground and markings, the overall effects are almost limitless.

Image by Keith Keppel

Although the first plicatas had a white ground, crosses with Iris variegata brought yellow genes into the hybrid line. In the 1930's, plicatas with cream grounds began occurring, and in the following years the cream has progressed to yellow. Here is a Sorbonne seedling to show just how intense we can now have our yellow grounds.

Image by Barry Blyth

In the 1950's, plicatas with the tangerine beard factor began to make an appearance in iris catalogues. Although they still had white grounds, with time this has changed, and we now have plicatas with pink, or pinkish, grounds instead of white or yellow. This is another Sorbonne seedling, actually a sister to the yellow ground seedling in the prior post!

Image by Barry Blyth

The tangerine-factor plicatas began showing orange tones in the ground color, also. This one is 11-64C, from complicated breeding with Sorbonne and three numbered seedlings as grandparents.

When you consider that those original blue/violet plicata markings will appear differently on a yellow, pink, or orange ground than they did on white, you can understand why so many plicata color combinations now exist!

Image by Barry Blyth

So many pattern variations based on the plicata genes, yet there are still more  possibilities. Plicata markings are done in anthocyanin (water soluble) pigments....what if you change the capability of the plicata genes to act?

Enter Paul Cook. In the 1950's this master hybridizer began introducing a series of irises which carried an inhibitor for the production of anthocyanins....in the standards. These were the dominant amoenas (prior amoenas were due to a different, recessive condition), also referred to as the 'Progenitor' or 'Whole Cloth' factor. By the 1970's we  had plicatas which also carried this factor, with suppressed markings in the standards but not the falls. We suddenly had "neglecta plicatas", with paler markings in the standards, and "amoena plicatas" with little or no standard markings. A whole new range of plicata variables was now possible.

In 12-103J, a grandchild of Ink Patterns, you can see how the plicata standard markings are reduced to a very faint bluish shading along the petal margins. This seedling also carries the "tangerine factor", hence the reddish beard hair tips and the faint peach pink blush on the otherwise white ground near the beard. A tangerine-bearded amoena-plicata.

Image by Brad Collins

The appearance of a plicata depends on the sum of its parts: markings + ground. If we take that amoena plicata and put it on a yellow ground....voila!....a variegata plicata. (And by extension, that yellow ground could also be pink or orange instead.) This is 13-17A, from High Desert X Flash Mob.

Image by Brad Collins

Just as the pigment application of plicata markings can vary, so can the application of carotene (yellow, pink, orange) pigment in the ground. Most colored grounds will have some white, or at least a paler area, in the center of the falls. Fall color can vary from a distinct marginal band (like the falls on 'Debby Rairdon') to a small spot below the beard. Rarely, the color can cover the entire fall uniformly.

But what about other ground patterns? It might be strongly colored hafts or upper fall. Or possibly some variation of a carotene amoena, with or without the color bleeding upward in the midrib of the otherwise-white standards.

13-21A, (Ink Pattern seedling X Dark Energy), shows a yellow amoena style ground; anthocyanin reduction in the standards minimalizes the plicata markings.

Image by Brad Collins

Iris Stories: April Melody 2

By Bryce Williamson

In “Iris Stories: 'April Melody,'” I wrote about the hard work over many years Jim Gibson put into the creating of the iris. Being so difficult to achieve a good pink plicata flower, it was much to everyone’s surprise that 'April Melody' proved to be a prolific parent from him, leading to the creating of many fine and interesting variations of the pink plicata pattern. Needless to say, other American hybridizers quickly realized that 'April Melody' was a great parent and could be used in a variety of ways to create new colors and patterns.

Just as she had done with the early Paul Cook neglectas and amoenas, Melba Hamblen in Roy, Utah quickly used a first generation child of 'April Melody,' 'Porta Villa,' with a plicata seedling out of her yellow and blue bicolor breeding. The resulting bicolor plicata, 'Capricious,' was a hit, moving the warm toned plicatas into a new direction. It went on to win an Award of Merit from the American Iris Society.

Capricious image by Barry Blyth

On the East Coast, Dr. Charlie Nearpass had been making crosses with 'New Adventure,' the iris that started Jim Gibson on his quest for pink plicatas. He in turn took his work and crossed it directly to 'April Melody,' producing 'Rose Tattoo.'

'Rose Tattoo image' by Rosalie Figge

Perhaps the person, beyond Jim Gibson, who has made the greatest use of 'April Melody' is Keith Keppel, once of Stockton, California and now living and hybridizing in Salem, Oregon. He took his 'Montage' and crossed it with 'April Melody,' resulting in 'Roundup' (the iris, not the chemical). Some of us can remember the 10,000 seedlings Keith raised from 'Roundup.' From that line, I will mention only four of the warm toned children. 'Gigolo' is brightly colored and was popular and much used by other hybridizers. More recently, Keith has introduced other pink plicatas such as 'Musician' and his Dykes winning 'Drama Queen.'

'Roundup' image by Bluebird Haven Iris Garden

'Gigolo' image by unknown photographer

'Musician' image by Perry Dyer

'Drama Queen' image by Russian Iris Society

Using the Keppel and the Gibson irises, Joe Ghio of Santa Cruz and Australia’s Barry Blyth went into the pink plicata business. A recent examples of Joe Ghio’s warm toned plicatas include 'Epicenter' and his 2016 introduction 'All By Design.'

'Epicenter' image by Jeanette Graham

 'All By Design' image by Brad Collins

Barry Blyth produced 'Waiting for George,' an iris that I found useful when combined with the pink plicatas that I had created out of the Gibson and Keppel lines.

'Waiting for George' image by Barry Blyth

While the focus recently has been on the lined and the multi-banded wave varieties, other hybridizers have produced lovely pink plicatas including Terry Aitken’s 'Celtic Woman.'

'Celtic Woman' image by Terry Aitken

While it might not appear to be an 'April Melody' descendant, one of my all-time favorite Schreiner plicata introductions, 'I’ve Got Rhythm,' traces back to 'April Melody.'

'I’ve Got Rhythm' image by Schreiner's Gardens

And today’s irises continue the legacy of 'April Melody' either directly or indirectly. As Keith Keppel wrote to me in email, “And how far beyond 'April Melody' do you want to go?   It's a mini-version of trying to list 'Snow Flurry' descendants!  All the Gibson stuff that is descended from it, virtually all of my tangerine (and some other) plic (and luminata, glaciata) stuff.  And then Ghio began using mine, as did Barry and it went on from there (as well as their using Gibson stuff direct).”

New, Exciting Mohr-type Irises

By Bryce Williamson

In my one and only year at Chico State, one of the highlights was the ability to go to Leo T. Clark’s garden at Corning and to see his aril and arilbreds in bloom, irises that sadly had a limited growing range for growth. As a result, I have been keenly interesting in the new generation of Mohr-type arilbreds being introduced, often from a combination of medians and half arilbred irises. Current hybridizers have pushed the colors and patterns into new, exciting directions and the flowers, although only a quarter aril, show more of the aril characteristics that make this exotic group of irises so much fun to view especially since growing the half aril hybrids and pure arils can be a challenge in many climates.

Eye to Eye (Keppel) is an example of more aril-like flowers, including the signal,

and the winner of the 2017 American Iris Society Mohr Medal.

Image by Keith Keppel.

The hope of these new Mohr types is that they will expand the areas where they can be grown with little trouble and bring these exotic, flamboyant flowers to a much larger audience both in The American Iris Society and the general gardening public. For a background on these interesting hybrids, Tom Water wrote a informative World of Irises blog,  Arilbred Iris: A Little History.

Older Mohr type hybrids tended to be crosses of tall bearded irises with, at first, William Mohr, but the new hybrids are using medians and tall bearded irises with variety of arilbred hybrids. I do hope you, as I have done, will add some of these varieties to your garden, expanding your bloom season and bringing fresh colors and patterns into your palette of spring flowers.

Calypso Dancer (Tasco)--image by Rick Tasco

Confederate (Rick Tasco)--image by Rick Tasco

At the present time, the leaders in producing this new generation of Mohr type arilbreds includes Keith Keppel, Paul Black, Thomas Johnson, and Rick Tasco.

 Octave (T. Johnson)--image by Paul Black

 Sri Lanka (T. Johnson)--Image by Paul Black

Suspect (T. Johnson)--image by Paul Black

These are garden irises of limited fertility.  Paul Black in email wrote, "For most here is no fertility, especially the 1/2 breds X SDB....There is a very limited fertility with a few--meaning a seed of two."

His seedling V351A, pictured below, is "the result of Brash and Bold X reblooming TB seedling and there was only 1 seed in the cross, though V351A does show some limited fertility."

Brash and Bold (Black)--image by Paul Black

Black V351A--image by Paul Black

He was extremely lucky with the cross that produced four introductions, ‘Heart of Hearts’, ‘Galaxina’, ‘Perry Dyer’, ‘Red Ahead’ and ‘Soaring Falcon’ are all siblings.  As he wrote, "What a cross!  I’ve gotten a few seed from a couple of them and Adam Cordes has gotten 7 seeds from ‘Heart of Hearts.’"

Soaring Falcon

Red Ahead

 Heart of Hearts

Perry Dyer--images by Paul Black

In responding to my question about the range where these hybrids will grow and bloom, he wrote, "Yes, the aril-medians (1/2 bred X SDB) will grow further south than SDBs.  ‘Desert Snow’ has grown well and bloomed in Manitoba, Canada, and also for Walter Moores in Mississippi.  That probably accounts for its popularity."

Desert Snow--images by Paul Black

At this point, there are only a few sources for plants. Two reputable sources are Mid America and Superstition. Click on the nursery name and it will take you to a link where you can find out more information from the garden owners.