A Trip Down Memory Lane - Part Two

 By Maggie Asplet

Gosh, it seems like only yesterday and I was writing part one.  So, on with the rambles from an old lady.

Part one had us visiting other places and not just spending all our time at Mid-America Iris Gardens.  Mind you, we didn't mind not leaving, but just so many irises to see and you can never look at them too many times.

A beautiful sunset from the paddock down the road from where Thomas & Kirk live.

(Paddock is Kiwi speak for field.)

The learning experiences, the sharing of knowledge, or perhaps I should say listening to the experts knowledge, is just so invaluable, and just shows you how "so little I know".

Something that some might thing rather trivial can be of great value to another person.  Photos do make explaining yourself to someone else so much easier.  During my last trip I took particular notice of the watering system Thomas used and what connections etc.

Watering system at Mid America

My watering system.  The fitting are much the same and I must say having the picture from my trip sure made it easier when trying to explain what I wanted.

For me, the very best part is learning from others.  Others that were always so willing to share their knowledge and experiences.  

First, I will look at the work of Lynda Miller and her work with MTB's.  They are stunning, just such a delicate bearded iris on such elegant stems.  I think it is fair to say that these are perhaps my favourite of the bearded irises.

Lynda discussing irises with Bailey (from Smokin Heights, Australia)

Here we have 3 of Lynda's seedlings

One of Lynda's registered MTB's.

A sight to behold, watching Keith Keppel evaluate his irises, then discussing with him why he makes the choices he does.  So very talented when it comes to hybridising.  Those years of experience tells him just what the outcome "may be" like, whereas I am still in the category of not knowing at all.

His iris patch, although it decreases in size each time I visit is just amazing.  If it were me having to make a choice of which seedling to keep, I think they would all be staying.

Photo on the left is Keith evaluating his seedlings

One the right you have Wendy (NZ) and Melissa (Australia) taking photos in Keith seedling patch.

I feel that to stop speaking about these different people is like not acknowledging them at all and there are still more that have had an impact on my irises and what I am trying to achieve.  I feel like there is a part 3 coming, as I would also like to just talk a little about attending the Regional meetings.

Each trip that I make, I always try and attend the Regional meeting in Oregon as there are many people there that I met in my first ever trip in 2015 when 23 New Zealanders went to Convention.  So many great friends were made.

From these friendships and from one person introducing another, we had the privilege of Patrick and Margaret Spence coming to our convention (Gisborne, New Zealand) in 2018.  Such a great time and then great to catch up with them again in the States.

While Margaret was here, she liked a top I had and wanted to know where I got it.  To cut the long story short, she now has a top the same as mine.  I had packed mine, never told Margaret - Guess what happened at the Regional Meeting.

I'm the one wearing glasses, oh we both are.  I'm the one with the cell phone in my hand.

This now leads me into the attending Regional Meetings and as this will be expanded quite a bit, I think this will be a good place to end.

SO, Part 3 it will be, covering some of the other amazing people and the Regional Meeting.

It is my great hope that 2022 will see the return of us from down under.

A Trip Down Memory Lane - Part One

By Maggie Asplet

Well, what else is there to say? COVID19, you have a lot to answer for, in particular my not being able to travel back to see my friends in Salem and Portland, Oregon for at least another year.

Usually, at this time, I am busy planning my next visit back, which is hard to believe especially the horrific weather conditions happening in Salem (and elsewhere) right now. It is hard to believe the destruction I am reading from Facebook posts.

So here we have it, unable to travel, so this is going to be a serious and humorous look at my last trip in May 2019.

One of the things none of you will be aware of is the time we leave home (midnight) to begin our travels, which leaves us sitting for hours waiting to check-in for our flight. Here I am with my traveling companion Wendy Begbie, who has the largest iris nursery in New Zealand.

Our first stop was Hawaii, meant to be for a 3 hour stop over, but due to a problem with our tickets we missed our next flight and to our shock (tongue in cheek) and horror, had to spend a night in Honolulu.  What are two girls to do but go and explore, which we did.  In the mall we came across this amazing stand where you get to make jandals (New Zealand name for flip flops) to your hearts desire.  Never seen anything like it before.  

It might look as though I didn't indulge, I did.  My granddaughter now has my pair.

Due to our unforeseen stayover, I think it is fair to say that a couple of nights in Honolulu would not go amiss, just to see the magnificent gardens and parks.

Taken at the airport, this is sure an indication of some stunning flora and fauna to see next time.

We finally arrive at Mid America Iris Garden and Sebright Gardens just about in the middle of the night.  First thing on the agenda is to wander arounds the house display gardens, and what a picture they always are and to heck the irises, here and down the road a couple of miles in the paddock (New Zealand term for field).

Irises at last

Beautiful display gardens

Irises, yes there were plenty of those.  Here is a selection of some of my favourites.  I guess this list would sure change once I can visit again.

These are some of the SDB irises that I used and will finally get to see what I have achieved this Spring (October 2021).  In the second set of photos the unnamed image is Basket of Goodies - Black '15.

One of the chores that I like to help with was feed the chickens and visiting the fantastic peacocks, especially the white ones - just stunning.

Sebright Chickens

By arriving prior to the main tall beard irises flowering, it gave us spare time to go visiting.  One of our favourite places is Schreiner's.  How can you not love their display gardens.  Just so inspiring with the companion planting and then returning when in full bloom.

Schreiner's Display Garden

The exterior of the delightful souvenir shop - check out just how the walls of the shop are made????

THEN, we finally get to full bloom season, what a picture the place is.  Given the size of the nurseries that Thomas has, when you see if for the first time, it is rather gobsmacking awesome.

As there is still so much to show you from a wonderful trip, I am going to finish this - part one - with a photo of us (the two New Zealanders with their Australian friends) enjoying the hospitality of Iris Royalty - to me they are.

We are very fortunate to have mentors like the Schreiner Family, Thomas Johnson, Paul Black, Keith Keppel.  Fabulous times together - now we wait until we can do this again.

Hawkes Bay Iris Group Safari 26 October 2020

By Maggie Asplet

Around the 25th of October each year we celebrate Labour Day here in New Zealand.  This year the invite to join the celebration on this day and to view irises was so well received.  Why? Because COVID19 had caused so many cancellations that I was beginning to think "Iris things" were something of the past.

Wendy and I prepared a day before for our 3 hour drive to stay in Havelock North with Bev & Jim Haliburton. We had a reasonably early start the next morning crisscrossing the Hawkes Bay region (east coast, North Island of New Zealand) for the Hawkes Bay Iris Group Safari.

Our first garden visit was to the home of John and Lynn Lees, Taradale, where not only we enjoyed looking at the garden, but as everyone arrives, the catching up with each other begins.

In the shed was John's pride and joy

Lucy's Blue Silk and White Elephant

This is a town garden full of treasures

We then set of for a visit to a nursery and garden owned by Bruce and Karen Carswell, Twyford Irises, named after the road they live on.  This is a beautifully nursery with a picking garden in a lovely rural setting.

Nursery photos - as you enter the nursery a lovely picking garden is available

This was our first chance to stop and really have a catch up; it was morning tea, time for refreshments.  For any of you that have travelled to New Zealand, you will know that we love our cuppa time.

One wee dog helped himself to something to eat

With my cup in hand, I then wondered around the rest of the garden.  Just lovely and a real credit to Bruce and Karen.

We then had a 20 minute drive through countryside to the home of John and Heather Trim where they hold the Hawkes Bay Project Irises.  These are all irises that have been hybridized by people who have lived in the area.  It is a continuing project for this iris group.

In the middle we have Heather discussing with Huib Selderbeek some of the growing conditions of these irises

John and Heather both do a bit of hybridising themselves 

Back in our vehicles again, we head to Huib and Helen Selderbeek's home for more garden sharing and also lunch. The images will not show just how challenging this garden is with some areas steep, others dry, and with a delightful boggy patch at the bottom of the road.  It was a wonderful spot for our shared lunch.

Pond pictures

I have circled the pond area - just right of top centre.  This image also shows the many rocks and stones on the ground, and perhaps how steep in places.

Lunch time, and while we were sitting talking, one of our native birds, the Tui decided to join us.

A small selection of beautiful beardless irises - perhaps a story for another day

Lunch was over and it was time to head back towards civilization.  Our next stop was to the home of Brenton and Fiona Le Prou.  Located on a town section and with a little thinking outside the square, in this case inside the pot, was an amazing selection of miniature and small bearded irises.  Unfortunately, bloom season for these irises had passed, but there were still other irises to be seen.

Here is how Brendon manages to grow so many of the small irises and also two of his beautiful birds that live on the other side of the netting

Not a TB person, Brendon still managed to find a couple of them in flower during our visit.  As you can see, it was such a beautiful day to be out and about.

Our next stop was to the home of Brian Townsend.  It is another small garden, but still with some wonderful treasurers.  

Brian won the Begg Shield at our Convention last year.

Brian, with his best shoes on is pointing at an iris that we spend considerable time trying to remember the name of.  Not sure that we agreed in the end.

A beautifully keep lawn and garden bed at Brian's

It was then time to get back in our cars and head to our next garden.  This is at the home of Joy Kennerley and again a small town garden. From the moment you stop outside the drive, you just get the feeling there will be loads to see.

The image in the middle is Nobody's Child

As you can see, so many gorgeous plants and a very peaceful place to wander around

It was finally time to get into our cars just one more time; we had already seen 7 beautiful gardens, heard a lot of laughter and just enjoyed some wonderful time together.

One final garden to see was at the home of Jim and Bev Haliburton. It is were we did our final wander around and questioned just when we would all catch up again.

Unnamed - Iris pallida and I swertti 

Beautiful blossom trees with tall bearded irises growing underneath

You can't have an iris safari day without afternoon tea.  This was a rather special occasion - this year was to be the Society's 70th birthday celebration, but not knowing what was happening around lockdown, a decision was made to cancel 2020 convention.

So, not to be forgotten the Hawkes Bay Group decided afternoon tea would honour this milestone.

A cake and a beautifully handcrafted card were presented to everyone.

John Trim had the honour of blowing out the candle

It was a fabulous day out, very busy with 8 gardens in total, and a fair few miles travelled.  It was so good to have been able to catch up with other iris people and to share the passion in such difficult times.

Thank you so much Hawkes Bay Iris Group and all your members for such a wonderful day out.

A Treasure From The Past - Jean Stevens

by Maggie Asplet 

For this article I was going to be a little nostalgic as I so missed my trip to Thomas Johnson at Mid-America Iris Garden, the visits to Lynda Miller's of Millers Manor, the wonderful visits to Chad Harris at Mt Pleasant Irises, but Melissa and Bailey from Smokin' Heights beat me to that topic.  So, here I am, still nostalgic and looking at Jean Stevens work.

I am currently the archivist for the NZ Iris Society and in this position have the job of making digital copies of all the files and came across an article that was printed in The Australian and New Zealand Iris Society bulletin, No. 2, August 1948.  I have chosen to reprint this article here, keeping with the theme of nostalgia. 

I was interesting to note the original author was from Gisborne now where I live.  Also, the photos in this post were not included with the original article; they are my contribution of the Jean Stevens irises I have growing now.  Sadly, over time many of Jean Stevens irises are no longer available.

'Sunset Snows'

Registered in 1963, so much later than when the original article was written in 1948.  This has just flowered recently for me, making it a re-blooming iris.

The Irises of Stevens Brothers

by D'arcy Blackburn, Gisborne, NZ

Mrs. Jean Stevens, eminent iris breeder from New Zealand, poses with AIS President Marion Walker in the Schreiner's Iris Garden, Salem, Oregon

One of my first visits to an iris garden was in November, 1933, when Mrs Stevens (then Miss Jean Burgess) was growing an extensive collection in her father's garden at Waikanae.  It was in 1921 that Mr A. H, Burgess made his first iris importations, the varieties received being 'Iris King', 'Rodney', 'Ballerine', 'Diadem', 'Bolingbroke', 'Lady Foster', 'Crusader', 'Azure', 'Isoline', 'Empress of India', 'Celeste' and 'Asia'.

These varieties are now so far back in the past, they will be recalled only by those who have grown irises for many years.

'Pinnacle' (1945) - 'Radiant Day' (1946) - 'Still Night' (1955)

As soon as these plantings bloomed Mrs Stevens made her first crosses and it was the encouraging results obtained from these that urged her to go more deeply into the study of plant breeding.  One of the earliest seedlings introduced from the Waikanae gardens was Harebell, still a worthwhile variety even today.  From my first knowledge of Mrs Stevens I was impressed by her very critical eye.  Raising seedlings for so many years she has consistently resisted temptation, if indeed such temptation has existed, to see her own creations through rose-coloured spectacles.  It is worth noting that even in the 1938/39 catalogue of Stevens Bros., issued from Bulls, there was not even on iris of Mrs Stevens' own raising listed amongst the novelties.  Nevertheless, Mrs Stevens went on hybridising more and more intensively until in the 1947/48 catalogue we find listed as many as seven new introductions of her own raising.

'Summit' - registered 1948

Last November, when bloom in my own garden was going over, I journeyed to Bastia Hill, Wanganui, when the Stevens nursery had been transferred from Bulls the year before.  Without exception, the irises were healthy, well-grown and blooming profusely.  Bloom was quite at its peak during my visit on the 8th and 9th and if some of the critics say that modern varieties are less floriferous than their ancestors, such criticism most certainly does not apply to the Stevens irises.  Conditions were anything but favourable on the first day of my visit, a thirty miles an hour gale blowing throughout the afternoon.  This was the first break in an otherwise most satisfactory season.  That Mrs Stevens has included substance as an essential quality in her introductions was very apparent on the following morning which broke bright and calm.  Her own varieties bore little evidence of the rough treatment of the previous day.

'Italian Joy', 'Hazel Grove', 'Cleopatra', 'Sylvan Song', 'Moonlight Sonata', 'Random Harvest', 'Royal Mission' and not least the widely acclaimed 'Winston Churchill', were all making a most impressive display.  A row of the last-named some twenty yards long, covered in beautifully smooth blooms of glowing dark pure red and copper, was a sight to behold.

'Winston Churchill' - registered 1941

'Sylvan Song' - registered 1947

Of the seedlings named but not yet introduced the bicolour 'Pinnacle' appealed very strongly with its large flowers on 3 1/2 ft (foot) stalks.  The standards are purest white with lemon-yellow falls.  Another, and one of the very latest, from the same lines of breeding was one of more intense colouring that has been aptly named 'Summit', having pure white standards and deep gold falls, very smooth, large and beautifully branched.  One that will prove extremely popular when it is introduced was 'Lilac Arbor', a very frilled and lovely lilac enhanced by a blue beard.  To make its bow shortly, the very broad-petaled Paragon of palest lilac pink with a pale cream beard made a striking picture.

'Foaming Seas' - registered 1957

Those seedlings already mentioned are some of the taller growers but Mrs Stevens is one of those who does not sacrifice all the irises of lesser stature.  'Gay Spirit' is a very smooth and even golden tan, a charming thing of 2 1/2 ft. and very clean.  In the very dark irises Mrs Stevens has two satisfying works of art in 'Black Belle' with standards of deepest ruby wine and almost black falls and 'Midsummer Night', a blue-black which is nicely frilled in both standards and falls.

'Black Belle '- registered 1947

Working on a number of lines in her iris breeding and with so much success achieved from Mrs Stevens' past efforts, there is no doubt whatever that we are going to see still further startling developments at Bastia Hill in the not too distant future.

Oh, how advertising has changed.  Also interesting to note, they were able to sell new irises from America, something that is now so difficult it is really considered impossible.  The requirements of our importing regulations is just too stringent, the rhizomes just would not survive.

NOTE: As this spring (October 2020) will be the first major flowering from my hybridising at Mid-America Iris Garden, I am very mindful of comments at the beginning of this article.  It is so easy to have rose tinted glasses when it is your own work.

I do hope you enjoyed my little bit of nostalgia.  My only regret is that I never had the opportunity to meet Jean Stevens.  There are some of our members who were more fortunate.

Editor's note: American English and UK English do have some differences in spelling and punctuation. We have not changed the article to American English.