Working Towards Our Goal

By Melissa and Bailey Schiller

As we head into autumn and winter we are frantically getting replant done. We have had no rain which makes the mind wander as to what is in store for this coming spring at Smokin Heights.

When this blog is published we will be enjoying bloom season in Oregon. As always we are extremely excited to share time with our American friends and dabble in a bit of hybridizing.

In our last installment we started to delve into our goals and current achievements in hybridising. We will continue with this theme for this installment.

E12-2: (Blyth X150-A: (Sunday Concert x Smart Money) X Quaffable)

Let's start with E12-2 (pictured above). This would have to be one of the best seedlings we have bloomed to date. A gorgeously ruffled white with a slight lemon flush at the midrib and beautiful frosted blue beards. At 33" stem with 8 buds, this Iris easily passed 1st year bloom protocol with ease.

E41-1: (Italian Master X Captain Thunderbolt)

You can see both parents coming into play with E41-1. The pattern is very reminiscent of 'Captain Thunderbolt' and the colour reminds us of 'Italian Master.' Nice and tall with 40" stems that carry 10 buds.

F44-2: (Colours of The Wind X C46-D: (Blonde Response sib))

We have been working the lined pattern for a few years now and we are finally starting to see hybrids that excite us. F44-2 is one of them. Super wide, overlapping falls make this a standout. The pattern itself is quite unique with the veining localised to the centre of the fall and is really set off by the bright apricot hafts and orange beards. Will be used quite a bit in years to come!

Finally we are going to write about some of the novelties we have been working on.

F23-1: (Striptease X Avenue Of Dreams)

Variegated foliage is one of Bailey's favourite traits. He has been working on expanding the different patterns and colours that non-variegated Iris have into Iris with variegated foliage. F23-1 is the start of a bicolour line with variegated foliage. We were more than pleased to see this bloom for the first time. Wonderful form and nice amount of ruffling add to its appeal.

F32-1: (Chaos Theory X New Perspective)

In our first installment we spoke about our goals in hybridising flat (6-falled) Iris. Here is one that had its maiden bloom in 2018. Lovely form and ruffling and also very consistent. We are very excited for what the future has in store for this form of Bearded Iris!

In our own minds what we are looking for in the blooms we want to register are wide overlapping hafts. Stems that are not overly tall as in our garden we have a lot of windy weather and stems get knocked over easily.  Standards that are upright. And we like different....different colours, patterns and variegation....What would you consider to be a standout bloom? 

Space Age Iris of the Early 21st Century

by Jean Richter

The turn of the century has brought new hybridizers experimenting with space age iris, and these iris are enjoying unprecedented popularity. Following are some of the most recent space age iris to grace our gardens.

Riley Probst began his hybridizing career in Missouri, but now calls California his home. Here is his space age introduction from 2013, Power Lines.

Power Lines (Probst 2013)

Nebraska hybridizer Leroy Meininger has created a number of lovely space agers. Here is one from 2005, Beneath My Wings.

Beneath My Wings (Meininger 2005)

California hybridizer Robert Annand also introduced several space age iris. Although he passed away in 2013, some of his seedlings have been selected and introduced posthumously. Here is Bob's Pride from 2015.

 Bob's Pride (Annand by Marshall 2015)

Mississppi hybridizer Truman Scarborough introduced stately Emma's Plume in 2012. One of its parents, Thornbird, lends its unique color.

Emma's Plume (Scarborough 2012)

Another pair of Nebraska hybridizers, Leonard and Kathie Jedlicka, are also introducing space age iris. Here is their pink confection Isadora Belle from 2009.

Isadora Belle (Jedlicka 2009)

The Suttons were a fixture in the southern San Joachin valley in California for many years, but have recently relocated to Idaho. George Sutton introduced many space age iris before his passing in 2013. His son Mike is carrying on the space age tradition, as can be seen in his 2011 introduction Point of No Return.

Point of No Return (M. Sutton 2011)

California hybridizer Rick Tasco of Superstition Iris Gardens has introduced a number of space age iris. Here is his uniquely colored Solar Fire from 2003.

Solar Fire (Tasco 2003)

Rick also works at introducing space age characteristics into median iris. Here is his new 2017 intermediate bearded introduction Visual Pleasure.

Visual Pleasure (Tasco 2017) IB SA

One of the most prolific hybridizers of space age iris since 2000 is Texas hybridizer Tom Burseen. He is as well known for his quirky iris names as he is for the iris themselves. Here are three of his space age introductions, Cry Me a River from 2006, Air Hog from 2009, and Justa Musta from 2016.

Cry Me a River (Burseen 2006)

Air Hog (Burseen 2009)

Justa Musta (Burseen 2016)

As you can see, space age iris are more popular than ever, and have certainly come a long way from Lloyd Austin's first space agers of 60 years ago. What are your favorite 21st century space age iris?

Novelty Iris

By Bonnie Nichols

“What are Novelty irises?” ………. I get this question almost every judges training class I teach. I tell everyone “according to the AIS Handbook for Judges” – Novelties are broken color, space age, flatties, and variegated foliage irises. That statement is somewhat still true; however, the advancement of Novelty irises is moving rapidly. Remember when we all had dial-up modems and we heard whispers of “the Internet” circulating. And look where we are today!

'Big Bang Theory'--image by Blue Jay Garden

An example of new directions in Space Age irises.

'Zebra Blues' (Kasparek)--image by Jeanette Graham

An example of the new variegated foliage varieties.

In the 1950-60s “space age” irises became available to iris gardens primarily thanks to Lloyd Austin. Traditionalists probably shied away for these new-fangled irises. Strange irises, rock-n-roll, and the Beatles – what was the world coming to?

'Cross the Line' (M. Sutton)--image by Jeanette Graham

Space Age irises met some of the new color patterns.

Thanks to Alan Ensminger and Brad Kasparek (two guys that were iris pioneers), they brought us all those strange broken colors. Brad and Kathy Kasparek kept us guessing how to pronounce the GNU series as well as others.

'Spiced Tiger' (Kasparek)--image by Schreiner's Iris Garden

'Big Break'--image by Paul Black

Broken colors are now coming from different breeding lines.

'Leprechaun's Trick' (Black '15)--image by Paul Black

Another  example of variegated foliage

Monty Byers gave the iris world three Dykes Medal Winners (Mesmerizer, Conjuration, and Thornbird). Many times I wonder what Monty would think about the advancements in space age irises since the late ‘80s.

'Tropical Delight' (M. Sutton)--image by Mike Sutton

So, in addition to quoting the AIS Handbook answer of what Novelty irises are…………I always add FLATTIES, DOUBLES, BROKEN COLOR, SPACE AGE, FLOUNCES, POMPOMS, FULL MOONS….and, and, and……….. I don’t know where iris forms and iris colors will go from here AND that is part of the fun too. So to everyone reading this, think about hybridizing more Novelty irises!

FLATTIES are probably my favorite. Did I say that out loud? As judges, we are trained not to show our personal preferences when judging. As a human I find that difficult especially when I’m adding irises to my personal collection. My favorites are CHAOS THEORY, ORBISON, TOP DOWN, and FULL DISCLOSURE. All are faithful flatties.

'Chaos Theory' (Blyth)--image by Barry Blyth

There is a new addition to my favorite flatties – WICHITA FALLS. Yes, you are one of the first to hear. Z.G. Benson’s granddaughter has been kind enough to share one of Z. G.’s seedlings from the early 1970s. It is a huge blue/yellow FLATTIE. It is 100% flat! She is allowing Hooker to distribute the iris for Z. G. and name it WICHITA FALLS.

'Wichita Falls' (ZG Benson)--image by Hooker Nichols

Wichita Falls is the town in northwest Texas where Mr. Benson lived and hybridized the iris. The Novelty Iris Society will introduce the iris. Novelty Iris Society members will be notified when the iris is available for sale. Proceeds of the iris sales will benefit the Novelty Iris Society.

'Full Disclosure'--Image by Andi Rivarola

'Top Down' (Nichols)--image by Hooker Nichols

Editor's Note: We appreciate Bonnie Nichols's guest blog. Bonnie is the president of The Novelty Iris Society and you can find more information about that group on Facebook as Novelty Iris Society.