by Sylvain Ruaud
The fall of the Berlin Wall and the ensuing political upheaval had a major impact on the world of irises. We have already seen what happened in Germany. Now we will see what happened in the so-called People's Republics. The upheaval did not have the same consequences everywhere; but where it did, it gave birth to a new and not insignificant part of the iris world. This movement occurred in Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic and Slovakia), Poland, Lithuania, Slovenia, and, to a lesser extent, Hungary and Romania. The other countries were only slightly affected, either because of their geographical and climatic situation or because of specific or historical circumstances.
The cultivation of irises in the Czech Republic began long before the 1990s. With meager options in genetic breeding stock, clever and ingenious people had created hybrids. Such was the case of Vojtech Smid, who in 1985 succeeded in Florence with 'Libon', a variety that, despite its success, was never registered, because at the time it would have been suspicious to be associated with an American organization. But also, from that time, the great botanist Milan Blazek tried to make daring crosses, in line with his genetic studies. He was particularly interested in Iris plicatas and late varieties. Due to being isolated in his own country, it took until 2013 to get his new varieties registered. They are still showing their age despite their aesthetic interest. This is the case of the pink 'Jarni Sen' (R. 2013). As soon as American varieties became widely available as breeding material, many Czech amateurs began to work with them. Many of them immediately proved their worth. Take the case of Pavel Nejedlo, who made a masterstroke with the cross 'Desert Echo' X ('Rancho Rose' x 'Sketch Me') and the three plicata varieties he kept from it: 'Moonlight Sketch' (1998), 'Spacelight Sketch' (1998), and 'Sunlight Sketch' (1998); or of Jiri Dudek, whose few hybrids were appreciated wherever they could be seen. Witness: 'Papapubren' (2003).
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Tall bearded iris 'Moonlight Sketch' Photo by Christine Cosi |
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| Tall bearded iris 'Chahar' Photo by Stephane Bolvin |
In neighboring Slovakia, Ladislav Muska is the champion of change after the collapse of the Soviet Union. He is the epitome of a knowledgeable amateur. Like many hybridizers from Eastern Europe, he too started with a small pool of genetic stock for breeding. The available gene pool increased as more modern iris hybrids began to be exchanged, and little by little he was able to obtain the best American iris germplasm. His production was important and he even managed to publish a small handmade catalogue which he distributed to all his acquaintances in Europe and the United States, so that his varieties were spread everywhere. Not all of these irises are masterpieces, but many deserve to be in the finest collections. Especially his rich plicatas - 'Dreaming Clown' (1999) is the most famous and has even been used in breeding by Keith Keppel. Another notable introduction by Muska is the mauve 'Elegaball' (1999) which won the Moscow competition in 2003.
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| Tall bearded iris 'Elegaball' Photo by Sylvain Ruaud |
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| Tall bearded iris 'Slovak Prince' Photo by Heather Haley |
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| Tall bearded iris 'Clothos Web' Photo by Christine Cosi |
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| Tall Bearded iris 'Horske Oko' Photo by Christine Cosi |
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| Tall bearded iris 'The Majestic' Photo by Christine Cosi |
Further south, in Slovenia, part of the former Yugoslavia, is the home of Izidor Golob, who combines his hybridizing skills with a cheerful personality. He did not wait for political turmoil to take an interest in irises, registering and introducing his first unusual-for-the-time 'Mojka', an apricot iris, in 1978, followed by a series of rather unpretentious but successful cultivars, such as 'Majski Dotik' (2009), whose pedigree includes a pleasant white variety bred by the aforementioned Czech Milan Blazek.
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| Tall bearded iris 'Majski Dotik' Photo by Sylvain Ruaud |
One does not necessarily imagine that irises are available in Lithuania—but they are. Thanks go to Laimonis Zakis, a talented hybridizer who has been working on this plant since 2006, after a trip to Florence, but who refuses to register his varieties, which unfortunately keeps him on the fringes of the rest of the iris world. Many of his varieties would deserve international distribution, but this is out of the question as long as they remain semi-clandestine. The flower of 'Abavas Perle' (circa 2010) gives an idea of his production.
The main part of this Eastern European survey is Poland. It is the largest and most populous country and the one where iris cultivation has expanded the most. In truth, hybridizers are not particularly numerous there, but they appeared at the end of the Soviet bloc and have been renewed regularly since that time. One of the very first was Lech Komarnicki. An interesting and uncommon character, this former dramatic artist became interested in irises as soon as he left the stage and retired to his property in western Poland. He began by hybridizing tall bearded irises -- 'Poranna Mgielka' (2010) is an example of his work -- but he had many misadventures with them due to the harsh and humid climate of his region. He has preferred working on Siberian irises and interspecific crosses.
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| Tall bearded iris 'Poranna Mgielka' Photo by Lech Komarnicki |
He was followed by Zbigniew Kilimnik, Henryk Polaszek, and, more recently, Józef Koncewicz and, above all, Jerzy Wożniak. The last named had a brilliant but short career. He was considered the most skilled hybridizer in his country, and his reputation spread far beyond Eastern Europe to Western Europe. But he soon disappeared (reorientation? death?). Actually, the only truly active and productive hybridizer left is Robert Piątek. This fifty-year-old water and forestry official is now one of the most renowned European hybridizers. He works in all categories of bearded irises, but with a preference for tall bearded irises; and every year he graces us with at least half a dozen new varieties. These flowers began to spread all over the world and he entered them in various competitions: Florence, Paris, Munich . . . . He chooses names with Anglo-Saxon connotations to make them more accessible than if they had strictly Polish names. He addresses all flower patterns, as most hybridizers do today. Sticking to a few lines is no longer necessary because of the possibilities offered by crossing modern varieties. However, he has a special affection for pastel colors and plicatas of all kinds.
Before we leave Poland, let's greet Kat Zalewska, who is slowly making a place for herself in an area where women are not so numerous. The magnificent rose 'Axis Mundi' (2018) shows, if not the centre of the world, at least a real emerging talent.
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| Tall bearded iris 'Axis Mundi' Photo by Kat Zalewska |
Eastern Europe continues to open up to iris growing. Romania could be the next area of expansion, as well as Hungary. We should be talking seriously about this in a year or two. But already this part of the world has become a major focus for this area of horticulture.
