'City Lights' Lights up the Garden

By Renee Fraser

There are few irises that have stood the test of time in my garden.  One of the prettiest is 'City Lights'.  Although it's not a new variety (registered by Mary Dunn in 1990) it always looks fresh in the garden.  It reproduces well but does not get overcrowded.

It's a reblooming iris here in Southern California.  One year it bloomed for 26 days, from April 1 to 25, and another year it bloomed from March 28 to May 2!

I don't know if it reblooms in cooler areas, because it reblooms here late, beween September and January.

Although my main garden is designed around warm colors and I have no place for blues, 'City Lights' is so lovely that it is the only iris I have planted near my pond.

I must say that pictures really do not do this iris justice.  That white spot makes it look like it is aglow in the garden.

'City Lights' starts out looking quite blue as the flowers first open, but it takes on more of a violet hue as the days wear on.

If you are looking for an iris that has a good long bloom period and lights up the garden, try 'City Lights'.

MY CHANCE TO SING THE 'BLUES'

by DAWN MUMFORD

'Stairway To Heaven' (Larry Lauer, 1992)

I know there have been others who posted articles about blue irises but I would like to have my chance to sing their praises.  I am hoping you will be tempted to plant a few if your garden is lacking blue.  

Over the last 30+ years my color tastes have changed almost every year.  One of the first years I started ordering I was drawn to the rusty orangey brown irises like 'Carnival Time', 'Copper Classic', 'Brindisi', 'Starburst', 'Astro Flash', and 'Copper Mountain'. One year I was drawn to blacks, some years I concentrated on Dykes Medal winners.  For a while I saw blues in the catalogs and it was as if they stood out more intensely than the other irises.  Some years the pinks and reds look tempting to me.  The last two years I've been attracted by the blues again and have placed orders with several companies who have offered them.  Here for your viewing are some of my favorites, but by no means all of them. I have many irises that are from different decades because we have been growing them for such a long time.  You will find that some of my blues are *historics and others are more modern.  

 'Silverado' ( Schreiner, 1986) 

This iris has perfect form as far as I am concerned.  In some light it looks almost white but it is a pale blue.  It grows well for us here and needs little or no care except it has to be divided often because it grows so well.

  

 'Babbling Brook' (Keith Keppel, 1965)

This 50 year old iris is such a stand-out in the garden.  It has very clear, clean blue color and photographs pretty true to color in my opinion.  

'Praise The Lord' (J. Boushay, 1971) 

The contrast between the deep blue and the white beard is striking.  Even without ruffles and lacing it is simply elegant.  

'Honky Tonk Blues' (Schreiner, 1988)

One of my top 5 blues.  I love the fading and the *reverse *bitone coloring.  

'Blutique' ( Virginia Messick, 1998)

Even though this one was included in my *broken color blog it is still also one of my favorite blues.  If you are a little timid to grow broken color start with this one.  Having just two colors it isn't as bold as some of the others.  

'Grecian Skies' (Opal Brown, 1984)

A friend gave it to me as a piece of rhizome a little bigger than a dime. I was sure it wouldn't grow and if it did I would misplace it.  We put a stake by it so we wouldn't hoe it out with the weeds.  It bloomed the second year and here is the bloom. Thank you, friend, for sharing it.  

'Skywalker' (Schreiner, 1996) 

The beautiful shading on it reminds me of 'Honky Tonk Blues' but 'Skywalker' is a lighter, more delicate blue.  As you can see it stands out in the garden.  The darker blue behind it is 'Sheer Bliss'. 

'Blue Crusader' (Schreiner, 1998) 

This was a substitute that Schreiner's sent me because they couldn't send 'Bleinheim Royal'.  I was disappointed until I saw this one bloom.  This is a beautiful, true *self where even the beard is blue.  

'Sea Power' (Keith Keppel, 1998) 
I love the color and all the ruffles.  

'Full Tide' (Opal Brown, 1972)

This 43 year old iris is still one of my favorites.  Perhaps it acts as straight man to the other more flamboyant irises.  Simply pretty!

'Adriatic Waves' (Keith Keppel, 2009)

This is one of my newer blues.  It is described in the Iris Wiki as having standards of cornflower blue, falls of violet blue shading to steeplechase blue. This picture, as all others in this blog, was taken in our garden by me.  

'Captain's Choice' (Schreiner, 2009)

This is a very dramatic iris. It can be classified as an *amoena or a *neglecta. 

I have several new ones that I don't have pictures for. 
They are 'Dangerous Mood', 'Baltic Sea', 'Water Waltz', 'Wake Water', 'Blueberry Bliss' and 'Grecian Sea'.  I would like to show those another time. 

Have you planted blues?  What do you like to pair them with?  I would love to hear from you.   

* historic are those irises 30 years old or older

* reverse are those irises that the standards are a darker shade than the falls

*broken color are those iris that have random splashes of color

*self is an iris of uniform color

*amoena is a iris that has colored falls and white standards

*neglecta is an iris that is a blue or violet bitone

* bitones are those irises that have 2 tones of the same color

Neglectas: Iris Color Terminology

By Renee Fraser

Such a sad name.  NEGLECTA.   Neglectas are blue or purple bitone irises in which the falls are darker than the standards.  The Latin means something that may be overlooked or neglected, but that is unlikely to happen with these irises!

"Northwest Progress" Schreiner, 1997

This color class of irises was named after this shy little flower, the original "Neglecta".  You can still buy this darling 1815 historic iris.

  

"Neglecta" Photo by Rick Tasco

On some, the falls are almost an inky black.  

"Dangerous Mood" Schreiner, 2004   Photo by Margie Valenzuela

Median irises with their lovely beards also come in this color combination.  Here is the Intermediate iris 'Hellcat.'

'Hellcat' Aitken 1983  Photo by Sandra Eggertson

And here is 'Against the Tide', a Border Bearded iris.   Griff Crump says "the difficulty in keeping 'Best Bet' alive in some places is pretty well known.  So, late in the 1990s, I was discussing the matter with several iris friends, including a couple of well-known iris hybridizers, both of whom declared that they would never use it in hybridizing, for that reason.  I didn't mention to them that I had already crossed it with one of my seedlings..."  and for that reason, he named it 'Against the Tide'. 

'Against the Tide'  Crump, 2001 Photo by Donald Eaves

Some neglectas are very blue indeed, especially in cooler climes.  This clump will knock your socks off:

'Heartstring Strummer' Johnson 2001 Photo by AdamNAutumn

Lovely new neglectas with ruffles are now available.

"Fabulous One" Nicodemus,  2006  Photo by Kent Pfeiffer

'Global Crossing' Van Liere 2012

'World Premier' is a justly famous iris, and it is very, very blue.

Photo by Susanne Spicker

Some tend toward a navy blue.

'Phantom Ship' Baumunk, 2007 Photo by Elladan McLeester

'Best Bet' is a reblooming iris.  It is not a strong grower in some parts of the country, but it is popular nevertheless.  It is often included in reblooming 'starter' kits from garden centers in big box stores.

'Best Bet'  Schreiner 1988, Photo by Barbara-Jean Jackson

New neglectas are being created by hybridizers all of the time.  

Seedling #072I2 Crump 

Be on the lookout for this beauty, to be introduced next year.

'Sorority Sisters' Van Liere, 2013

Neglectas stand out well in the garden since their blue tones are unusual among flowers.  I have grown "World Premier" and currently grow "Northwest Progress," which has little dark spots on the standards.  Do you grow any neglectas in your garden?