Reblooming Irises: An Autumn Feast

By Virginia Spoon

Our garden in northern Virginia, zone 6, at an elevation of 1100 feet with alkaline soil, is almost a perfect location to grow bearded irises. In the autumn the colors of the reblooming irises blend with the leaves of the mountain maples, the black gums, persimmons and dogwoods.

Mountain Maples in the fall in our backyard.  Image by--Ginny Spoon

Reblooming SDBs, 'Eric Simpson' with 'Ray Jones' in background.  Image by --Ginny Spoon

As I am writing this article in mid October, the rebloomers are putting on quite a show along with the changing leaves. Our weeping cherry tree is changing color and the winterberries are starting to lose their leaves while our resident Mockingbird is tirelessly guarding his hoard.

The weeping cherry tree and winterberries at Winterberry Gardens. Image by --Ginny Spoon

Each day brings a new surprise while stalks appear as if by magic. I thought 'Lord of Rings' matched the changing leaves of the cherry tree so well. 

'Lord of Rings' (George Sutton 2003) reblooming in October at Winterberry--Image by-Ginny Spoon

It is so peaceful to wander around the garden and enjoy the sounds and colors  and even the smells of autumn. Our Katsura tree now smells like burnt brown sugar and somewhere nearby, someone is burning leaves. A customer called a few days ago and asked about fragrant irises that matched their color. I remembered a few, but I had some rebloomers open and I checked the fragrance of 'Persimmon Pie' and remembered why we named it that. Also, 'Mango Parfait' was reblooming and it smelled like a fresh mango.

'Mango Parfait' (Don Spoon) reblooming in October at Winterberry. Image by--Ginny Spoon

What would a fall garden be without the chrysanthemums? There are perennial mums that come  back every year and their colors blend in well with the rebloomers. Ours grow beside our entrance and I must remember to plant some among the irises next spring.

Perennial mums at Winterberry. Image by-Ginny Spoon

Rebloomer, 'Doubleday'(George Sutton 2001) Image by--Ginny Spoon

  Winterberry Gardens, our woods in autumn --image by Ginny Spoon

Enjoy the crisp fall weather and all of the sights, sounds and smells because ... Winter is coming.

Our resident Mockingbird guarding the winterberries in winter. Image--Ginny Spoon

                               

What Is A Rebloomer?

                                              by Betty Wilkerson

Zone 6

If you hang around iris groups, either in the flesh-and-blood world of local societies and rhizome sales in your local neighborhoods, or in the virtual world like the Reblooming Iris page on Facebook, you know that a common question is "how can I tell if an iris is technically a rebloomer?"  Sometimes irises bloom in the summer, sometimes in the fall, but not the following spring, and so on, hence the question.

Some people are really fussy about their rebloomers and insist that they follow strict rules.  For those, we have the definition from The World of Irises written by members of The American Iris Society, edited by Bee Warburton with Melba Hamblen as Assistant Editor, and with help from Dr. Raymond Smith.  Dr. Smith wrote that "a rebloomer may be defined as any iris that produces an extra period of full bloom each year.  By full bloom is meant bloom of one or more increases from each rhizome that flowered during the immediately preceding regular period.  This definition excludes those sorts whose stalks emerge serially over an extended season, as well  as clones with only a fraction of the mature rhizomes blooming during one period and the remainder during the next, even though such sorts do provide color apart from regular seasons and are frequently mislabeled rebloomers" (Warburton: 137).

The AIS Judges Handbook is a bit more "loose."  In summary, it states that rebloom should produce enough additional bloomstalks to double the total number of days of bloom produced annually (143).

1. Rebloomers (Cyclic Rebloomers), the standard for this group, are cultivars which complete two distinct cycles of bloom. After the spring flowering, there is a second nearly predictable period of bloom.

2. Multiple Blooming Irises send up bloomstalks repeatedly at any time throughout the growing season, spring to summer and fall.

3. Repeaters produce additional bloomstalks with unpredictable regularity immediately following or shortly thereafter the initial Spring bloom season. It is not uncommon for these varieties to extend the spring bloom season from four to eight weeks.

4. Sporadic Rebloomers are varieties which unpredictably produce bloomstalks at varying times during the growing season. Many occasional rebloomers perform well on the West coast and the Southern areas of the United States. While they are highly regarded there, they may not show reblooming tendencies in colder climates.

5. Secondary Stalk Rebloomers, although rare, occur when rhizomes send up secondary stalks in the same growing season.

I must admit, I have a loose definition: I like iris blooms so much that I welcome just about anything that puts up an extra bloom stalk.

My hybridizing lines were originally started with 'Feed Back', 'Immortality', 'Early of Essex' and a few others that rebloomed in fall.

'Immortality'  c. Terry Laurin

'Earl of Essex'  c. Lloyd Zurbrigg

'Feedback'

After about 20 years I decided to work for summer bloom, and to stop working with most of the fall cycle rebloomers, since the fall bloomers often freeze here.

'Another Bridge'

'Stargate'

If you have any subjects or questions on rebloomers you would like to see addressed, please email me at bridgeintime@aol.com.

Strong Reblooming Irises Hybridized by Sterling Innerst Part III

by Betty Wilkerson

'Lunar Whitewash' is my favorite reblooming iris introduced by Sterling Innerst. It blooms fairly early in the fall and the bloom is beautiful.  In 2011 there were seven clumps of 'Lunar Whitewash' all blooming at the same time.  Gorgeous!  

'Lunar Whitewash' (Innerst 2003)

One of my most exciting crosses in the past few years has been 'Lunar Whitewash' x 'Romantic Evening.' This cross gave delightful seedlings with beautiful blooms. I've seen a number of the next generation and they are beautiful seedlings in shades of red, royal purple, white and yellow.  Sadly, none rebloom and only one has good branching.

Many years ago I was told that 'San Leandro' would give poor branching.  This was by a hybridizer that worked with it extensively.  I can only suspect that its presence in the parentage of  'Lunar Whitewash' could be a factor in why my seedlings had poor branching.  My training tells me to use it as a pollen parent to minimize this effect, although I'm not sure this is a cure.

'Lunar Whitewash' c. Betty Jacobs

'Lunar Whitewash' c. Betty Jacobs

For your own pleasure and a bit of the warm fuzzies, cross 'Lunar Whitewash' with something pretty and just enjoy the children. Don't look at the branching and don't worry about the rebloom.  If you worry too much you might lose out on the fun!