A Garden Gem: Iris 'Plum Pretty Whiskers'

By Renee Fraser


Garden presence.  That's what I get from another one of my favorite irises, 'Plum Pretty Whiskers.'  All of my favorite photos of my garden feature this iris.  It bloomed on and on during the two fantastic springs of 2012 and 2013 here in Southern California.




I have it planted with foxgloves, purple violas, lamb's ears, paludosum daisies, and roses.

'Plum Pretty Whiskers' was registered in 2003 by Don Spoon.  It is listed as growing to 35" and blooming mid- to late-season.  It is shorter than that in my garden, with nice straight thin leaves and double-socketed buds.  It blooms mid-season here.  As you can see in the photo above, the falls on this variety "pinch", but that does not detract from its overall impact, in my opinion.

Sometimes the dark spot on the falls is large and solid, and sometimes it is thinner and wispy looking.  I like the variability.  

'Plum Pretty Whiskers' reblooms here in Southern California on occasion, but Virginia Spoon tells us that it was not registered as a rebloomer.  It is so pretty that I don't require it to rebloom  (like I do with 'Total Recall' in the foreground). After I overwatered it last year in the heat of summer, I almost lost it to bacterial rot.  I managed to save it by digging up the healthy rhizomes and potting them up and moving them to the shade for the remainder of August and September.  The plants have not yet fully recovered, but they did bloom this spring.  Perhaps by next year, I will have more photos of this lovely iris to share.

'Scottish Reel' Dances in the Garden

By Renee Fraser

The dominant colors in my garden are screaming salmon-orange, yellow, and orchid.  I have restricted the color palette to bring some order to the chaos of an inveterate plant collector's garden.  It works.

So what to do with a spectacular coppery-gold iris that shines like a beacon of light?

'Scottish Reel' with annual Paludosum daisies

'Scottish Reel' is a Barry Blyth iris from 2001.  It grows to between 34 and 36" tall, and blooms  early to mid-season.  There are two or three blooms per socket on this iris, which extends the bloom period.  The foliage is very nice: straight, with no corkscrewing, and the plant is tough.

Since I have been unable to find a spot for it, this iris has been moved each year. It started out in the vegetable bed, was moved to the garden, then back to a different part of the veggie bed where it was exposed to root knot nematodes, then I dug it up, cut off all of the roots to the rhizomes to get rid of any nematodes, and planted three in a pot last year.  All three bloomed this year!

My resolve to keep only plants that complement my existing color scheme is broken by the loveliness of this iris.  I will always have it in my garden, even if it is relegated to the vegetable beds.  Do you have an iris that you keep in your garden even though you have no place to plant it?  Share it with us in the comment section below.

Late Season Favorite: Iris 'Coral Chalice'

By Renee Fraser


As my experience growing irises increases, I find that I generally prefer older irises that have good plant habits, bloom prolifically, and resist disease.  I also look for irises that bloom in the early part of the season and rebloom in the fall, because it gets so very hot here in Simi Valley that by June, late-bloomers melt like cotton candy in the sun.

But there is always an exception.  'Coral Chalice' is indeed an older iris, and a rebloomer.  It has nice enough foliage, and it does not rot or get leaf spot.  But it is not a great bloomer for me.  The blooms sometimes clump up at the top of the stalk, interfering with each other so that they don't open properly, and since it blooms in the late season and has very little substance, each bloom only lasts a day when it is hot.

So why do I still grow it?  And why did I order even more rhizomes after the first year bloom to start a second clump of it as soon as possible?

I find it exceptionally lovely.  There is something about that peach blush on the hafts and the orange beard that makes the white flower even brighter and more luminous.

 

It is a wonderful companion to another favorite, 'Cajun Rhythm'.  So I photograph it, endlessly, so that I can enjoy it even as it curls up in on itself after a day in triple-digit heat.




'Coral Chalice' was created by Niswonger in 1982.  It grows to about 34" tall, and although it is listed as midseason, it always blooms in late May or June for me, and is among the last to flower.  It has double socketed buds, and the top bud is often triple socketed.

Do you have a favorite that you keep despite a few flaws?  Let us know why you love your imperfect iris in the comments below.

'Cajun Rhythm', My Prettiest Iris

By Renee Fraser


My best blooming iris is 'Total Recall', which is practically an everbloomer here in Southern California.  My sentimental favorite is an old NOID (No Identification) that has been on the property for over 60 years, when grandpa used to mow it over every week when he did the grass.  But my prettiest iris, in my opinion, blooms late in the season and generally gets burnt to a crisp from the late May/early June heat.  'Cajun Rhythm' (Schreiner, 1996) is a lovely butterscotch orange with a pinkish flush on the midrib and a variable white apron on the falls.

I love it with nasturtiums.

It looks nice with another late bloomer, 'Coral Chalice'.

'Tennison Ridge' with 'Cajun Rhythm'.

Here it is with 'Double Delight' rose.

'Cajun Rhythm' is registered as growing to 36" tall, but it is rather short in my garden.  The foliage is nice, and does not corkscrew or twist.  Although it often suffers from the heat here, 'Cajun Rhythm' is so pretty it will always have a place in my garden.

Personal Favorites: Tall Bearded Iris 'Peach Royale'

By Renee Fraser


As I was organizing my photos the other day I ran across some photos of one of my favorite irises, 'Peach Royale'.  I saw a lovely clump online years ago, but the only source I could find was sold out, year after year.  Finally, in 2009, I got my order in on time.  In its first year it proved to be worth the wait, and I look forward to it each year.

'Peach Royale' was hybridized by Meininger in 1999, and it is among the first of my irises to bloom.  I like the early bloomers, because it gets very hot here early in the year, and any iris that dawdles into bloom in May is likely to have a short career.  'Peach Royale' lasts a long time, both because of the early bloom and because of the high bud count on the stalks.

It fades beautifully, getting lighter around the edges.

I have it planted with 'Spin Off' (Maryott, 1986) , which has the same magenta color that appears in the falls of 'Peach Royale'.

Here it is glowing in the sun.

And from the top.

With verbascum 'Southern Charm' and pelargoniums.

If you are looking for a nice tallish iris (34-36") in this color range, I recommend 'Peach Royale' for its foliage, long bloom period, and beauty in the garden.  If you grow this iris, please let us know how it does in your part of the world in the comments, below.

What Do Iris Hybridizers Look For?

by Griff Crump

In suggesting topics for this posting, Renee Fraser remarked, "One thing I always wonder about hybridizers is which new intro caught their eye and why?"

The first attraction for me is, simply, the beauty of the flower itself.  The second motivator is its being of the patterns that I prefer, which are predominantly amoenas and near amoenas with velvety falls, usually dark.  The third consideration is whether it might fit into my breeding goals.

Here are some of the recent introductions that have caught my eye:

Judy's Smile (Skaggs 2014), offered by Stout Gardens At Dancing Tree.  From Starring x Kitty Kay.  I have both of the parents, so might try the cross myself.

 'Judy's Smile'

Another beauty, which I won't use in hybridizing (because it doesn't fit within my goals), but which I admire and would like to grow just for its handsomeness, is Mike Lockatell's  reblooming border bearded Double Dare.  I saw it when he first exhibited it at a Region 4 fall regional show.  I and others thought it should have won best seedling, but one of the judges just didn't like plicatas.

'Double Dare'

I always like a good red, and Don Spoon's Red Hot Momma (Rogue X Dynamite) falls in that category.  I can't seem to keep either of those parents alive (or, at least, blooming), but Don has, so maybe I'll approach him for a start.

'Red Hot Momma'

Lesley Painter's Midnight Rose (Napa Country Iris Garden) is the kind of iris that I really like, a near amoena with dark velvet falls.  As a hybridizer with limited space, however, its unknown parentage gives me pause, i.e., will it work with the genetics of my existing stuff?  If I had more space, I'd grab it.  (And if you have space, I think you should, too.)

'Midnight Rose'

Keith Keppel's Gambling Man (Silk Road X Roaring Twenties) caught my eye, as does anything with the Edith Wolford color pattern.  This, though, is from quite different lineage.

'Gambling Man'

I am particularly impressed with the introductions of Robert Piatek, of Poland, and those of Anton Mego,  of Slovakia.  I have Mego's Slovak Prince and seedlings from it, and I hope that others of  their cultivars will soon, if not already, be available in the USA.

'Slovak Prince' 

Which newer introductions caught your eye this year?

"Talking Irises" MUMFORD TALL BEARDED IRIS GARDEN - A LOVE AFFAIR

By: Susanne Holland Spicker

Forefront:  "On Edge"

"A thing of beauty is a joy forever.

It's loveliness increases; It never fades.

    Keats        

Nestled at the foot of the majestic Twin Peak Mountains in Willard, Utah, Neal and Dawn Mumford have their own little heaven. Their beautiful, spacious "do-it-yourself" home is situated on a 5 1/2-acre lot.  Their orchard has about 300 apple trees of 8 varieties. They also have peach, plum, and sweet cherry trees. It is the perfect setting for their (at last count) 361 tall bearded irises. The irises are on 1/2 an acre in rows 75 feet long. Neal plants 2 fans back to back so they don't grow into each other, and then plants 2 more of the same variety 36" apart in the same fashion. This gives them a nice-sized clump in 2-3 years. 

"Conjuration," (also below) "Silverado," "Edith Wolford," "Dusky Challenger" 

I met the Mumford's through our common love of irises several years ago, and have enjoyed a special friendship since. (You meet the nicest people through irises)!

Forefront:  "Elisa Renee"

Neal and Dawn's love affair started with their first date to Jr. Prom in High school. They will celebrate their 45th wedding anniversary this November. Their love affair with irises started 43 years ago, with rhizome starts from Neal's mother in 1970. They have been actively collecting and trading since 1984. They have ordered exclusively from Schreiners and Cooley's, as well as traded with iris friends. Helen Larsen, a local woman known for her irises, was an influence and contributor to the Mumford iris garden. 

From top left:  "Piping Hot," "Autumn Leaves," 
from front "Crowd Pleaser," "Gigolo," "Barcelona," 
"Golden Panther," "Orangutan Orange," "Kilt Lilt"

Neal, a retired PhD in organic chemistry, and Dawn, an art major and master quilter, work as a team. Neal takes charge of the planting, fertilizing and dividing of the iris. Dawn takes care of the organization, ordering, mapping, and iris scrapbooks, which have a picture and detailed information on each iris. Her expertise in color is evident in the garden. Their bloom time is typically mid-to late May, and through the first week of June. She says they have only had three iris rebloom:

Rebloomers:  "Champagne Elegance," "Best Bet," "Clarence"

Forefront:  First year blooms of "Yaquina Blue," "Crowned Heads"

Dawn orders around 7-10 rhizomes a year. Because of the number of iris they have, they rotate the dividing and transplanting, dividing 7-9 rows a year. That way, every 3-4 years all the rows end up being transplanted. In the garden, there are rows that may be 1 year old, others are 2, 3, or sometimes 4 years old. They have found that division every 3-4 years is best for optimum iris blooms.They also have what they call their "share bed," which are rows of irises they can share with others as they come to view the iris, which ensures that those people can get the rhizomes of the irises they want.

Front left to right:  "Feature Attraction," "Aegean Wind." 
Picture shows 2nd, 1st and 3rd year iris plantings.

They share some of the things they've learned over the years of successful growing: When they divide their iris, they transplant the rhizomes with 1/4 cup of superphosphate.They flood irrigate every 8 days. Dawn says that they use a well-balanced fertilizer, used at 1/2 strength, 3 weeks before bloom, and then again 3 weeks before winter, in late fall. In their location it is best to divide and plant irises in August. Dawn says the reason for their large, healthy blooms is great location; the rocky soil provides superior drainage. The iris benefit from the nutrient-rich orchard soil as well. Neal uses a liquid pre emergent, Trifluralian 4EC, after September 13 in the fall, for grass and weed control. A spring application is also recommended. Additionally, they don't trim the foliage in summer or fall unless they are transplanting; they feel the irises do better.

Forefront:  "Sweet Musette"

"Shaft Of Gold"  

Stunning Clump of "Stairway to Heaven"

Dawn tells the story about the irises "Purple by the North Fence" and "Yellow with the Orange Beard." She said a friend who was getting older couldn't remember the names of the irises, and had named them that. After more than 25 years, they are still known by those names in the Mumford garden. Another story was the time Dawn was dividing the iris. She was trimming the fans and writing the names on them. The little girl next door ran home and told her mother that Dawn was "giving all her flowers a name."

"Yellow with the Orange Beard," and 
"Purple By The North Fence"  noids

When they moved from their home in Brigham City 8 1/2 years ago to their present home, moving the irises was no easy task. They lost some, and many others' names were lost. It has been a real job researching, and correctly naming the iris. They have made real progress, and are close to identifying them all. The hardest winter Dawn remembers is the one of 1985, where the temperatures plunged to 65 degrees below zero.  They lost 23-25 irises that year because there wasn't a blanket of snow to insulate the plants, causing the demise of the iris. Dawn is interested in finding those irises that she's lost over the years and is hoping that someone reading this article can help her in acquiring them. (See her list at the bottom of this article). 

"Dawn Glory"  (Dawn likes the name of this one!)

(From front to back) "Angelique" "Pledge Allegiance,"
 "Gold Trimmings," "Lovely Kay"

They've done nearly all the work in their lovely "do-it-yourself"  home. It features arched alcoves for iris floral arrangements, special vases collected for the arrangements, a sandblasted etched glass in the china closet with images of irises, Noritake iris china, and a watercolor print from Cooley's-- all reminders of their love affair with irises. For years Dawn hosted a luncheon for as many as 58 women during iris season, with floral arrangements throughout their home, and, of course, a tour of their colorful garden.

Dawn with "Many Thanks," a Cooley's bonus plant. 
(It ranges anywhere from 48-60",) and favorites
"Magic Man, "Beverly Sills," "Geniality," and 
"Gold Trimmings"

More Favorites: "Schortman's Garnet Ruffles,"
"Designer Gown" (Dawn loves the gilt edge),
"Pledge Allegiance," Dawn with 60-inch 
"Many Thanks" in 2009, and "Silverado"

Among Dawn's favorites: "Night Ruler," "Electrabrite," 
"Into The Night," "Honky Tonk Blues" (which Dawn 
thinks should be named "Faded Denim"), and "Gitano"

A favorite blue of Dawns:  "Sea Power"

More favorites: "Salzburg Echo," "Company Red," "Aegean Wind," "Feature Attraction," and "Kitty Kay"

Neal's favorites:  "Change Of Pace," "Well Endowed," 
"My Ginny," "Dusky Challenger," "Rose Tattoo"

From l to r: "Victoria Falls," "Jessie's Song," "Sunday Chimes"

"Art Center," "Gigolo," "Barcelona," "Machismo,"   "Piping Hot,"  "Crimson Snow," "Mulled Wine"

I have many favorites in the garden. Here are a few 
of them:

"Pink Angel," and "Launching Pad"

My favorite red that day: "Dynamite"

"Rare Quality," an excellent blue and white plicata

The garden has stunning whites, "Skier's Delight" is one of many

I love the delicate colors of "Heather Cloud"

"Play With Fire," an outstanding red

"Tarlatin," a favorite pink with wonderful lace and ruffles! 

"Prom Night," a standout in the garden for me

Among Dawn's favorite purples: "Paul Black," 
"About Town," "Night Ruler," "Aristocracy," "Hollywood Nights"

"Elisa Renee," my all-time favorite pink in the Mumford iris garden

"Private Label" photographs so well.  I had some lovely 
cards printed up from this picture.

Front to back:  "Lovely Kay," "Gold Trimmings," "Pledge Allegiance"

Forefront:  "Queen In Calico"

"Theater" always lights up the garden

I've been traveling up to the Mumford's for 
several years now around Memorial Day to 
view the spectacular show the iris put on!  
It's been interesting to see the difference in 
the blooms from year to year because of 
inconsistencies in the weather. One thing 

that is always a constant, however, is the 

warm welcome and gracious treatment I 

receive from Neal and Dawn. Seeing their 

dedication to each other and to their irises 

has been an inspiration to me--it is a love

affair that has increased over the years.  

And, of course, the iris never disappoint! 

Dawn would love to replace the iris they have 

lost over the years.  If you know where the 

Mumford's can acquire any of their lost irises, 

please leave a comment.

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