"Talking Irises" SPURIA IRISES WITH BRAD KASPEREK-- MY VISIT TO ZEBRA IRIS GARDENS PART II

By: Susanne Holland Spicker

Last week I visited ZEBRA IRIS GARDENS. The spuria irises were in bloom, and it was a visual treat! I saw rows and rows of stately spuria clumps.  The warm sunlight brought out the beautiful veining on the exquisite iris falls and the garden was  a myriad of colors with the lush green foliage showcasing their loveliness; it was extraordinary--ethereal.

You might ask, "What exactly is a spuria iris?" 

 FACTS ABOUT SPURIA IRISES

• Spurias are beardless iris with elegant blooms
• They will grow and flower with ease in most areas of the country, especially those where summer months are dry
• They don't like to be disturbed, and can go 10-15 years without dividing
• Their tall, bright green foliage and eye-catching blooms are not bothered by winds
• They are great in floral arrangements, having a long vase life
• Spurias love a well-balanced fertilizer, such as 14-14-14
• Don't let spurias dry out before transplanting; some people use a wet paper towel to keep them hydrated until time for planting
• They like full sunlight, or at least 1/2 day of sun
• After established, they are quite drought tolerant
• Plant in an area with good drainage

Brad Kasperek's interest in hybridizing spuria irises began in 2005.   He had often lost much of his bearded seedling bloom to hard April freezes, and had been thinking of switching his hybridizing priority to spuria irises. The president of the Spuria Iris Society cornered him one day and helped convince him it was something he should do.  Well, he was right!  Brad says he wishes he had started a decade earlier. 

Brad says that "most seasoned iris hybridizers develop an 'intuition' about which two parents to select when pursuing new flower coloration," but that he is too new at spurias to have that ability yet.  He said that his "first couple years of seedlings were a great disappointment since their flowers were just like what had already been introduced."  After that experience, he said that he chose his "spuria parents more carefully, and this year's seedling bloom from 2008 and 2009 crosses is providing some 'gnu' flower colors and rounder form."

Hybridizer Brad Kasperek, Zebra Iris Gardens, with one of his stunning seedlings, pictured below.

The evening I arrived at ZEBRA IRIS GARDENS I was in luck--Brad was in the process of hybridizing.  Brad says he has found the best time for this is between the hours of 7 and 9 pm, when the flowers are more fertile.  Watching the painstaking procedure of pollinating, tagging, and recording the data was fascinating.  It will be one or two years before Brad sees the fruits of his labors. He says "his current hybridizing goals include a line of non-yellow solid colors and transferring some of Charles Jenkins' and Barry Blyth's color breaks, new colors or patterns, to better plants." He says that he believes that "the best plants are from Dave Niswonger with some from Jenkins and Floyd Wickencamp as well."

 A bed of newly transplanted spuria iris among the established clumps of blooming flowers.

Brad believes that spuria hybridizers and the AIS should "focus more on advancements in spuria flower color and form at this time, rather than on the 'perfect plant.' "  He said that "Melba Hamblin, a very successful Utah hybridizer, always taught 'first you get the flower, and then you get the plant.' "  Brad says "both goals often take decades to reach, but almost every commercial hybridizer knows that color and form, not plant, is what sells."   So, his advice for both the Spuria Iris Society and AIS judging would be "a greater emphasis on colors and form at this time, in the hopes of expanding the garden appeal of 
l. spuria." 

This year, Brad has two exceptional spuria introductions and one was in bloom when I visited. "WAPITI CITI" (SPU 42" EM Kasperek '13), is lightly ruffled, with rich, medium red-purple standards, style arms and fall rims.  Matching inverted eyelash veining on a bright yellow signal completes this introduction.  It also has 6-8 buds.  Regal!

An introduction last year, "IBEX IBIS"  (Kerr/Kasperek 2012) is a well-proportioned clump.  It has 6 budded stalks with a mass of flowers with medium lavender standards and a matching band around sunshine yellow falls.

Outstanding seedlings include the following:

ZEBRA IRIS GARDENS also has an impressive selection of award-winning spuria irises from other hybridizers. Some of my favorites in bloom that day are pictured here:

"SPARKLING CIDER" Cadd 2002--WOW!

"BLUE SPIDERWEB" Ferguson 1966

"LEMON TOWER" Walker 2008

"BOLDLY ELEGANT" Cadd 2003--striking!

"ADRIATIC BLUE" Niswonger 1996--superb!

"ADOBE SUNSET" McCown 1979

"IMPERIAL BRONZE" McCown 1970

"WILD AT HEART" Blyth 1999

"SULTANS SASH" Niswonger 1990--elegant

"CINNAMON MOON"  Blyth 2003--a real dazzler

"NORTHERN MUSE" Walker/Aberego 1985

"STEELY EYES" Walker 2006

"LOOK LIVELY"

"KAIBAB TRAIL" Wickenkamp 1985

"PEAK ALONE" Evans 1997 (Australia)

"STELLA IRENE" Jenkins 1995--Dramatic!

"CANDLE LACE"  Jenkins 1990--Ruffled falls

"RESPONSE"  Corlew 1989

"FIREMIST" Niswonger 1991--Gorgeous!

"NOBLE ROMAN" Blyth 1994

"VIOLET FUSION" Walker 2006

"DANDELION SMILE" Cadd 2005

"MISSOURI BOON" Niswonger/Wilhoits 2007

I eagerly look forward to additional introductions from Brad. I predict a resurgence of these remarkable flowers in the iris world--the possibilities are exciting!  I appreciate Brad's hospitality and thank him for welcoming me to his stunning iris garden.

To read more on spuria irises, or to join the Spuria Iris Society, (SIS) a section of the AIS, see them on their facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/spuriairissociety or  you can find them at www.spuriairissociety.org.

I'm planning on adding some spuria irises to my landscape this year, how about you?

On a personal note: I didn't have the pleasure of meeting Kathie, who is an integral part of ZEBRA IRIS GARDENS.  She recently had surgery for breast cancer, which will have to be aggressively treated. She will be having a mastectomy, with associated lymph node removal, followed by probable chemotherapy and radiation.  I, along with so many others, wish Brad and Kathie all the best these next months as they deal with this new challenge, while keeping up with the rigors of their commercial iris business. 

This, That, and a Few Other Things

By Brad Kasperek

Greetings from the top of Utah - I'm b-a-a-a-a-ack!  I've heard lots of interesting rumors about what happened to Kathie and I, but reality wasn't quite as interesting. Neither of us died, were in a serious accident or were at death's door, but we both had health issues that brought abrupt changes to our quality of life. Physical recoveries and mental adjustments to the realities of our aging took time. Anyway, we plan on re-opening Zebra Gardens this year and even introducing our first two spurias.  Nothing too exciting, but I believe one of them will offer something new in color combinations. I've had to reevaluate and reduce my previous iris hybridizing goals to decide where my major interests now lie.  The result was a decision to make spurias my primary focus for the future.  Don't everyone groan at once!

Spuria Iris 'Ode to a Toad'

In the Winter 2011 issue Jim Hedgecock wisely encouraged spuria hybridizers to acquire a selection of spuria species irises and to incorporate them into their hybridizing programs. The hope for outcome would be an increase in colors and patterns within the hybridized spuria genotype. This is great advice and new hybridizers should make it one of their goals to do some of this hybridizing. However, it appears to me that the pattern diversity within the I. Spuria species is much more limited than in bearded irises. Thus we should also continue working to fully identify the recessive characteristics of the existing genotype (color, pattern, size, ruffles, frills, etc.). This is what happened and continues to happen in the hybridizing of bearded iris. Look at the variety there!

Spuria Iris 'Ibex Ibis'

Once again for at least the 1000th time I relearned the hard way that if I think I know what I'm doing - I probably don't. These delusions exist only because I wasn't smart enough to ask the right questions when I should have.  After my experience with hybridizing bearded irises I assumed hybridizing spurias would be similar -wrong!  It seems that every technique or process I used with bearded irises was just far enough off the mark to impede my success with spurias in both producing seed and getting it to germinate. Seed germination has been the bane of my spuria hybridizing and I've tried everything I could think of to improve my results, but I always planted the seeds in POTS. Last year, Iris, the goddess of the rainbow must have smiled on my hybridizing efforts because we harvested almost 21,000 spuria seeds which was a huge increase over all other years. So I quickly created a convoluted plan to test several new methods of improving germination and producing seedlings large enough to transplant by mid-May. The crosses with the highest number of seeds were split into three groups: green seed to freeze, green seed to chill and dried seed to soak at the end of December. On the 2nd and 3rd of this January we potted these seeds up in 77 - 2 gal pots and stored them in my bedroom to await their later transfer to the greenhouse. I'll let you know the results in my next column. They should be good for a laugh at least.


So with this work out of the way I finally decided it might be a good idea to check with Dave Niswonger to see if he could provide any help with my germination problems. Dave told me that the most important factor affecting spuria seed germination was how many soil particles were in direct contact with the seed. Thus he plants his in a seed bed made of loamy soil without any added peat moss or other organic material and gets around 75% germination. Incorporating organic material would reduce germination by reducing the seed to soil contact.  Additionally, he said to NEVER POT the seeds up because potting mixes have very poor soil to seed contact!  Now why didn't I ask him for this advice six years ago!!!  Or even six months ago!  As "they" say - the only stupid question is one not asked.

Spuria Iris Seedling 5SP-11A

My early years of hybridizing tales of woe will become an article at a later date after I have some confidence that I finally know how to hybridize spurias in northern Utah. One thing that I'm certain of is that geographical location, temperature zone, length of growing season and the amount, form and timing of precipitation makes an enormous difference in the culture of spurias whether gardening or hybridizing.  It's my impression that this sort of information isn't adequately documented or mentioned in articles or on our website.  Do you believe this information would be valuable if someone (ah! that elusive someone) would try to compile it?  Please contact me at zebrairis@gmail.com if you think this is a worthwhile project.

Have a wonderful bloom season!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - ^ - - - - - - - - - - ^ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Brad Kasperek at the 2006 AIS National Convention

Editor's Note: It is with great honor and pleasure that with this article we bring you a new area of exploration to World of Irises - the Blog of The American Iris Society -- Guest Bloggers. Brad Kasperek is the first, and there's a reason for it. He is a hero of mine, for having had the courage to "boldly go" in pursuit of his fascination with Broken Color irises. I mean, the name of his business says it all, "Zebra Gardens - Irises of a Different Stripe."

I can never forget how surprised I was to hear Jim Hedgecock say at one of his presentations that with only about 800-Spuria iris varieties registered, the field of spuria iris hybridizing is quite open, and the opportunities endless. So, I feel that Brad's work will bring new life to the world of Spurias.

I'm very glad Brad explains about his and Kathie's health issues at the beginning of this article because as someone who followed their work closely, I was worried. So, Brad and Kathie, glad you're back on your feet and in the garden because the result will be, as we all know, beautiful irises. Welcome back!

I hope we can get to hear more from Brad in the future. I will follow his steps into spuria iris hybridizing adventures with great interest.

A similar version of this article first appeared in the Winter 2012 Edition of Spuria Iris News, the newsletter of the Spuria Iris Society.

Brad was kind enough to provide me the descriptions of the two newly introduced spurias:

'Ibex Ibis' (Kasperek 2012), SPU, 45", M. Light medium lavender standards, stylearms and rim around fall with a bright yellow fall center darkening to gold at the arm crest, 5 to 6 buds.

'Ode to a Toad' (Kasperek 2012), SPU, 38", M. Rich, red-brown maroon standards and mottled purple & brown style arms. Rich, orange-gold falls rimmed and modestly veined in smoky maroon, 4 to 5 buds.

Andi Rivarola
Word of Irises - the Blog of The American Iris Society, Editor
AIS Social Media Manager

What's Happening in Luminata and Plicata Irises?

First, I want to confess my ignorance in the various new classes that are developing in plicata breeding. Sure I know what a plicata iris pattern is and I am fairly sure I know what a luminata is. After that, it begins to get fuzzy. I am getting old and you young guys and gals need to cut me some slack. You will be here some day too.

About 5 or 6 years ago, I decided that plicatas were very overlooked and I wanted to start some new crosses along those lines. I set aside a couple of special guest beds and acquired a lot of named plicatas. Some of these were from the 80s and 90s and I didn't know of the exact patterns that were represented in these varieties in the 2000s. I started my crosses and I was quite pleased with my early results. There was a new line developing as these crosses were made. Luminatas started showing up regularly. I got interested in these and started making luminata crosses. I soon learned that some parents were good for adding form to the luminata crosses, even if they were regular plicatas.

I have had what I think is very good success with my plicata crosses, and I see some very good new seedlings on the horizon that I think will be quite different than what is out there. I wanted to share two these luminata seedlings with you and see what you think. Both crosses involve a luminata on one side and regular plicata on the other side. If they aren't luminatas, just let me know and I will be happy to call a spade a spade. At any rate, things are happening in plicatas. Watch for the next wave of new things.

Thank you for listening.

Respectfully,
Jim Hedgecock

Comanche Acres Iris Gardens

Double Crossed

During the winter the hybridizer does not hibernate.  He plans.  (So does she.)  Reviewing his goals, assessing their degree of achievement, noting successes, targets missed, failed crosses to be attempted again, he begins to identify the new candidates, scrutinizing their pedigrees, looking for relationships and desired traits and, finally, lists the crosses to be made in some order of priority.  This last is most important, because, when he steps into the garden, he will be surrounded by beauties saying, "Cross me, cross me!"  And any number of likely suitors may be at hand.  It is at this point, if the hybridizer lacks sterling resolve, that the winter's work may go down the drain.

But our hybridizer resists the siren song and marches steadily toward the location of The Plan's cross No. 1, which is . . . where?  There's no bloom.  There's no bloomstalk! The damned thing isn't going to bloom!  Aaargh!  Cross No.1 and several others that were to be made with the same cultivar go off the list.  But our hybridizer has a backup  --  Plan B.  Elsewhere in the garden is a parent of the slacker, also an Award of Merit winner and possessing essentially the same qualities as its progeny.  Though not the ideal, it will do as a substitute.

"Cross me, cross me!", the flowers sing seductively as he passes among them, but he ignores their plaints and forges resolutely ahead to the location of the parent.

I need not inflict on the reader the hybridizer's reaction on finding that the parent isn't blooming either.

Two Award of Merit winners, parent and offspring, long established in the garden, fed and cared for as all the others,yet not blooming, while the rest of the garden blossoms merrily along.  It bolsters my suspicion that there is a genetic code in irises, of which we are ignorant, that governs bloom, germination and maybe other aspects of their growth regardless of weather and general growing conditions.

Despite the failure of Plans A and B, the rest of the list goes well, providing opportunity to appreciate the maturing of various seedlings and even start some new lines.  In fact, just as the hybridizer was singing the blues about the missing prime crosses, which were in the red spectrum, his attention was drawn not to just one, but to several newly maturing blues and blue/blacks.

This is 05B11, (Titan's Glory, Holy Night, Sweeter Than Wine) X Ranks of Blue.  It has taken a while to mature, but is ready to go.

 

Next is 072022 (Stealth Fighter X Ranks of Blue), also ready,

And a passel of their relatives slated for further breeding, including sibling 072O21,

072O19, also a sibling,

and several of their sisters and their cousins and their aunts, including 962N1,

which would be a bit of "back to the future" engineering, but wouldn't it be nice to have a reblooming "black" amoena?

To further relieve his frustration at the demise of Plan A, the visiting president of another AIS chapter points out a seedling to which the hybridizer hasn't paid enough attention.  It's 064C10 ((Margarita x Momauguin) x Best Bet) X Ranks of Blue, on the purple side of blue and smelling like a chocolate factory!

Now for the hard part  --  finding a name!

And even though he thinks a genetic code is responsible for prime targets A and B not blooming, our hybridizer is going to move them, just in case.

--  Griff Crump