Crazy about Iris:Breeding Reblooming Irises in zone 6

by Betty Wilkerson

As I write this, I'm just coming off a spring season that was among the strangest I've seen in thirty plus years of breeding rebloomers.  There have been springs with drought and springs with incessant rain.  This year, spring started back in the winter.  This was good, because I was able to do a lot of garden cleanup and repair before the bloom season got started.  Then, the season was two to three weeks early.  One positive to this was that everything bloomed out of order, with a second wave of rebloom stalks at the end of the regular season.  For instance, 'Tara's Choice' is usually one of the first to bloom, but bloomed at mid to late season this year.  It was good to see a few new iris faces, new seedlings, and some slightly older, but favorite faces.

'Tara's Choice (Wilkerson 2004)

Hybridizing reblooming irises can be a difficult challenge depending on your location.  I'm in South Central Kentucky, zone 6.  Why is this important?  It's beginning to look more and more, to this hybridizer, like breeding irises in general, and rebloomers in particular, is a regional job.  If you live in an area where recurring iris bloom is the norm, then perhaps you wouldn't understand how other regions of the country, the eastern US in particular, long for irises that bloom from frost to frost.   

Although I can get tunnel vision when I'm out in the garden every day working with the irises, and making crosses, we are not thinking only of ourselves, but also the thousands of people hoping for a group of irises that will bloom from spring through fall, since many gardening people want the beauty of the iris throughout summer.  

Less than half a dozen people are working toward rebloom in the colder climates, zones 5-7, and we are all in different parts of the country.  It is a struggle to find cultivars that work for all of us.  We have different favorites and have produced different cultivars of our own.  Although many of us consult and talk among ourselves, we are each working for things that will rebloom in our own gardens, and hopefully, for others.   

'Immortality' (Zurbrigg 1990)

Before he passed away, Ben Hager predicted we were only 15 years away from irises that bloom all summer, frost to frost.  Although we are a lot closer to this in certain areas of the country, we are still far away from these predictions in zones 5-7.  It's still to be seen if reblooming irises are indeed regional, as once thought, or if we can come up with a number of good irises that can bloom in most regions and zones like their predecessor, 'Immortality.'

For more information search through the Reblooming Iris Society @ www.rebloomingiris.com. Several of us can be found on "Reblooming Irises" and  "Iris Hybridizers" on Facebook. We enjoy talking about irises in general and rebloomers specifically.   

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

Again and Again

by Betty Wilkerson

When you breed for rebloomers, or any specific type of iris, there is a constant search for irises that can contribute to your program.  Several of Sterling Innerst's earlier introductions rebloom in the warmer climates seven through ten.  Most do not give good rebloom in zones 6 or lower. When compared to the total volume of his tall bearded introductions, his contribution to colder climate rebloomers has been limited, but very important.

In the last ten years, or so, of his active hybridizing career, Sterling worked very hard to develop reliable rebloomers.  It takes a while for the good and bad points of rebloomers to become known.  By the time we get the full picture they have been grown in several parts of the country.  Several years ago, I purchased a few of Sterling Innerst irises reported to rebloom in colder zones, below zone 6b. 

'Again and Again' (Innerst 1999) 

Another angle of the same bloom.  

My introduction to ‘Again and Again’ (Innerst 1999) came with a July visit to the Iris Display Garden in Bowling Green KY.  I believe the year was 2005.  It was love at first sight!  The stalk was a bit short and the bloom nestled down near the foliage, but it was awesome, reminding me of white, pale yellow, and light brown tulle that I’d sewn in earlier days.  Simply divine!  I drove home and immediately put in an order for 'Again and Again' from Schreiners.  

Same clump in 2012

Sterling crossed ‘Renown,’ (Lloyd Zurbrigg 1992) reported to be a good cold climate rebloomers, with pollen from Ben Hager’s ‘Anxious.’ This produced ‘Again and Again’ (Innerst 1999) which was the first of a trio of very good rebloomers Sterling introduced.  It is now 15 years old and has been grown throughout the country.  I can only speak for how it has grown in my garden.  The pictures shown here are pictures taken in my garden in the spring of 2010 and 2012. 

When crossed with some of my own, 'Again and Again' produced a couple of rebloomers.  If everything goes well, I will use it more. It's not a perfect rebloomer in my garden, nor has it been a perfect rebloom parent, but it is definitely a good tool.  Do you grow any of Sterling Innerst's irises in your garden?

Breeding Reblooming Irises: An Eye to the Future-1

by Betty Wilkerson

Zone 6, KY

Crosses in 2013

My labor of love is to create unique reblooming irises for cold climates, but nothing is reblooming in my garden right now, so I thought I'd take you into the reblooming fantasy garden of my mind.  How can I do that?  By showing you irises I have hybridized that have reblooming genes that I intend to cross again to get reblooming irises in a wider variety of colors.  

A few years ago, Australian hybridizer Barry Blyth recommended that hybridizers take pictures of the parent flowers as they make crosses.  Such a brilliant idea that I should have thought of it myself! (insert smiley face)  So now I carry a digital camera in my hybridizing bag, along with notebook, pen and hybridizing tags. The trick is to remember to take the pictures when I make the cross!  So the photos below are my field pictures, part of the documentation of the painstaking and lenghty hybridizing process of producing better flowers for your garden.

People say they are tired of the "default" rebloom colors of yellow, white, and purple.  These are basically the result of dominant genes.  Other colors and some patterns require the use of recessive genes.  Over the past ten years, I've worked to fold in patterns and colors that did not exist in older cold climate rebloomers.  Recessive genes are required for the tangerine factor.  This is how we get pink, orange, yellow with a red beard or white with a red beard.  Certain patterns, like the Emma Cook pattern, are recessive.  Plicata is even recessive to selfs or single colored irises.  For the past ten years I've been working hard to fold these recessives into my seedlings.

This year, I'm crossing back for rebloom.  It's going to be difficult since the summer rebloom genes appear to be among the most rare!  I've crossed my reblooming irises and seedlings (irises that have not been registered or introduced) onto each other, and to a few seedlings with half rebloom genes that refuse to rebloom for me, in an attempt to achieve this goal.  

One such cross is, well, YELLOW.   Although I'm not crazy about all yellow irises, I'm fond of most of these 'Summer Radiance' children, due to their improved form and  their intense colors.  This 2013 cross will be used to get a nicely formed and vivid rebloomer.

                                                                       

1802-01P (Wilkerson Seedling) 

2151-01 Wilkerson Seedling

Once again, 'Summer Radiance' was outstanding, and its pollen was very fertile and it took on several things.  From the rebloom perspective, there is a lot of potential in these new seed pods!  

'Summer Radiance' clump (Wilkerson 1996)  

I have a number of seedlings I call "The Kitchen Sink Kids" because they have so many different genes in them that come from a reblooming iris numbered 1810.  ( 1605-01:9415-1Re((('Victoria Falls' x 'Vanity') x 'Immortality') x ('Latest Style' x 'Glistening Icicle'))) x ('Feedback' x 'Champagne Elegance') X 'Light Rebuff.' for those of you who must know.)   It seemed like a good idea to hit them with a bunch of rebloomers.  There were several good takes on 1810-15Re below,  the best rebloomer, and one take on 1810-01Re.  There were over twenty rebloomers, some summer and some fall,  from this cross.  Sadly, none met my requirements for introduction.  Here are two of the parents from 1810 I am using to get better form and color in rebloom.

1810-15Re (Wilkerson Seedling) 

                                                                  

1810-01Re (Wilkerson Seedling)  

Pollen from ‘Summer Radiance,’ a known parent of rebloomers, took on 1810-01Re.   I have several more to share with you on my next post, so stay tuned!  

I'm finding 'Renown' to be a good parent for plant qualities, but unfortunately, none of its children have rebloomed.  Pollen from seedling #2310-02 ('Decadence' X 'Renown,') ‘About Tomorrow,’ and ‘Returning Chameleon’ took on 1810-15re, which is exciting, because 1810-15-re often blooms all summer and into fall.  'About Tomorrow' is from 'Treasured' x 'Renown' and gives beautiful and diverse children.  I just can't wait to see these babies.  

                                                                 

2310-02 (Wilkerson Seedling) 

                                                                   

'About Tomorrow' (Wilkerson 2013)

  

'About Tomorrow' Top View (Wilkerson 2013) 

                                                                       

'Returning Chameleon' (Wilkerson 1995) 

Even though it was a bad year for hybridizing,  I was able to get a dozen good reblooming crosses for the future.  For the next step, I stripped blooms from the large plantings of my strongest rebloomers, 'Returning Chameleon', 'Summer Radiance,' 'Echo Location,' 'All Revved Up' and 'Star Gate' and carried them from bed to bed looking for good mates.  More about these later!

I also used a number of seedlings that are rebloomers, but haven’t met my criteria for introduction.   But hope springs eternal in the world of reblooming iris creation.  Wish me luck! 

Do you have any questions about how your lovely rebloomers are created?  Leave your questions and comments below and I will do my best to answer.

Rebloom:Rough Days in Kentucky

by Betty Wilkerson

Those who follow my program may know that 2012 was not kind to me.  I was derailed for awhile due to  back problems.  Before the frosts hit, my physical trainer took me for a walk around the newest section of the garden.

These beds were built in 2010 from an old pasture which had been lawn for over five years.  When the beds were built, I added organic material, lime, phosphate rock and green sand.  I applied a little under the recommended amounts, due to my fear of rot.  These beds have soaker hoses in place and are covered with a very good quality landscape fabric.  No fertilizer was applied during the 2012 growing season, and no supplemental water was provided.  Still, we had very good rainfall.

As I rounded the back side of the garden, it was good to see several stalks blooming on 'My Friend Jonathan'.  Stalks of 'Lemon Reflection' created good contrast for 'My Friend Jonathan.'  Form is a bit more tailored on 'Lemon Reflection,' but it is a good parent and tends to pass on good branching.  It will usually produce fall rebloom with minimum care.

'My Friend Jonathan' (Bernice Miller 1994) 

'Lemon Reflection' (Raymond Smith 78)

Several seedlings had open blooms.  One was 1907-10Re, the purple one that bloomed the entire summer of  2011. It's a sibling to 'Cool Character' which I hope to introduce in 2013.

1907-10Re (Wilkerson Seedling) 

'Cool Character' (1907-01Re) (Wilkerson Seedling) 

They are children of 'Blatant' X 'All Revved Up. This cross produced twelve reblooming seedlings, including my only glaciata.

'Blatant' (Byers 1990)

'All Revved Up' (Wilkerson 2006)

Another seedling in bloom was 2025-01Re.  It's provided wonderful and consistent fall bloom for the past four years.  

2025-01Re (Wilkerson Seedling) 

2025-01Re is from the cross of 'Total Recall' X 1625-01Re.  1625-01Re is from 'Star Gate' x ('Violet Returns' X Breakers.) 1625-01Re can rebloom in August and has been a strong parent for rebloom.  

'Total Recall' (Hager 1992)

1625-01Re (Wilkerson Seedling) 

Another bed, built in 2009,  is filled with irises that should be able to bloom in the summer, according to research.  The bed was totally ignored in 2012.  It has very good landscape fabric covering the bed, but some weeds sprout in the iris clumps.  Not only was I unable to water or fertilize this bed, but I was also unable to weed it.  Both 'Over and Over' and 'Star Gate' put up valiant stalks among the weeds.  One would have thought they were lavished with care!   

'Over and Over' (Innerst 2001)

'Star Gate' (Wilkerson 2005) 

October brought maiden bloom on 2542-03Re, a seedling grown in a three gallon pot.  It's from 'Vanishing Act' X 'Over and Over'.  Early in the spring, four of the strongest seedlings from this cross were planted into 3 gallon pots, since I was unable to walk to the existing seedling bed.  As happy as I was to see this seedling bloom, it is only a success in the sense that it proved I could get rebloom from either/or both 'Vanishing Act' and 'Over and Over.'  I hoped to retain the form, branching and height of 'Vanishing Act' while keeping the rebloom of 'Over and Over.' There was some measure of success, but it will take a few years to determine the seedling's potential.  At first glance, the bloom is too big for the stalk and the substance is lacking.  The latter is no surprise.  Maybe spring bloom will temper this seedling's over achievement!  Nothing will be certain until it's been grown in the ground.  The siblings are expected to bloom later this spring.

2542-03Re (Wilkerson seedling) 

'Vanishing Act' (Wilkerson 2004)

Feel free to ask any questions about my garden or my breeding program.  I will answer all questions to the best of my ability.

Additional information about hybridizing, and general information about irises can be found @ the following:
www.irises.org-American Iris Society. (iris register (fee required) must now be accessed through the main site.)
www.hort.net/lists/-Archives for Iris Talk, Iris Photos and many other plant lists. I've been an active member of both these lists since early in 1999.  Interesting and informative source for research.
www.rebloomingiris.com--Reblooming Iris Society (great society publishes a twice annual 'Recorder.'

Where's the Rebloom when it's Hot and Dry?

By Betty Wilkerson

South Central Kentucky, Zone 6

It’s not news to our readers that 2012 has been an unkind year, weather wise, in much of the United States.  Extremely high temperatures and drought conditions inhibit most rebloom of tall bearded irises.  Yet, ‘Immortality’ and my seedling number 1810-15Re opened blooms in early August.  They are both growing at the end of one of the new beds (2010) and get a touch of late afternoon shade.

My primary hybridizing goal has always been to create irises that will rebloom in my zone 6 garden.  My current breeding strategy has been to cross award winning spring-only irises with great form and patterns in combination with well formed rebloomers and rebloomers with strong rebloom.  Only the strongest rebloomers have a chance of producing rebloom children in this difficult area.  

‘Immortality’ is a reblooming staple.  Even so, it doesn’t always rebloom here.  It really wants everything just right.  Last year suited its temperament: it bloomed a lot during the summer and fall in the new beds.

'Immortality' (Zurbrigg 1982)

1810-15Re (Wilkerson Seedling) 

1810-15Re is one of the seedlings from my “kitchen sink” cross.  The pod parent, a near-white over dark blue/purple is 1605-01:9415RE (((Victoria Falls x Vanity) x Immortality) x (Love Lines))) x (Feedback x Champagne Elegance).  It contains several quality spring blooming irises mixed with good rebloomers. During a move to Allen County, I lost the pod parent, a near amoena seedling with white standards and dark blue purple falls.

A sibling, 1605-02Re, is white over lavender and reblooms in the fall in my zone 6 garden.  Dr. Raymond Smith’s rebloomer, ‘Light Rebuff,’ a very pale, translucent pink, is the pollen parent.

1605-02Re (Wilkerson Seedling) 

Only three seedlings sprouted the first spring of this cross, and two put up stalks that first fall.  They were given the numbers 1810-01Re & 1810-02Re.

1810-01Re (Wilkerson Seedling)  

1810-02Re (Wilkerson Seedling)  

Another thirty eight sprouted the second spring.  Twenty two from this cross bloomed off season over the next three or four years.  Others were used in breeding, but did not rebloom.  This is an assortment of seedlings from this cross. Both #6 & #10 put up late stalks in 2006.  1810-01Re and 1810-15Re are the top rebloomers, with 1810-15Re being the best.

1810-06 (Wilkerson seedling) 

1810-10 (Wilkerson Seedling) 

1810-03Re (Wilkerson Seedling) 

 1810-07 (Wilkerson seedling)

1810-08 (Wilkerson seedling) 

1810-14Re (Wilkerson Seedling)  

These are definitely not the end product, but a step on the path to better rebloom.  Some crosses using this group of seedlings have been very interesting.  My favorite results were from a kitchen sink child crossed onto ‘Enjoy the Party.’  It has given some very nice ringed bi-tone seedlings with fall rings.  One has even fall bloomed!  Not enough, and not often enough, but a step in the right direction. 

Producing reblooming irises is a time-consuming passion, but the rewards are great:  a period of longer bloom for our favorite flower.  Let me know if you enjoyed this peek into a rebloom cross.