Iris Classics: 'Sunset Blaze'

The tetraploid revolution in iris breeding that started to really expand in the early 1920's resulted in an explosion of new colors during the 1940's. One of the most celebrated of the era was Dr. Kleinsorge's 1948 introduction 'Sunset Blaze'. A blazing red-orange heavily infused with bright gold, it perfected a color class that only been hinted at before. It was bright, flashy, and very tall so it really made a strong statement in the garden - and it still does. It is an extremely hardy iris that increases well and seems to grow everywhere with little care. An early bloomer in my garden, it starts the Tall Bearded season off with a bang. Click on the photos for larger views.

Cooley's Gardens catalog for 1948 described it as: "A tall and huge golden flame-salmon blend, almost a red, but with so much of the gold influence in it that it is not really a red Iris. You have seen the sun look much like this just before it sinks over the horizon. Both standards and falls are extra large and the haft and beard are bright golden yellow. A most impressive flower, blooming early on widely branched stalks reaching 42 inches." It won an Honorable Mention and then the Presidents Cup at the AIS convention in 1949, and went on to win an Award of Merit in 1951.

'Sunset Blaze' was one of the first of Dr, Kleinsorge's irises that I had in my early days of growing irises, and it fueled a passion for finding all his others. If you enjoy hot colors in the garden that give an instant fiesta effect you will want to add this fantastic historic iris. It looks fantastic with reds, browns, golds and deep purples and blues, bringing a rainbow of sunset hues to enjoy throughout the day. This timeless classic has so many good qualities, it is easy to find and will be around for many decades to come for iris lovers to enjoy. Consider adding it to your collection. You won't regret it.

Iris Classics: 'Butter And Sugar'

Over the past century or more Siberian irises have not had the color range that the bearded irises do and hence have not had as much attention from hybridizers. A myriad of shades of purple, blue-purple, red-purple and white had many fans but left us wanting more. Thanks to a handful of dedicated fanciers we are finally in the 21st century seeing an explosion of new colors and patterns. However let us not forget the groundwork that was laid to get us here. One of the top breeders of the 20th century was Dr. Currier McEwen and one of his very best irises was a major color break in its day and is this weeks Iris Classic - the unforgettable 'Butter And Sugar'.


Introduced in 1977, it was an instant sensation, being the very first yellow Siberian iris that could hold its color thru the life of the bloom. The awards poured in: an HM in 1978; the Morgan Award in 1981; culminating in the Morgan-Wood Medal in 1986. It is still a beloved variety today for its excellent garden habits and its beautiful blooms. It is registered as:

S. white with greenish yellow veins (RHS 154B); white styles with yellow midribs; F. yellow (5C), with greenish yellow veins.

It is a child of the cross 'Floating Island' X 'Dreaming Yellow'. 'Dreaming Yellow' was also a fine advance for its time but was not color fast as 'Butter And Sugar' is.


Dr. McEwen had a very long and productive life, having passed away at the estimable age of 102, with an illustrious career breeding both Siberian and Japanese irises to his credit. The world is much richer for his horticultural efforts, as well as his groundbreaking work in rheumatology. He brought a scientific approach to breeding in order to achieve his goals of bettering the irises of these two families, and was also a pioneer in creating tetraploid Siberians using colchicine. Beloved by all who knew him, he had a reputation for kindness, a gentle disposition, and was always ready to help a new iris lover get started on their own growing or breeding program. He was the author of the definitive books on the culture of Siberian and Japanese irises in the U.S.


There are just not enough adjectives to describe this wonderful variety of iris. It does well most anywhere and never fails to put on a beautiful show in my garden. The blooms are on the short side here so it makes an excellent addition to the front of the border. Its grassy foliage looking beautiful all summer long even after the flowers have gone. As we marvel at the dazzling new colors coming out of our contemporary breeders gardens we should take a moment to remember where those original color breaks came from and the man who contributed so much and inspired so many. Grow 'Butter And Sugar'. You will never regret it.

Update: I found this lovely video of Currier's garden posted by the Maine Iris Society. Enjoy!

https://youtu.be/_tyOB2R512Q

Swing Into Spring With Iris Garden Visits

     With the arrival of spring flowers, it is time to think about seeing irises in bloom. Since you are reading this blog, I am assuming that you have an interest in irises. In the pageant of color of the garden each year, irises herald the arrival of spring and the riot of color that will come in the upcoming months. To see irises in their splendor is to understand why they are so essential to the garden and why gardens can put up with the need to divide their iris clumps every 3-4 years.

Superstition Iris Gardens 2011--Williamson image

'Subtle Beauty' (Tasco)--Tasco image

     If you are lucky, you may have a local iris society in your area. For a list of local iris societies, you can check The American Iris Society and under the link “Resources and Iris Links” you will find a list of local societies by Regions listed as “AIS Local Club Websites”— each region is made up of a part of state or more than one state.

Paul Black image

     Going to an iris show is a good place to start to see all types of irises, though usually shows are designed for best Tall Bearded bloom. At the show you will meet local members and the local society often will have a garden tour that you can join and see irises in the garden. Take along a notepad to write down the names of varieties that you like and do well in your area.

Napa County Iris Garden

     You may also have a local garden selling irises and a visit there is always productive.

     If this whets your interest, then the next step may be to join the local society. They are a good source of social interaction with other gardeners, plants, and good information.

     If you are really interested, considering joining the American Iris Society. The society has a new, young, energetic editor, Kelly Norris, who is working hard to produce a diverse product. If you interest is in Tall Bearded, TheTall Bearded Iris Society is a good bet—a 10.00 a year membership, with two magazine sized, full color publications a year, is a great deal for the money.

'Big Bang Theory'-- Jedick image

You will find many catalog and online sources for irises. I have had good luck buying from the following sources (note that I have restrict this list to sources of lower to mid priced varieties not wanting to scare you off with the boutique gardens that specialize in new hybrids that may be as much as $65.00 per plant).  I cannot guarantee that you will have success with these gardens, but they are a good place to start looking at irises.

'Endless Ocean' -- Beaumont Ridge image

Beaumont Ridge Iris.  An interesting mix of newer and older tall bearded irises that grow and bloom well in eastern Oregon.  Prices are very good and the owner is generous with extra plants based on the size of the order.  The website is simple to use with most of the varieties list with a color picture. This is a good nursery for someone starting an iris collection.  http://www.beaumontridgeiris.com

Blue Jay Iris Gardens -- Jedick image

Blue Jay Iris Garden. They have a huge list with many older, tried and proven varieties. The website is a bit hard to navigate and if you have specific varieties that you are trying to buy, use the search function of the site to locate them. They are hybridizing Space Age irises and have some very interesting recent introductions in that area: http://www.bluejiris.com

'Center Line' (T. Johnson '11) -- Paul Black image

Mid America Iris Gardens. Full color catalog or look at the PDF catalog at the website; there is also a PDF of the order form so that you can order if you want. They have a good selection of median irises (bearded irises under 27” tall) too: http://www.mid-americagarden.com

'Teasing Tiger' -- Napa County Iris photo

Napa Country Iris Garden. Lovely stock and the easiest to use website that I have found for any iris garden. The list is a nice combination of newer varieties and older, tried and proven irises: http://www.napairis.com

'Harmonous Flow' (Nicodemus '12)--Nicodemus image

'Pinkablue' (Richardson '12)--Richardson image

Rockytop Gardens. Black and white catalog with some color. The owner looks for good, hardy varieties that go well in his “freeze and thaw” climate in Tennessee and he is especially adept at finding varieties that have been overlooked, but are very good. Stock is very nice:http://rockytopgardens.com

Schreiner's Iris Garden. Full color catalog or order online. They also have a good selection of slightly older medians and a small selection of beardless irises too: http://www.schreinersgardens.com

'Sand Dancer' -- Tasco image

Superstition Iris Garden. No website and the catalog is $1.50. Listing over 1000 varieties, they have everything from the newest varieties to historically important iris from the past. One of the few commercial sources for arilbreds. Their stock is always very good and don't miss the $3.00 section towards the back of the catalog with some really wonderful bargain iris. They just started a Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/superstitionirisgardens

My Earliest Bloomers

Spring came early to Southern California this year, as it has in many places in the country. Although it may seem hard to believe, these photos of the tall bearded reblooming iris 'Recurring Dream' (Hager, 1992) were taken on March 13.

The next iris to join the party was 'Lady Friend.' It was moved to this spot last year because I expected it to bloom next to the red Japanese Blood Grass and the pinkish-red gazanias nearby. They may catch up to her, but they had better hurry.  

I did not expect 'Recurring Dream' to bloom at the same time as 'Lady Friend,' and I have not adjusted to this color combination. Perhaps it will grow on me.

This is another unexpected bloom.  A neighbor grows 'Superstition,' an almost-black iris, and I thought it would look fabulous next to my new pale yellow Austin rose 'Symphony' with almost-black violas.  I went over after it was done blooming and dug up a few rhizomes- of the wrong iris.  A nice, tall NOID (no identification) now blooms in 'Superstition's' spot.

Here is a photograph of all three of my earliest bloomers.  I eliminated all purple from my garden two years ago.  Purple is invasive.

Early blooming iris varieties are a wonderful sight in the garden.  Iris foliage in the early spring is a beautiful sight on its own, and stands up well to other non-blooming perennials as a statement in the garden.

I had no idea what to put around this pond, and it sat there looking sad and barren until I hit upon the brilliant idea of putting in plants with my favorite spiky foliage.  Louisiana iris 'Spanish Ballet' (a gift from my friend Judith Gasser) is in the foreground and a historic iris that has been on the property since, oh, maybe the 1940s, is planted in the clump at center.  I'll be sure to post photos when they bloom, but they are there for the foliage.

From the other direction:

And from the other side of the pond.

Spuria irises purchased at the San Fernando Valley Iris Society plant sale wait for me to finish the masonry on a new iris bed in front of the plunge pool.  I planted them in coffee cans with the bottoms removed.  The plastic lids underneath have holes poked into them for drainage.  When I remove the plastic, the irises will slide right out without too much trauma (she says with great confidence and no experience).



Other irises are ready to bloom within a week or two.  Hager's 1992  'Total Recall,' Keppel's 2002 'Telepathy,'  Holk's 1995  'Rose Teall,'  Gibson's 1994 'Frequent Flyer,' Gaulter's 1976 'Persian Berry,' Burseen's 1992 'Fashion Passion,' and Begley's 1988 'Tennison Ridge' are all getting ready to roll.  'Northwest Progress' (Schreiner, 1997) is a good sport; it will be blooming at the same time as the ajuga I put in to match its colors.

In other parts of the country, standard dwarf bearded irises and species irises are the first to bloom.   Which are the first in your part of  the world?  Do you grow any early bloomers in your garden? 

Mass Plantings for a Breathtaking Display

Irises are the ultimate collector's plant. Those of us smitten with the "iris virus" drool over the newly introduced varieties in iris catalogs, surf the online catalogs of iris sellers for hours, and compile endless lists of irises we must add to our ever-expanding collections. As a result, there is very little space in our gardens for mass plantings of a single variety. We divide our clumps and keep them small to conserve precious garden space for the flowers arriving in the next order.

This predilection of iris lovers makes it unusual to see a single variety of iris in a mass planting in the garden. What a shame. There is nothing as breathtaking as a garden filled with masses of flowering irises.

Marte Hult has elevated the use of mass plantings to an artform in her Minnesota garden.

Marte has been gardening at her home since 1974. The garden came equipped with a few "noid" historic irises. (For the novice iris grower, noid means no I.D., an iris whose name is lost or unknown.) Marte's noids have proliferated since, and form the backbone of a spectacular spring display in her garden. 

 

Sometimes a noid is the result of a nursery or gardener mix-up. This may be 'Cranberry Swirl,' or maybe it isn't. Either way, its value in the garden is unmistakable. 

Marte also grows modern tall bearded and Siberian irises en masse. Here she uses 'Impressionist' tall bearded iris to excellent effect with Siberian irises.

The art of layering plants is demonstrated here by Marte's beds: 

Marte with her noid yellow historics:  irises that will take your breath away.

Do you have a mass planting of irises? If you get the time, take a photo of it and send it to me at renee.fraser@gmail.com and I will put them together on this blog.  We'll have a nice show of irises to keep us all going until Spring bloom.

Strikingly Beautiful Flowers

Artists and photographers have long created iris portraits: many of us are familiar with the famous iris paintings by Georgia O'Keefe. Endless combinations of line, form and color can be produced by zooming in on the iris flower. Irises are so photogenic in this respect that the temptation is to take nothing but portraits and close-ups: the striking beauty of the iris flower causes us to neglect photographing the whole plant.  


There are other challenges for the amateur photographer who wishes to capture the plant in the landscape.  Aside from focus and exposure issues, there is always the blue tarp covering the compost pile, the rusting skeleton of an old Bultaco, or more often, three-foot-high weeds looming in the background.   


Here I tried to give you some photos of the plant, foliage and all, as well as the flower.  It would be a little dull were I to take these photos today, since so few irises are in bloom, so most are from last spring.  Many of these irises are new to my garden and have yet to form true clumps.  This gives me something to look forward to next year, and this spring, I promise to take photos of the whole clump, even if the weeds are blocking the view!

Tall Bearded Iris 'Rare Treat' in Andi's garden.  Ruffles galore.

Tall Bearded Iris 'Lady Friend' which is the first to bloom for me.

Tall Bearded Iris 'Cajun Rhythm,' a late bloomer.

Tall Bearded Iris 'Persian Berry' a very early bloomer.

Tall Bearded Iris 'No Count Blues'

Tall Bearded Iris 'Spin Off' is good for the front of a border.

Tall Bearded Iris 'Classic Look' 

Border Bearded Iris 'Maid of Orange' has nice, upright foliage with narrow leaves.

Tall Bearded Iris 'Looky Loo'

Tall Bearded Iris 'Scoonchee' in Lois's garden.

Tall Bearded Iris 'Queen's Circle' in my garden (top two) and at Carolyn's.

Tall Bearded Iris 'Sweet Musette' in Wendy's garden.

I leave you with this image of a strikingly beautiful garden featuring the iris 'Sweet Musette.'  In the background, tomato cages and wheelbarrows.