IRISES, the Bulletin of the AIS - Spring 2016 Edition

By Andi Rivarola

I have the pleasure of always receiving an advance copy of IRISES in order to write this short preview, and this time as I opened the envelope the view of this cover blew me away. Congratulations to all involved in putting it together. It's beautiful.  

A warm welcome to those who are seeing the gorgeous cover of this issue of IRISES, the Bulletin of The American Iris Society. The image is of TB iris 'Social Graces' (Keith Keppel 2000)) by Pat McNeal (Easton, MD), one of the 2015 Photo Contest Winners.

The Spring 2016 issue of the AIS Bulletin will be available soon for online viewing within the Emembers section of the AIS website. Note: to access this area of the website you must have a current AIS Emembership. AIS Emembership is separate from the normal AIS membership. Please see the Electronic Membership Information area of the AIS website for more details.

As I said above, the beautiful cover of this edition of IRISES is gorgeous, I hope it's making an impression on you as well.

Read a lovely introduction of early 20th Century iris breeder Arthur J. Bliss by no other than British Author Anne Milner, on News & Notes on page 8. The watercolor work on the cover of Bliss Irises will draw your attention to this article immediately.

Always a pleasure to review Youth Views, by Cheryl Deaton on page 11.

A fascinating article by Bob Pries on What Color is That, Really? Can we really ID a mystery iris from a picture? on pages 28 through 31.

"Another mystery is the oldest known iris cultivar. Iris 'Susiana' has never been recorded from the wild except that it came from the ancient city of Susa, which is also lost."

If you are interested in variegated foliage or blooms, don't miss the very interesting article by Don Spoon called Jumping Genes and Variegated Blossoms. It's quite remarkable, on pages 34 and 35.

For those of us who can grow Siberian irises, Jan Sacks article Styles in Style will fill you with desire to explore even more the these garden stylists, on pages 36 through 39. Amazing images too. 

Going to the 2016 National Convention in Newark, NJ this year? Please note an update on page 40, by Paul Gosset followed by the registration form on page 41, and then more information specifically about the Silent Auction during the convention on page 42 by Debbie Strauss. Also, more on the website: ais2016convention.com

Curious about how your iris came to be? Then, you must read the article titled Ancestry.Iris by Keith Keppel. A fantastic read, on pages 44 and 45.

I never miss the section called Remembering Friends, which kindly describes the passing of iris lovers who have gone ahead of us, by Jim Morris, on pages 46 through 48.

Also included in this edition, the AIS 2016 Symposium!

Lastly, a great read and beautiful article by Dennis Luebkin and Judy Book on the Richard Marcusen Sculpture Garden and iris garden in Prescott, Arizona, on pages 63  through 67.

"It combines the beauty of sculpture and of irises in a marvelous, unique blending of "petals and metals," as it was described in the an article of the same name in the May 2013 edition of AAA Highroads magazine,"

There's a lot more to see and read in this edition of IRISES, either in digital or print formats. If you are an AIS member know that you will receive the print edition soon (it's in the hands of the U.S. Post Office), or if you are an e-member, then that version will be a available online soon as mentioned above. 

Happy gardening!

Mt. Pleasant Iris Farm, Part 3

By Bryce Williamson

On the scenic drive up the Columbia River Gorge on the bus at the 2015 AIS National, I read that when Chad Harris and Dale Grams moved to what would become Mt. Pleasant Iris Farm they found the fields covered in old growth Himalayan blackberries ranging from 10 to 15 feet deep.  The next three years were spent clearing the land.

Today no sign of the overgrowth is present and instead, we were greeted with long rows of well grown irises, expanses of manicured lawn, and perennial borders.  Yes, peak bloom for bearded irises had passed, but after peak bloom the weather had turned cool to cold and damp to wet so there were many irises still in good bloom.  In fact, I found the three days of the tour to be the best days I have ever spent taking images since the overcast weather reduced shadows and helped create good quality images.

There were a number of tall bearded irises that I saw and liked in this garden over the last two years.  Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I will curb my verbosity and let the pictures do the talking.

Lynda Miller's Miniature Tall Bearded, 'Moose Tracks', was attracting attention in the guest beds.  My thanks to Kelly Norris for permission to use his copyrighted image.

Moose Tracks would go on and win the Hager Cup at the Awards Banquet on the last night of the convention.

I don't know whether to be happy or sad that I live so far away from Mt. Pleasant Iris Farms. There is so much to see from very early in the spring through June that if I lived closer, I would be making a pest of myself and visiting the garden every ten days.  On the bucket lists for the future is a trip up to Washington to see the Japanese irises in bloom.  Chad wrote that next year the Japanese irises will be blooming on 2 and 3 year clumps and the results should be spectacular.

Chad Harris's introductions can be found at two sources: http://www.mtpleasantiris.com and http://aitken-garden.goodsie.com. 

Images in this blog are copyrighted and cannot be reproduced without permission of the copyright holders Bryce Williamson and Kelly Norris.

Newly Published: BEARDLESS IRISES, A Plant For Every Garden Situation

By Andi Rivarola

We iris lovers take for granted the huge amount of information that is available online, and because there are so many people sharing their love for iris with photographs, blogs, and plainly just posts on Facebook, we forget that there are those in the iris community that are really experts in the field.

I didn’t know anything about Kevin Vaughn just a few months ago, and didn’t think of him as an expert when I first met him. In fact I thought of him as another iris fan with an amazing taste for garden design, but after reading all the details in his book I realized that the love for irises runs deeply than that for him.

Today I believe that he has not only great advice to give on how to grow irises successfully, but also offers a multitude of information that makes reading his new book a joy. 

During the recent National Convention of The American Iris Society, held in Portland, Oregon, attendees were able to experience the beauty of Kevin Vaughn’s garden twice. Once during the pre-convention (optional) tour, and then as part of the Siberian & Species Convention held after the regular convention.  It was during these two sessions that I had the pleasure to meet Kevin Vaughn and enjoy his friendly demeanor, and also his knowledge of irises.

Cover photo provided by Kevin Vaughn

One feature of the Portland convention that was really different from other conventions is that many of the irises were blooming at the same time. Call it "Global Warming," or simply, "the weather." Normally, one would not see this, but having all the different irises blooming at the same time made it an extraordinary experience. The Vaughn garden had a huge variety of iris types, Louisiana, Spuria, Siberian, median and other irises, several of which he's also hybridizing. There was a particular combination towards the back of the property that really caught my attention: a fantastic display with a gorgeous bright yellow i. pseudacorus next to a deep purple Siberian iris seedling. Both reaching five feet tall and blooming in full glory. What a sight! (I'm still to post the many photos of this garden, stay tuned). 

Pacific Coast iris 'Caught in the Wind' (Joseph Ghio, R. 2012)

Even though Kevin grows many bearded and non-bearded irises, this book focuses on everything that is fascinating about the latter. 

So why write about beardless irises? Kevin says,”Compared to their bearded iris cousins, the beardless irises have remained a secret to many gardeners…” 

With this gorgeous book, suddenly a wide variety of non-bearded iris types are introduced in a way that is easy to understand, with a multitude of photographs to tempt the unsuspecting reader to take a chance; perhaps grow a few of them.

Louisiana iris 'Aqua Velva' (Kevin Vaughn, R. 2014)

You will also find answers to the following questions:

"What are beardless irises?"

"What is the purpose of the beard on bearded irises, and how do beardless irises do without them?"

Pacific Coast Native iris 'Moderator' (Joseph Ghio, R. 2011)

If you don't grow beardless irises in your garden at this time, after reading this book you may just start doing so. Some of the sections on each chapter such as, "Garden Use and Culture," Pests and Diseases," and Kevin's own "Favorites," will help you make decisions about where to start. 

Vaughn Seedling 40-chromosome Siberian iris seedling 

I hope you also start keeping an eye on Kevin Vaughn's work as I have, as many of the iris seedlings in his garden show much promise. I have started to add some of his Spuria irises to my wish list, and one of the first ones is a child of 'Adriatic Blue' called 'Adriatic Memories,' that is just amazing. Can't wait to see it growing in my own little garden.

Vaughn wide-ruffled Spuria iris seedling

Enjoy this preview of pictures provided by the author, and let me assure you that there are many more in the book. Besides being a great writer, Kevin Vaughn is a great photographer and hybridizer. Here's the list of iris varieties covered in the book:

Siberian

Louisiana

Spuria

Species

Species-X

Pacific Coast Natives

"BEARDLESS IRISES, A Plant For Every Garden Situation" is available via Amazon.com 

IRISES, the Bulletin of the AIS - Spring 2015 Edition

By Andi Rivarola

Hot off the presses, here's the Spring Edition of IRISES, the Bulletin of The American iris Society. On the cover, irises and more irises from The Joyce Lockatell Memorial Garden, Cosby Farm, Virginia. 

The Spring 2015 issue of the AIS Bulletin is now available for online viewing within the Emembers section of the AIS website. Note: to access this area you must have a current AIS Emembership. AIS Emembership is separate from the normal AIS membership. Please see the Electronic Membership Information area of the AIS website for more details.

A fantastic edition, as usual, with information and articles varied for all to delight.

Our AIS President Jim Morris writes an extensive opening statement that includes details about his recent trip south of the Equator -- to Australia and New Zealand. A lengthy article with lots of interesting pictures is published later in this issue in the section, Irises Down Under, Australia. Besides all the gorgeous irises from local hybridizers we have come to know and enjoy such as Blyth, Grosvernor and Taylor, I enjoyed the pictures of the Proteaceae family hybrid called Warath, and Echium candicans 'Pride of Madeira.' Gorgeous beauties.

I hope Ken Walker, from Northern California is preparing a digital program because if it is as interesting as his articles in the last three editions of IRISES, I wouldn't want to miss it. This one is Iris Parts: Diversity in the Genus, Party 3 -- Flowers, starting on page 19. 

It was fascinating to read starting on page 30, about the collaborative efforts of the Missouri Botanical Garden botanical staffers Kyle Cheesborough's and Jason Delaney's exploration and plant collecting in the Altai region of Southern Siberia, Russia, a UNESCO World Heritage Center. What a thrill to know that this exploration and work has been sponsored in part by the Greater Saint Louis Iris Society. 

Everything you need to know about the 2015 Portland, OR National Convention of The American Iris Society, is on page 32-33, and by the way, hope to see you there.

I read with much pleasure the article by Katherine Cook about the Franklin Cook's Iris Garden, and its history along with a touching biography of her dad, Franklin Cook. Yes, the same person for which the AIS convention award is named: The Franklin Cook Memorial Cup. Here's a sneak peek: To either side of the tool house, double French lilacs, mixed with singles, heavily perfumed as they can only be in a moist midwestern spring. Following the white picket fence perimeter south, to the west corner, and coming west to each side of the barbecue, were crabapples of several varieties, from white, pink, double, to deep rose, framing the center beds of iris displays. From there, my mother made jelly each year.

If you are interested in reblooming irises, you must read the article: Gibson Plicatas, Create Modern Rebloomers, by Mike Lockatell, on pages 40-41. 

There's so much to see in this edition of IRISES, either in digital or print formats. I hope you are an AIS member because that means that you will receive the print edition soon, or if you are an e-member, then that version is already available online as mentioned above. 

Happy gardening!

IRISES, the Bulletin of the AIS - Winter 2015 Edition

By Andi Rivarola

Hot off the presses, here's the Winter Edition of IRISES, the Bulletin of The American iris Society. On the cover a classic -- historic iris 'Snow Flurry,' by Clara Rees (1939). This and many other historic irises are now available for viewing via catalogs (dating back to 1920) posted online. Historic Bulletins and catalogs are available to emembers on the AIS website. (More information on the current issue of IRISES by Editor Kathleen Sonntag in her Editors Message.)

The Winter 2015 issue of the AIS Bulletin is now available for online viewing within the Emembers section of the AIS website.

Note: to access this area you must have a current AIS Emembership. AIS Emembership is separate from the normal AIS membership. Please see the Electronic Membership Information area of the AIS website for more details.

Welcome to the Winter 2015 edition of IRISES, the Bulletin of The American Iris Society. Hope you will enjoy several of the articles on this issue.

The always fascinating Symposium report lists irises chosen by popularity and reported by Riley Probst. The list always makes me think about what other iris lovers are enjoying around the country. Don't miss it.

You will recognize the names of those in the 2014 Honorary Awards Recipients list, which includes the recipients for the Hybridizer Medal, the Distinguished Service Medal Award, the Gold Medal, and the Warburton Medal. A fascinating list of individuals, on page 9.

Page 12 includes some important events throughout the AIS Sections world listed under Section Happenings. Find information about the Society for Louisiana Irises (SLI), Historic Iris Preservation Society (HIPS), the Spuria Iris Society, the Species Iris Group of North America (SIGNA), the Reblooming Iris Society, and the Society for Pacific Coast Native Irises (SPCNI).

Enjoy the adventures and some fantastic shots by the AIS President Jim Morris' trip to Australia and New Zealand on page 14.

On My Journey with Siberian Irises, hybridizer Zdenek Sidl from the Czech Republic reports about his experiences breeding these beauties, which grow naturally in his home country -- on page 16.

Find on pages 29-31, everything you may want to know about the upcoming Spring Convention to be held in the Greater Portland, Oregon area May 18-23; and the Siberian/Species Convention following on May 24-25 on page 18.

Hope you are as excited as I am about the 2020 AIS Centennial Celebration; I feel it's an incredible opportunity to expose the magnificence of our lovely irises, and the organization that helps disseminate its information to the rest of the world. You will find on page 25 what we're planning to do about a Centennial Iris, and a Centennial Logo.

There's much more of interest in the Winter 2015 edition of IRISES, this short review was only to give you a hint of the lovely issue, and to let you know that the printed edition is now in the hands of the Post Office for those of you non-emembers. We hope that you will receive it soon. 

Happy gardening. 

For those new to The American Iris Society, as a member you receive the printed quarterly edition of IRISES via mail, or if you are an e-member, then you will be able to read the entire publication online. The latter is a very convenient option for overseas iris enthusiasts. For more information, please go to our website's membership information section.  

2014 Wister Medal Winners

By Andi Rivarola

Gorgeous 'Black Magic Woman' by Rick Tasco (R. 2008) became one of the three winners of the 2014 Wister Medal.

The other two are:

'Montmatre' by Keith Keppel, (R. 2007) and 'Magical' by Joe Ghio (R. 2007).

The Wister Medal

The highest award given by The American Iris Society to a tall-bearded iris.

This medal is named in honor of John C. Wister (1887-1982), founding member and first President of the AIS. All iris categories award only one medal for each year with the exception is this category, the very popular Tall Bearded (TB) iris category. There are three Wister Medals awarded each year, and only AIS registered judges may vote for them.

2014 Award Winners

The entire list of Award Winners for this year can be found on our website: 2014 AIS Awards.

And, for a fantastic and more expanded list with links and images, visit The AIS Encyclopedia: 2014 Awards at the Iris Encyclopedia. 

2014 Dykes Medal Winner: MTB 'Dividing Line' by Chuck Bunnell

By Andi Rivarola

If I offered proof that I've been following the work of Chuck Bunnell, and in particular the many lives of MTB (Miniature Tall Bearded iris) 'Dividing Line,' would you believe it? 

'Dividing Line' at the 2006 Portland National Convention

Well, believe it or not, that is the case. I say the many lives because I have encountered it in several locations growing and blooming so happily that I stopped taking pictures of it, I must regret. I'm such a fool!

Besides having seen this gorgeous little Bunnell creation at several of the AIS National conventions the last few years, I also grow another of his MTBs, 'Missus Bee' with great success. May I remind you that it's very rare to grow any MTBs at all in the Mediterranean weather of Southern California where I live?

I first encountered 'Dividing Line' blooming profusely in rainy Portland during the 2006 National Convention. It's form caught my attention from the start, different from other MTBs and with triangulated edges; the quantity of blooms and bloom stalks also made it very attractive. And, I was intrigued by the vertical line across its falls. Who would have known?

'Dividing Line' at the 2006 Portland National Convention

So, it is with great pleasure that I say: Congratulations Mr. Chuck Bunnell for winning this year's Dykes Medal with beautiful 'Dividing Line,' a little iris that could.

Chuck Bunnell at the  Stanton Gardens of the 2012 Ontario National Convention

The entire list of Award Winners for this year can be found on our website: 2014 AIS Awards.

And, for a fantastic and more expanded list with links and images, visit The AIS Encyclopedia: 2014 Awards at the Iris Encyclopedia. 

"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.