Siberian Encores

The spell of really hot weather this week brought the Siberian bloom season to an end here. “What?” I can hear you say, “it ended for me weeks ago”. So it did for me -- except for the few irises that repeat bloomed. This ability of some Siberians to give a second round of flowers a few weeks after the first remains a mystery to me. It happens every year, some years better than others, but after many years of observing it, I have seen no obvious relationship to the weather during or prior to the bloom season. This year it was quite minimal even though growing conditions were generally favorable. Some have suggested that repeat bloom is due to late frosts that kill back some bloom stalks and result in the forcing of dormant ones, but there is no good evidence for this. Being well grown, mature clumps seems to be a necessary condition and there is certainly a genetic component to it. Most Siberians never repeat bloom, some do it occasionally, and a select few do it regularly. However, even they are not entirely reliable. You can have two well grown clumps of the same iris growing side by side – one will have several new bloom stalks and the other nothing. Further it may be that there are regional variations. Some reported repeat bloomers from the East Coast rarely do so for us in the Midwest, though there is no reason to doubt they do it on their home territory.

This leaves the hybridizer in a quandary. Obviously repeat bloom, if fairly reliable, is a positive trait, but it cannot be guaranteed every year in every location. So, should you make a feature of it in the description for sale? Should the name imply repeat bloom? Some hybridizers (myself included) could not resist. Examples are Bee Warburton’s “Reprise” and Marjorie Brummitt’s “Violet Repeat”. Currier McEwen designated at least a dozen of his Siberians as repeat bloomers at registration and named some accordingly e.g. “Welcome Return” and its children “Again”, “Blue Encore”, “White Encore”, “Ever Again” and “Exuberant Encore”. Elizabeth Scheffy’s “My Love”, an iris well known to repeat bloom, was a parent in the background of many of these. We have recently named “See Ya Later” and its offspring “Encore Performance” for their reasonably reliable capability under our conditions (note the genetic link again). Several others, not so named, also regularly repeat bloom for us and others, particularly “Coronation Anthem”, “Somebody Loves Me”, and some of its children such as our latest repeat bloomer, “Judy, Judy, Judy”. Several of the Shafer-Sacks introductions do this for us too, particularly “Dance & Sing”, “Dawn Waltz”, and “Sea of Dreams”.

Often repeat bloom consists solely of a few stems which, while interesting, does not provide a significant garden display. Can we breed to improve this trait? It seem reasonable to hope so because of the clear genetic factor(s) involved, but there seems to have been very little advance in its reliability and extent over the years since the topic was reviewed in the spring issue of The Siberian Iris in 1994. I have recently been making some crosses between our most reliable repeat bloomers with the primary goal of examining whether a focused breeding effort can improve its quality and reliability, so maybe we will see over next few years.

If you have any observations to add on repeat bloom, theories of why it happens, or information on what repeat blooms regularly for you, it would be great to hear -- and is anyone else breeding for this characteristic?

Iris Classics: 'Cascade Splendor'

In 1944 Cooley's Gardens introduced a new creation from Dr. Kleinsorge called 'Cascade Splendor'. It proved to be one of the most popular irises of its day, and was heavily used by others in breeding better blends of all types.


It was described in Cooley's Gardens catalog as:

"Very large ruffled pink, tan and apricot blend, with extra heavy stalk 40 inches tall and bearing up to ten flowers. The ruffling is more pronounced than in any Iris we have ever introduced and is most unusual in so large an Iris. It blooms quite late."

A child of 'Mexico' crossed with 'Goldbeater', it won an Honorable Mention in 1945, and the Award of Merit in 1947. More than a few people were surprised it never won the Dykes Medal.


The amazing rainbow of color tones it displays changes dramatically with the play of sunlight over the course of the day. 'Cascade Splendor' is a classic in every sense, and is still an iris well worth growing. All the good qualities it had in the 40's are still there. Give it a try.

Want to Hybridize? Read, Observe, Listen and Learn

Visitors to our gardens and to iris shows often are surprised to learn that new varieties of irises are raised from seeds. “Oh,” they exclaim, “how do you do that?

I recently had the gratifying experience of showing a young boy how to hybridize. He had come to the garden with his mother while I was making crosses, was thoroughly interested, grasped everything instantly, and was eager to try. I suggested that he pick out a couple of flowers that he’d like to cross. We made several crosses of the same flowers, just to be sure. Two of the crosses produced pods, and he and his mother returned to harvest the seeds. Since they didn’t yet have a bed prepared for planting at their house, we agreed that I would plant the seeds in pots over the winter. This spring, a goodly number of the seeds germinated, and the lad was able to take home a couple of pots of sprouts to put in their new bed. Since his mother is a master gardener, she could take the process from there.

So far, so good. Now he knows the mechanics of hybridizing, and his mother will ensure that the sprouts get the proper care. But whether he will ever produce “good” irises is still a matter of some luck and yet more learning.

Getting started

Fairly frequently, one hears a hybridizer admit that, in the beginning, “I didn’t know what I was doing.”

The following are some random observations intended to be helpful to readers who may be at that same stage and would like to get beyond it.

Find a mentor

If one is interested in hybridizing, the opportunity to learn directly from a hybridizer in the person’s own garden is a great advantage. I was lucky to be able to learn from Earl Roberts, of median irises renown, in Indianapolis in the early 1970s. Earl was generous with his knowledge as well as with his “extra” rhizomes. From him I learned the basics of planting and care of cultivars, making crosses, harvesting and germination of seeds and lining out of sprouts.

Association

As soon as possible, I joined the American Iris Society, where I could discuss with and ask questions of more knowledgeable irisarians and profit from the various presentations, shows and garden tours that membership in a local chapter provides.

Study

I also picked up all of the iris books I could find, studying the histories of different species and varieties and their traits, and focusing especially on the development of certain patterns that I found particularly attractive.

Selecting breeding stock

Meantime, I was making crosses among the irises that I had and adding to my original stock through purchase, trading and the sheer generosity of fellow irisarians, certain varieties that I wanted to use in breeding.

Goals

If a hybridizer had unlimited acreage, money and time, he might be tempted, like one of Stephen Leacock’s Nonsense Novels heroes, to ride madly off in all directions. But, since most of us find ourselves constrained in one or more of these categories, it helps to develop goals that fit our circumstances. For many, if not most of us, our goals evolve as we begin hybridizing – they may be of color, pattern, branching, height, foliage, marketability, whatever, but focusing on desired outcomes gives some discipline to our activity and, arguably, increases the odds of producing something pleasing. And this brings us to the matter of what constitutes a “good” iris.

Criteria

The American Iris Society states that it "exists for the sole purpose of promoting the culture and improvement of the Iris." This embodies both the assumption that the iris can be improved and the assertion that it should be. What constitutes improvement immediately becomes material for dispute, because, unlike a utilitarian product such as a new machine, which either works better or doesn't, a flower, like art, is produced primarily for enjoyment and its appeal is subject to individual tastes. The application of standards, in such circumstances, is challenging, but inevitable.

Resource

In that regard , one can hardly do better than to get a copy of the AIS’ Handbook for Judges and Show Officials, 2007 and frequently consult pages 54 through 64, which treat of garden judging of tall bearded irises. (There are similar sections for other types of irises.) These are the standards of AIS. An iris that meets these standards should be “good”. Whether any given new iris constitutes an “improvement” on already-existing varieties is material for another discussion.

Get moving

See other gardens. Hybridizers can learn much from attendance at regional conventions, which offer the opportunity to take part in judges training, and particularly, garden judges training. The iris is, after all, a garden plant, and growth habits not apparent on the show bench or in photos are important when making decisions as to what to acquire for one’s breeding program.

Welcome critics

Blessed is the hybridizer whose garden is visited by judges and other hybridizers. One of the most important aids to hybridizing is to have one’s flowers critiqued by others. Helpful suggestions will often be made, and a guest may be very taken by a seedling to which the hybridizer has paid scant attention. Serious faults found will save time and energy that might have been spent on a “dead end”. A caution, though. If the criticism isn’t that the plant is flawed, but that it doesn’t represent an improvement, then, just as with doctors, a second opinion may be advisable.

The public

I also pay close attention to what garden visitors like, whether they are “knowledgeable” about irises or not.

Show time

The budding hybridizer should not be shy. If a seedling seems promising, it should be taken to the show. Let the judges make the call.

Be a clerk

Finally, if I were asked to say what has been the most valuable single thing in my development as a hybridizer, I would say clerking – clerking at as many iris shows as possible. The opportunity to silently accompany and assist the judges as they examine and discuss the entries enables one to identify the strengths and weaknesses looked for in flowers, as well as to observe the preferences of the judges (including the biases and idiosyncracies of some). Frequent clerking also provides one with exposure to a very broad range of cultivars. And, last, it offers excellent opportunities for character building if one has entries in the show – gritting one’s teeth and keeping silence, for instance, as a judge disparages one’s prized seedling.

Though admittedly brief and sketchy, I hope this has been helpful.

What Is that Iris Doing??

Have you ever come across a bloom in your iris bed that had you looking closer and scratching your head? There are instances, both natural and artificially induced, of iris blooms exhibiting some strange attributes. Here's a few common occurrences that I've seen over the years.

This first shot shows the effect of the herbicide Roundup on irises. The poison doesn't kill the iris plant, but it does distort the blooms for the following season. Colors tend to be washed out and petals not fully formed. This is a mild case seen here.


Some irises are unstable in their coloration. 'Batik', one of the most popular broken-colored irises, is one such. Many irises will throw out swipes of a chimeric color on a petal once in a great while, but 'Batik' does so regularly as part of it's pattern. It has even been known to sport new rhizomes of stable plicata patterned flowers devoid of the color-breaking.


Just as some irises are unstable with their genes for color, some others seem to be unstable with their form. In my previous post about Flatties I mentioned the habit of 'Clematis' to be a typical iris flower - until warm weather sets in and new buds open in a flat form. Well, 'Quail' also shows a flat form but this time on only the last one or two blooms that open - as if it just ran out of some parts after making so many flowers and was left with just falls and extra pieces to work with.


It is not uncommon to see multiple petals on an early bloom, and likewise late blooms sometimes lack all the parts they should have. This shot of a bloom on 'Goldfish' shows a range of petals and petaloids trying to mimic a normal flower, leaving a crazy quilt effect for the eye to try and decipher.


Tho distorting the iris' lovely form, these different expressions in our favorite flower can add a sense of wonder and novelty on the rare occasions when they manifest. With the exception of the Roundup damage, they are naturally occurring phenomena and aren't a sign of a problem with your plants.

Top 15 Favorite Irises at the Victoria 2011 AIS Convention

Here are the TOP 15 Favorite Irises of the Victoria Convention of the American Iris Society:

1. ‘Dazzling’ IB (Paul Black 2008)
2. ‘Star in the Night’ IB (Paul Black 2009)
3. ‘Man’s Best Friend’ IB (Paul Black 2008)
4. ‘Ginger Twist’ SIB (Schafer/Sacks 2009)
5. ‘Banner for Iona’ PCN (J. Prothero, r. 2010)
6. ‘Brash and Bold’ AB (Paul Black 2009)
7. ‘Fall Line’ IB (Michael Sutton 2009)
8. ‘Snow Lion’ TB (Marky Smith 2008)
9. ‘Limonada’ IB (Keith Keppel 2007)
10. ‘Rimaround’ IB (Terry Aitken 2007)
11. ‘Dollie and Me’ MTB (Linda Miller, r. 2010)
12. ‘Flash of Light’ TB (Thomas Johnson 2008)
13. ‘Nouveau Riche’ TB (Keith Keppel 2008)
14. ‘Hoosier Dome’ TB (L. Miller 2007)
15. ‘Saltspring Sunburst’ PCN (J. Prothero . r. 2010)

(above, and below: PCN 'Banner for Iona.'

Iona V. Campagnolo, Ex-Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, an avid gardener and a member of the British Columbia Iris Society was presented with a Pacific Coast Iris (PCN) named after her for her dedication to the iris society, and for being instrumental to helping put together the 2011 AIS Convention. Ms. Campagnolo was named Honorary Patron of the Convention. ‘Banner for Iona,’ is a beautiful PCN that was gorgeously blooming at the guest gardens. While Lieutenant Governor, Ms. Campagnolo greatly enhanced and developed the Government House gardens; a group she established of over four hundred volunteers takes care of the Government House Gardens in Victoria. The house serves as residence to the British Columbia Governor.

Registration information: 'BANNER FOR IONA' by Joyce Prothero, (R. 2010). Sdlg. SS-B. 14" (36 cm), EM. S. silver lavender, lighter center veined darker lavender; style arms silver lavender, darker lavender midribs and crests; F. broad silver lavender band, center light lavender veined darker, small yellow flash signal; SPCNI seed exchange. 'Foothill Banner' X unknown.

Late Bloomers Extend the Iris Season

For those missing the iris blooms once the bearded season ends why not try some beardless species to extend the season? Here's a few I really enjoy seeing in summer.

Louisiana irises come in an amazing array of colors. 'Black Gamecock' is a beautiful deep purple, nearly black, and is very cold hardy. It is a reliable bloomer here even tho I am sure it would like more water in the dry summer months. Tho they thrive in their native bogs they do just as well in rich garden soil with average watering.


English irises are a bulbous species related to Dutch and Spanish irises. They are not native to England, but they do best in its cool mild climate, as well as here in the Pacific Northwest.





Each July brings blooms on the Japanese irises in my garden. I don't have many as our dry, sandy conditions are not to their liking, but a few rugged varieties manage to thrive for me. This is one, a large flowered variety in shades of lavender and blue with bright yellow-green darts at the heart.


Consider trying a few of these types if you're looking for irises with mid-summer impact. With the right combination of species and varieties you can have irises in bloom almost all year long.

The Fine Foliage of Louisiana Irises

One of the fine attributes of Louisiana irises is their foliage. Along the Gulf Coast and in much of the country, the green leaves are handsome in winter. From fall when the new growth cycle begins and through the bloom season in spring, Louisianas are a welcome addition to the deciduous garden. Louisiana iris foliage is coming on and greening up as many other plants are going to sleep.

In cold areas with snow cover, Louisianas are hidden until spring. The plants are cold hardy and will emerge with warmer weather. But they can't provide the winter green that they do farther south. On the other hand, they are less likely to exhibit the scruffies that can occur in the long hot summers. In the lower South, the hot, often-dry weather between the end of bloom season in late April and the start of new growth in September can take its toll on the foliage. In the cold north, there is not as much time between bloom and snow.

Those summer scruffies are the flip side of Louisiana irises' fine foliage. The irises can head into a decline, and a very few may go entirely dormant by late summer. It is not uncommon to see a patch of Louisianas in July or August with partly yellowed foliage and without strong new growth in the center of the fan. It is not attractive, and in a mass planting can be a discouraging display.

I have found that declining summer foliage is not inevitable. The key seems to be consistent moisture. In the New Orleans area, we average 60 inches of rainfall a year. I used to think that this was plenty. These things are native here, right? So why worry too much about watering unless they irises are in obvious need? Well, because irises don’t respond to averages. There are often significant periods of drought interspersed with afternoon showers and tropical storms.

Once Louisiana irises show that they have been too dry, the slide toward dormancy has already begun, and it is difficult to reverse. When growth has been interrupted by insufficient water, it will not generally resume with much vigor until fall. If the foliage is cut back at that point, some new growth will be triggered -- and the plants certainly will look better -- but they will not recover to their same lush, spring-like form.

If Louisiana irises are never allowed to get too dry, you can enjoy good green foliage throughout the summer. If grown in beds, an irrigation system is a solution, and it can be as simple as a timer on an outside faucet connected to inexpensive sprinklers. It’s not necessary to pour a large volume of water on the irises. Just keep them consistently moist. A little shade and light fertilizing after bloom is also a plus. Of course, Louisianas can be grown in water culture, in a pond or bog, and then the problem of inadequate moisture never arises.

Some varieties, especially those with I. brevicaulis in their background, may have a greater tendency to decline in summer. No solution is perfect, and even with the best cultural conditions it will always be necessary to spruce up the plants, removing the inevitable yellowed blade.

No one does this in the wild, of course, and the irises survive just fine. But if you come across a patch of fulvas by the roadside in mid-summer, they are not likely to look good. If it has not rained for a while or if they are growing in harsh full sun, they will have yellow and dead leaves and often they are covered with rust. There is no one to keep them watered, to tidy their appearance, or to discard fungus infected blades. They are on their own and the government won’t help, unless one considers the spraying of herbicides helpful. That does solve the problem in a different manner.

"That's not what I ordered!"

Anyone that has collected even a few irises has probably run across this problem. The iris you carefully selected from that catalog so long ago and ordered and planted and waited to see blooming finally opens and it is not the variety you had expected to see. It is an age old problem - we can read about it in the old iris literature as well as today's latest iris publications.

Getting an incorrect rhizome is very common no matter how careful we are in handling during division, but there are a few precautions we can take before we send our extras out to other gardens, whether you are a commercial grower or just sharing with friends.

Tag Bloom-stalks - When I notice during bloom season that two clumps ready for division are growing very close and may be confused later on I'll tag the bloom stalks with the name so I have a better idea of which is which later on.

One At A Time - I always try to dig only a single variety at a time, and make sure all fans have a name written on them with a permanent marker before I move to the next clump.

Careful Digging - Watch for small pieces left behind when digging. These can often go unnoticed and come up in the midst of any variety replanted in that spot.

Verify Your ID - Always verify the identity of your irises while they are blooming by checking them against the official registration descriptions. This is most important when dealing with historics as so many imposters are passed around.

While it is irritating when an imposter shows up, we should remember that it could be for a myriad of reasons and it can happen to anyone. Most growers and collectors want to know when their stock may be incorrect, so be sure to let your source know. Also let anyone know who may have gotten an incorrect iris from you. This spring, I had to notify a couple of people to watch their starts of Flutter-By as a few rhizomes of G.P. Baker were in my clump and may have been sent to them under the wrong name. I'll be sending replacements to those who need them.

On the brighter side, we sometimes end up with a beautiful surprise and a great new addition to the garden. My few rhizomes of Mad Maid opened for their maiden bloom this spring and were instead flowers of the richest dark chocolate brown. While I don't have a name for it yet it is a very welcome addition to the garden and one I am going to enjoy for many years to come.

So while dividing your rhizomes this summer do what you can to make sure your fans are correctly marked. In the future be understanding when the wrong iris shows up in your flowerbed, remember that it's a problem we all share, and enjoy the unexpected whenever possible.

My Fine Feathered Friends in the Iris Patch

There are so many irises named for birds that one could do an entire garden filled with nothing but them. And what a fun theme that would be for a bird lover! Here are five of my favorites. Click the links to learn more about the birds they are named for.

Hermit Thrush (Mitsh, 1955)


Pewee, (Williamson, 1934)


Quail, (L. Craig by Young, 1967)


Raven's Wing, (Millikin by oliver, 1955)


Titmouse, (Williamson, 1934)

Irises in the Garden: Planting with a Dominant Color

By Renee Fraser

Irises are the perfect beginning gardener's plant. Tall bearded irises in particular grow in most areas of the country, have low water requirements, need little fertilizer, and reproduce perfect copies of themselves.

Irises are also the ideal garden flower for those of us who are color-challenged. By matching companion flowers to the color of the iris, beautiful garden planting schemes can be achieved even by those of us who wear stripes with checks. The beauty of irises is accentuated when they are set against other perennial flowers, bulbs, shrubs and foliage, or even grasses.

The classic companion for irises is roses. Here is reblooming iris 'Total Recall' with 'Julia Child' floribunda rose.

'Sweet Musette' looks great with alstroemeria.



Limonium perezii (also known as Statice) has the same water requirements as tall bearded iris. 'Designer's Art' with limonium:

Perennials and bulbs are good choices as companions in colder climates. Brenda Fox gardens on 40 acres of land in Western New York. Her first gardening love was irises, and she plans her gardens around the use of a dominant color in each bed. You can see her masterful use of color and design in the garden here.

In this photo, she uses 'Gypsy Romance', her favorite iris, with malva mauritania and lupines. She says this is not photoshopped; the iris really is this bright.

Nepeta 'Walker's Low' with tall bearded iris 'Dover Beach'. Brenda claims her photo does not do this iris justice.
















Her talent with color is shown by her combination of iris with Salvia eveline, Persicaria bistorta, and pink forget-me-not:

And for those of you who love brightly colored foliage, take a look at Brenda's combination of 'Samurai Warrior' and red barberry.

The blue-green color of iris foliage works well with most any color of foliage. In a California garden, 'Lady Friend' with new rose growth:

Annuals are another choice that can work well in the garden with irises. Nasturtiums are lovely companions but can smother iris rhizomes, so be careful. Here is 'Cajun Rhythm' with 'Apricot Trifle':

And rebloomer 'Frequent Flyer' with annual paludosum daisies, which reseed.





Grasses are a nice contrast to the ornate flower form of irises. 'Rip City' with Japanese blood grass.


















And the enchanting, muted 'Thornbird' with juncus and artemisia.



Some of the most beautiful and surprising uses of irises, however, show a cheerful disregard for color coordination.










However you use them in your garden, irises provide a rainbow of color.

Collecting Historic Irises

There are as many different ways to enjoy irises as there are people to enjoy them, and with dedicated iris collectors this holds true as well. No one iris garden ever looks like another. As the taste and personality of the gardeners comes into play we see it reflected not only in how the garden is arranged but also in what types of irises are represented. Whether you grow a few examples of different species scattered about your perennial garden, or look for the latest and greatest offerings from the top bearded iris hybridizers, or enjoy the history behind the classic varieties, there is something in the world of irises to please everyone.


[Above: a collection of varieties by Dr. R. E. Kleinsorge.]

If you had come to my garden last weekend for the annual 'Open garden/Iris Tour' you would have predominantly seen a wonderful collection of historic irises. When I first began gardening and was looking around for plants to add to my new beds I was fortunate to have several folks give me starts of old pass-along bearded irises that they had in turn received from a friend or ancestor. When they started blooming it brought back fond memories of my grandmother's gardens, both of which had many irises growing about, and set off a passion for more. The more I learned about irises and their long history the more I was drawn to those old varieties and the more of them I started acquiring.

I have seen folks arrange their beds of old irises by the decade of their origin to lovely effect. Irises of the same era often compliment each other well in their color tones and forms. Planned color schemes, regardless of era of the flowers involved, can also bring stunning views to the flower garden. I've used arrangement by hybridizer to good effect in my own plantings. I work under the theory that hybridizers move reselected seedlings to beds together for further evaluation, and irises planted with others which compliment them could not help but be a bit ahead in the running for introduction, so it is not surprising that those a master breeder finally selected for this honor would all be harmonious in a planting together. At right is a lovely conglomeration of several of the plicatas created by Jim Gibson.

Shortly after beginning my collecting I discovered the Historic Iris Preservation Society and AIS too. This has brought me into contact with hundreds of historic iris lovers over the last decade. I love to see how all the different folks I meet decide what to focus on and how they handle their collections and gardens, as seeing other gardens always inspires me to do new things in my own. I not only enjoy visiting iris gardens but I also enjoy showing off my garden by participating in the HIPS Display Garden program. Last weekend a dozen folks stopped by thru the day to tour the flowers and see a wide variety of different members of the iris family. It was great to see so much enthusiasm over these classic flowers. HIPS members are very generous in opening their gardens to folks wanting to see older irises, and I hope you'll check out HIPS' website for the listings and plan to visit gardens in your area.


Should you be interested in starting your own collection of historic irises now is a great time. HIPS is currently running their annual Rhizome Sale. This is the Society's main fund raiser which allows us to publish ROOTS, the biannual bulletin of the Society. If you are interested in historic iris, and supporting the mission of HIPS to preserve them, we'd love to get you started. Please see the website for details.

What irises do you collect and how do you grow and arrange them? Please tell us in the comments!