Saturday, August 24, 2013

2013 Williamson-White Medal Winner "Peebee and Jay"

By Renee Fraser


Please join us in congratulating Barbara & David Schmieder on their Williamson-White Medal winning iris "Peebee and Jay."



"Peebee and Jay"  Barbara and David Schmeider



This medal is restricted to miniature tall bearded (MTB) irises. It is named in honor of E. B. Williamson (1877-1933), his daughter Mary Williamson (1909-1987) and Alice White (1886-1969).  

On the AIS Awards page, Clarence Mahan tell us that "although others had introduced irises that fit into the miniature tall bearded iris class before
Williamson, he and his daughter were the first to breed them as cultivars in a distinctive class of irises."
"In the early 1950's, Alice White of Hemet, California began a crusade to gain recognition of the assets of these wonderful smaller irises. She organized table iris robins and wrote many articles for the AIS Bulletin and gardening magazines promoting their virtues. She encouraged iris hybridizers to breed these irises to obtain new and finer cultivars. She led the campaign to have a separate class established for table irises. When the class was finally approved, Alice White graciously accepted the name "miniature tall bearded" irises, although she always preferred to call them table irises."  

"Peebee and Jay" Photo credit Stout Gardens at Dancingtree

The description from the AIS Wiki says the following:
'Peebee And Jay' (Barbara & David Schmieder, R. 2005). Sdlg. 98-BP-1. MTB, 22" (56 cm), M. S. and style arms near moderate orange (RHS 166D); F. near strong purple (83C), thin rim similar to color of S., some white lines at haft; beards light yellow (10B). 'Bangles' X 'Pardner'. Hermit Medlars Walk 2006. HM 2009, AM 2011; Williamson-White Medal 2013.

For more information on Miniature Tall Bearded Irises, please visit the Dwarf Iris Society Webpage.