Top Ten Iris Posts of 2023

by Heather Haley

As the new year begins, hybridizers are starting to announce their newest iris introductions. This makes me eager to return to garden activities and prepare for adventures to come. It is also a time for reflection. I am pleased to share the top ten most-viewed World of Irises blog posts of 2023.

Arilbred iris 'Perry Dyer'

Photo by Jeanette Graham

In tenth place, is the announcement of the 2023 William Mohr Medal Winner. The winner, arilbred iris 'Perry Dyer', was hybridized by Paul Black and introduced by Mid-America Garden in 2017. Other awards for this iris include an Honorable Mention in 2019, the Walther Cup in 2019, Favorite Guest Iris in 2019, Award of Merit in 2021, the Franklin Cook Cup in 2022, and Favorite Guest Iris in 2022. The iris is named for the late Perry Dyer, a well-known hybridizer from Oklahoma who was also involved in AIS activities during his youth. I had the pleasure of viewing this iris in New Mexico during the 2023 AIS National Convention in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The clump was impressive and memorable.

A rescued iris blooming at Nature Conservancy's boardwalk in Grand Isle, Louisiana 
Photo by Paul Christiansen

In ninth place, Gary Salathe shares the bittersweet rescue story of irises growing roadside on a property changing hands in Louisiana. Gary, like many others, had been admiring the irises that bloomed each spring at this location. Volunteers from the Louisiana Iris Conservation Initiative (LICI) orchestrated efforts to dig and replant what they could before the irises became too damaged to survive.

An impressive clump of rescued Louisiana irises
Photo by Gary Salathe

In eighth place, Gary Salathe shares how Louisiana irises provide services to benefit the surrounding ecosystem. Gary describes Louisiana irises as "consuming huge amounts of overabundant nutrients found within the swamp water, humus soil, and muck that comes from decaying matter." Although I have long known Louisiana irises to be heavy feeders that appreciate soil amended with manure, I never thought of their potential to remove excess fertilizer in a water system. The potential for using irises to mitigate environmental damage is both beautiful and fascinating. 

Right to left: 'Black Lipstick', 'Royston Rubies', and 'Chihuahuan Desert'
Photos by Jeanette Graham, Mid America Garden, and Howie Dash 

In seventh place is the announcement of the three winners of the John C. Wister Medal for 2023. I inherited one of these tall bearded cultivars from my mother, Alleah, when she downsized. A second was purchased shortly thereafter, and the last joined our garden this fall.  All are beautiful, and I look forward to enjoying their bloom for many years to come. 

Filling livestock troughs with layers of soil and compost.

In sixth place is a piece by Jeff Bennett that describes preparing beardless iris beds at Dry Creek Garden in Union City, California. This garden is an oasis of nature and beauty about an hour south of where I grew up in California. Jeff has been hard at work as the official Gardener, and if you find yourself anywhere near the East Bay Regional Park District, consider stopping by to visit the Dry Creek Pioneer Regional Park. If you happen to arrive during iris bloom season, you are in for a treat. 

Heather Haley with her mother Alleah, and husband Chris, exhibiting the family's unusual "crop" at the Spring Ag Fest in Pittsboro, North Carolina

In fifth place, Alleah and I describe our strategies for creating an ideal environment for irises using affordable and sustainably sourced potting soil. Peat moss is frequently used in commercial potting mixes, but I'm starting to see coconut coir products while shopping in niche garden centers. So far, I have not spotted any potting mix containing rice hulls. 

Iris container garden

In fourth place, Doug Chyz shares his experience and advice for growing irises in containers. This is a highly useful skill for any iris grower. If you grow irises long enough, you will receive an iris, have limited time, and have absolutely no idea where you will plant it. If your iris needs a temporary home for resale, a 1-gal pot will do. However, like Doug, I prefer 3-gal pots and have about 225 purchases of rhizomes acclimating to life in North Carolina this way. 

'Indecisive' (P. Black, 2023)

In third place, Mel Schiller shares memories and pictures of a visit to Tom Johnson and Kirk Hansen at Mid-America Garden. Mel photographed and described several of the 2023 introductions she saw there, including 'Indecisive', a tall bearded iris with variegated foliage. It is a sibling of 'Pie In the Sky' (2021), another variegated novelty iris introduced by Paul Black. The siblings are children of his iris 'Variegated Wonder' (2014). 

In second place, Andi Rivarola shared a preview of the Winter 2023 edition of IRISES: The Bulletin of the American Iris Society (AIS). Receiving IRISES is one of the many benefits of AIS membership, and it is published quarterly. Wonderful, full-color images are dispersed throughout, as well as articles that describe the activities of the AIS, growing and hybridizing different types of irises, reviews of show gardens, awards of top irises, people in the iris world, information about conventions, iris shows and administration the organization. Visit the AIS website to see the index of all issues, and the AIS library (1920-2018) or e-member service area (2019-current) to read what interests you.

Tall bearded iris 'DON'T DOUBT DALTON' 
Photo by Jeanette Graham

In first place, is the announcement of the 2023 American Dykes Medal. The winner, 'Don't Doubt Dalton' is a tall bearded iris with horns/spoons and broken color, hybridized by Tom Burseen and introduced in 2015. Other awards for this iris include an Honorable Mention in 2017, Award of Merit in 2019, John C. Wister Medal in 2021, and Favorite Guest at the 2023 AIS national convention. For those outside the iris community, I often describe irises awarded the Dykes Medal as winning the "Miss America of Iris." Thank you to all who maintain accreditation as AIS judges, dutifully evaluate irises growing in the garden, and cast your votes.  I, like my mother and grandmother before me, am now an AIS judge and will vote my first official ballot later this year. Until then, join me in celebrating American Dykes Medal Winner 'Don't Doubt Dalton' as the 2024 Iris of the Year! 

Update from the AIS Youth Program

by Heather Haley and Carolyn Hoover

Carolyn Hoover sharing the love of all things iris
Photo by Dinah Oppenheim

We are pleased to share exciting news from the American Iris Society (AIS) Youth Program! Carolyn Hoover recently accepted an appointment as the new Youth Chair for this program. Many thanks to Cheryl Deaton, past youth chair, for her many years of dedication and support of the AIS Youth. Over the years, Mrs. Deaton helped Carolyn learn about assisting youth to develop their knowledge of iris culture through AIS activities.

Planting irises with AIS Youth in Region 14 
Photo by Carol Eshelman

If you have children or grandchildren, they can get involved in the AIS as a youth member to participate in fun and rewarding iris-themed contests. During 2024, youth under the age of 19 can become members for $12 with a printed IRISES bulletin, and $8 per year without. Visit the AIS membership page to print the invitation to join (ITJ) form and mail it with a check, or click here to pay by credit card.

Once a youth joins AIS, they are eligible to participate in the AIS Foundation's Ackerman Essay Contest and the AIS Youth Coloring Contest. No matter which AIS Region you are from, it is not too late to submit entries! The deadline for the coloring contest was extended to January 31, 2024 and essays are due in June. 

 

Youth Coloring Contest Page

Youth Coloring Contest Entry Form

If you know an active AIS Youth member with outstanding achievements please consider nominating them for the 2024 Clark Cosgrove Award. Nominations can come from any adult AIS member, and the due date is also January 31, 2024. 

Nominees for the Clark Cosgrove Award must:

• grow their own iris garden with a variety of irises, 

• attend shows and regional meetings, 

• participate in club activities such as meetings, sales, and shows, 

• be a good member of their community, 

• enter AIS Youth Contests such as the annual Coloring Contest and the AIS Foundation's Ackerman Essay Contest, and 

• promote the American Iris Society.

Feel free to reach out to Carolyn if you would like to submit nominations or a coloring contest entry. Also, she is happy to answer any questions about the exciting and updated AIS Youth Program and any 2024 contests. With your help, we can help youth enjoy the wonderful world of irises too!

Carolyn Hoover, AIS Youth Chair

45812 Old Corral Rd.

Coarsegold, CA 93614

yischoover@gmail.com

(559)760-5638

Iris that have performed well in the dry Spring in South Australia

by Mel Schiller

This past Spring at Smokin Heights was one of the driest that we've ever had. It has been a shock to our systems. We started watering the iris in September using treated water from the Murray River, which we pay to use per kilolitre. This water lacks the quality of rainwater from the sky, and I cannot possibly drink it. For me, it doesn't taste the best when compared to the rainwater I've been drinking since I was a child. 

Irises that impressed us last season, given the hot and dry spring, are as follows.

'Believe' (Johnson, 2021) 

The first time standard dwarf bearded (SDB) 'Believe' bloomed for us it did not disappoint. Ten stems on a two-year clump; you can only see half the clump in the photo. A common problem in Australia is that SDBs often bloom in the foliage because it doesn't get cold enough. This one doesn't have that problem; beautifully formed blooms open well above the foliage. 

 'Orange Peel' (Keppel, 2022)

The little SDB 'Orange Peel' only came out of quarantine at the beginning of the year and blessed us with blooms this past Spring. Probably the brightest orange iris we have grown to date, it is absolutely luminous!

 'Sky and Meadow' (Black, 2019)

Another little one, 'Sky and Meadow,' has proven to be a very good performer in our climate. In general, SDBs that we import can be unreliable when it comes to blooming each Spring. This one has bloomed every Spring without fail since it came to Australia. 

'Yoda' (Blyth, 2012)

An Australian-bred SDB that performs fantastically in our climate. It is also a fantastic parent!

'Ben David' (Fankhauser, 1989)

This arilbred (OGB) has proven to be a fantastic parent for us. It has given many seedlings in shades of dusty pink. We will be using this variety a lot more in the future to see if a true pink arilbred with a black signal can be created.

'Firefly Frenzy' (Tasco, 2017)

Probably our favourite arilbred (OGB) that we've imported to date. Stems in our garden can have up to 5 buds on a stem. Unfortunately, we think that it is infertile as we've tried making crosses with it every year but with no success.

'Oyez' (White, 1938)

The oldest iris in our collection is the arilbred OGB diploid 'Oynz.' It is a bit temperamental growth-wise and blooms every other year, but when it does decide to bloom, we don't complain. There's really nothing else quite like this iris on the market. Despite its shortcomings, we still like to grow it for its uniqueness.

'Atomic Sunset' (B. Schiller, 2020)

One of Bailey's tall bearded (TB) introductions from 2020, a super bright orange near amoena. An early bloomer that we always look forward to seeing. It is a difficult parent, but we should be seeing results from it next Spring.

'Black Friday' (Schreiner, 2020)

This TB variety decided to open on one of the few rainy days that we had this last Spring. This is a fortunate event as the Australian heat tends to burn the buds in these dark colours before they even open. It made such an impact that Mel decided to add it to her 'black' breeding line.

'Creative Confusion' (M. Sutton, 2020)

Another TB that bloomed on one of the only rainy days throughout Spring. We have been waiting for this one to bloom since we imported it and boy, it did not disappoint! We tried doing as many crosses with it as possible, hopefully we get some good results.

'Spiral Galaxy' (Ghio, 2012)

This TB is one of those varieties that will always have a home in our garden. An intensely bright yellow; it is like a beacon, drawing you in from afar. 

'Zofonic Dancer' (M. Schiller, 2022)

One of Mel's introductions from last year bloomed from the end of July until the end of October. We couldn't believe how many stems it kept sending up. It had rebloomed once before, but not to this extent. It looked amazing in full bloom!

As this blog post has been written we have thankfully experienced a very wet weekend 36 mm (102 points) so far over the past two days. The air is fresh the lawns and iris are green and refreshed. A good rain fixes our hearts and minds. It shows a new lease on life. The Kookaburra's laugh from the tree tops is contagious! 

We wish you all a blessed and safe Christmas with your family and friends. Enjoy the time together and make memories to cherish forever.....as we know all too well, life is too short. <3  

Happy gardening and for our friends experiencing winter.....keep warm and enjoy our photo's from Down Under. XX

Using Species in MDB Breeding, Part 3: Iris reichenbachii x Iris pumila

by Tom Waters

This is the conclusion of a three-part posting describing projects with miniature dwarf bearded (MDB) and standard dwarf bearded (SDB) irises. The first and second installments were posted in July and October 2023. 

My goal for this hybridizing project is to produce a true-breeding line of MDBs that belong to the same fertile family as the SDBs and MDBs from SDB breeding. In theory, using species and species hybrids that are compatible with SDBs will circumvent the tall bearded ancestry that can lead to larger, out-of-class plants. The earlier installments cover the use of Iris lutescens and of a hybrid of Iris aphylla x I. pumila. 

The current post describes work with seedlings from I. reichenbachii x I. pumila. This third avenue of work is, to me, the most exciting and promising. However, I got started with it a bit later than the first two approaches, so it is less far along.

I. reichenbachii is a species native to the Balkan peninsula. It comes in both diploid and tetraploid forms. (The tetraploid species I. balkana is considered a synonym of I. reichenbachii.) Plants typically have very slender stems topped with two buds, ranging in height from about 6 inches to about 12 inches. Flowers are either yellow in color or some blend of violet, brown, and gray. This species is probably best known as a parent of Paul Cook’s famous ‘Progenitor’ (R. 1951), which introduced the dominant bicolor pattern into tall bearded irises.

The tetraploid forms of the species belong to the same fertile family as TBs and I. aphylla. Hence crossing it with I. pumila ought to produce plants compatible with SDBs, just like the aphylla x pumila cross described in part 2.

tetraploid I. reichenbachii ex Mt. Vikos, Greece

I have raised a number of these (cross S026) from crossing a yellow tetraploid I. reichenbachii from Mt. Vikos, Greece, with I. pumila ‘Royal Wonder’ (Coleman, 2013). About half the seedlings are yellow and half are purple. They are all about 5 inches tall, with one or two dainty flowers per stalk. Because I. reichenbachii is so much smaller and daintier than I. aphylla, I believe these plants have even greater potential to produce consistently small and dainty MDBs. I have made as many crosses with them as possible. So far, they are not cooperating as pod parents, although they produce plenty of fertile pollen.

S026-02
I. reichenbachii X 'Royal Wonder'

 

S026-05
I. reichenbachii X 'Royal Wonder'

    

I am eagerly awaiting bloom in 2024 of seedlings from ‘Miniseries’ (Keppel, 2011) X S026-02. Still in the pipeline are crosses of the S026 seedlings with ‘Arson’ (Keppel, 2016, SDB), ‘Come and Get It’ (Black, 2013, SDB), ‘Dollop of Cream’ (Black, 2006), ‘Oh Grow Up’ (Miller, 2018), ‘Pearly Whites’ (Black, 2014), ‘Self Evident’ (Hager, 1997), ‘Tasty Treat’ (Johnson, 2020, SDB), and ‘Pirate’s Apprentice’ (Hager, 2003). 

Multi-generational breeding projects like this one require patience and a certain amount of faith in the theory behind them. It can be a long slog with little immediate gratification. But it can also be very satisfying to pursue curiosity about paths not taken before and to learn as one goes. For me, this type of undertaking matches well with my limited space and my penchant for careful planning. Perhaps in a few more years, the groundwork described in these three posts will yield something worthy of being grown in gardens or meriting the attention of other hybridizers. Until then, the learning itself is a fine reward.