The Classic Irises of Goos & Koenemann

Goos & Koenemann was a renowned German nursery firm located near Niederwalluf am Rhein starting in 1885. Max Goos and August Koenemann were good friends who both delighted in horticulture and loved flowers. Tho they made many great additions to the plant world they are best remembered today for their irises. They began hybridizing irises early in their career and introduced some of the most popular varieties of the early 20th century. They won many awards and accolades for their efforts. They were also one of the first firms to create and introduce intermediate sized irises.

August Koenemann died in 1910 at the young age of 46, and Max struggled to keep the firm going without the salesmanship of August. He hired Friedrich Bucher to take his place, and his son Hermann Goos also joined the firm around the same time as an apprentice while he was still in his teens. Max Goos passed away in 1917, only 58 years of age, and Friedrich and Hermann continued the firm until Hermann died in 1933 at the young age of 37. The firm continued under other names and owners until it was closed in 1953.

Collectively notated as G&K in iris registrations, these four men did much to advance the colors and patterns of the early diploid irises, as well as popularizing the intermediate class. There was some controversy at one time over whether they had really created their intermediates themselves - it was rumored by one irisarian of the day that they had resold Caparne IBs as their own under new names - but history does not support this accusation. You can read all about the history of this great firm and the men behind it in Clarence Mahan's book Classic Irises, or in the G&K Chronicle sold by HIPS.

Many of their varieties were imported to the US in the first decades of the 20th century and were very popular with gardeners in the German regions of the east, and much loved by the early iris collectors and hybridizers. Many of them are still with us today. Here are several of my favorites. As always, click the photos to see larger versions.

'Loreley' is probably their best known variety, and the most widely distributed. It is extremely hardy and thrives in neglect, so is often found growing along alleyways and in old gardens happily blooming away. Tho sloppy in form, it has a wonderful charm due to its habit of splashing the yellow standards with the reticulated red-violet of the falls, giving it a very festive appearance with no two blooms just alike. And so many blooms! They go on and on thru the season. 'Loreley' is named for the siren of the Rhine who lured sailors to their death with her enchanting song. This lovely iris still draws flower lovers into her spell today.


In 1910 they introduced another classic variegata, this time one with perfect form and clean standards of pale yellow over falls washed violet and edged in cream. A short variety, 'Prinzess Viktoria Luise' is very hardy, blooms over a long period with many flowers, and is one of the loveliest of this color pattern, of which G&K introduced many. Visitors to my garden often remark on it, even tho it is not one to grab your attention immediately.


1910 also saw the introduction of 'Rhein Nixe', named for a water spirit associated with this famous river. This is one of the finest examples of the amoena pattern found in the early diploid irises. Its crystalline white standards rise above falls of the same pure white almost fully washed a medium blue-violet, with just a faint edging of lighter purple fading to white. It is very tall for its day, easily reaching three feet or more in my garden, and makes a beautiful show when a clump is in full bloom. It is not the most floriferous of varieties but more than makes up for it with its charm and personality.


In 1914 the beautiful blue 'Kastor' was brought out. There was nothing else like it in color at the time. A short iris, it has perfect form and exquisite coloring, being a self of purest deep lavender-blue with a light yellow beard. 'Kastor' has a delightful sweetness about it and is perfect for the front of the iris border.


We'll jump to 1920 for this next variety. 'Flammenschwert', meaning 'flaming sword', shows us the classic variegata color combo of gold and rich red. Tho it is a shorter variety its small blooms really make an impact due to their bright colors. The clean standards arch above the heavily reticulated falls that are edged in the same bright, sunny, golden yellow of the standards. It usually has multiple flowers open at once and is reliable of bloom, showing off almost every year in my garden even after division.


Next comes 'Rheingauperle' from 1924. Well named, meaning 'pearl of the Rheingau', a wine producing region north of the Rhine, it is truly a gem of an iris. Tall stems bear flowers of a lovely, delicate, orchid pink with a heart of white. The white beards fade into soft yellow-orange in the throat, and the form is long and open with the petals far more narrow than usually seen. It is enchanting, especially with the morning sun shining thru it, and was one of the best pink-toned irises of its day - and widely celebrated because of it.


That same year a beautiful intermediate was also introduced. 'Rota' was the polar opposite of 'Rheingauperle', being short, with bright rosy-violet blooms featuring wide, rounded, flaring falls and arching standards. This one really makes a splash of color and grabs every eye early in the tall bearded season.


The beautiful 'Folkwang' was introduced in 1925 and was different from anything that had come before. White standards faintly flushed pale pink stand tall over falls of bright rosy-violet. The beards are soft yellow and the same shade glows at the heart of the flower, lightly flushing the base of the standards. Not the best in form, it makes up for it with its unique coloration, tall display, and sweet scent.


'Lenzschnee', meaning 'spring snow', is another uniquely colored variety. A lovely soft white self with the falls lightly blushed palest blue-lavender, it is a charmer, and looks lovely with the other pastel varieties from this great firm. On the short side for a tall bearded variety it is soft and lovely, and brings admiration from anyone who chances to stop and inspect it. It was introduced in 1927 and is greatly admired by collectors of historic varieties.


The last variety I will share with you is from 1928 and brings the same color tones of 'Lenzscnee' but this time in a plicata pattern. The white blooms of 'Rheinfels' are delicately stitched along the margins with pale blue-violet. It is named for a set of falls on the river Rhine, and the flowers certainly cascade forth during the height of the season, as a full clump tosses masses of beautiful blooms into the sunshine. With its perfect form it is one of the very best of the early plicatas and blooms realiably.


This post could go on and on with all the amazing and beautiful flowers created by this exceptional quartet of men. There is the lovely 'Brising', the early blooming off-white 'Ingeborg', the uniquely colored 'Nibelungen', and so many more, but we have to end somewhere. If you love the delicacy and charm of the old diploid irises you could not do better than to collect the varieties of G&K. They are classics in every sense, and a wonderful legacy for the work of these men who devoted their lives to plants and brought so much beauty to gardens across the continent of Europe and around the world.

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.

Spuria Irises-Where Do We Go From Here

I have traveled all over the U. S. doing seminars and judge's training sessions. Many of these were on spuria irises. I have been hybridizing tall bearded irises for over 30 years and spurias for 15 or more. When I look at where tall bearded irises have progressed to in 30 years, I all I can say is "WOW." When I look at spurias, I see improvements, but the WOW factor just isn't there.

Neurotic (Hedgecock 2011) Is this a new color break in Spuria irises?

As hybridizers of spurias, we need to develop some goals in our programs. It is absolutely okay to just make crosses and see what happens, but what are you hoping to get from that cross? I hope many of you will answer better form, better substance, and certainly new colors and patterns.

I often ask spuria people that know more than a little about these irises, "Do you think there are patterns that can be exploited in spuria irises?" My most common reply is, " I don't know of any."

I know of one hybridizer that wants to produce a line of spurias without signals. I see this as a very doable goal, especially since I have several dark seedlings that have virtually no signals. Another wants to work in the miniature spuria field.

The important thing is to pick an area you think you like and get started. Look for spurias that have some of the traits you are looking for in your finished product and start hybridizing.

Are there patterns in spuria irises? Undoubtedly there are, but they haven't been established at this time.

One area that I find most interesting is the signals on the falls. One question that always come up is, "Are there color bands on the falls or do the signal patches simply expand to nearly the fall edges?" My opinion is that there are definite bands of color that are separate from the expanded signals colors. This is quite apparent in some varieties. This is a possible pattern that could show much promise in future breeding efforts.

When I started crossing spurias, I noticed that there were some varieties that had dark solid standards and falls with a large signal patch and edges of the same color as the standards. I borrowed a term from tall bearded irises and started calling these dark tops. I made some crosses with these as a possible pattern and the results were, at least some of the seedlings came in this pattern in varying colors. I believe this is a pattern that can be exploited.

We only have approximately 750 spuria cultivars to work with and a number of these are no longer in commerce. Using promising seedlings in your program is so very important. If you think you see something that makes your seedling different, by all means use it in your crosses.

I want to hear from anyone about your spuria seedlings and what you are doing in your hybridizing efforts. Together, we can make one of the world's greatest irises a house hold name.

God Bless you and your gardens.

Respectfully,
Jim Hedgecock
President Spuria Society

Iris Classics: 'Lula Marguerite'

'Lula Marguerite' is a tall iris, easily approaching four feet, raising its large, ruffled blooms on sturdy stems. A hardy variety, its growth is vigorous and its flowers plentiful. It is a creation of master hybridizer Fred DeForest, who began his illustrious career in 1929 and became one of the top hybridizers of the 20th century. He introduced numerous varieties from his Irisnoll garden in Oregon, but is likely best remembered for his reds, such as 'Argus Pheasant' which went on to win the Dykes Memorial Medal in 1952.


This beautiful flower was first introduced in 1956, tho it was not registered until 1959 - the same year it won an Honorable Mention from AIS judges. Its parentage is not listed.


'Lula Marguerite' is one of my favorites amongst the many of his that I grow. Fleur De Lis Gardens catalog for 1960 describes it as:

Different and unusual! Light blended blue tones with gilt edge on both standards and falls. The gilt edge spreads out over the throat of the flower, giving a glittering effect to the whole flower. Large, beautifully formed, ruffled flowers.

This brief description fails to mention the faint flush of orchid at the heart and the heavy diamond dusting across the entire bloom. It lights up with all the soft colors of a spring sunset. Please click on the photos for a larger and more detailed view of its delicate coloration.


'Lula Marguerite' has all the good qualities one looks for in a garden plant, combining both beauty and performance. Its intricate coloration never fails to please visitors when they come across it - another iris variety that is truly a classic.

UPDATE: Keith Keppel writes to tell me he knows the parentage of 'Lula Marguerite': (Spanish Peaks X Chivalry) X Cloudcap. Mr. DeForest used Cloudcap extensively in his hybridizing. He also says that it is named for Fred's mother. Good to know! Thanks, Keith.

The Peacock Flowers

A fascinating must-read, must-see article on the last issue of IRISES, the Bulletin of The American Iris Society on some lovely members of the Iridaceae family: the peacock flowers.

“The Other Irids: The Peacock Flowers,” explores Michael Mace’s fascination with these South African beauties now making a stance in the U.S.  Michael says that he’s had a love affair with South African bulbs for the last 20 years.

Moraea neopavonia 

He says, “Most of the Moraea species have pleasant flowers in shades of blue and yellow, but the “Peacocks” stand out for their bold colors.” Indeed, the colors are impressive: magenta, purple, and orange. I would say that they one I was most impressed me was a light blue one with green, yes green, yellow and aqua-blue signals.

Moraea MM-03-05A (seedling)

The article is very descriptive and you can read about the genus Moraea’s origins, growing conditions and even commercial sources.

Moraea MM 03-07b (seedling)

Lucky for us Mr. Mace is also hybridizing Peacock Moraea species with lots of exciting results, and he recounts that he made over one hundred crosses just last winter.

“The Other Irids: The Peacock Flowers,” is in the current edition of IRISES, October 2011.

Michael Mace is a bulb collector from San Jose, California.

The Plum Scented Iris

          By Jim Murrain

Iris graminea, a small spuria iris species is an easy to grow jewel. It has two inch flowers on four inch stems. It is easy to dismiss at it flowers below the foliage, but you would be wrong to do so.

When picked they can be best appreciated. The tiny flowers show their rich purple, blue, and white colors like fine stained glass ornaments. A bouquet of just a few in a small vase is a thing of beauty.

But now as you view them up close there is a very pleasant surprise. They have a scent like the most luscious ripe plums. I think Iris graminea has the very finest scent of any iris.

Growing this iris could not be any easier. It needs only a half day of sun to perform well. Ordinary garden soil and drought tolerant but it grows best with average water in a flower bed. I prefer to plant them atop a short stone wall to better see the flowers and they are a little bit closer to my nose as well.

Iris Classics: 'May Allison'

Iris hybridizers and growers are both on the look out for that 'little something extra' in a variety that is really going to make it a standout in the garden. 'May Allison' sure fits the bill - literally! This marvelous little diploid iris was registered in 1930 by Mrs. Mary Allison, an amateur gardener and iris fancier from Raleigh, North Carolina. I can just imagine Mrs. Allison's delight when, while looking over her clump of Monsieur Lemon's classic from 1858 'Celeste', she first noticed the odd little blooms - blooms with six standards instead of the normal three. I suspect she soon noticed that every flower on the stalk showed this amazing trait as well, and, as a true gardener would, she separated this rhizome out to watch it. Another season or two would be all it would take to confirm that rarest of happenings in the iris world - a true vegetative sport. And a decidedly different one at that!


However it happened, Mrs. Allison did notice that the style arms had been replaced with extra standards, giving a lovely full effect to the flower, and not detracting at all. And she had the foresight to register with the AIS and have it commercially introduced.


'May Allison', like it's parent 'Celeste', is a small diploid variety, with lots of flowers in a shade of soft lavender-blue. While 'Celeste' is not often seen anymore, "May Allison" is still found in many collections of historic irises. It stands about 2 feet tall, is quite hardy and vigorous, and blooms early and reliably in my garden year after year. It is one of the most beautiful of the pre-1900 varieties I grow.


'May Allison' has fascinated iris growers since it was introduced. In an old AIS Bulletin there is a short letter from a member regarding double irises, in which she states:

The editor kindly gave me space in Bulletin No. 103 to ask if there are others who have double iris. The only answers I received referred me to May Allison. In the novelty which appeared in my yard the stamens were sacrificed and replaced with three normal standards. I have succeeded in raising one seedling from this 'Double Standard,' which was single and a different color. - Mrs. Robt. L Motter, Ga.

How she managed to get a seedling from an iris with no stigmatic lip nor pollen producing anthers is beyond me, but given the odd genetics in play perhaps one or the other slipped thru on a bloom or two and allowed a cross. The sharp-eyed and thorough hybridizer often finds things others miss, just as does the sharp-eyed gardener. Be sure to watch for sports in your iris beds, and also keep an eye out for 'May Allison' to add to your flower garden. This charming flower is a true iris classic.