My Favorite Louisiana (LA) Irises

By Ron Killingsworth


Iris lovers are always asking me to name my favorite iris. That is hard to do when you have so many. I have never been able to pin it down to just one favorite so I though I would share with you some of the irises that are in the running.

'Amber River' by Richard Sloan (1984)

I'll start with an iris by Richard Sloan, a close friend in Bossier City, LA, who has produced many beautiful irises.   'Amber River' has nice colors, is a good garden iris, and I really like the form and the style arms.

'Atchafalaya' by Farron Campbell (1988)

Farron Campbell is a former president of the Society for Louisiana Irises and hybridized many exceptional irises.  I like 'Atchafalaya' (Ugh chaf ugh lie ugh) because of the "Louisiana" name and the "cartwheel" form, as well as the vivid color.  It also has a "halo" around the edge of the petals. We have a large bed of this iris and when it is in bloom it really puts on a show.

'Creole Can Can' by Marvin Granger (1956)

Marvin Granger discovered a cartwheel form iris in the wild in the marshes of south LA and collected it.  He crossed the iris and produced several more "cartwheel form" irises.  I really like the name 'Creole Can Can' and the beautiful blue color of the iris.  You will seldom find two blooms of this iris that are the same. Another beautiful cartwheel form by Marvin is 'Starlite Starbrite', a really nice white iris.

'Creole Rhapsody' by Joe Mertzweiller (1998)

Joe Mertzweiller was a college professor and he hybridized over thirty registered LA irises.  If someone held a gun to my head and said "pick a favorite iris or die!" I would have to pick 'Creole Rhapsody' because it has huge blooms and the coloring is just out of this world! Of course the name is just right for a LA iris.

'Edna Claunch' by Harry Wolford (2004)

The iris 'Edna Claunch' has won many awards and is truly a lovely veined lime green iris, tending to fade to a lovely yellow.Edna Claunch (the real person) is a member of the board of the Society for Louisiana Irises and lives in Rochester, NY, where she was part of a group that planted a mass of LA irises in a friendship garden.  It amazes me that these LA irises spend their winter under many feet of snow.  Harry Wolford, the hybridizer of this iris, is a retired educator and lives in Palm Bay, FL.  Harry is past president of SLI.

'Enviable' by M. D. Faith (2002)

M. D. Faith is retired, and living in a small town near Little Rock, AR.  He has produced many beautiful LA irises and is a long time member of SLI.  This iris has some unusual colors and is really an eye catcher in the garden.

'Extra Dazzle' by Heather Pryor (2003)

Heather Pryor and her husband Bernard have produced many beautiful LA irises from their commercial iris garden in Australia.  I love the "sun ray" spray and signals on all the petals.  The lime style arms really stand out.

'Flash Harry' by Penny Davis (2008)

Penny Davis is another Australian hybridizer and although she has introduced only a few irises in the US, she has many of her hybridized irises growing in her native country.  This is just a lovely colored (coloured) iris that is sort of wine red.

'Gertie Butler' by Charles Arny (1989)

Charles Arny produced over 130 registered LA irises during his life-time.  He won many awards for his irises and was a charter member of SLI.  This iris has a beautiful white spray pattern on the falls.  Another iris with this pattern is 'C'est Si Bon' (J. C. Tayor, 1983), which is a little darker color than 'Gertie Butler'.

'Heather Pryor' by J. C. Taylor (1993)

J. C. Taylor, another hybridizer from Australia, registered over 200 LA irises.  He named this beautiful pink iris for his fellow Australian hybridizer, Heather Pryor.  This iris is definitely in my top 10!

'Honey Star' by Janet Hutchinson (1991)

I have a large clump of 'Honey Star' and it puts on a show for me every spring. Janet Hutchinson also lives in Australia and has hybridized and registered over 30 LA irises.

'Hope and Glory' by Richard Sloan (2008)

We have been growing and introducing irises registered by Richard Sloan and have enjoyed seeing his latest irises each spring.  I love the name 'Hope and Glory' and the flower is really a beauty with the white standards.

'Kentucky Thoroughbred' by W. Bruner (2002)

I am not really acquainted with Mr. Bruner but I love this tetraploid iris.  The spray pattern around the signals is a feature I enjoy in irises.  There are not many tetraploid LA irises and this one stands out in the garden.

'Mighty Rich' by Charles Arny (1982)

'Mighty Rich' is a beautiful large iris with an eye catching signal. It may be an oldie but it is still a goodie!

'Our Parris' by C. Carroll (1987)

I am not familiar with C. Carrol but think she is also from Australia.  I love this iris because of the unusual color which is registered as "cream ground with peach to dusty peach overtones."



So, friends, I ask you, how can anyone decide that one of these irises is prettier than the others?   See if you can pick yourself a "favorite" from the irises here and leave a comment about why you like this one so much.

To learn more about irises of all sizes, shapes and descriptions, visit the web site of the American Iris Society or visit the Iris Encyclopedia to view many more pictures of irises.

Irises: The Best and the Bluest, Part Three

By Renee Fraser

Since I live in Southern California, I always thought there was just one type of bearded iris- the tall one. That is because the other varieties, which do so well in colder parts of the country, fare poorly here in the heat. When I first discovered these little beauties, I went into zone denial and ordered some anyway. They are all now resettled into happy homes in cooler climes, and I visit them via photography and the Internet.

The different types of bearded irises were originally hybridized from different species. The ones that are not tall bearded (TB) are collectively known as 'median irises'. They are further broken down into Miniature Dwarf Bearded (MDB), Intermediate Bearded (IB), Miniature Tall Bearded (MTB) and Standard Dwarf Bearded (SDB) irises.  Information about cultural requirements can be found here. 

These irises come in some really blue blues!  So here is the last of the photos on the bluest and best irises from across the Internet.

Standard dwarf bearded irises are just 8 to 16 inches tall.  They can have spectacular white beards, as well as lovely blue colors.  Here is the favorite of 
Chad Harris of Mt. Pleasant Iris Farm, 'Ocean Pearl'.  

'Ocean Pearl'

Lucy Burton, who hybridizes irises in Massachusets, chose 'Sapphire Gem' as her favorite SDB iris.  This was the favorite of a number of gardeners.

'Sapphire Gem' Photo by Chapman Iris

Chuck Chapman of Chapman Iris in Canada chose the SDB 'Eramosa Skies' as his favorite blue. This was another very popular choice.

'Eramosa Skies' Photo by Marilyn Campbell

Miniature tall bearded irises grow from 16" to 27.5" tall, but bloom later in the season than the SDBs and the IBs.

Sandra Eggertson chose the miniature tall bearded iris (MTB) 'Little Bay Denoc', which she grows in profuse clumps at her iris display garden Merlebleu in Manitoba, Canada.  This iris got a number of votes.

'Little Bay Denoc' Photo by Sandra Eggertson 

'Sailor's Dream' likewise proved popular.  

'Sailor's Dream'

Intermediate bearded irises (IB) are characterized by 3.5 to 5 inch blooms, a bit smaller than the tall bearded irises.  They top out at 27.5 inches in height, and they are called intermediate because they bloom after the SDBs and before the TBs.

'Alberta Clipper' is a nice light blue with ruffles galore.  It won the admiration of a number of gardeners.

'Alberta Clipper'

'Barrel House Blues' was the favorite of Lucy Burton.  

'Barrel House Blues'

I have always wanted to try 'Megglethorp'.  It has an almost neon blue appearance and the flower seems to glow, as you can see in this lovely picture by Betty Jacobs, an accomplished photographer.  IBs do not fare well in hot inland Southern California, but this is one that some people have grown successfully.  I might have to try to grow them one more time...

'Megglethorp' Photo by Betty Jacobs

Do you grow median irises where you live?  Which is your favorite blue?

That is the end of our photographs of the best and the bluest irises.  Stay tuned for the search for the reddest red iris next.

The Dark Delights of Black Irises

By Mike Unser

Autumn is settling in here, darker days are ahead and soon it will be Halloween. In honor of the season I thought I'd share a selection of the lovely black irises that grow in my garden. I'll start with a species that naturally exhibits a wonderful deep, dark color - I. chrysographes. A sub-species in the siberian iris family, this little flower is native to China. The flowers are a very deep red-violet, with the falls being quite velvety giving it an even darker appearance. It is not the strongest grower, but the beautiful little blooms make it all worth it. I love their long pendulous falls.

Black has long been a goal for hybridizers of bearded irises, and many of the best have worked to improve them over the decades. One of the first to receive wide acclaim was 'The Black Douglas', created by Jacob Sass and introduced in 1934. it was one of the darkest bitones of its day and also had excellent growth habits. It was extensively used in improving the color class.

Paul Cook introduced an even more important variety in 1938 named 'Sable'. Here was a real approach to the deep black that was so desired. 'Sable' also went on to win award and acclaim and was quickly used to create even more varieties. It is still much loved by collectors of historic irises.

Paul followed up with another amazing dark iris in 1952 when he introduced 'Sable Night'. A delicious dark red-violet with very velvety falls and flawless form. it went on to win the Dykes Memorial Medal in 1955.

The Schreiner's got into the act and in 1971 they introduced 'Patent Leather'. Here was a very different black iris! Instead of getting much of its dark tone from a velvety texture, it was a deeply pigmented self with a shiny, satin like finish. Its name is very well suited.

The Schreiner's did another of my favorite black irises in 1996 with their 'Old Black Magic'. This variety never fails to cast a spell on visitors to my garden, and everyone wants a start of it. Thankfully it is an excellent grower and there often are extras to share.

That same year, Sterling Innerst's 1989 introduction 'Before The Storm' won the Dykes Memorial Medal. It is still considered one of the blackest irises.

Another of my favorites is a smaller variety, the Standard Dwarf Bearded 'Dark Vader', an R&L Miller intro from 1987. What a charmer it is! Dark velvety petals topped with light blue beards make a very rich color accent in early spring.

These are but a tiny sampling of the wide variety of black irises that have been created over the years. There's bound to be varieties out there to please any taste. Black irises look great with just about any other iris color. Their dark tone can set a softer mood in the perennial border and supply an accent that makes brighter colors shine even more. If you have favorite varieties to recommend please share them in the comments.

The Iris at the End of the Rainbow: the Favorites of Ginny Spoon

By Renee Fraser

Traditionally, men arrive for a first date with flowers. Don Spoon brought Ginny just the pollen! And so at their first dinner date in 1993, Ginny made her first iris cross, 'Zurich' X 'Chaste White', using pollen from Don's garden. The match produced offspring:  Ginny's first iris introduction, 'Autumn Ivory'.

Does it get any more romantic than that?

Don and Ginny Spoon are the owners of Winterberry Gardens in Cross Junction, Virginia. Their gardens are in USDA zone 6, 1100 feet above sea level. The main problem in their climate is the extreme temperature shifts. Spring temperatures might go from the mid 80's in the daytime to 25 at night! Those of you gardening under these conditions know that this can pose challenges for growing irises, because they may begin to bloom and still be vulnerable to frost.

Don started hybridizing as a youngster, over 60 years ago, along with his mother, Lilla Spoon, who was president of the Charlotte, North Carolina Iris Society at the time. Don majored in biology, earning his Ph.D. and taught at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. for over 22 years. He established a lovely garden there, which is still maintained by the staff at Georgetown. Don also discovered a previously unknown organism and published a scientific paper and got to name it [Euhyperamoeba biospherica]. Ginny earned a degree in horticulture, and she says "so of course, the biologist and the horticulturalist are always arguing over who is right about what to do in the garden, but we manage to do it without too much bloodshed."

Don and Ginny worked at the Biosphere 2 in Arizona when they were first married. He helped design the ocean and was in charge of it for two years. Ginny went along for the ride, but ended up taking care of the Intensive Agricultural Biome for three months so the manager could visit his family in Nepal. They planted quite a few irises around the Biosphere 2, where they still grow today.

One of Ginny's favorite introductions is Don's 'Little John'. Ginny says "Don took me out to a large planting of his seedlings in Maryland where I first saw 'Little John' in bloom. Of course it was just a seedling then. I wanted it but we had no tools and the ground was dry and hard as cement. Don was ready to leave but I had to have a piece so I took a rock and managed to chip out a rhizome. I planted it and the next year it was in bloom with 11 buds. Don got his shovel right away and we traveled the three hours to dig out the rest of it.

'Little John' 1996 Owens Rebert garden

'Little John' was not named for the character in Robin Hood as many people have thought, but for a young man who helped me in my garden who was a John Junior, but his dad called him "Little John." Sadly, he died very young from leukemia, and I asked Don if I could name my favorite iris for him. 'Little John' is a cross of 'Damsel' by 'Queen Dorothy' and since it is half rebloomer it also has produced rebloomers for us, including broken colors. I have seen it growing very well in Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas and Maryland. I think the best planting was at the garden of Owens Rebert."

'Orchid Dove' 2007 (Lady of Leoness sibling X Uncle Charlie)

 When a dreamy orchid-colored seedling bloomed, Don kept asking Ginny if she could see the dove-blue color in the crests. Hence the name 'Orchid Dove'. It has been reported to grow well wherever they have sent it. At the National Convention in Wisconsin it got the most popular votes for a tall bearded iris out of region.

'My Ginny' 2000 (Sweet Musette x Femme Fatale) X (Winifred Ross x My Katie)

Don was waiting to name an iris after his love, and when the first flower on this seedling opened, his exclamation of joy and surprise was "My Ginny!" Both Don and Ginny love the 'Emma Cook' color pattern.  'My Ginny' won the popular vote at the International Competition in Florence, Italy for a commercial variety and the Franklin Cook Cup at the 2003 National AIS Convention. It grows well all over the U.S.

'Daughter of Stars' 2001 (Clarence X Mindreader)
Photo by Riley Probst

'Daughter of Stars' is another of Don's irises beloved by Ginny. They named it after the local Native American legend about the Shenandoah River, which says the river is so deep and dark that it gave birth to the stars. This iris won the Wister Medal 2007. It grows well all over the country and reblooms in zones 6 through 9.

That takes care of Ginny's favorites hybridized by Don, but what of her own efforts?

'Selah Christine' 2012 (Sariel X Orchid Dove)

Of her own introductions, a great favorite is 'Selah Christine', which is named after Ginny's granddaughter. It has been awarded an Exhibition Certificate (EC) which is the only award an iris can get that is not a garden award, and a High Commendation (HC) for a seedling iris. She has high hopes that it will also do well in most areas.

'Zippo' 2011

Another is 'Zippo', a nearly black SDB (Standard Dwarf Bearded) iris with large pure white beards, is named for Ginny's daughter-in-law's cat, which is black with white paws.

'Velvet Elvis' 2012 ((Cerise Boy x Candy Corn sibling) X self)

A wide, velvety red iris with showy orange beards inspired the name 'Velvet Elvis'. This SDB won an EC as a seedling.

'Autumn Rose' 2008 (Diamond Blush X Chatter)

The striking 'Autumn Rose' reblooms in the autumn.  Ginny crossed Don's beautiful pink rebloomer 'Diamond Blush' and Ghio's dark pink plicata, 'Chatter' (which rebloomed once for them) and got a nice zone 6 rebloomer. Don had told Ginny that if you cross a solid color with a plicata it would intensify the color, and indeed it did. It is a very intense rose pink that stands out in the garden.

When Don and Ginny met at the C&P Iris Society, they each had a large collection of rebloomers. They continue working to produce irises that are multiple rebloomers with modern form, vigor, and exceptional coloration.  I grow two of their irises in Southern California.  MY favorite is 'Plum Pretty Whiskers' which has that gorgeous orchid color of many of their irises.  It is not listed as a rebloomer, but it reblooms in my garden. 

'Plum Pretty Whiskers'

I also recently planted what may be their most famous iris, 'Daughter of Stars', even though I had to create a place in my garden for it.  I couldn't help myself!

Do you grow any Spoon irises?  Do they bloom in your zone?  And are there any irises that you would love to see in a reblooming version?  Let us know here in the comments section.

ACHOO ! by Jim Murrain

    I admit I wondered if I could think of anything new to post. Having the worst cold I've had in years has not helped. I was digging through my photos looking for inspiration when I came across some old pictures of Iris suffering a virus of their own. 

    As you can see, a virus can be quite beautiful when a flower catches one. This was an icy blue Iris cristata. Every fan in the clump was affected at the same time. The dark blue stripes made for an astounding looking flower but the plant was very weak and did not survive the summer.

Another Iris that came down with a virus that manifested on the leaves and bracts only. The flowers were unaffected. This was a typical Iris magnifica until it became ill. 

As you can see the bright yellow foliage with green stripes was quite showy. I was excited when I first saw this as I thought it was a variegated sport. Alas, it barely managed to open its last flower before collapsing never to be seen again.

    Iris with broken colored flowers and variegation do not have a virus. You can grow these with no worries of infecting the other iris in your garden. I often hear someone state that all variegated plants have a virus and this is patently untrue. 

    There are, of course, always exceptions. Iris latifolia, the 'English Iris' nearly always displays the results of a minor viral infection. Even when grown from seed it will eventually develop a stippling of color on the flower that resembles a broken color Iris. This seems to do no harm to the plant however and there is nothing to suggest it can pass the virus on to other Iris.

    Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go blow my nose!

Irises: The Best and the Bluest, Part Two

By Renee Fraser

So many blues, so little space!

In the last post on blue irises, people shared their favorite blue tall bearded irises. But bearded irises are not necessarily the bluest of the blues; indeed, Siberian irises, Japanese irises, and Louisiana irises come in blues to melt your heart.  So here are the truest blues, the prettiest blues, and the best performing blues in these categories from my random poll of iris growers and gardeners across the Internet.

Let us start with Japanese irises, also known as ensatas.  The top vote-getter for favorite blue was 'Lake Effect'.  Take a look at that sky blue color!

'Lake Effect' 

Chad Harris, an iris hybridizer, flower photographer extraordinaire, and owner of Mt. Pleasant Iris Farm in Washington, claims 'Banjo Blues' as his top pick, but he couldn't help throwing in a lovely pale blue, 'Bewitching Twilight'.

'Banjo Blues'

'Bewitching Twilight'

Marilyn Campbell, who lives in Massachusetts, loves 'Sing the Blues'.  Her photo tells you why.

'Sing the Blues' Photo by Marilyn Campbell

Unlike the bearded irises, Japanese irises require moist soil to thrive, as do Louisiana irises, natives to the bayous of the state.  Like Japanese irises, Louisianas can be grown in boggy conditions. 

Louisianas come in a wide range of colors, including some stunning blues.  A recent poll at a San Fernando Valley Iris Society meeting found the blue Louisiana iris 'Sinfonietta' a popular choice, and here's why:  take a look at Evan Layne's beautiful photos, close-up and in the garden.

'Sinfonietta'

'Sinfonietta' Photo by Evan Layne

'Lake Sylvia' 

Another gorgeous Louisiana blue is recommended by Patrick O'Connor of Zydeco Louisiana Iris Garden.  He says 'Lake Sylvia' "may be the most brilliant, saturated blue available."























Ron Killingsworth, one of the contributors to this blog, lives and gardens in Louisiana.  He has seen just about every Louisiana iris, and his very favorite blue is 'Southdowns' by Patrick O'Connor.  He says it is a very soft blue.

'Southdowns' Photo by Ron Killingsworth

Ron also likes 'Little Rock Skies' which is a very pretty blue with short foliage and petite blooms.

'Little Rock Skies' Photo by Ron Killingsworth

Another favorite blue is 'Dural Bluebird' which has some very nice ruffling.

'Dural Bluebird' Photo by Ron Killingsworth

Siberian irises have lovely graceful foliage and come in a great variety of blues.
Polly Kinsman, an avid iris gardener and a grower who owns Siberian Iris Gardens, says 'Careless Sally' is her very favorite.

'Careless Sally'

She also likes 'Shaker's Prayer'.  Polly and Denise Stewart, owner of Snowpeak Iris in Oregon, are administrators of an internet gardening community called Iris Cubits, where many lovely photos of Siberian irises can be found.  

'Shaker's Prayer' Photo by Polly Kinsman

Marilyn Campbell claims 'Lee's Blue' as her favorite blue Siberian iris.

'Lee's Blue' Photo by Marilyn Campbell

A popular blue that is in widespread commercial circulation was shared by Sandra Eggertson.  'Silver Edge' grows well in her garden in Manitoba, Canada.

'Silver Edge' Photo by Sandra Eggertson

Chad Harris grows and sells Siberian irises as well as Japanese.  This striking blue iris is his favorite blue Siberian.

'Ships are Sailing' 

Kathleen Devlin, who gardens in Michigan, sent this photo of 'Cape Cod Boys', her favorite.  This clump growing in John and Jean Kaufmann's garden will be even more spectacular by next year's Siberian and Species Iris Convention in June.

'Cape Cod Boys' Photo by Kathleen Devlin

Which of these beauties is your favorite?  Do you grow any blue beardless irises, and if so, which do you think is your truest blue?