Louisiana Irises - My Favorite Pictures Part II

by Ron Killingsworth

In Part I of this series, we looked at some of my favorite iris pictures.  Here is the second part, with more lovely photos of Louisiana irises.

'Double Encore'  (Marvin Granger, deceased by Jeff Weeks, 2010) 

Marvin Granger, from south Louisiana, found a "cartwheel" form Louisiana iris growing in the wild and collected some to use in hybridizing.  He then crossed this iris and produced several cartwheel form irises.  After his death, Jeff Weeks decided to name and introduce one of Marvin's seedlings that Jeff had been growing for many years.  "Double Encore" is that lovely iris.

'Duck Lady' (Pat O'Connor, 2009)

Pat O'Connor lives in Metairie, LA, just north of New Orleans.  He has hybridized some really nice irises and is quite a photographer.  The iris was named for a famous (infamous) lady who wandered around in the French Quarter of New Orleans with a duck in a cage.

'Endearing Thought' (Bernard Pryor, 2004)

Bernard Pryor and his wife Heather have produced an abundance of beautiful Louisiana irises from their home in  Australia.  They are both fantastic photographers and I always enjoy their bloom season pictures since their bloom season falls in the fall here in Louisiana.

'Exquisite Idea' (Heather Pryor, 2006)

Another beautiy- well photographed from the Pryors of Australia.

'Flareout' (Marvin Granger, 1988)

'Flareout' is one of several "cartwheels" produced by Marvin Granger.  It is one of my favorites and I though the photographer really captured a great photograph of this blue cartwheel form Louisiana iris.

'Hurricane Colin' (Pat O'Connor, 1992)

With all the hurricanes in south Louisiana, one might think this iris was named for one of the more famous and destruction ones; however, it was named for Pat's son.  Pat says Colin was in fact often a small hurricane!

'Lime and Soda' (Peter Jackson, 2010)

Peter Jackson is another great hybridizer and photographer from "down under".  His Australian Louisiana irises are beauties to behold and he is also a great photographer.

'Longue Vue' (Dormon Haymon, 1999)

Dormon named this beautiful white iris to honor Longue Vue House and Gardens in New Orleans.

'Lottie Butterscotch' (S. Shephard, 2007)

This is a collected species of Louisiana iris and is a rare form mostly found in older hybrids and in the species.  It is a lovely iris and this is a great photograph!

There are just a few more to go and I'll publish part three of my favorite pictures in the immediate future.  Hope you enjoyed the beautiful irises and the great photography.  Learn more about irises at The American Iris Society or about Louisiana irises in particular at The Society for Louisiana Irises.

New AIS-Members 2014 Voucher

Spring is only 70 Days Away

By Andi Rivarola

Happy New Year friends. I hope that 2014 has treated you kindly so far. As I write this, I've become energized by the thought that there are only 70 days to spring here in the northern hemisphere, at least astronomically. Of course, we all know that spring actually arrives at each location according to its climate and geographical site. Have you ever recorded the signs of spring in your area? 

Here are a few of the signs that I've noticed where I live: more and more leaves on all plants; green, fresh buds starting to form; more and more bugs flying around, or for sample lady bugs are noticed all over my roses and irises; birds suddenly appear and are singing to their hearts content; and for us, iris lovers, perhaps long stems of potential iris blooms are forming, pointing skyward and getting higher and higher; and in my area, iris bud tips have striking colors contrasting with the green of the leaves. What are the signs of spring in your area?

We're getting there very shortly. Yes, we are.

Now that the darkest day of the season is over, and we're in a countdown mode to more daylight and warmer temperatures I wanted to introduce the concept of the AIS Voucher for New Members of The American Iris Society. The Voucher Program started in 2013, and now it has been extended for 2014. Plainly explained, whoever joins the AIS for the first time (or upgrades his or her membership to a three-year membership) will receive a voucher for the value of $25 to be used at participating vendors. The voucher and a list of vendors is mailed by the AIS Membership Secretary. For complete information on the AIS Voucher Program, please visit the following link: http://goo.gl/LUXS7K 

Your membership is very much valued by all of us, as it directly helps to disseminate the goals and values of the organization. Thank you for your help, and please tell your friends and family.

[Iris clubs and affiliated societies are welcome to use the ad above in your own individual newsletters].

Louisiana Irises - My Favorite Pictures - Part 1

by Ron Killingsworth

'Barbara Elaine Taylor' (J. C. Taylor, 1954)

I receive many pictures of Louisiana Irises submitted on the internet by members of The Society for Louisiana Irises (SLI) during bloom season.  I save the pictures and often spend time looking back at them during the cold winter months when nothing is blooming.

'Barbara Elaine Taylor' is an example of an "oldie but goodie" that continues to put on a show in the garden.  The older more open form with stands that stand up is one of my favorite forms within the Louisiana irises.

'Ann Weeks' (Jeff Weeks, 2010)

Jeff Weeks hybridized this wonderful iris with some unique coloring.  It too is one of the older forms of Louisiana irises that continues to be popular.  The pollen parent is 'Wheelhorse' (Caroline Dormon, 1952) and you can see this new hybrid inherited the form from the pollen parent, where the petals look like a wheel.

'Arachnaphobia' (Kevin Vaughn, 1997)

Although I have never viewed this iris in person, I have seen quite a few pictures of this lovely spidery form iris.  It has a very nice reddish color with  some darker veining.  It looks very much like some of the species Louisiana irises and I just love this form.

'Ardoyne' (Joe Musacchia, 2003)

A beautiful Louisiana iris with a Louisiana name, produced by the Regional Vice President elect of Region 10 of The American Iris Society, Joe Musacchia.  Joe actually lives south of New Orleans and is about as far south as you can go without driving into the Gulf of Mexico!

'Birthday Suit' (Pat O'Connor, 2010)

There is a shortage of pink irises in my opinion.  Although registered as white, "Birthday Suit"  shows a lot of pink.  Pat O'Connor lives just north of New Orleans and has introduced many beautiful irises.

'Cajun Merry'  (Mary Dunn, 1995)

Mary Dunn produced hundreds of beautiful irises. This is registered as "ecru mauve" but, it looks pinkish to me.  It is a beautiful iris with a distinctive red outline around the signal.

'Cassiope' (Anfosso, L, 1988)

I do not know Mr. Anfosso nor do I know which SLI member took this picture (please let me know so I can give you credit!)  but it is certainly a beautiful example of some fine photography.  Stands that stand up and falls that fall down are rare in modern day hybrid Louisiana irises.

'Chuck Begnaud' (Dormon Haymon, 1999

Dormon Haymon, from Lafayette, LA, hybridized many beauties and this is certainly one of them.  I really like the serrated edges with the slight white halo. 

'Cocka The Walk' (Joe Musacchia, 2005)

You have to love the way the stands stand up so tall and the falls fall down and curve under.  This is a very tall iris and can be seen in the garden from quite a distance.

'Come In Spinner'

I could not find any registration information concerning this iris.  It could be still hanging around on a "garden" name.  Regardless, there are few Louisiana irises that have this form in which all the petals fall down and leave the style arms standing up.  If anyone knows more about it, please comment below.

Next time we will look at more beautiful irises that are nicely photographed.  Until then, you can learn more about Louisiana irises at The Society for Louisiana Irises or irises in general at The American Iris Society.

Happy New Year to all!

Strong Reblooming Irises Hybridized by Sterling Innerst

Again and Again

by Betty Wilkerson

When you breed for rebloomers, or any specific type of iris, there is a constant search for irises that can contribute to your program.  Several of Sterling Innerst's earlier introductions rebloom in the warmer climates seven through ten.  Most do not give good rebloom in zones 6 or lower. When compared to the total volume of his tall bearded introductions, his contribution to colder climate rebloomers has been limited, but very important.

In the last ten years, or so, of his active hybridizing career, Sterling worked very hard to develop reliable rebloomers.  It takes a while for the good and bad points of rebloomers to become known.  By the time we get the full picture they have been grown in several parts of the country.  Several years ago, I purchased a few of Sterling Innerst irises reported to rebloom in colder zones, below zone 6b. 

'Again and Again' (Innerst 1999) 

Another angle of the same bloom.  

My introduction to ‘Again and Again’ (Innerst 1999) came with a July visit to the Iris Display Garden in Bowling Green KY.  I believe the year was 2005.  It was love at first sight!  The stalk was a bit short and the bloom nestled down near the foliage, but it was awesome, reminding me of white, pale yellow, and light brown tulle that I’d sewn in earlier days.  Simply divine!  I drove home and immediately put in an order for 'Again and Again' from Schreiners.  

Same clump in 2012

Sterling crossed ‘Renown,’ (Lloyd Zurbrigg 1992) reported to be a good cold climate rebloomers, with pollen from Ben Hager’s ‘Anxious.’ This produced ‘Again and Again’ (Innerst 1999) which was the first of a trio of very good rebloomers Sterling introduced.  It is now 15 years old and has been grown throughout the country.  I can only speak for how it has grown in my garden.  The pictures shown here are pictures taken in my garden in the spring of 2010 and 2012. 

When crossed with some of my own, 'Again and Again' produced a couple of rebloomers.  If everything goes well, I will use it more. It's not a perfect rebloomer in my garden, nor has it been a perfect rebloom parent, but it is definitely a good tool.  Do you grow any of Sterling Innerst's irises in your garden?

Classic Hybridizers: Eva Faught

By Mike Unser

Eva Faught was born in Shelbyville, Illinois, in 1888 to John and Eliza Fought (it is unknown why she spelled her last name differently from her parents). She spent her early professional years as a bacteriologist in Springfield, and relocated to Carbondale, IL, when the new offices of the State Department of Health were located there. It was here that she created a garden and started hybridizing with irises. She concentrated mainly on blue and white irises. She introduced irises thru the 1940s and 1950s. In 1955 she traveled abroad to England and then to South Africa, where she visited with her sister. A few years later she retired and moved to Cuernevaca, Mexico, where she built a small home in the style of the Midwest. She passed away in 1978 at the age of 90, having been cared for by an order of Mexican nuns in her final years.

Eva Faught was a very harsh critic of her own creations, and is said to have carried a machete with her during bloom season, ruthlessly slashing varieties to the ground that did not meet her exacting standards. Tho she was a prolific hybridizer and planted out thousands of seedlings each year, she only registered nine varieties from her garden: 'Cahokia' (1948), 'Carbondale' (1954), 'Eva Sloan' (1953), 'Illinois Sunshine' (1949), 'Lavone' (1954), 'Pierre Menard' (1948), 'Roxy' (1954), 'White Chalice' (1957), and 'White Peacock' (1944). It is unknown if the three from 1954 were ever introduced. Illinois Sunshine was a very popular yellow, but it was two of her blues, sister seedlings 'Cahokia' and 'Pierre Menard', that really brought her renown and a well-deserved place in Iris history.

'Cahokia' [above] is simply a perfect flower. It has a complex parentage involving three other classic irises: 'Santa Clara', 'Santa Barbara' and 'Purissima'. Cooley's Gardens catalog described it as: "Large exquisitely formed flowers of light butterfly-blue delicately veined deeper. There is no hint of lavender in the color and the haft is smooth and clean. Bright golden yellow beard." It really is an exceptional shade of blue, and the branching and growth habits are as good as the flowers are beautiful. The blooms are large on tall sturdy stems and often have three open at once. A high bud count keeps it blooming for a good while as well.

Pierre Menard is the name of a fictional author created in a short story by Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges. It is also the name of one of the most important irises in the history of the development of our favorite garden flower [above, from Cooley's Gardens catalog for 1959]. 'Pierre Menard' can be found in the background of most of our modern blues because, like 'Cahokia', breeders loved its unique shade of blue and used it extensively in the creation of new varieties. Syllmar Gardens catalog for 1956 described it as: "Very large blooms of medium blue with horizontal falls. Excellent form and outstanding substance. There is a lot of blue to its coloring and the entire flower posses a lovely enamel finish. Good branching and vigorous growth. A really fine iris."

Miss Faught had a shorter career than most in the iris world, but made a very big impact. The development of modern blues would not have been the same without her contributions.

Update: it has been brought to my attention that Pierre Menard was a French fur trapper who became the state of Illinois' first lieutenant governor. Thanks to Keith Keppel for the info!

Thanks to Pam Thompson for genealogical information. Info also from AISB #110 July 1948 and AISB #227 Fall 1978.

SIGNA Seed Exchange Siberians

by Jim Murrain

Kansas City, Missouri gardener Rick Davis had grown Bearded Irises almost exclusively for decades. Shortly after he joined the Greater Kansas City Iris Society he moved to a larger lot in Independence, Missouri. If you live in the Kansas City area and grow Iris you will eventually be asked to help with the Species Iris Group of North America Seed Exchange. 

Rick was asked to help count and package seeds a few years ago. This was his first serious exposure to beardless irises. The second year he helped he joined SIGNA and purchased a variety of seeds. At the end of the shipping season we had a sale on left overs and he purchased a few more.

Rick planted the seeds in tin cans and old flower pots and left them outdoors to let mother nature care for them. As Spring arrived he watered as needed and got good germination on most kinds of irises. Some didn't come up until the following year though.

He had especially good germination on siberian Iris cultivars. They looked like tufts of grass in the pots. When weather permitted he lined them out in a new garden area.

Unlike myself Rick is a keen gardener and kept the weeds at bay and watered the seedlings during dry spells. The photos here are three years old plants grown from those seeds.

While Rick had good flowering on many types of iris I was there at peak siberian season so can share these with you. You can see modern forms and species type like the one below.

I would call this a pink bi-tone.

A near double or six fall seedling.

I especially loved this row where the stalks were over four feet tall.

A soft yellow.

A good 'red' siberian.

A very cute species type flower in palest lavender with darker veins.

Many shades of Iris.

Soft pink with butter yellow styles and golden signals.

Almost a watercolor effect on this seedling.

Dick Davis discussing the garden with a member of the Greater Kansas City Iris Society

Unfortunately last spring was the last full year for Rick's garden. He dug and donated all of his bearded irises to a sale last summer. If he is able to keep the property into spring 2014 we will be selecting and digging beardless irises to move to member gardens. This is rental property and is listed for sale.

It was fun to see the amazing diversity that growing irises from a wide range of sources gave his garden in only a few years and at a minimal cost in plants.

The SIGNA Seed Exchange is arriving in early January and is a great way to add color and variety to your garden with the excitement of being first person to see a new seedling in flower.

Louisiana Irises: Two of my all time favorites!

by Ron Killingsworth

'Hush Money' (Mary Dunn, 1998)

'Hush Money' is one of my "top five" Louisiana irises.  The name -- what state knows more about "hush money" than the State of Louisiana?  The flower -- where could you find a prettier face?

Registered as "stands cream with blue cast; falls cream, raised gold line signal" but displaying so much beyond such a simple description.

Mary Dunn, from California, hybridized some really fantastic Louisiana irises.  She may have resided in CA, but her heart was obviously in "the land of cotton" based on the names she gave her Louisiana iris introductions. Mary registered Louisiana irises with names such as 'Cotton Plantation', 'Land of Cotton', 'Scarlett', 'French Quarter' and many more.

'Hush Money' is one of 128 Louisiana irises named and introduced by Mary,  "one of the most productive and decorated US hybridizers in the last part of the 20th century."

'Hush Money' in the background and 'Queen Jeanne' (Heather Pryor, 2002) in front

To learn more about Mary Dunn and her wonderful Louisiana irises, contact The Society for Louisiana Irises for more information about her and about the many other beautiful "wildflowers" of the State of Louisiana.

'Hush Money'

Another one of my favorite Louisiana irises is 'Heather Pryor' (J. C. Taylor 1993).  Heather is a well know hybridizer from Australia and the iris was named for her by J.C. Taylor.

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

She is registered as "stands cream, veined and flushed pink, rimmed paler, green-yellow signal; falls cream ground, veined and heavily flushed pink toward paler rim, green line signal surrounded by yellow center area; heavily ruffled."  Some parts of a flower just seem to be impossible to properly describe.  As the old saying goes, "a picture is worth a thousand words."

'Heather Pryor'

The real Heather has named and introduced over 152 Louisiana irises while J. C. Taylor named and introduced over 190 Louisiana irises.

'Heather Pryor'

I hope you enjoyed two of my favorite Louisiana irises.  With so many pretty faces to chose from, it is difficult to narrow the field, but these two are certainly in my top five.

To learn more about many kinds of irises visit The American Iris Society.

May the force be with you.