'Sunset Blaze' put on a stellar show this year. it bloomed for four weeks straight! So many gorgeous flowers. It is a fantastic garden plant. #iris 🌱
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'Sunset Blaze' put on a stellar show this year. it bloomed for four weeks straight! So many gorgeous flowers. It is a fantastic garden plant. #iris 🌱
Stunning!
The lovely 'Summit' from 1951. Sadly a poor grower and bloomer for me. It left for another garden this summer. Hopefully it does better in new digs. #iris 🌱
'Still Night' from 1955 is not only beautiful but has a great fragrance. I love a velvety purple. #iris 🌱
'Stepping Out' from 1968 won just about every award available to a tall beaded iris, and it has been on the AIS top 100 list for over 50 years. Strikingly beautiful and a stellar performer. #iris 🌱
#Caturday throwback to when I had a lil baby tuxie named Tuck. He was the cutest! 😽
I am so thankful borers cannot thrive here and don't vex us the way they do back east.
A sweet little IB from 1931, 'Spark'. So cute, but it is a slow grower and shy bloomer for me. I have pics from only four years since 2011. It takes up almost no room so it stays. #iris 🌱
A different shade of brown. This is 'Spanish Lady' from 1948. Very different color tone from any other #iris In have grown. Love it! 🌱
'Spanish Fandango' brings the fiesta to the flower bed. A rich red and gold variety from 1951. #iris 🌱
The fabulous 'Solid Gold' for your Wednesday enjoyment. Such a good grower and bloomer. Beautiful dense color too. #iris 🌱
First time blooming for me. 'Royal Sovereign' from 1951. Love that deep gold tone. Almost verges on orange from the right angle. #iris 🌱
'Rose Amethyst' from 1958 is a luscious confection in rosy plum with coppery hafts.Amazing grower and bloomer, it put on a stellar show this year. #iris 🌱
I got it from an older collector many years ago. I'll have it on my sales list next year. But Black Ridge Iris might also have this hybrid variety (not a species). It is so pretty!
'Rio Oro' from 1940 is such a good grower and bloomer. Really reliable. Gorgeous flowers on tall stalks, it shines across the garden. #iris 🌱
I would love to see this!!
Her. This is Miss Pearl. And yes. She is always aware of my movements. If I leave the room she wakes up and follows me out. Gotta keep an eye on me. 😜
My supervisor, from yesterday. Napping on the job, as one does on a warm Friday afternoon. 😽
'Red Velvet' from 1939. A very nice ruby-toned variety. Good grower and bloomer, but a bit short and small flowered for a TB. #iris 🌱
It's lovely!
I love the wonderfully rich jewel tones of 'Rebellion'. A beautiful smoky red from 1937. #iris 🌱
Need a nice tall red with good size and great form? 'Ranger' fits the bill! A good grower and bloomer too. From 1943. #iris 🌱
'Prospector' from 1951. Great color. Widely flared form. Poor grower and very rare. It is bright across the garden and really catches the eye. #iris 🌱
These were growing here when we moved in and they multiply like crazy. Haven't tried finding others.
For fans of purple irises here's the stunning 'Prince Of Monaco' from 1958. The beard adds such a beautiful contrast. I love everything about this variety. And it looks so nice with the alliums. #iris 🌱
That is obviously his chair. Why are you stealing it?
'Pretty Quadroon' is a lovely variety, but not a good grower or bloomer. Most of these old irises that are very rare are so for this reason. Put up a gorgeous stalk for me this year tho. #iris 🌱
What's not to love about this sweet old variegata 'Portland'? Great flare, warm color tones and a nice fragrance. Great grower and bloomer too. #iris 🌱
'Pinnacle' is Jean Stevens' masterpiece from 1949. Fresh, lovely and flawless. A long time favorite of mine. #iris 🌱
'Pewee' is one of the first varieties that kicked off the Miniature Tall Bearded (MTB) class. A classic! Dainty little flowers that just bloom and bloom. #iris 🌱
I've posted this one before, but doing it again because it is is so pretty!! 'Patent Leather' from 1971. Perfectly named. #iris 🌱
'Panay' from 1956 is definitely different. A soft old gold bitone, brushed with a touch of warm brown at the hafts. Not the best grower or bloomer, but I never seem to find the will to replace it with something better. #iris 🌱
'Oregon Trail', from 1934. A crazy color blend that really changes with the lighting. Very rare. And not a good grower or bloomer for me. It persists tho. #iris 🌱
'Orange Twotone' is such a bright little variety. Classed as a BB, so not as tall as its companions. It sure has visual impact tho. #iris 🌱
Hollyhocks always remind me of my grandma. I wish I could grow them. Such sweet memories.
There is nothing better when they are ripe in the garden on a warm summer day. So juicy and flavorful.
'Mystic Melody' adds a lovely color note to the garden symphony. A New Zealand variety from 1951. #iris 🌱
A few shots from previous years to show the different aspects of it.
'Mountain Sunset' from 1943. You just never know what color tones will be prominent on this one from season to season, day to day. It changes so much with the light, the soil, the temps. But it is always beautiful. #iris 🌱
This is 'Montezuma's Ransom' from 1969. Nice depth of color and good form, but this variety is slow to increase, shy to bloom and the stalks are always very short. Rarely hits TB height for me. #iris 🌱
'Missouri' was the top award winner for 1937, and is such a classic iris. Loads of garden appeal. Photos do not do it justice, as cameras seem unable to capture the blue underglow that the eye picks up. Excellent variety. #iris 🌱
He has loads of great songs that speak to our current circumstances in the US.
For today's iris I have the lovely 'Mission trails' from 1958. An unexpected surprise in the iris bed. Thankfully I grew it many years ago and recognized it. Happy to have it back in the garden again. #iris 🌱
open.substack.com/pub/shermana... I love Sherman Alexie
😂
'Minuet', dancing in the garden after the rain. I love the combo of old gold and lavender. #iris 🌱
'Mexico', from 1944, sure brings the fiesta to the garden. This variety was used extensively in hybridizing by Dr. Kleinsorge and many others. It is in the background of many modern red and brown varieties. #iris 🌱
The flowers do better if protected from the hot summer sun. It is at its best during a cool spring bloom. Keep in mind modern hybrid irises are a Frankensteinian hodge-podge of genetics that Mother Nature would never have come up with alone.
The aptly named 'Melted Chocolate' is a sweet confection in the garden. Rich and alluring in cool temps, it fades with too much hot sun. A long time favorite of mine. From 1977. #iris 🌱
That is one handsome floof.
1946 brought us 'Maroon Damask', which is one of the best reds of its era, IMO. So richly colored, and with a warm golden heart that really brightens it up. Great form, great grower and bloomer. #iris 🌱
Apparently they got all the murder hornets, or if not they are hiding very well in the deep woods. Our local orcas are frolicking in the Sound. There's 2 new babies this year!
'Marisha' made its debut bloom for me this spring. A soft and sweet flower with a nice fragrance. #iris 🌱
Another bright golden brown. This is 'Malay' from 1952. #iris 🌱
'Malacca Straits' from 1963. A bright beacon in the garden. Rich warm color tones and fabulous form. A good grower and bloomer as well. #iris 🌱
So richly colored, with a bit of a smokey cast. 'Klamath' dates back to 1929 and was the very first introduction from my favorite hybridizer, Dr. Rudolph Kleinsorge. #iris 🌱
I've always thought the seed pods were quite attractive. Wish I had space to grow them all out.
That agapanthus is amazing. Love the colors. I'm green with envy. I have never been able to get one to bloom here.
'King's Jester', from 1945, is an eye-catching variety in bright white and rosy maroon that always gets attention from visitors. It has always been a very good grower and bloomer for me. #iris 🌱
'Juliet', from 1946, is a bright beacon across the garden. Such a good grower and bloomer too. #iris 🌱
An investment in future beauty. 🦋
#Caturday napping.
'Intermezzo' from 1944 is a beautiful and different shade of violet, with a touch of brown at the hafts. Child of the famous 'Far West'. Always a delight to see it blooming. #iris 🌱
So beautiful!!
'Inspiration' from 1936. A shy bloomer, but it sure showed off this year. #iris 🌱
'In Orbit', from 1963, is a stippled and striped fantasy. Sadly it is a poor grower and shy bloomer. I keep thinking of sending it off to a new home, but then it puts up a few stalks and looks amazing, and gets reprieve. #iris 🌱
Humming Bird' from 1952 is a child of the famous 'Snow Flurry' crossed with Dr. Kleinsorge's 'Daybreak'. It is luminous in the garden. Has been a slow grower and bloomer for me. #iris 🌱
😂
Yes. That is the best part.
'Hermit Thrush' is one of the most beautiful #irises I grow. From renowned daffodil breeder Grant Mitsch. The form and color are exceptional. 🌱
'Harvest Splendor' (Kleinsorge, 1956) What a good year for this rare variety. Normally a slow grower & shy bloomer, but this spring it put up 2 beautiful stalks. The colors were deep and rich, the form jaunty and graceful. So nice to finally see it looking its best. -Mike #iris 🌱
Oh wow. Traffic thru Everett down to Lacey would be so awful. Not worth it just to see some flowers, imo.
Oh, I saw your post on the book of faces about that. She was such a great hybridizer. If you ever want to come down to Olympia for the blooms and see my collection I would be happy to welcome you.
Yes. I am currently posting the varieties that bloomed for me this year.
'Gypsy' from 1944. Such a rich color combo. I love the chestnut veins shot thru the golden standards. #iris 🌱
Mary at Blue Bird Iris Haven offers it, but I am not sure if they are still taking orders or not. It is very late in the year to order irises. Might check with her next February if she has stopped taking them for 2025.
The always stunning 'Grand Canyon' from 1941. The color tones are rich without being flashy. One of my long time favorites. #iris 🌱
So beautiful. Does it smell as good as it looks?
I only managed to get one shot of 'Gold Sovereign' this year. I need to give it a better spot when I replant. #iris 🌱
'Goldbeater' from 1944 is a nice rich golden yellow. Well acclaimed in its day for the clarity and brightness of color. #iris 👍
'Frost And Flame' is so well named. It was a sensation when it was introduced. The first white #iris with a tangerine beard. 🌱
A house just is not a home without a cat. Even a bossy one that rules all.
'Fortune' is a lovely soft brown #iris. Classed as a Tall Bearded it would be a Border Bearded by today's standards. Nice flared form, but it is a slow grower and shy bloomer for me. 🌱
'Foaming Seas' is a lovely flared lavender blue, with large flowers on tall stems. Very showy. Another from New Zealand's premier hybridizer, Jean Stevens. (This time with photo!) 😂 #iris 🌱
Right?! Just these brief instants of magic, and you have to be right there to experience it. To let it linger for the moment. And maybe capture a small piece of it. I never tire of the effects of light.
That is 'Rose Amethyst'.
Late afternoon sunshine in the #iris bed in May. 🌱
That looks amazing.
Goblin at the window. #Caturday
After a brief break for PC issues I am finally back with more gorgeous iris flowers to share. Today's is 'Fair Elaine' from 1938. It is a wonderful soft yellow bitone. Looks great with blues, purples, oranges and browns. #iris 🌱
Late 50s early 60s is when they rolled out the new classes. Before that it was just dwarf, intermediate and tall. They also came with specific height requirements. Many older ones were afterwards fit into the new classes, hence many old diploids being classed as MTBs.
'El Paso' from 1949 is a very nice variety. Listed as a TB but would be a BB by today's standards. Nice color and finish. #iris 🌱
'Destiny' is such a great contrast between bright and dark. The velvety falls are plush under the rich grapes standards. And the heart is lit by bright golden beards and styles. #iris 🌱
For some reason I only took a single photo of this gorgeous variety this spring. From 1946, but the form looks very 1920s. Makes a great pop of color in the garden. #iris 🌱
The pink and gold blend of 'Daybreak' is just so pretty! #iris 🌱
'Crown Prince' from 1932 is such a nice variety. Rich, velvety colors and a fantastic fragrance. Sadly, it is a slow grower and shy bloomer. #iris 🌱
Handsome flower and even more handsome cat!
'Cordovan' is a nice red from 1946. So glad to have this one in my collection after many years of searching for it. #iris 🌱
Described as dove grey edged light olive. 'Cooing Dove' is such a soft and lovely blend. Sadly, it's a slow grower and shy bloomer. It is very photogenic. #iris 🌱
