The Morning Before The Event

It was Sunday about noon.  I had already moved the party to Monday based on a forecast for rain and a deluge on Friday.  Home from church I walked into the bright, sunny garden.  My heart sank.  Did I do the right thing.  As it happens I did. By 5:00 PM it was raining and didn't stop.  Thunder rolled and lightening flash then the wind picked up and started blowing under the Gazebo driving my friend John and I inside with our Guinness.

I'm glad I captured a few new blooms on the Canon!  I am also glad that most of them withstood the rain.

'Ballet Performance' is a lilac-rose plicata with great form at substance. The stalk would be wonderful in a show.  The stalk is sturdy, nicely branched and with nicely placed buds.

'Ballet Performance' (TB Thomas Johnson '08)

 Not just another violet iris!  I close examination reveals the origin of the universe is beautifully displayed.

'Celestial Explosion' (TB Richard Tasco '04)

This is a wonderful blue-violet self.  Serious hybridizers keep meticulous records of the parentage of their introductions.  You'll see named introductions in her as well as letter and numeric codings for seedlings that were used in the process that were not registered by name:

'Tokatee Falls' x CC 121-1: (W 167-1: ('Stormy Night' x 'Royal Crusader') x 'Silverado')) X 'Crater Lake Blue'.

'Change In The Weather' (TB Schreiner 2013) 

 Seemingly a double entendre, 'Deep Currents' might also be 'Currants and Cream.'

'Deep Currents' (TB Thomas Johnson '09)

 Brad Kasperek is the undisputed king of the broken pattern iris.  Zebra Iris Gardens is where Brad and Kathie Kasperek hybridize and sell iris. Kasperek's irises dominate my "Bestiary" section.  The Iris are fascinating and many of the names hysterical. Witness 'Gnus Flash'!

'Gnus Flash' (TB Brad Kasperek '96)

Building a garden with every one of the American Dykes Medal winners is a goal.  Each year the best of the best iris receives this award.  It must first be introduced in the USA then given an honorable mention (HM), an award of merit (AM) then win the top award for its class (For a TB this is the Wister Medal). Winning the Dykes Medal is the dream of every hybridizer.  Here's an early winner, 'Great Lakes.'

'Great Lakes' (TB L. Cousins 1938)
American Dykes Medal 1942

Another zebra. I love the golden standards and bronze gold falls with the requisite streaks and splotches.

'Jackal Cackle' (TB Brad Kasperek 2002)

 Larry Lauer's dramatic bi-color displays ruffles and the fall color infused on the standard rib. The beards area golden yell tipped in purple. Very hardy in my garden!

'Jurassic Park' (TB Larry Lauer '95)

 'Kevin's Theme' by Frederick Kerr, has the same basic color scheme, and both are off-spring of 'Edith Wolford' but there is no confusing them. The standards have much more pastel blend on purple and creamy yellow.  The falls have deep yellow at the haft (shoulder) and a pronounced veining. I'd love to know the the origin this name and the if the Hybridizer pronounces his name like the actress Deborah Kerr (car).

'Kevin's Theme' (TB Frederick Kerr '93)

Here is my first miniature tall bearded (MTB).  'Little Paul' has the typical form of the historic tall bearded iris. The falls are teardrop shaped with little ruffling. It won the Williamson-White Award for the best MTB of 1989. As described above, this would have made it eligible for the Dykes medal.

'Little Paul' (MTB Kevin Fisher 1983)

The relative size of the MTB is shown here.

'Little Paul' and unknown TB

'Low Ho Silver' has a pale lavender/silver cast and tangerine to white beards.

'Low Ho Silver' (IB Monty Byers 1988)

A child of the ubiquitous border bearded 'Batik's is 'Out of Control'.  It is tall bearded, a bit more red dominated purple and with blue beards.

'Out Of Control' (TB William Maryott 1994)

Borglum's 'Seneca Snowdrift' is bred in this climate.  That's a good indicator that an iris will flourish here. It is an impressive well ruffled pure white.

'Seneca Snowdrift' (TB Dana Borglum 1995)

 Some ID work to be done.  Labeled 'Summer Olympics', it's not. But it is a spectacular brilliant yellow.  I'll figure it out!

NOT Summer Olympics

 In my "bestiary' is 'Tanzanian Tangerine.' Not really a zebra, it has broken a slightly speckled pattern standards, but the falls are sanded or washed with a deep wine on an orange base.

'Tanzanian Tangerine' (TB Brad Kasperek 1995)

Next post I hope to catch up with what's blooming today!