Showing posts with label Engagement Ring. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Engagement Ring. Show all posts

Monday, September 12, 2016

"Talking Irises" TALL BEARDED IRISES: ELEGANT, CAREFREE BEAUTIES IN THE GARDEN - Season favorites

Susanne Holland Spicker

Elegant and carefree, tall bearded irises have proven to be a satisfying and rewarding gardening experience for me in zone 6. By the time September rolls around, the flowers have long since faded, and the stems cut to the ground. However, the memory of last spring's bloom lingers... 
 (front to back) 'GLOBAL CROSSING'  (Van Liere '12), 'EMBRACE ME' (Van Liere '08),
'PRETTY GENEROUS' Innerst '04), 'FLIRTINI' ( Sutton '12),

 'SISTERHOOD' (Van Liere '11) This bed always does well.
They love where they're planted--just the right amount of sunshine and moisture
Pictured here are just a few of my season favorites. Some are relatively newer cultivars, while others are older classics that have performed well over the years. 
'GLAMAZON'  Blyth '07   Beautiful in every way!
 July and August are busy months in Zone 6 in the iris beds: dividing existing clumps, planting new rhizomes, relocating others and revamping beds with companion plants. I always take time to evaluate the successes or failures of the previous bloom season, and try to improve the beds. There have been several times I was ready to call it quits with an iris, thinking, despite my best efforts, it just wouldn't grow in my zone. But after transplanting it to another area in the garden, it wound up thriving. Although this isn't the case every time, more often than not, it is. 'GLAMAZON' (Blyth '07) is one example--it is now thriving after moving it. In its second year, several stems with huge blooms rewarded my patience--I'm so glad I didn't give up on it.

Another example is 'EDITH WOLFORD' (Hager '86). It has been reliable and prolific for several years now after having marginal success with it in a prior bed. It never disappoints, blooming consecutively now for over 10 years. My advice to the beginning iris gardener is to always try another location before removing it for good.

'EDITH WOLFORD' Hager '86    A Dykes Medalist and reliable, older variety

'ENGAGEMENT RING' (Ghio '11)    Every bloom is perfect!

Another season favorite was 'ENGAGEMENT RING' (Ghio '11). This exciting bi-tone has excellent form, with clear, soft yellow standards and pure white falls rimmed in fuschia-orchid. The bushy bright gold beards against the stark white falls make it a stand out in the garden. It was not only a personal favorite, but visitors to the gardens voted it their favorite.

'DARKSIDE' (Schreiner '85)    Outstanding black!
An older black, but one that performs well consistently is 'DARKSIDE' (Schreiner '85). Although I have several other blacks, this is still one of my favorites in this color class. It's hardiness and reliability, even in an off year where other irises struggle because of weather-related problems make it a must-have in my garden.

Other 2016 season favorites include:

'PURPLE SERENADE' (Schreiner '05)  Mulberry-claret beauty
'LEMON CLOUD' (Painter '08)   Beautiful form and longevity of bloom
Amoena 'MILES AHEAD' (Schreiner '10) 
'FLIRTINI' (Sutton '12)   Wonderful combination of color and form! I love the yellow turned-to-blue beards on this light melon and white beauty
'EYE FOR STYLE' (Blythe '06)  Magnificent!
'HIGH BLUE SKY' (Ernst '98)  I love the soft blue of this iris with darker veining on the falls
'ABOUT TOWN' (Blyth '97) A clump of this iris is glorious!
'ROSY FORECAST' (Williamson '10) Beautiful combination of colors on this pink plicata
'KATHY CHILTON' (Kerr '06)   Dramatic!
(Left) 'PROUD TRADITION' (Schreiner '90), an older, reliable variety and 'BY DAWN'S EARLY LIGHT' (Van Liere '13), the first year bloom on this beautiful blue.--I love these iris with the bluebells and bright two-toned cherry lupine
'ROMANTIC GENTLEMAN' (Blyth '02)   Stunning!
'JESSE'S SONG' (Williamson '83)  Reliable and hardy--among the first to bloom
'EPICENTER' (Ghio '94) Excellent form on this dramatic plicata
'QUANTUM LEAP' (Sutton '05) I was very pleased with this first year bloom.
 It was a gift from an iris friend--Thanks, Lori L.
'EMBRACE ME' (Van Liere '08)  An all-time favorite pink--gorgeous with fast increase
'FLAMINGO FRENZY' (Johnson '12) I love the dusky beard and blue-pink color on this laced and ruffled iris
'DEEP CURRENTS' (Johnson '09 ) I love the deep color on this stunning flower
'TENNESSEE GENTLEMAN' (Innerst '91)  First-year bloom - a pleasant surprise!
'TENNESSEE GENTLEMAN' (Innerst '91)  The standards are especially beautiful

I could post several more season favorites, but time and space won't allow. I hope some of these favorites inspire you to add to your iris gardens, or have brightened your day a little. 

If you had a favorite in your garden this year, I'd love to hear from you. What makes it a favorite? 


Monday, June 8, 2015

"Talking Irises" ENJOY YOUR TALL BEARDED IRISES ALL YEAR LONG! Creative ways to preserve your iris photos


 By Susanne Holland Spicker


Tall bearded irises 'Proud Tradition' (Schreiner 1990), 'Queen's Circle' (Kerr 2000), 'No Count Blues' (Schreiner 2009)
"The gardens that make us happiest flourish because we have taken the time to make sure they feed our souls and fill a special place in our lives." (Lindley Karstens)


Tall bearded iris 'Daring Deception' (Johnson 2012)
For several years I have been taking some of my iris photos and making them into cards, posters, and photo books, adding favorite thoughts and quotes to the image. I have chosen a few to share in the hopes that they may inspire you, or just bring a smile to your face. Most of the iris images are first-time bloomers in my 2015 garden.

Tall bearded iris 'Winning Edge' (Ghio 1997)
Tall bearded iris 'Coming Up Roses' (Gatty 1992)
Tall bearded iris 'Engagement Ring' (Ghio 2011)
Tall bearded iris 'Ascii Art' (Moores 1997)
Tall bearded iris 'New Leaf' (Ghio 1997)
Tall bearded iris 'Magical' (Ghio 2007)
Tall bearded iris 'Global Crossing' (Van Liere 2012)
Tall bearded iris 'Wedding Belle' (Keppel 2007)
Tall bearded iris 'Vienna Waltz' (Keppel 2000)
Tall bearded iris 'Tickle Me Pink' (Van Liere 2011)


Tall bearded iris 'Queen's Ransom' (Van Liere 2012)

Tall bearded iris 'Devonshire Cream' (Sutton 2000)

I love the quote from A.J. Balfour:  "What a desolate place would be a world without a flower! It would be like a face without a smile or a feast without a welcome.  Are not flowers the stars of the earth?"
Tall bearded iris 'Long Embrace' (Van Liere 2010)

Tall bearded iris 'Aristocracy' (Keppel 2006)
What are some ways you enjoy the beauty of your irises through the year? Do you have any creative ways in preserving their beauty when they're not blooming?  I'd love to hear from you!






Wednesday, June 20, 2012

My Favorite Irises of Spring 2012


     Since my retirement, I have scaled back the number of irises I grow, and I find that I enjoy each one more now.  I now have time to really evaluate the varieties that I think are lovely.  I also had time to visit a number of iris gardens this year, including Sutton's, Superstition, the Probst-Trio garden, Fred Kerr's garden, and Napa Country Iris.  Finally, I went to the American Iris Society's spring Region 14 Meeting at Aptos.  I took photos of some of my favorite irises in these gardens this spring, and here they are.


     'Adriatic Waves' (Keppel '09). While some of the recent Keppel introductions don't seem to really like me a lot and seem to pout rather than grow, this one grows well and produces a fine stem. I really like the wide, blocky form.




     'Broadband' (Tasco '02).  This one is really growing on me--not as flashy for color as some of Rick's other introductions, but it does have very nice, wide form.  Another interesting thing about the variety is that it can produce good and wide warm-toned plicata seedlings when crossed to brownish plicatas.




     'Engagement Ring' (Ghio '11). This was very popular at the Spring Regional/TBIS meeting with its lovely color pattern.  It's new, so still a bit expensive for me to add it to my collection now that I have tightened my belt in retirement.




     'Genealogy' (T. Johnson '08).  The parentage indicates this is from a yellow amoena (an amoena is an iris with white standards on top) and a blue neglecta (neglectas are blue irises with lighter tops, see 'Jerico Springs' below).  The result is quite pleasing.  Sort of a better approach to a brown-toned bitone, a color range rare in many iris gardens today.




     'Jerico Springs' (Nicodemus '10). This is not just another neglecta: the texture veining on the falls sets this one apart from the rest. This is the iris I liked best this year of all the new things that I grew.




 'Magical' (Ghio '08). Both last year and this year, I have been very impressed with this creamy pink that has wonderful branching and bud count. There is some talk, premature, of course, that this iris might be Dykes Medal quality.




     'Mardi Gras Rose' (G. Sutton '12). If I were still buying introductions, this would have been on the must-have list. It is not a knock-you-dead color, but rather an elegant, soft lavender-rose affair. Great shape for the flowers and the stalks have wide branching and lots of buds.




     'Magical Realism' (Williamson '08). Yip, one of my own creations. This almost did not survive—out of 3000 seedlings, disease reduced the numbers to around 60. It was blooming at the end of a row, and I selected it on a whim. Each year it gets better and I love the color contrast, but I have had a love affair with red-black colors ever since Plough's 'Study in Black.'




     'Spice Trader' (J. Painter '10).  Browns seem to be out of fashion, but I really liked this in the early garden.  (The odd blemish below the beard has to do with opening in 40 MPH winds.) It is very bright and colorful and it was not showing any frost damage in its home garden despite a late frost there, so it may be good for colder areas.




     'Strawberry Frosting' (M. Sutton '10). This laced soft pink has impressed me two years in a row. Others have questioned whether the pale colors might fade out in warm areas, but I think it is lovely, as you can see here.


   Anyone who has read my previous posts knows that I am a huge fan of visiting other iris gardens.  The wise gardener should try to get out and see what irises look like before buying.  As always, this blog is just a snapshot, and I am sure had I had visited a week later, I would have found others that I liked at least as much.  Did you visit any gardens this spring?  Which irises caught your eye?