TB-RE: cast iron
From: Mike Lowe <mlowe@worldiris.com>
Only one re cultivar has furnished me abundant rebloom stalks throughout a
summer of record heat and drought -- it has three bloom stalks in a vase in
the kitchen as I write this.
I took the liberty of reproducing (Thank you, Rosalie; Ken.) 'The 1998
Cumulative Check List of Reblooming Iris' entry for this iris:
GOLDEN ENCORE (Jones, Frank P. 1972). SdIg: J-69-23. TB, 35" (89cm), E &
RE. Vivid yellow (Nickerson SY 8/12) self, small white blaze on F.; bright
gold beard. J-66-8: ((Reeves F-60-l (Happy Birthday x Fall Primrose) x Fall
Primrose) X Renaissance. Summerlong 1973. Rebloom reported in: AL, CA, KS,
MI, MO, NE, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OR, PA, TN, TX, UT, VA, WV, Ont. England, USDA
Zones 4, 5, 6, 7, 9.
An interesting story goes with this cultivar. A well known ceramics
manufacturer commissioned a sculpture to use as a model for a ceramic iris
vase. It was fall and the sculptor insisted on having a 'from life' model
to sculpt the production master. The firm contacted the President of AIS to
see if an iris could be found. The prez stated: "If anyone has an iris in
bloom now, it would be Frank Jones of Princeton N.J."
A call to Frank disclosed that he did indeed, have iris in bloom. [Frank
had as a goal, iris in bloom each day, last frost until first frost. He
succeeded in doing this several years.] A limo was dispatched from NYC to
New Jersey and the driver returned with two dozen stalks of Golden Encore,
ranging from tight bud to mature flower.
The sculpture/vase was completed and one was presented to the President of
AIS with the stipulation that it be passed from President to President.
However, the firm did not believe that a golden yellow iris was believable
-- thus the iris was colored to approximate 'Wine and Roses,' that being 'a
more iris-like' color.
On a vist to Frank, I asked to see the sculpture that the firm had
presented to him for the use of his iris as a model. He told me: "Oh no,
they couldn't do that -- why it sells for several thousand dollars!" "Just
knowing that my iris was the model was payment enough." Frank was a
thoroughly nice guy.
Cheers,
Mike, mlowe@worldiris.com -- http://www.worldiris.com
South Central Virginia, USA; USDA Zone 7A
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