TB: Sweet Lena

Hi Nicki!

I enjoyed your interesting post about "Sweet Lena". This iris has been
advertised regularly in the Shopping Section of the AIS Bulletin for about
two years (the latest ad is found on page 102 of the October '97 Bulletin,
if you have it available). The ads are placed by Holland Gardens (Marty &
Lorrain Holland, props.) of E. Graham, WA. Besides emphasizing the
fragrance, the ads say that "Sweet Lena" has been identified as "Pallida
androfetila" by Tira Nursery in Israel. 

Jeff Walters in northern Utah  (USDA Zone 4, Sunset Zone 2)
cwalters@digitalpla.net


> The Iris - Sweet Lena is one that is very interesting, and all I can tell
> you about it is this:
> 
> The smell is strong and wonderful.
> It seems to be hardy and multiplies well.
> The flowers last a long time in a vase (picking off the spent ones
> ofcourse).
> The stalks are strong, and about medium heighth.
> The flower head is not as large as my bearded iris - but about 1/2 the
> size.
> 
> Where did I get the first one?   Well, one day my husband and I were out
> for a drive, not too many miles away from the base of Mt. Rainier, and as
> we were driving along, we saw a hand made sign along the roadside that
> said, "Iris Bouquets Ahead For Sale."
> 
> We stopped.  Here was this older fellow sitting at a picnic table with a
> sun umbrella overhead, and fruit jars holding cut iris. The jars were
> filled with the stalks, and even tho all of this was outside - the
> fragrance was "knock-out sweet."  I bought 2 or 3 clusters of the
> flowers.  They lasted for over a week in my house - I shared some with a
> neighbor, and she was shocked at the fragrance!
> 
> Anyway, the man described these iris as Sweet Lena - named by him after
> his Mother.
> He told us the story about how it was that he now had about 30,000 of
> them off to the side in a field near his house.  He said that his Mother
> had lived all of her life in Tacoma, and had these Iris in her yard.  The
> man must have been about 70 at the time we stopped there, and he said his
> Mother had died many years ago, and the family home was demolished years
> ago.
> 
> He said that his Mother had given him 2 rhizomes when he was married, and
> he had been growing them and dividing them for years and years.  I asked
> him what he did with them?  "Oh, just used them for bouquets and to give
> as presents!"
> 
> I asked if I could buy some rhizomes, and he said "Oh yes!  How many do
> you want?"
> I asked their price, and he said "$10.00 each is about right!"  He
> indicated he was selling the flowers and the rhizomes for the first time
> that year - and I think it was about 5 years ago now.  This was in the
> mid spring - and NOT the time to really dig Iris here, but I took a
> chance anyway.  He said, "Oh you can dig these anytime!!"
> 
> He said that the year previous, some man from Japan drove by when Sweet
> Lena was in bloom, stopped and offered to purchase his entire field.  The
> reason was that the rhizomes I guess carry the heavy fragrance, and this
> fellow wanted them to make perfume!!  The man said he didn't know what to
> do about that.  (The next year we drove by and the field was still there.
>  So I guess he did not sell them.  Instead he told us that he had made a
> deal with Safeway Grocery - to purchase all of his blooms for sale in
> their chain of stores here.)  I never saw them in the store - so I am
> wondering whether he really had things straight or not.
> 
> Several years ago, I wrote a little note to Iris-L - when I was on the
> list before, and remarked about Sweet Lena being such a fragrant sweetie,
> and several of the fellows on the list jumped all over me - and acted
> quite insulting - and not at all interested in this beauty - so I dropped
> it - and dropped off the list almost at the same time.
> 
> Ruth, it is an old fashioned somethingorother - and it is a light colored
> lavender color.  The old fellow (I cannot think of his name) had not
> registered it with AIS at the time we first discovered it, and later did
> get it registered, and then I heard that someone wanted to yank the
> registration from him, because who ever gave him the final papers thru
> AIS was not entitled to do it - or something.
> 
> I also believe that the fellow was a little disoriented - but that has
> nothing to do with the flower's quality or lovliness.  I have divided my
> initial 3 that I purchased, have shared with others - but plan to develop
> more for my own enjoyment and pleasure.
> 
> I think you would love it too - unless you are allergic to fragrances in
> your home.  I took a bouquet to my Dr.'s office in the late spring of
> last year - along with some other huge and beautiful beardeds, and the
> nurse became ill from the fragrance - so the Dr. took the bouquet home to
> his wife.
> 
> I hope to multiply these as I can - and sell some myself one day.  I am
> not getting younger, and the work is getting harder for me physically,
> but I dearly love Iris - and I love the scented ones - and there are very
> few of them.  Nothing like Sweet Lena.
> 
> I don't have time in my life to learn hybridization - but it always
> occurred to me that someone who knew how, should cross Sweet Lena with
> another bearded, and see if the wonderful fragrance could be transferred.
>  The old fellow said something I didn't quite understand, and that he
> took a trip to the Mid-East and had the iris identified there, as a
> palidda or something.  I don't know.
> 
> If you know your way around in the AIS, perhaps questionning their
> headquarters would bring more information.  I don't particularly care
> about all that - I just love the flower.
> 
> I am located in Washington State in the Puget Sound area - between
> Seattle and Tacoma.  Where exactly are you?  Our flowering times here
> vary - but generally in June if we get enough warmth and sun.  I believe
> that Sweet Lena would be described as a fairly early bloomer.  When do
> your Iris bloom?
> 
> If you want to trade McKay for Sweet Lena, I would be more than happy to
> dig and send to you - if you wish.         Must get some breakfast now. 
> I have been awake since 4 AM and it is 7:17 Sunday right now.
> 
> Happy Irising,  Nicki
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On Sun, 4 Jan 1998 07:24:19 -0700 (MST) "ruth" <ruth@sonetcom.com>
> writes:
> >Hi Nicki,
> >
> >You ask me to describe the COLOR of McKay. After the discussions 
> >flying the
> >past few days, I will say it was bright pink and leave it at that. But 
> >come
> >spring, I will have my crayola box in hand and give you a more 
> >detailed
> >report.
> >
> >As for McKay being available for purchase, I haven't looked at the 
> >current
> >catalogs but I would think it would be. If not, I will help you out. I
> >think it would be great to share with your son's wife. (Her last name 
> >being
> >MacKay) When my grandmother died, I shared plants of MARY FRANCES with 
> >all
> >of my cousins because that was grannie's name.
> >
> >The Lena you mentioned, is that an iris? I'm not familiar with that 
> >name.
> >
> >Ruth B. Simmons
> >Oklahoma - Region 22 - Hard rain all night - Meeting today to help 
> >plan the
> >'99 National Iris Convention in OKC
> >
> >
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