Re: HIST: TB: Merrily's Iris

I am so grateful to all of you who took in my orphans!  I'm impressed that
you could get such beautiful flowers from such sickly scrawny rhizomes.  You
are iris wizards.

I looked at Al's message 4113 in IRIS-PHOTOS and the picture with it.  This
flower is, I believe, ORCHID RUFFLES (Schreiner 1954).  In their  1959
catalog, Schreiner's describes the flower as EM. 33" and says  "This
ethereal beauty is a true lavender color, a hue eagerly sought in other
flowers but neglected among Iris in the mad pursuit of true blues and  true
pinks.  Lacy ruffling and shimmering texture give this self lavender an
especial charm.  HM'56.  $21.50"

The photo with Al's message 4111 and Linda Mann's message 3869 is TREASURE
ISLAND (Kleinsorge 1937), which was described in a 1949 Edenwald Gardens
catalog as M.36".  and "Bright clear yellow with a lighter area in the
center of each fall.  Large and tall with moderate branching.  It has been
and still is, a very popular yellow.  $.50"

4110 is LOVELY LETTY (Hall 1960), which was described by the 1973 Gable Iris
Gardens catalog as "Bright violet-blue with very brilliant tangerine beard
and wide flaring falls.  $1.75"

4109 is PERSIA, about which I haven't gathered catalog descriptions because
it appeared for the first time in my garden this spring.  My mother took one
look at it and pronounced it PERSIA, though photos on the Historic Iris site
don't seem to correspond to it very well.

4107 is LOVELY LETTY

3964 is LOVELY LETTY

3932 is, as you have all correctly said, NEW SNOW (Fay 1946).  In 1959 the
Schreiner Catalog described is as "white as new drifted snow, the individual
flowers are a vision of beauty.  The beard is bright yellow emphasizing the
purity of the bloom.  The flower is nicely formed, ruffled, and the
branching is moderately good.  One of the best whites. HM'46.  AM'48.
$1.00; 3 for $2.50)"  Gable Iris Gardens described it in its 1973 catalog as
EM 38".  and called it "Fine wide ruffled white; large flowers on well
branched stalks.  One of the very best of the older varieties.   $ .65"  [I
had lots of these in my garden this year and they were incredible -- tall
strong stalks with huge flowers, lots of 'em!]

Meanwhile, Jim Drisko kindly sent photographs of the orphans in his garden,
which include two other flowers:

PINNACLE (Stevens 1949), which was described in a 1959 Schreiner's Catalog
as
    "M. 35".  This iris is pre-eminent both in beauty of coloration and
perfection of form.  Absolutely clear white standards and smooth primrose
yellow falls.  The blooms are wax-like and beautifully moulded.  A very
fresh and lovely combination.  The good habits, branching, heavy substance,
and colors of Daffodil freshness combine to give us a lovely, lovely Iris.
HM'49.  AM'51.  $100; 3 for $2.50"

SYLVIA MURRAY (Norton 1944), I think.  It was described in the Edenwald
Gardens catalog of 1949 as
    "M.38"  A new light blue which has received much praise.  Result of
Great Lakes crossed with Shining Waters. $3.00".  The flower won Grand
Champion at the 1954 Twin City (Mpls/St Paul) Iris Show.  [This was the
first year I saw Sylvia Murray in my garden.  Other light blues in my
mother's collection were Vandabeth (Miles '52), Jane Phillips (Graves 1950),
Cahokia (Faught 1948), and Quicksilver (Schreiner 1953). ]

Thank you all again.  This is a wonderful on-going adventure for me, and I
hope even more new flowers crop up next year.

Merrily
Washington, DC



----- Original Message -----
From: <alhbee@aol.com>
To: <iris-talk@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, May 20, 2001 11:18 AM
Subject: [iris-talk] HIST: TB: Merrily's Iris


> As mentioned earlier all seven of Merrily's babies have bloomed. I will
post
> to iris photos and any assistance would be appreciated. I feel Merrily
would
> like to know. Dave tentatively(?) identified the white as New Snow.  All
the
> iris are 50s and 60's form and shape. Bud count runs from 3 to 5 per
stalk.
> Except for 6 and 7 ruffling is at a minimum.
> In order of bloom 2 and 4 seem to be the same iris. Six and seven also
seem
> to the same iris. I haven't taken a picture of 7 as it opened today and it
is
> drizzling.
> Sugar melts :)
>
> Al Bullock
> Sterling, No. Va. zone 7
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
>


 

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