Re: OT: Naming of irises [Jeffrey Walters]

Gee, Jeff.  Good stuff, good stuff!  Not only did it need to be said in this
thread, it is weighty in its significance.

SILVERADO--Literally, "silvery"--but the immediate association is of those
classy Chevy pickups and suburbans that could go anywhere, do anything and
were tougher and more resiliant that almost anything.  Robust!  Reliable!
No wonder it won a Dykes.

DYNAMITE--explosive, powerful, and "hot."

I can think of dozens more of Schreiners products with magnificent
names--and I am convinced their commercial success and awards were
influenced by more than the substantial quality of the irises themselves.

Joe Ghio has had some darned good names on his productions over the years as
well.  At the foundation of much of his breeding were FROSTED
STARLIGHT--that just sparkles and twinkles with radiant quality.  Then
PONDEROSA.  Only us westerners that know the big, red-brown barked tree with
the wonderful aroma when it is warm--big, beautiful and substantial.  Too
bad more iris folk weren't in love or at least familiar with the
lower-elevation, drought tolerant park-like forests of the Ponderosa areas.

MYSTIQUE, however, captured a quality all the Cook amoenas and their
offspring had in those early years of the type.  Mystique as a name is
extraordinarily apt.

Keppel has had some marvelous names too--VIENNA WALTZ brings all kinds of
images to mind.

PARIS FASHION, borrowed from Steve Moldovan's unintroduced and vacated
introduction, and the so very aptly named VENETIAN GLASS--the images that
emerge are quite pleasing, suggest rare quality and class.

The names of some of the SDB's need to be in there.  PUDDY TAT,  PRANK and
SERENITY PRAYER are just a few.

There's no end to the possibilities of your suggestion.  The historics, the
Grand Old Timers, the Siberians and more....I think it would make a
wonderful Bulletin article.  Go for it!

Neil Mogensen  z 7  Reg 4  western NC mountains

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