TB: Walta's LEMON CHESS-Oh Yes!

Greetings,

Walta's--that is Mr. Walter Moores the distinguished hybridizer and vocal
member of this list----recent intoduction, LEMON CHESS, bloomed here today and
I was really looking forward to seeing it. I know Walta thinks it is a good
plant. I planted it last year and growth has been good, but the terminal bud
was frost nicked by our late freeze and I was worried I might not get a flower
this year. Today it opened two beautiful yellow blooms, just the color of the
filling in a lemon chess pie--the "southern confectionary tradition" Walta
remarks upon in his descriptions of his iris. It is a lovely thing, a light
lemon yellow, but without a hint of green. A soft yellow, similar to but a bit
clearer than, butter yellow. There are some quiet and attractive haft
veinations, an agreeable but not overpowering fragrance, and a particularly
nice, full but not bushy beard that is darker yellow in the throat and lighter
at the end. I like the flower's form especially. It is balanced and
proportioned and ruffled just enough, like one of the late Opal Brown's
introductions. That is high praise from me because I really respect the form
of her introductions. The standards are rounded and closed, and the falls are
not so horizontal that one has to keep walking over to the plant and looking
down to see the bloom. It carries well  froma distance, but does not scream.
It is a very nice and refined iris and I like it. And I will pass on one hint
to those of you who fancy yellow irises and are game to mix ages and sizes: I
have LEMON CHESS blooming in the same vacinity as a clump of FLAVESCENS-- the
beloved little nineteenth century historic with the yellow standards and the
pearly white falls-- and the yellows, here in my soil, are absolutely
identical! They would look truly charming planted together.

Anner Whitehead, Richmond,VA
Henry Hall henryanner@aol.com
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