Re: Siberian Photos

From: Mike Lowe <mlowe@worldiris.com>

>> Ellen (wondering what the imposter in her garden really is..)

It can break your heart...and, as the years pass, our chances of retrieving
some of the great old cultivars diminish apace. One that I have tried for
and, if descriptions can be believed, missed at least twice is 'Lady
Godiva.' The Farr 1909 catalog gives the description thusly, 'bluish white,
flushed rose' and Perry called it, 'blush white, prettily flushed pink.'

I have seen it described in a more modern catalog as, 'the red and white
Siberian.' This I don't believe for a second, but I do expect to see a
cultivar that leans to a pink/rose/magenta wash in some area of the flower
with the predominant color being white with a blue/lavender overcast. What
I don't expect to see is a very strong, prominent, bright yellow shoulder
marking a la Rimouski/Snowcrest/Snow Queen. Or, was a prominent yellow
shoulder such a common feature of all 'almost white' iris at the turn of
the century, it often went unspoken? I think not, and continue to believe I
have never seen the real 'Lady Godiva' as each of mine was strongly washed
with yellow in the haft area.

As to 'My Love' I suspect that the photo on the HIPS website is an accurate
depiction. I have seen Clarence Mahan's 'My Love' in his garden and entered
in iris shows and it corresponds to what is on the website. Clarence has
eyeballed the HIPS 'M.L.' and stated that the gold haft is a bit more
intense than he remembers but all else is an accurate representation.

One that I will replace as soon as I find a better (more accurate!) slide
is 'Tealwood.' My web photo is far too light and much too magenta. It
should be much darker and much 'purple-er.'

Cheers,

Mike   mlowe@worldiris.com   http://www.worldiris.com


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