HYB: MED: HIST: The Grapes Sisters of Nebraska

Good afternoon.

Because someone out there may be interested, I thought I'd pass on some bits 
about the above. The long and the short of it is these women--who were 
apparently sisters born Barnica who married two fellows named Grapes, possibly 
brothers, although I have not yet confirmed that, were very important in the history 
of garden irises.   

I have unearthed an article in the AIS Bulletin published in July 1957 which 
tells their story from the beginning, starting with the purchase of 
'Atroviolacea' in 1928. It is a story of the gradual building of a remarkable collection 
of all sorts of irises, including bulbous, with a special fondness for the 
tough little ones. Their nursery, Franklin Gardens, in Big Springs, Nebraska, 
was named for their father. 

Hans Sass is quoted saying "Much is due to the Grapes sisters for the rise to 
fame in the dwarf field, as even when the dwarf popularity had fallen to 
zero, the girls kept right on breeding, growing, and listing them."  

The author, Mrs. Zeh Dennis of NJ, says the first Grapes catalog in 1943 
listed 56 varieties of dwarf bearded irises, as well as many other kinds of 
irises, and diverse plants. In 1951 they listed 160 dwarf bearded irises. 

The end of the article reads, "Schreiner's listed Nana, Sulina and Carpathia, 
only, in the year 1942. Dwarf and Median breeders owe Vivian and Hazel Grapes 
a big debt of gratitude for having purchased these pumilas, and for 
propagating them and making them available to those of us so vitally interested in this 
phase of our hobby."

They obviously knew what they were doing, and their stock appears to have 
been sound. When the Grapes 'Cretica' was found to differ from what others were 
growing as same, Fitz Randoph did a chromosome count, and the Grapes sisters' 
clone was proven correct. 

Hazel died in 1993; Vivian in 2001. 

Cordially,

Anner Whitehead
Richmond VA USA

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