Iris of the day: "Overjoyed." And Others. 5.27.19

Tall Bearded Iris "Overjoyed".  5.27.19

This is the last of the irises to begin blooming.  Many still have many buds remaining to open.

This iris, "Overjoyed" has nice form, ruffled flowers with a nice shade of yellow in the falls and near-white in the standards.  It's a very modern look and they came through the rainy season like a champ. This is also nice for a rhizome that I planted late summer / early fall, yet grew vigorously an give a great bloom.

The others have been posted before.  In the dead of winter, I'll look at these photos many times to recall this season and anticipate next year.

Tall Bearded Iris "Edith Wolford".  5.27.19

Tall Bearded Iris "Gay Parasol" 5.27.19

Bearded Iris Experimental Garden Bed.  5.27.19

Later Blooming Bearded Irises. 5.23.19

Bearded Iris "Beverly Sills".  5.23.19

Historic Bearded Iris "Mrs. George Darwin".  5.23.19

 Now we are getting to the later blooming irises.  Soon, it will be back to home orchard and kitchen garden, which I've been working on.

With heavy and frequent rains, and chillier temperatures, many of the irises are more bedraggled.  Some of the tallest fell over ("Red Dirt Road" and "Play To Win").  These might benefit from support next year.

None of the pink ones look that great.  This is "Beverly Sills", one of the most promoted and awarded.  It's possible it needs another year, or a more favorable season.

Of the historic irises in the woodlot border, "Mrs. George Darwin" bloomed.  One fall was knocked off by rain, but the identification is obvious, and it is one that I bought from "Old House Gardens" a number of years ago.   According to the Historic Iris Preservation Society,  "Mrs. George Darwin" was developed in 1895 by Sir Michael Foster.  It's a small iris, and one thing is shows is how far irisarians have come in developing larger, more colorful, sturdier, more ruffled cultivars.  Still, it's nice there in the border.  From Wikipedia, George Darwin was the second son and fifth child of Charles Darwin, and was an astronomer and barrister.    Too bad, the iris that honors Maud Darwin doesn't even include her name!  She was Lady Martha Haskins "Maud" du Puy Darwin, an American Socialite who campaigned for women police officers, bore 5 children, and apparently lived the upper crust British life for the times.

The tall bearded "Edith Wolford" is a replacement for one I had earlier and lost.  Maybe it's still among those that did not bloom yet, after moving to better locations from the woodlot?  I don't know.  This has deeper color than previously.  Since this soil was amended with wood ashes over the Winter, and organic slow release bloom food in early Spring, the growth conditions may be responsible.  I've noted that others are also richer in color, larger, and more substance, than in the past (Immortality and the dark blue one that might be Blue Knight).   Who was Edith Wolford?  I don't know.  I found obituaries for four different Edith Wolfords, and a school named for someone with that name, but I don't know who the iris was named for.  If I pick an "Iris of the Day" from today's selections, it would be "Edith Wolford".

Tall Bearded Iris "Edith Wolford".  5.23.19

Tall Bearded Iris "American Classic".  5.23.19

 Now to "American Classic" and the unknown iris that I thought was "American Classic" but is not.  Like "Edith", this has more color and more substantial petals than I recall, which may be due to the gardening  conditions.  Both were planted last summer, and may need more time to establish to become taller and make more flowers, but this is a very good start.  The other, now unidentified variety, is in the general class of "blue plicatas", which describes the white background and blue edges, but there are many such cultivars.  So far I have not found one exactly like this one.  The closest so far is "Blue Shimmer", via Historic Iris Preservation Society, developed in about 1942.  But I'm not sure that is correct.

Tall Bearded Iris, Unknown Name ("No-ID").  Blue Shimmer?  5.23.19

Bearded Irises, Better Photos. 5.15.14

Alcazar  1910

 I think Alcazar is generally larger.  This is the first year.  I'm surprised it bloomed at all.

Bumblebee Deelite 1985

 In 2012 I dug out the overgrown bundle of Bumblebee Deelite and replanted at various locations around the Battleground yard.  There were too many rhizomes, so I planted left-overs in the fence row.  They look nice there.

Caprice 1898

 While planting Tomato plants 2 beds over, I smelled the fragrance of Caprice wafting in the wind.  The writers are right, it's like Grape Koolaid.  But better.

Red Hawk  1995

 This is an excellent depiction.   The  color is richer than most photos.

Edith Wolford 1986

 The Walking Onions add a nice appearance to Edith Wolford bearded iris.

Mislabeled Pink Fragrant

 This was sold as Whole Cloth, which is blue and white.  Whatever it is, the fragrance is very sweet and floral.  The downside, it is less vigorous and more disease susceptible compared to some of the others.

Bearded Iris Bed.  5.15.14

Gay Parasol.  1974.

 Smaller flower than some modern tall beardeds, but very nice and very fragrant.  Gay Parasol.

Indian Chief.  1929.

 Really wanted this Indian Chief bearded iris to bloom this year.  And it did.  Also a nice fragrance, mild.

Gracchus.  1884.

 Gracchus bearded iris was one of the most disease resistant.  And all of these flowers from one rhizome.  Small but vigorous.

Unknown from Tennessee.

 Must be an early plicata, or an unnamed seedling.  Sold by a Tennessee company via mail order.

Red Zinger.  1985.

 Miniature.  I grew Red Zinger from a dried out sale rhizome late 2012.  It didn't bloom last year.  I'm surprised, now it's vigorous.  You almost have to be on  your knees to smell them.  It's worth it.  A candy fragrance.

Loreley.  1909.

 Loreley historic bearded iris.  Almost like Japanese irises.  Some are fully open, some partially.  The white outline on the falls makes them stand out nicely in photos.   Sweet fragrance.  Same Tennessee company as the unknown.  Slow start, but this year very nice.  Seems to be disease resistant.

Bearded Irises.  5.15.14

I'm happy with the bearded irises, both modern and historic / heritage irises.  I thought they might all die off this late winter, but they are blooming nicely.  Some varieties have the most and largest flowers I've seen.

Some of the leaves don't look great.  As long as they grow out of it, I'm OK.

Bearded Irises in Bloom.

Sunny Disposition 1989, Accent 1952, Bumblebee Deelite 1986

Accent 1952

 Irises in bloom.  These photos were from a few days ago.  It's raining too much today.  All of these were divided and replanted last year.  From clumps that were filled with grass and not blooming.  After dividing and replanting, I watered multiple times in the summer with 1/4 teaspoon per gallon of Miracle Gro for tomatoes.  Not organic.  But no pesticide or herbicide.  I considered this intensive care for these irises.  It worked well.  They recovered very well.  This method was successful.  The clumps are each in a tree circle of edging to keep out grass.  That helps a lot.

Sunny Disposition.  One of the first ones I grew.  There are starts of this one around the yard, and at the Battleground place.  Sunny Disposition is fragrant.  It blooms despite neglect.  It sometimes falls over in the rain.

Accent.  Identified via HIPS website.  Accent is reliable, rugged, takes neglect, and does not fall over in the rain.

Bumblebee Deelite.  Much smaller.  These have also multiplied and grow nicely.  I planted them in the fence rows at the Battleground place.   None of those bloomed this year.  It's a cute variety.

Redondo.  Doesn't look anything like the web photo.  Red type colors do not come true in photos and the internet.  This is also a smaller variety.  It was an early bloomer.

Immortality.  As of last year, considered a heritage variety.  Lush white flower.  I'm glad it recovered.

Gay Parasol.  Nice with a light fragrance.  Will either keep  here or add to heritage varieties at Battleground.

Pink Bubbles.  A border variety.  The leaves were not vigorous but the flowers are nice.  Also a heritage variety that I might move to the Battleground place, but also like here.

Edith Wolford.  Not a heritage variety yet.  This clump recovered very well with the treatment above.  Many flower spikes and each with multiple flowers.  Very nice.

Red Oriental Poppy.  I grew these from seeds in about 2002.  They needed a year or two to bloom.  I've moved them once since establishment.  Lush and bright.  Nice.   Last winter I read about growing Papaver somniferum, and found seeds at Portland Nursery.  Then I read about potential legal problems with growing that species.  So I didn't grow those.  Papaver orientalis is just as lush, and no legal issues.

Redondo 2000

Immortality 1982

Gay Parasol 1974, Pink Bubbles 1980

Edith Wolford 1986, Gay Parasol, Pink Bubbles

Red Poppy