ID?

Any guesses welcome. It's from White Flower Farm, ca. 1998.
Thanks.

sorry Steve. There's several like this, you'd have to buy a few of those and grow them side by side to figure out a true ID. I take it White FF doesn't know, or more likely, didn't have an accurate ID? most non-growers like White FF don't.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but White FF is a high volumn reseller, right? They are on up there in quality and price, but most volumn places lump anything that looks about right together, and with irises there are almost always dozens of dopplegangers. The red/white/blue color combos have been hot sellers ever since 9/11, so potential for lots of error on actual ID.

If you're going to pay that kind of price, try Schreiners for your future purchases. You'll get a guarantee on iris ID, and a high quality iris as well. For better prices, try some of our AIS or DG friends on here that sell.

bonjon,

White is expensive; but at least the plant came with ID. When I posted, thought I had lost the records. It wouldn't matter, but I've moved since I grew it, and I like this particular version of purple, white, and orange.

I've since purchased from Schreiners, and I like the fact that their ID tags will survive several seasons of neglect. I'm also trying to keep better records.

... A more careful search of my photo records suggests it is probably Bal Masque which I bought with another rare beauty Sostenique. I may be mistaken, but my sense is that the move toward repeat-flowering iris has come at some tiny cost in beauty of the individual flowers.

Thanks for the help!

Unfortunately, it is common knowledge in the iris world that non-grower sellers tend to use whatever looks close, mixing up IDs shamelessly. WhiteFF buys their stock wholesale. Have heard several reputable folks sell to them, so there's a chance you've got the real thing.

If you don't care about ID, it doesn't matter. Most folks don't. But when you ask us to ID something purchased from a reseller, we hedge, knowing full well there's a chance we might inadvertantly assist the confusion. Bal Masque, a very popular French import, would be one of several potential guesses. But a wise iris expert will tell you, "Buy another and grow side by side to ID."

I love looking through WhiteFF's catalogue! But check out irisloverdee's site, Snowpeak Iris. she has both good prices and great plants. And find your way to Mid-America Gardens (you'll see it abbreviated as MAG). Tom and Paul top notch hybridizers, they carry a lot of Keppels, Blyth's, Grosvenor's, etc. Another source nearly you, but not on web is Superstition Gardens in CA.

Doubtful Sostenique would be considered rare, but it is an historic, so not widely available in commerce. I.e., too many folks have "passed it along" for it to command much price. It's a 1975 Blyth, an Australian import here in the states. If you were wanting another, you might check with HIPS.

you would be correct. The more energy it takes to flower, the less energy left to rebloom, IMO, so the most recent mega-frilly mega- budcount plants mostly are not rebloomers. But rebloomers tend to be older varieties, or bred from the older varieties. Historics tend to be hardier than the irises bred today. It's that hardiness they need for energy and rebloom.

Rebloomers are the hot sellers today and have sparked more interest in breeding them. We are seeing some wonderful new rebloomers coming from Don and Ginny Spoon at Winterberry Gardens in Cross Junction VA.

Just found a good photo of Sosteninque.

Steve, that Sosteninque is beautiful! Do you have enough to consider a trade sometime in the future?

Donna

You know, Steve, I never make a guess on irises, but I have lists from years and years of irises I've seen in catalogues and wanted, and have down Bal Masque from WFF 1999. So I would not doubt that's it. I know they usually showcase around 15-20 irises in their catalogue, but that's quite a coincidence.

Polly, thanks for taking the time to check! I am completely amazed at your level of organization.

HJM, I wish I could do that. Sadly, Sostenique grew in my NJ garden and I moved 18 months ago. Also, I'm not sure it was still alive when I left. I think it might have been choked out by more vigorous feral bearded iris. But it's a great idea. I need to plant more plants and post more photos because I'm pretty sure - after reading "what grows in Happy Jack" that you have extra plants that might look great in my new garden.

All, I see that this supplier lists both http://www.tsflowers.com/iris.html . Have not checked the supplier at Garden Watchdog.

Not much organization really. I just have a garden book I keep little ditties in.

I just looked at the plant file pictures of Bal Masque, and it sure looks like a match.

Well Steve, about the last of May, our Iris should be in full bloom, and you're welcome to come on over and mark the ones you want. It's only a 2 hour drive of about 100 miles according to MapQuest. ^_^

HJM, I seem to have bought more seeds than I can plant. And maybe I'll end up with more roses than I have space for. I'll try and figure out what I can offer in exchange. I'm terrible at estimating what it will take to fill up a space with good plants.

That's a deal!

Gypsy Lord?

Hey Steve, I just went to White Flowers Farm site, and they show a flower that I say is NOT Edith Wolford - http://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/32246-product.html. So I am wondering if your first photo was even named correctly to begin with? Is that a photo of your plant, or their stock photo?

happyjackmom - did you tell WFF that? that link is already no good.

Do you iris experts think it's not Bal Masque? If so, please tell me why. To me it looks the same, and I would like to know what I am missing. And I mean this seriously, I would like to learn how to identify the bearded better.

The only reason I think it's Bel Masque is my notes say that was on sale at WFF around that time, and they did not carry a lot of bearded irises.

No Bonjon, I haven't contacted them. But, I'm right, correct? That flower they show as "Iris Edith Wolford" is not Edith Wolford, not even close.

Polly, the color of the beards can look different in photos. What I would look closely at is the striping on the shoulders, and how far it extends towards the edges of the falls. I looked at several photos and the one posted by flowerfrenzy at http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/69701/ is the closest to Steve's photo of Bal Masque.

Keep up the good work everyone, this is how we learn, and I'm more than ready to learn new things from our DG Iris experts.

I'm not sure what you're saying HappyJackMom. I thought you were questioning it was Bal Masque. And Cat suggested Gypsy Lord. So I was wondering why you thought it was not Bal Masque.

I guess I should keep my mouth shut as no one seems to understand what I'm saying, it must be my old age. I was asking if it was a photo of Steve's flower, or if he was using a photo from the White Flower Farm site. It could have been a look-a-like such as Gypsy Lord, because if they label a photo Edith Wolford and it isn't, someone made a mistake. Now, I will shut up.

Oh, please no. I never meant that. I honestly just want to learn. Don't ever think you have to shut up on here. I understand what you're saying now. I can be dense at times. But please, we're all a big happy family here, and you are part of it. You'll find out after you read my posts some, that I'm anything but confrontational, so it was never meant at all that way. I was truly just wondering.

As you'll see, I know quite a bit about beardless irises, like Japanese and siberian, but those darn bearded are Greek to me, and I would really like to learn more about them. So I ask.

HJM,
The photo above is one I took of an Iris sold as Bal Masque by WFF ca. 1997 and raised in my own garden. I had lost the ID info when I posted the photo, thinking "What a great excuse to post a photo of this Iris." After a little more digging I found notes identifying it. I'm glad I did 'cause I learned some stuff in the process.

I didn't get much when I followed your link to WFF; perhaps they've taken down the offending photo. I searched their site for Edith Wolford and got this: http://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/cgi-local/search.pl?text=Edith+Wolford&name.x=11&name.y=6&name=Go

... which depicted Allium Gigantum flower with an inset photo labeled Edith Wolford. It looked like a pretty good match to the iris I grew under that name. And I don't think I got it from WFF. Gilbert Wild, more likely.

The picture listed by WFF is not even close to any EW I have seen, either
in pics or real life. The side description is a good description, however.
Either they have a terrible camera or a bad scanner.

Try http://www.whiteflowerfarm.com then 'perennials' then 'irises'

oldgardenrose, I still don't see it on here, anywhere! if you search for Edith W, NOTHING>

Follow the steps Jerry said, Bonnie. I can see it. Psychedelic colors. And for the price of 12.95. Isn't Edith an older gal?

This message was edited Jan 17, 2010 10:08 PM

oh good LORD! it's so weirdly highlighted or backlighted or something, I didn't even recognize it! LOL

This is a pic of one of my EW's before they were given away or
destroyed. My camera has a tendency to add a rose tint to blues
and purples.

I didn't see the detail first and missed the rosy edging. I certainly agree that the rosy fringes are strange. If their iris looks as depicted, it's hard to believe it's EW. My guess is they have a graphic artist who is a little more familiar with how to make photos interesting than in representing the stark reality - which rarely is. If I remember correctly, the colors on my own EW were not quite so saturated as those depicted by Oldgardenrose.(Most digital cameras oversaturate a bit to make pictures punchy.) The yellows and violets approached those of the WFF photo - but there was no rosy color.

it does look photoshopped weirdly. someone getting a little too artsy-fartsy?

The issue I would have with WFF is, if you consider Schreiner's to be among
the more expensive vendors, the irises are overpriced by about 25% not
counting the 50% discount Schreiner's gives with an order of $80 or more.
I checked prices for EW ($10) and Conjuration ($10) in Schreiner's 2009
catalog.

I agree that WFF is usually overpriced. Sometimes by a lot. I order occasionally because they sometimes have good ideas on plant combos and I just like to browse the catalogue. The violets of EW and allium giganteum match nicely.

if I'm going to spend $10 on an iris, it had darn well better have been intro'ed in the last ten years. then again, I don't like Edith's Wolford's coloring. In our acidic soils clay soils, it's comes across very dull and pale in coloring.

But Edith Wolford is a very popular color combination, and one of the best in this coloring, isn't it? since EW was so hum-hum coloring, I got rid of it. Anyone know a better iris for this coloration? I DONT like Jurassic Park either - it's even grayer and duller here.

I suspect there is a minimum sale price for individual rhizomes regardless of
the age or cultivar especially when you factor in quality and warranties. $10
appears to be the bottom price with several in the $10 to $15 range in the
Schreiner's catalog. The half price offer brings them down to about that
charged at WM and Lowe's with their last year's leftovers with "take your
best guess at what is in the package".

This is our original Edith Wolford bought from Cooley's, planted in 1996 in clay soil.

EW is $3.50 at Blue J.

WFF lists $12.95 ea or 3 for $36.95 plus s&h. Pays to shop around.

The original photo was certainly not accurate for EW. It doesn't have that rosey edge to it.

no, it doesn't. that and the fact that the rosy color is here and there in the photo makes me think someone was playing with photoshop.

In our red clay soil, EW is much greyer than in your photo, HappyJackMom.

It pays to shop around for any iris. But I still take my business to those that give me plants that thrive here. So far, plants that were grown on the east coast do best. But those Australian and Oregon crosses keep calling to me.....it's like a siren call.

Does someone in your club grow those? See how they do. I get very few TB, as you know we like medians, but talking to others I can see what grows or what lines of plants grow. For instance I have confidence in most plants which have 'Fogbound' for a parent.

Amen, irisMA. although they all seem to look a bit like Fogbound. Adore Friendly Fire.

Steve812, the very first iris that you needed id'd is 'snowed in' (J.Ghio,1998). I didn't look to see if anyone else had identified it yet but if not there you go!