Can you ID the iris in Monet's Garden??

Hi (again)! Irislovers-- you were all so helpful with my other queries, so perhaps you have some good ideas on this one...

I think the purple iris pictured in the link below (not the iris from my garden pictured in my thread heading which isn't as elegant) is very interesting and I would like to have it in a special garden...

http://giverny.org/gardens/fcm/fleurs/pictiris.htm

It's an iris featured in Monet's Garden in Giverny, France.

So, I'm wondering--are any of you familiar with it's name? Or one that is very similar? I'm assuming it's a tall bearded, but maybe not. (The yellow iris pictured below it looks like a water iris or something, doesn't it?)

(Sorry my photo is sideways...it wasn't that way when I posted it...oh, dear!)

Just for fun, here's a link to a book review about Monet's garden vision: http://books.google.com/books?id=xGjdOPdpOGkC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_summary_r&cad=0

And BTW, has anyone visited Monet's restored garden...? Just wondering....

Thanks so much. t.

Thanks for asking that, tabasco. I've always wanted to see a list of iris from Monets Garden. I can't wait to see if someone knows, the one you posted, and if I could ask, please, any of the others in the garden.

PS, I did find out iris germanica is the iris in Van Gogh's famous painting.

I think 'germanica' is an old term for what we know now as 'bearded' iris...

Every time I say that, I think I should be more specific, sorry.

I'm talking about the species iris, i. germanica, first discovered around 1600. It's an IB bitone purple with a white beard. Mine came from Superstition, so I'm pretty sure it's accurate.

Superstitions catalogue was where I first found out it was the one in Van Gogh's painting.

http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2681470480032621402ZnZUCA

ah, I see. I will look up Superstition's link.

Thanks for telling me about the term.

I found a book in my library about Monet's garden and I'm looking through it for more info....may have something to report tomorrow!

There should be info available saying what was done in restoring Monet's garden. I regret to say that I have not seen them, but I surely would like to. I would try to find some or the writings from the restoration team, but if that doesn't work, you can find irises that look like the ones in the book's pictures.
It could be that that is what the people who restored it did.
Polly, I agree that Van Gogh's irises were probably i. germanica, but Monet was quite the gardener whereas Van Gogh was, as far as I can tell, just painting someone else's irises.
Nevertheless, Monet would have used old cultivars -- not the ones we see in Iris catalogs now. Tabasco, I wish you luck on this project. It could take you deep into iris history. And it will be beautiful whether you use the original cultivars or new ones that just look like the ones Monet used.
Actually, does anyone know anything about his gardens other than what he painted? Painters don't always feel they have to represent things accurately. They might change the colors or shapes or whatever to suit their imaginations.

Thanks, paj.,

The photo link that I posted was from Monet's garden tours site and has some information about the plants in the garden but no details about the irises. I know there are several books on Monet's garden and its restoration, but I don't have them. One good one by Derek Fell. I was thinking someone here on DG would have done the research already. Or at least know that pretty iris by sight or one similar.

I know Monet's garden is open for tours--my mom went through it several years ago, but, alas she is no longer with us and her books on it were sent out to other gardener relatives. Darn!

And I checked the historic iris society site for some ideas and they have many photos of very pretty iris, but I think the ones in Monet's garden are probably of French heritage. There are several merchants of historic iris I could call, too.

Well, I don't have to have the exact one, I just liked the color veining and shape of the one in the picture. I'll call our horticultural library here and see if they have a Monet book, too.

Will let you know what I find out. t. (-:

Iris and Daylily grower in France:

http://www.iris-en-provence.com/recherche.asp

you can search by color too!

Hi, mrsj, thanks for posting the link to the french iris site.

I dusted off my school french and looked through it but couldn't find the one I want--

But how did you find the french site? Maybe I can page through some other sites. Is there a french iris society that you know of?

Thanks so much. t.

I have the book on Monet's Garden - The Magic of Monet's Garden by Derek Fell. It doesn't give the names of the specific irises. At least I can't find them and I checked. The photos are beautiful.

t - I just googled "iris growers in France" ----- I'll bet if you go to the Yahoo french version you might have even better luck since you can read the language! I can only pick out a few words anymore....what I learned from speaking with my great-grandfather is almost gone!

Oh, thanks a lot. mrsj. I will try that.

echoes--so that's good to know. I thought his book would say which was which. I will keep looking around then. Maybe tomorrow I can go to the library at the Horticultural Society and see what they have.

Will let you know.