What I've Learned on DG

I've been a member since July and have been absorbing all sorts of information, especially on the iris forum. That fact was driven home to me this morning for sure.

This spring I took a number of pictures of my iris and put them in a notebook with their names. When it came to the white ones, I knew I had two: an old one of my mothers and Immortality. When I went to id them, I absolutely couldn't tell which was which so I decided on the one with the scrapes (word I didn't know) in the position that I could id the picture as my Immortality and gave up on my mothers because I had no clue.

This morning I was looking through my pictures on my pc--longing for spring already. I came across this picture and without even thinking, exclamed "look at the historic!" Last spring I didn't even know what a historic was, let alone what they looked like. I am SO proud!!! Thank you everyone for sharing your knowledge.

Iris use stalks for the stems--daylillies use scapes. I think if you are thinking of the part from which the flower arises, the word you want is spathes. We are all still learning no matter how long we have grown irises. Glad that the people & ideas on the iris forum have been useful.

Well, it started with an "S" roflol

When I first joined DG late last year, I seem to recall several of the experienced
gardeners calling them scapes. I looked and looked thru my iris book and could
not find one so I assumed they were really experts with horticulture training.

DG is not only a gold mine of information but is also a collection of the finest
people you would ever want to be associated with, especially "iris people".

S can stand for Stunning.

Thank you oldgardenrose; anything to help me not feel quite so dumb. I think it was from you that I read my pictured iris must be from 1930 or earlier because of the droppy falls..

the type of falls indicate it is probably a diploid. It looks like a nice garden plant and has the good connections with your mother.

The picture in HIPS of 'florentina' is close to yours. Cameras can add or distort
colors (my fuji p&s does) but they are very similar. It could be the original species
iris or a later hybrid but it appears to be a true oldie--a real keeper.

Florintina looks like it is a much larger plant than the white which is shown.

One thing I have learned from this forum is simple pictures of a bloom can be
misleading in trying to positively identify an iris. That is why I like to hedge
any id with "similar to". I have some old whites with the narrow, droopy falls
and an ever so slight blue tint which, alone, puts them in the 'florentina'
mold. There is also no reason to be convinced they are truly 'florentina'
without an expert's evaluation. I am certain that height, number of buds
on a stalk and bloom time have a lot to do with proper id.

That is why I like to depend upon the opinions of the experienced growers
on this forum. There could be a thousand years of practical work among
all the members and that is a real resource.

I love the old 'whites' and have a garden of many not-identified. I put together a collage of Gudrun and I. florentina and this is a trial to see if the details is good-enough.
Gudrun is a large bloom on a relatively short stalk, overall heftier than florentina in both bloom and plant. Gudrun just happens to be one of my favorites and I thought your unknown looks very similar in the 'frilled edge' on all the petals and the way the spathes are plentiful and tucked close to the stem. I puts up a nice show in the garden. In terms of the color, there is more yellow in Gudrun (warm) and blue in florentine for a 'cool white'.
Because it is so hard to tell the size of blooms in pictures, I often compare it to a handy item like a pen... or my finger for my picture records.
Happy hunting!

I have some of these which I have not been able to identify. The pic has more
red tint from my camera than is true color. Should have more tan in the standards
and a brownish copper in the falls. Closest one in HIPS is 'copper lustre'
(Kirkland 1934). The pic in HIPS is not the best of quality since it was copied
from a catalog--they didn't have digital cameras in the 30's.

Again, it is difficult to make a true id from just a picture.

By the way, should you have extra 'gudrun' (K. Dykes 1931) to dispose of next
dig season, let me know. I should have several "similar to 'flavescens'
(De Candolle 1813)" to trade.

I'm afraid that it doesn't look like Copper Lustre to me--too dark.

I was not convinced it is a match for some of the same reasons. I appears to be
an old hybrid but I haven't come across a description or picture of it in any
material I have. I will try to get some accurate pics and measurements next year
and send them to HIPS for a possible id. It is of normal tb height and blooms
and, with the exception of being rather bland, adds additional color to a bed.

How about Rosy Wings?

Your 'rosy wings' is a nice example but does not have the narrow falls plus there
is no actual rose or pink in mine. In fact, I thought my iris was the ugliest iris I
had ever seen until it dawned upon me it may be a scarce oldie.

I need to buy a good camera, such as the Canon xsi 12 meg slr, but I just
dropped about 30 grand while remodelling my house so the prospects of that
are slim and none for the time being. My winning lottery ticket are always
bought by someone else.

"My winning lottery ticket are always
bought by someone else"

LOL to funny Jerry!

Oldgardenrose,

I don't think your iris is ugly at all. When I was first start in Historics, I had one (of many) blue-violets and a friend needed an some 'oldies' to go with her house - on impulse, I gave her ALL of them - she has since sold the house and the irises seem gone from there. I hope to brace myself and go knock on that door some spring to see if there is any left, somewhere...

By all means, I would be glad to share Gudrun. If you have a spare of your tan, I would love it. I had one similar that has since gone to iris heaven, I suppose. I'm posting the only picture of it - of the only stalk it ever put up. ~ sounds like the basis of an 'Old Iris Lament'! LOL
hespiris

Unless there is a major problem next spring, I should have at least three
clumps of the brown to divide. They are vigorous growers and should have
many rz's.