Development Of Border Bearded Irises (under construction)

From the "The World of Irises" Chapter 6, by Bennett C. Jones © 1978 AIS

THE BORDER BEARDEDS

Border irises are the last of the median group to bloom, usually blooming with their larger counterparts, the tall beardeds. Geddes Douglas suggested the term Border Irises for the short plants that appeared among the seedlings of hybridizers working with the tall bearded irises. Before this term was officially adopted these smaller talls had been classed as intermetliates. The older border irises included, in addition to the smaller and shorter tetraploids, some smaller diploids such as Kenneth Smith's 'Pink Ruffles', a 1940 introduction still grown in many gardens, and well under the required height limit of 10 cm (27 inches) of the rules eventually set by the American Iris Society's classification.

'Black Forest', a 1944 Schreiner introduction, was also relegated to the newly established border class and these two irises, though larger than what was later accepted as ideal for the class, became the criteria for border plants. Many hybridizers, unwilling to compost the delightful short tall beardeds, introduced them as border iris varieties regardless of flower size, and others introduced varieties with small flowers on tall stalks also as border irises. None of these are now considered suitable.

Harold Knowlton was among the first to make deliberate selections of smaller plants. Two of his 1950 introductions, 'Pearl Cup', with pearly white standards and amethyst-blue falls, and 'Crickett', an orange-yellow and red-brown variegata, display the desirable features we still seek in modern border irises.

In 1956 Margaret Albright released 'Yellow Dresden', a bright light yellow with ruffled flaring falls. It won the first Knowlton Award (the Medal was instituted later), and proved to have great parental value. In the same year, Fisher Harris's 'Little Gem', ruffled lacy rose pink, met with wide acclaim. Crescent Deru's 1959 'Chocoleto', in rich metallic brown, was still another Utah border iris with perfect form and proportion.

In 1957 L. Fitz Randolph introduced 'Black and Blue', which had deep blue standards and blue-black, flaring falls, with ideal proportion. 'Frenchi', from Jones in 1959, with orchid standards and rose-violet falls, seemed sheer perfection in form and proportion-an outstanding example for hybridizers working in this class. In the same year Kleinsorge released 'Penny Arcade', in bright shiny copper, and 'Pinata', with violet standards and flaring buff-golden falls. Both had fine proportion.

By 1960, in spite of the tendency of the border irises to grow overlarge in some gardens, the concentrated efforts of the Median Society in promoting plants with proportionate flowers and foliage were showing favorable results. 'Jungle Shadows', with sultry slate-gray standards tinged with olive and brown-hafted falls fading to grayed violet, had ideal proportions; and Muhlestein's 'Saucy Peach' series in various tones of pink met the classification requirements.

The ruffled bright yellow 'Tulare', 1961, (figure 1) came from two border-sized yellow seedlings: 'Ruffled Organdy' x 'Rosedale' produced the pod parent, and a Muhlestein seedling from 'Golden Flash' x 'Yellow Dresden' was the pollen parent, a parentage mainly evolved from small-flowered or short-stemmed grandparents. 'Tulare' received the first Knowlton Medal, in 1966. Brizendine's 'Little Reb', also a 1961 introduction, is a well-proportioned border iris with deep violet standards and white falls stitched with violet. In 1963, the introduction of near black 'Little Sambo' and pale violet-white 'Debbie Ann'-both with ideal form and proportion-indicated that the requirements for the border iris class were being recognized.

Progress in the border class can be measured by the introduction of irises that receive high awards because they meet the requirements for proper size and height. 'Crystal Bay', white with blue-bordered falls, received the Knowlton Medal in 1971. The lacy pale pink 1965 introduction, 'Lace Valentine', was the 1972 winner; and 'Bride's Pearls', a flaring, lacy white, was the recipient in 1973. 'Miss Petite' (figure 1), a ruffled, creamy yellow bitone with deep yellow beards, and 'Mexicali' (figure 1), with yellow standards and white falls with cinnamon brown markings, are also popular varieties that meet the requirements of this class.

GARDEN USES

The uses of border irises in the garden are as varied as the imagination. Ideally suited to the small garden where taller irises might be out of scale, they are also a better choice in areas where strong winds are a hazard. Use them near the front of the border where they will not be overpowered by taller irises and more vigorous perennials. Choose as their companions plants that are not invasive and which enjoy similar conditions of soil, light and moisture. Geum, dianthus, violas, iberis, pyrethrum, columbine, and the campanulas are desirable and compatible perennials of the proper size. For arrangements, the small-flowered border irises are ideal (Deru 1958, 1967). Border irises require the same cultural practices as those prescribed for their taller relatives.

THE BORDER IRISES OF TOMORROW (Published in 1979)

Hybridizers of any iris type should consider proportion a major factor in making their selections, but with border irises this quality is of primary importance. Because of the attitude of the public toward small irises, it is unlikely that the border irises will become generally popular until both the plant and the flower are truly miniaturized, accepted in their own right, and grown for their own purposes. The flowers must be smaller than those presently permitted in the class, and their stems must be of proportionate thickness and height. Although a rigid mathematical formula can never be set for proportion, an approximate ideal may be determined by eye. Border iris specialists once made a study of flower size in relation to height and determined that by their own value judgments, the plants whose flower stalks seemed to have the most satisfying balance had stalks measuring in height approximately three times as much as the height-plus-width measurement of the flower. Thus a plant with flowers 12.5 cm (5 inches) wide and 9 cm (3.5 inches) high, looked best to the eye with stalks approximately 64 cm (25.5 inches) in height (MIS 1966-67).

The foliage of the plant is all-important, in its quantity, its size and proportion, its health and coloring, its substance and texture, and in its overall balance with the flowering scapes. Because there is no established ideal flower form, the hybridizer may express himself in ways limited only by nature and his own imagination. Lace and ruffling are fashionable, but as the border iris flowers become increasingly smaller, the grace and charm of the more tailored flower should be remembered.

Although the original border irises occurred as small segregates among progenies of tall bearded seedlings, a few hybridizers are now seriously working to produce improved border iris plants with flowers of medium or small size suited to their particular uses. Working with existing border irises that most nearly approach the stated goals of excellence is a better method than selecting small variants from tall bearded irises, since the small plants found among the tall beardeds are often naturally weak, increasing slowly and blooming sparsely. Moreover, the plant that is border height in one garden may grow out of class in other gardens, a far too common occurrence.

Crosses between two of the better border bearded varieties are more likely to produce acceptable seedlings than are crosses between such varieties and tall beardeds. The use of intermediate irises in crosses with border irises has been encouraging. It is possible that these crosses may produce smaller and more refined border irises in fewer generations. The hybridizer might also consider introducing some of the species into his hybridizing program, though to do so will demand more patience-and perhaps ' several more generations-to achieve the same objectives.

JUDGING STANDARDS

A judge should consider a border iris from the same standpoint as that of the careful hybridizer. Do not overlook the stem, branching, form, color and health of the plant, of course, but , remember also that a border iris must be recognizable as distinct from a tall bearded iris. Overly large stems, foliage, or flowers are faults which should not be ignored. A border iris is not a stunted tall bearded iris. It has character and quality of its own, which justify its separate classification and awards.

====================================================================================================== The next chapter on "The World of Irises" is Chapter 7 Reblooming Irises. This is followed by The Miniature Dwarf Irises in Chapter 8 and it is not until Chapter 9 that we return to the Medians with the Standard Dwarf bearded.

Previous Chapter 5 is The Median Iris Introduction and the Miniature Tall Beardeds ====================================================================================================== For more information on historic Irises visit the Historic Iris Preservation Society at http://www.historiciris.org/

-- BobPries - 2015-12-01
Topic revision: r6 - 24 Jan 2021, WayneMesser
This site is powered by FoswikiCopyright © by the contributing authors. All material on this collaboration platform is the property of the contributing authors.
Ideas, requests, problems regarding Iris Wiki? Send feedback