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Hybridizer Geddes Douglas --(1902-1993)

Nashville, Tennessee, USA

Geddes Douglas is one of the namesakes for the Cook-Douglas Medal, the highest award given by The American Iris Society strictly to Standard Dwarf Bearded Irises. He was also honored by the American Iris Society with the Hybridizer Award in 1949.

NOTE: Douglas registered a number of Irises in the mid 1950's when the classification system for Irises was changing. The new present system classified Irises by height first then bloom season. The old rules placed many MDBs and SDBs (by height) in the Intermediate Class because of their bloom season. The following list shows the present classification, despite the original registration class.

The highlight of the meeting was Geddes Douglas's talk on objectives for hybridizers, and his comments on the AIS slides which were shown just before his talk. Geddes stressed the need for breeding for longer season of bloom by the development of earlier bloomers and late bloomers. He pointed out that there are lots of fine midseason sorts, but few intermediates and few good late bloomers. Then he went on to speak of work that needs to be done with the Louisiana irises, the spurias, and the evansias. The tall bearded sorts, he said, need to be made into better garden plants with new colors and with special attention to substance and hardiness. We need to breed for period of growth in this respect, he said, because it is not the early bloomers that freeze out but the early starters. One of his most startling comments, but surely a true one, was, "No iris has bad branching if it performs its function." He elaborated on this by stating that placement of bloom on the stalk to avoid bunching is more important than wide branching. [David R. Kinish, O.S.B. (Kans.), “Region 18 Puts on a Spring Iris Festival”, The Bulletin of the American Iris Society, No. 110 (July 1948): 48.]

Registrations/Introductions:

Border Bearded: 'Billet Doux', 'Colonial Dame',

Intermediate Bearded: 'Billet Doux', 'Bonnie Lass', 'Garnet Treasure', 'Happy Thought', 'Jack O Hearts', 'Lilligoldput', 'Little Shadow', 'Merry Maker', 'Pagan Midget', 'Royal Midget',

Louisianas: 'Big Dove',

Miniature Dwarf Bearded: 'Brownie'.

Species: 'Prismatica Tullahoma'

Standard Dwarf Bearded: 'Dark Star', 'Garnet Treasure', 'Happy Thought', 'Helen's Child', 'Jack O Hearts', 'Lillipinkput', 'Lilliput', 'Little Rosy Wings', 'Little Shadow', 'Merry Maker', 'Pagan Midget', 'Picture Yellow', 'Pigmy Gold', 'Pogo', 'Red Rockette', 'Royal Midget', 'Small Wonder', 'Tinkerbell'.

Tall Bearded: 'Amandine' 1946, 'Bali Hai', 'Blue Refrain', 'Bright Hour' 1952, 'Caledonia', 'Calypso', 'Carousel', 'Cherry Falls' 1953, 'Chicory Blue', 'Clara Mae Adair', 'Copper Glow', 'Cover Girl', 'Criterion', 'Dividend', 'Doris Templeton', 'Drum Major', 'Dutch Boy', 'Etoile D'Or', 'Extravaganza' 1944, 'Francesca', 'Ganymede', 'Gaylord' 1949, 'Girl Friday', 'Gold Anthem', 'Jim Dandy', 'Katie Bell', 'Lady Love', 'Late Snow', 'Lela Dixon', 'Louise McCoy', 'Lucifer', Mimosa Gold', 'Nancy Hardison', 'Northman', 'Olympian', 'Olympic Star', 'Pagan Gold', 'Pagan Princess' 1948, 'Pagan Royal', 'Pagan Sunset', 'Phoebe', 'Queen's Taste', 'Red Majesty', 'Sarah Goodloe', 'Scarlett O'Hara', 'Sharkskin', 'Silver Sunlight', 'Snow Drop', 'Spotlight Jewel', 'Starbright', 'Sue Revell', 'Sweet Regrets', 'Syllabub', 'Ten O'Clock Scholar', 'Themesong', 'Titian Lady', 'Titian Princess', 'Treasure Chest', 'Tricolor', 'White Prince'.

-- BobPries - 2011-09-28
Topic revision: r30 - 28 Feb 2023, BrewItt
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