1938, Cousins
'Great Lakes' (L. W. Cousins, R. 1938). TB-Midseason bloom. Color Class B1L. ('Dominion' x unknown) x 'Conquistador' x unknown). Cooley 1938. American Dykes Medal 1942.
A notation indicates it has a fragrance similar to magnolias.
See below:
From Cooley's Gardens catalog for 1938: In our ten years experience of introducing iris novelties, we have never placed an iris in commerce without having seen it. We are making the first exception in this case, for reports from Canada indicate that here, at last, is the perfect blue. "It has all the attributes of a good iris . . . tall (42 inches) and well branched. Color is a light blue, about the same depth of tone as Shining Waters but nearer true blue. Standards are closed, no veining at the haft, and the shape of the flower is excellent. We have been hybridizing iris ever since Vilmorin introduced Ambassadeur and Ballerine, and of many thousands raised this is the first one considered for introduction." So says Lyman Cousins, London, Ontario, the hybridizer. Each $10.00." |
From a Wayside Gardens catalog from 1949 : "Winner of the Dykes Medal in 1942, this is about the finest light pure blue. Of splendid mein with a pronounced flare, stiff, crispy petal texture, it is strikingly fine. Fine stems of good height, well branched, Rugged and hardy, we highly recommend it." |
1951 Iris Catalog from Tell's Iris Gardens: " 'Great Lakes' (Cousins '38) M. (Dominion seedling X Conquistador seedling) Quality blue that has been widely used as a parent and with great success." |
"Great Lakes is not an American iris it might be mentioned here. Its branching is remarkable, especially in these days when everything seems to be sacrificed to colour and when one is frequently called upon to admire flowers of a new colour placed singly at alternate intervals on a somewhat bare stem. But as seen in England Great Lakes is not as pure a "blue" as some of the older varieties and the texture is not as smooth and satiny as one would like, or as one expected from the "write-ups." This is not merely a personal opinion; I heard it expressed by several well known Iris growers this summer when the iris seemed to be really well established and showing its quality better than it has done in previous years." [Gwendolyn Anley, (England), “American Irises in English Gardens,” The Bulletin of the American Iris Society, No. 107, “Iris Ramblings” (October 1947): 8.] |
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Interested in Tall Bearded Iris? Please visit the: Tall Bearded Iris Society website.
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-- KentPfeiffer - 2010-05-
I | Attachment | Action | Size | Date | Who | Comment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
JPG | GreatLakes01.JPG | manage | 48 K | 24 Nov 2014 - 19:19 | Main.TLaurin | Photo by Bluebird Haven Iris Garden |
JPG | GreatLakes02.JPG | manage | 68 K | 26 Mar 2014 - 02:44 | Main.TLaurin | Photo by Blue J Iris |
JPG | GreatLakes03.JPG | manage | 66 K | 26 Mar 2014 - 02:45 | Main.TLaurin | Photo by Blue J Iris |
jpg | GreatLakes1.jpg | manage | 980 K | 17 Oct 2018 - 14:26 | Main.TLaurin | Photo by Lori Rhodes-Crafton Hills Iris Farm. |
JPG | GreatLakes38Cousins.JPG | manage | 69 K | 14 May 2010 - 20:57 | KentPfeiffer | Sass Memorial Garden near Ashland, Nebraska |
JPG | GreatLakes4kp2.JPG | manage | 69 K | 04 Jan 2013 - 21:07 | KentPfeiffer | Taken at the Sass Memorial Garden near Ashland, Nebraska on April 24, 2012 |
JPG | GreatLakesCoussins38akp.JPG | manage | 45 K | 12 Jan 2011 - 20:10 | KentPfeiffer | Taken at the Sass Memorial Garden near Ashland, Nebraska on May 17, 2010 |
jpg | GreatLakesRT.jpg | manage | 30 K | 22 Jan 2012 - 17:50 | Main.Betsy881 | Photo by Rick Tasco |
JPG | Great_Lakes.JPG GreatLakesSI.JPG | manage | 69 218 K | 15 Feb 2011 14 Apr 2019 - 13:41 20:34 | IrisP Main.TLaurin | Photo by Sandy Ives. |
jpg JPG | Great_Lakes.jpg Great_Lakes.JPG | manage | 18 69 K | 06 Dec 2010 15 Feb 2011 - 18:28 13:41 | UnknownUser IrisP | Courtesy of Mike Lowe from original HIPS website |
jpg | IMG_7676.jpg Great_Lakes.jpg | manage | 282 18 K | 21 06 Dec 2018 2010 - 14:58 18:28 | Main.davepote UnknownUser | Photo by David Potembski, Presby 2016 Courtesy of Mike Lowe from original HIPS website |
jpg | TB-Great-Lakes.jpg IMG_7676.jpg | manage | 41 282 K | 21 Oct 2010 Dec 2018 - 16:30 14:58 | EleanorHutchison Main.davepote | Don McQueen photo, London, Ont, Canada Photo by David Potembski, Presby 2016 Z5 |
jpg | great-lakes3.jpg TB-Great-Lakes.jpg | manage | 67 41 K | 17 21 Oct 2015 2010 - 22:50 16:30 | Main.mikeu EleanorHutchison | Photo by Mike Unser Don McQueen photo, London, Ont, Canada Z5 |
jpg | greatlakes01.jpg great-lakes3.jpg | manage | 44 67 K | 21 Aug 2014 17 Oct 2015 - 18:46 22:50 | Main.TLaurin Main.mikeu | Photo by Iris City Mike Unser Gardens |
jpg | greatlakes02.jpg greatlakes01.jpg | manage | 24 44 K | 12 Sep 21 Aug 2014 - 22:15 18:46 | Main.TLaurin | Photo by Seagate Irises-United Kingdom Iris City Gardens |
JPG jpg | greatlakes03.JPG greatlakes02.jpg | manage | 73 24 K | 25 Oct 12 Sep 2014 - 13:09 22:15 | Main.TLaurin | Photo by Don McQueen,London, Ont. Seagate Irises-United Kingdom Canada Zone5. |
jpg JPG | greatlakes04.jpg greatlakes03.JPG | manage | 78 73 K | 06 Jun 25 Oct 2014 - 16:55 13:09 | Main.TLaurin | Photo by Rosalie Figge Don McQueen,London, Ont. Canada Zone5. |
jpg | greatlakes05.jpg greatlakes04.jpg | manage | 43 78 K | 04 06 Jun 2015 2014 - 03:14 16:55 | Main.TLaurin | Photo by Andi Rivarola Rosalie Figge |
JPG jpg | greatlakes06.JPG greatlakes05.jpg | manage | 68 43 K | 02 Apr 2019 04 Jun 2015 - 02:09 03:14 | Main.TLaurin | Photo by Don McQueen-London,Ont.-Canada Andi Rivarola Zone 5 |
JPG | greatlakes07.JPG greatlakes06.JPG | manage | 185 68 K | 04 02 Apr 2019 - 20:27 02:09 | Main.TLaurin | Photo by Don McQueen-London,Ont.-Canada Zone 5 |
JPG | greatlakes1.JPG greatlakes07.JPG | manage | 290 185 K | 28 Aug 2017 04 Apr 2019 - 20:33 20:27 | Main.TLaurin | Photo by Kate Brewitt taken at Don McQueen-London,Ont.-Canada Zone 5 the Royal Botanical Gardens-Hamilton,Ontario,Canada |
JPG | greatlakes2.JPG greatlakes1.JPG | manage | 283 290 K | 28 Aug 2017 - 20:35 20:33 | Main.TLaurin | Photo by Kate Brewitt taken at the Royal Botanical Gardens-Hamilton,Ontario,Canada |
JPG | greatlakes3.JPG greatlakes2.JPG | manage | 302 283 K | 28 Aug 2017 - 20:37 20:35 | Main.TLaurin | Photo by Kate Brewitt taken at the Royal Botanical Gardens-Hamilton,Ontario,Canada |
JPG | greatlakes4.JPG greatlakes3.JPG | manage | 294 302 K | 21 Feb 2019 28 Aug 2017 - 02:29 20:37 | Main.TLaurin | Photo by Don McQueen-taken Kate Brewitt taken at the Royal Botanical Garden-Hamilton-Ontario-Canada Gardens-Hamilton,Ontario,Canada |
JPG | greatlakes5.JPG greatlakes4.JPG | manage | 140 294 K | 20 Mar 21 Feb 2019 - 02:29 | Main.TLaurin | Photo by Don McQueen-London,Ont.-Canada Zone 5 McQueen-taken at Royal Botanical Garden-Hamilton-Ontario-Canada |
JPG | greatlakes6.JPG greatlakes5.JPG | manage | 144 140 K | 21 20 Mar 2019 - 02:15 02:29 | Main.TLaurin | Photo by Don McQueen-London,Ont.-Canada Zone 5 |
JPG | greatlakes7.JPG greatlakes6.JPG | manage | 214 144 K | 24 21 Mar 2019 - 20:40 02:15 | Main.TLaurin | Photo by Don McQueen-London,Ont.-Canada Zone 5 |
JPG | greatlakes8.JPG greatlakes7.JPG | manage | 48 214 K | 13 Jan 2014 24 Mar 2019 - 03:12 20:40 | Main.TLaurin | Photo by Winterberry Gardens Don McQueen-London,Ont.-Canada Zone 5 |
JPG | greatlakes9.JPG greatlakes8.JPG | manage | 122 48 K | 24 Mar 2019 13 Jan 2014 - 23:39 03:12 | Main.TLaurin | Photo by Don McQueen-London,Ont.-Canada Winterberry Gardens Zone 5 |
JPG | greatlakes9.JPG | manage | 122 K | 24 Mar 2019 - 23:39 | Main.TLaurin | Photo by Don McQueen-London,Ont.-Canada Zone 5 |