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21. SWEET LAVENDER. Here I expect I am making many irisarians gasp again. It is true that SWEET LAVENDER is a smallish flower but it is a darling ! Its slim, elegant stem (2 ft. 9 in.), its somewhat unusual colouring (rosy-lilac standards, lilac falls-- a contrast which our Editor finds "subtly charming)," and its appearance rather late in the season when we are regretting the passing of many favourites, all tend to enshrine it in our hearts. Give it good treatment and it will reward you.
22. GRACE STURTEVANT. Although in the fullness of time this may come to be discarded by the advanced grower if he becomes finicky, I have decided to give it a run because it is a startling piece of colour, almost a velvety black, glorified by a golden beard. In the garden it refuses to be ignored. Height 3 feet.
23. EVELYN BENSON. Carmine is not a favourite colour with me, nor, as far as I can hear, with many people, although there may be a fashionable and passing craze for it now and then, but EVELYN BENSON is such a good doer that it must go into this collection for that reason and because it is a good representative of its colour. It has been a toss-up with me whether I should include it or IMPERATOR, but I fancy that EVELYN makes the better garden clump--if you want a good parent for crossing, choose IMPERATOR in its place. It increases very rapidly and its form and proportion are good. If its position is judiciously chosen in relation to other colours it will be acceptable to the beginner, at least until he begins to pick and choose for himself. Height 3 ft. 3 in.
24. HESTER PRYNNE. This creation of Bliss is a decided step nearer the red which is being aimed at by so many hybridisers. Seen in front of the westering sun it is triumphantly red, and at all times of the day evokes admiration. It is not a tall flower, say 2 ft. 9 in. to 3 feet, and could in fact do with a few more inches of stem. Its form is excellent. Increase is fairly good.
25. YVES LASSAILLY. A healthy grower and very prolific of offshoots Quite floriferous. Not an unflecked white but its slight blue markings are so faint that the garden effect is white, and a certain number of whites must be planted to relieve the colour groupings of the pronounced tones of blue, red, brown, etc. You can, for instance place it usefully between say, EVELYN BENSON and a blue-purple. Height 3 ft. 9 in.
26. ANNE MARIE CAYEUX. When stout substance and exquisite texture are added to other good points, as in ANNE MARIE CAYEUX, an Iris calls for recognition and has a strong claim upon our notice. I cannot think of any serious defect. A late mid-season variety, averaging 3 feet. It is difficult to describe the colouring, so as Mrs. Murrell is a sound judge of colour I will quote her description, viz., standards pinky-lilac shot with grey, falls a metallic blue on grey.
27. FRIEDA MOHR. A magnificent lilac bicolor. Considered at first to be tender, or semi-tender, this splendid variety has proved quite hardy at Orpington, Esher and other places. It is a robust grower and a good increaser, and its large flowers are perfect in form. The stems run to 4 feet in height, and it has a prolonged flowering period beginning in mid-season. Added to all these good points it has a delicious fragrance.
28. PETREA. This shares with HESTER PRYNNE, BRASIER and WILDFIRE the honour of redness, in fact at times I have fancied it is redder than HESTER PRYNNE. It is extraordinarily prolific in increase and appears to be quite healthy of constitution. Its stem (2 ft. 6 in.) is perhaps a little too short, but then the flower is small so we won't wish it other than it is.
29. SIR MICHAEL cannot be omitted although in late years its stock has depreciated. Admired chiefly, I imagine, on account of the beautiful red-brown hafts-blue and bronzy brown as a combination has a special claim on my affections. Standards are lavender-blue and the falls a deep blue-purple. The stems are uniformly 3 ft. 6 in. in height.
30. FEDALMA. A large plicata with standards of reddish-violet and white falls with plum markings. The hafts are reddish-brown at the edges and this colouring extends unusually far down the falls, I.e. for a third of their length. An early mid-season flower, utterly dependable, and makes many good offsets. Height 3 ft. 6 in.
30A. TRUE CHARM. I find that many people do not like plicatas with dark markings and I am therefore giving TRUE CHARM as an alternative to No. 30, although it has never been one of my favourites. It is a tallish variety (3 ft. 3 in.), standards and falls white with delicate markings of lavender-blue, and is often picked out by visitors. It is a good doer and makes numerous offshoots.
This selection of Thirty leaves many fine Irises which would
be alternatively chosen by good judges: Corrida, Gleam, Sahara,
Cantabile, Marjorie Tinley, Cebalieri, Lent A. Williamson, Ruby
Perry, Mary Barnett, Rhodes, Joyance, Romance, Alice Harding,
Ann Page, Maisie Lowe, Melchior, Natividad, Cheerio, Rialgar,
and so on and so on.
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