Lloyd Austin

Countless thousands of iris lovers the world around have found fun and high adventure in the pages of the colorful catalog from Rainbow Hybridizing Gardens at Placerville, California. It reflects the personality of its author, Lloyd Austin, whose boundless creative imagination led him to adventuresome experiment, to seek the unique and unknown, and with daring and courage to introduce new, and sometimes startling, creations to the conventional iris world.
....Lloyd Austin was born in Westfield, Massachusetts, in 1898. After service in World War I, he became an instructor at the University of California's College of Agriculture at Davis, in the Pomology Department. In 1925, he became the first director of the Institute of Forest Genetics at Placerville. For a time just prior to the establishment in 1946 of his own Rainbow Hybridizing Gardens, he was associated with the late Carl Salbach in Berkeley.
....As a plant breeder, Lloyd Austin's achievements were monumental. He perhaps more than anyone else was responsible for promoting wide interest in the exotic and difficult aril species. He imported them from the world's far corners in great quantities. He conducted extensive breeding and cultural experiments to develop them into garden plants. His manuals on their habits and culture are basic reference for aril enthusiasts. He introduced many named forms of regelias and oncocyclus species, and exotically beautiful hybrids. Honorable Mentions were awarded his PERSIAN LACE in 1956 and PERSIAN BRONZE in 1957. His lovely, nearly true gold oncobred, REAL GOLD, is one of the most popular of its type. He discontinued the large-scale growing of the arils in the late 1950's but remained an enthusiastic supporter in affairs of the Aril Society, International. Those privileged to view his magnificent exhibit of these strange and beautiful irises during the 1956 Convention in Los Angeles surely will never forget them.
....Lloyd's accomplishments in development of reblooming irises are noteworthy, and it was largely through his effort that iris lovers throughout the world became attracted to them. Among his introductions are AUTUMN PRINCESS, BLUE SURPRISE, DECEMBER ROYALTY, and THANKSGIVING FIRELIGHT.
....When small, horn-like protuberances began to turn up on some of his seedlings, Lloyd became intrigued. He pursued the adventure until he developed the first truly horned iris, UNICORN, which was a sensation among collectors of odd and unusual irises. His work in this line led him to develop the famous Space Age irises, the spooned and flounced creations which cause much attention wherever they are seen. Among these are SPOONED PREMIERE, FLOUNCED LOVELINESS, and FLOUNCED PREMIERE.
....In the past couple of years Lloyd had begun to reduce the scope of his large commercial garden and planned to continue with a smaller, less demanding one. On February 7th, Lloyd Austin passed away suddenly of an acute heart occlusion. He is survived by his wife, Grace, two daughters and a son, and nine grandchildren. Mrs. Austin will carry on the operation of the garden this year and introduce the latest Austin irises to the public.
PEGGY BURKE GREY

Photograph of Mr. Austin was taken in the Fred DeForest garden, Canby, Oregon, May 21, 1960.

April 1963 Bulletin