Showing posts with label MIke Unser. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MIke Unser. Show all posts

Monday, November 21, 2022

Iris tenax - A wild population in Thurston County, WA


by Mike Unser

While exploring trails and State wildlife preserves in my local area several years ago, I found a wild population of Iris tenax, our local species in the Pacific Coast Iris family. I'd seen this species in the area before, but it was always in open grasslands and prairie preserves. Clumps of irises were growing along a shaded maintenance road and in open spaces with higher moisture content than open prairie lands provide.

Beside the road I. tenax seemed to be happily growing with little direct sunlight and competing with woodland. The clumps were open and not as dense as those found in full sun. Stalks tended to be more vertical and less arching.

The foliage was narrow and grass-like.

The blooms ranged in shade from lighter to darker in tones of orchid pink thru lavender, often with yellow signal markings and lighter fall lines. I caught a white clump blooming once but have not seen it since.

The flowers had flaring petals and enough waving on the falls to make the tips appear pointed. Quite a charming wildflower.

Further down the road the area opens out a bit and the woods recede to the edges of the clearing where  homes once stood. I am guessing they housed people working at the munitions factories in the area during the great wars of the early 20th century. Both homes and factories are long gone, but remnants of them can be found if you keep a sharp eye out.

The open areas are mowed every few years to keep the invasive Scotch broom down. This doesn't seem to harm the irises.

Some have deeper more intense colors to catch the eye.


There were even some very short ones blooming in the middle of the road.



This last one is my favorite. It was a very silvery-toned lilac. Quite unique in the population. I marked it and later scavenged a few seeds from which I have managed to get a single plant growing in the garden. Hoping it retains that unique color. We'll find out next spring. Now if that white one would just turn up again. Would love to get seed from it as well.

  

Monday, June 27, 2022

Photo Essay: Rainbows and Rainy Days

by Mike Unser

It was a long, cold, wet spring in the Pacific Northwest. Thankfully, I love photographing irises when they are sparkling in the wet. 

Here are some of my favorite photos taken this year of the historic irises in my collection.










 Would you you like to see more historic irises? Check out Historic Iris Preservation Society photo gallery, or the Virtual Historic Display Garden I prepared for the 2022 AIS National Convention

Monday, April 4, 2022

Getting Started: Early-Blooming Historic Irises

by Mike Unser

As bloom season gets underway, I look forward to seeing early-blooming historic irises. The following is a brief selection of some of my favorite varieties:

Iris albicans 

Iris albicans is a messy little flower, but loved by many across the southern United States. This variety is often one of the first irises in bloom. Although known since ancient times in the Middle East, no one is exactly sure where this species originated. 


I. germanica var. vulgaris

I. germanica var. vulgaris is also one of the first to bloom in my garden. A low bud count means this variety doesn't show off for long, but the color is so rich and welcome in spring that I forgive its brief appearance. It has a lovely fragrance too.


'Crimson King'

'Crimson King', another of the old wild collected I. germanica varieties found in Europe, is always a welcome guest. This iris is ubiquitous on the west coast of the United States. I love the heavy purple coloration on the spathes. 


'Eleanor Roosevelt'

The rich color tones of 'Eleanor Roosevelt' are such a treat, especially set off by the jaunty blue beard.


'Primavera'

'Primavera' never fails to thrill in cool lemonade tones. A very good grower and bloomer.


'Red Orchid'

And last, the always reliable 'Red Orchid'. This variety has bloomed for me every year since I added it to my garden. An old friend that is constantly changing as the light plays over it throughout the day.

Monday, January 31, 2022

Photo Essay: Kleinsorge Browns

by Mike Unser

Dr. Rudolph E. Kleinsorge introduced his creations from 1929 to 1962. He was renowned for his brown and brown-blended irises, many of which were instrumental in the development and advancement of later varieties. In this photo essay, I share a selection of his brown varieties that I grow. They are listed alphabetically with year of introduction in parenthesis.

'Aztec Copper' (1939) displays colors of smoky violet blended with copper.


'Beechleaf' (1955) has a brown self pattern overlaid with violet.


'Black and Gold' (1943) with striking variegata pattern.


'Bryce Canyon' (1944) is named for displaying similar colors to the rock formations in the National Park in Utah.

'Buckskin' (1939) with namesake tan color.


'Calcutta' (1938) has delicate tones of cocoa-brown.

'Crown Prince' (1932) is a variegata with orange-yellow standards and dark, red-brown falls.


'El Paso' (1949) has a luminous, golden-brown color.

'Fortune' (1941) with lively old-gold coloration. 


'Gypsy' (1944) with delicate coppery-gold standards and solid chestnut brown falls.


'Oregon Trail' (1943) was named to honor the 100th anniversary of the Oregon statehood.


'Pretty Quadroon' (1948) in coppery tan with brown beards.


'Thotmes III' (1950) was named for a pharaoh who sent an expedition to gather plants, which included irises.
 

If you would like to learn more about Dr. Kleinsorge, I created a video presentation about his life and legacy in irises.



Monday, October 11, 2021

Photo Essay: Let There Be Light!

by Mike Unser

One of the joys of iris photography for me is capturing the sunlight playing thru the blooms. It is especially dramatic just after sunrise or before sunset when the light comes in at an angle, making for intense colors and shadows. 

Here are a few of my favorite photos from the 2021 bloom season featuring sunlight.

'Treasure Island'




'Kathryn Fryer'





 


 

 



Read more about these irises using the following links to the Iris Encyclopedia: