Favorite hybridizers: Arthur Bliss. 'Pioneer' from 1924 is a nice red-violet on tall stems. Excellent grower and bloomer. 🌱

Favorite hybridizers: Arthur Bliss. 'Mystic' from 1920 is a fresh and light bloom on a smaller scale than the others. 🌱

Meezer at the door for #Caturday. 🐈

Favorite hybridizers: Arthur Bliss. 'Mrs. Valerie West' from 1925 is so plush and richly colored, with falls like velvet. It was a low grower for me, but the blooms were worth the wait. 🌱

Favorite hybridizers: Arthur Bliss. 'Majestic' was introduced in 1923 and is a very good grower and bloomer. You can see that within just a few years of breeding he was already getting wider more rounded falls. Love these rich jewel tones. 🌱

Favorite hybridizers: Arthur Bliss. 1919 also brought us 'Lurline'. Tall and rosy. The color palette was limited in these early tetraploids, but that would not last for long. 🌱

Favorite hybridizers: Arthur Bliss. 'Lady Byng' from 1922 is lovely in shades of rosy lilac, with some soft gold at the hafts. The lady in question was the wife of the 12th Gov.-General of Canada. I only had this one a short time, so only a couple of photos. 🌱

Favorite hybridizers: Arthur Bliss. 'Duke Of Bedford' from 1919 is richly colored and really catches the eye. It was a great grower and bloomer for me. 🌱 A child of the 'Dominion' I posted yesterday.

Favorite hybridizers: Arthur Bliss. 'Dominion' from 1917 is legendary in the iris world. One of the first tetraploids and behind most TBs today. This iris changed everything. Sadly it is a poor grower and hard to find. Beautiful flower when it is happy tho. 🌱

Favorite hybridizers: Arthur Bliss. 'Clematis' from 1917 is such a fun iris. Sometimes it looks normal, but other times it is a flattie in form. If I remember correctly it is the temperature during bud development that decides. The warmer the flatter. Would be an IB or BB by today's standards. 🌱

Favorite hybridizers: Arthur Bliss. I had 'Carfax', from 1930, for several years. It was such a rich red-violet color and really caught the light. Excellent grower and bloomer. Named for a tower at Oxford University. 🌱

All tucked in for #Caturday. 🐈

Arthur J. Bliss was an English hybridizer working in the early 20th century. He brought a scientific focus to breeding and worked with newly discovered early tetraploids, which created a revolution in garden #irises. This is 'Cardinal' from 1919. Incredible form and color for its day. 🌱

Favorite hybridizers: Grace Sturtevant, America's First Lady of #Irises. Two final photos, before we move on. First, a photo of the lady herself, and a photo of her iris namesake, 'Grace Sturtevant' by Arthur Bliss from 1926. Both lovely. 🌱

Favorite hybridizers: Grace Sturtevant, America's First Lady of #Irises. 'Vishnu' from 1924 is quite the unique variety for its day. Very different in color effect, and a lovely garden iris. Good grower and bloomer too. 🌱 This is the last of the Sturtevant irises I have grown and shot. So far...

Favorite hybridizers: Grace Sturtevant, America's First Lady of #Irises. One of her last introductions, this is 'Valiant' from 1937. One of my all-time favorites. The color combo with the lavender and old gold with bronze reticulations is just lovely. 🌱

Favorite hybridizers: Grace Sturtevant, America's First Lady of #Irises. 'True Delight' is very similar to yesterday's 'True Charm', but with light red-violet stitching instead of lavender-blue. Equally as charming. 🌱

Favorite hybridizers: Grace Sturtevant, America's First Lady of #Irises. 'True Charm' from 1920 is a charming cream white lightly penciled in lavender around the edges of the petals. A very nice plicata for its day and popular with collectors. A good grower and bloomer. 🌱

We had a nice sunbreak yesterday and Miss Pearl enjoyed the warmth. I love how her eyes light up in the sunshine. My sweet goblin princess. 🐈‍⬛ #Caturday

Favorite hybridizers: Grace Sturtevant, America's First Lady of #Irises. 'Tid-Bit' from 1925 is considered an MTB by modern classifications. It is an elegant little gem, with dainty, flaring blooms. 🌱

Favorite hybridizers: Grace Sturtevant, America's First Lady of #Irises. 'Taj Mahal' from 1920 is one of the first tall whites to come along. It took hybridizers many years to develop height in white and yellow irises and this one debuted to rave reviews. 🌱

Favorite hybridizers: Grace Sturtevant, America's First Lady of #Irises. 'Sindjkha' from 1918 is very commonly found in gardens around the US. A fantastic grower and bloomer. Beautiful too. 🌱

Favorite hybridizers: Grace Sturtevant, America's First Lady of #Irises. 'Sherbert' is a nice little variegata blend from 1918. I must not have kept this one for long. Only have pics from a single year of blooms. Love the colors, but 'Rameses surpassed it in form and performance in the 30s. 🌱

Favorite hybridizers: Grace Sturtevant, America's First Lady of #Irises. 'Sea Foam' is an Intermediate Bearded (IB) from 1927. This was never a good grower nor bloomer for me. Pretty little flowers tho. 🌱

Favorite hybridizers: Grace Sturtevant, America's First Lady of #Irises. 'Rialgar' is a sweet little IB from 1924. So many of her varieties are perfectly sized for a small garden setting. 🌱

‪Favorite hybridizers: Grace Sturtevant, America's First Lady of #Irises. 'Queen Caterina' from 1918 is a nice lavender-blue with gilded haft reticulations. Later blues surpassed it, but it was queen of its day. 🌱

#Caturday is for snoozing in sunbeams. 🐈

Favorite hybridizers: Grace Sturtevant, America's First Lady of #Irises. 'Primrose' is a sweet little bloom in fresh spring yellow to white tones. Classed as a TB but more IB in performance in my garden. One of her more rare varieties. 🌱

Favorite hybridizers: Grace Sturtevant, America's First Lady of #Irises. 'Pink Jadu', one of Miss Sturtevant's later varieties from 1931. A lovely plicata of white dotted lavender rose. 🌱 The light ruffling is quite pleasing.

Favorite hybridizers: Grace Sturtevant, America's First Lady of #Irises. 'Mother Of Pearl' is a shimmering, frosted lilac with heavy diamond dusting. Well formed flowers on tall stalks. A favorite of mine. 🌱

Favorite hybridizers: Grace Sturtevant, America's First Lady of #Irises. 'Mme. Cheri', from 1918, is a charming blend of pink and lavender with some yellow to warm the heart of the bloom. 🌱 (this time with photos)

Favorite hybridizers: Grace Sturtevant, America's First Lady of #Irises. Yet another MTB sized golden yellow: 'Gold Imperial' from 1924. A sweet little variety with a touch of orange in the beard. 🌱

‪Favorite hybridizers: Grace Sturtevant, America's First Lady of #Irises. Another smaller one that would be an MTB today. 'Flutter By' from 1924. Yellow standards over white falls. So charming. 🌱

Ah, nostalgia. I remember a spot in Spfld, IL called Norb Andy's. Around since at least prohibition, a storied political watering hole. Their sauteed mushrooms were amazing. Served in cast iron, red wine and beef broth involved. You could taste herbs and spices but did not see them. Chef's kiss.

Favorite hybridizers: Grace Sturtevant, America's First Lady of #Irises. 'Chalice' from 1924 is such an excellent variety. Candelabra branching holds out dainty golden flowers. The blooms are flared with style crests jutting upward giving lift and elegance. 🌱 MTB by today's standards.

‪Favorite hybridizers: Grace Sturtevant, America's First Lady of #Irises. 'Cameliard', from 1926. So interesting how the color presents with different seasons and cameras. 🌱

Favorite hybridizers: Grace Sturtevant, America's First Lady of #Irises. 'Bluet' from 1918 is a dainty little variety, just 14" tall. It was not a good grower in my garden and even tho I had it for years this is the only photo I have of it. 🌱

Favorite hybridizers: Grace Sturtevant, America's First Lady of #Irises. 'Anne Leslie', from 1917. Dainty and bright! 🌱

New series! Favorite hybridizers: Grace Sturtevant, America's First Lady of #Irises. 'Afterglow' from 1917. A soft glowing pastel blend. Lots of sparkle in the sunshine on this classic beauty. 🌱

Soon... #iris 🌱

A little sunshine for a gloomy day. #iris 🌱

You can see why it is named for the goddess of the rainbow. #iris 🌱

#Caturday throwback to when we had the amazing Mr. Dandy. Just look at all that tail floof! We lost him to cancer just a year after adoption. He was such a good boy and I sure miss him. 🐈‍⬛

#Irises and alliums compliment each other so well. 🌱

The sunshine coming thru the #irises is so lovely. 🌱 Spring can't come soon enough.

Dreaming of spring #irises. 🌱

Love this color combo. Every three years beds get divided and replanted offering opportunity to try new arrangements of colors together, which is part of the fun of collecting #irises. 🌱

#irises in the late afternoon sunshine. 🌱

#Caturday throwback to when we had my dear Miss Gracie. She was the best mouser ever, and such a good girl.

Saved this one for today. 'Auld Lang Syne' from 1962. Such a nice warm color for a cold grey day. Have a safe New Year's Eve. All the best for 2026. #iris 🌱