RIVERVIEW GARDENS 
Saint Paul, Minn. 
The development of the reds thus far has been largely dark reds with an 
undertone of purple. The color in most cases can be described as a dark red self 
with a slight purplish cast. Seminole and Opera might be taken as examples of 
the older type of the red-purples. Dauntless is a red self. The standards and 
the falls are of the same glowing red, but the heavy velvety quality of the falls 
make them appear darker. Better reds as to clearness and purity of color will 
be produced in the near future, but Dauntless as an all-around good red will be¬ 
come one of the standard varieties. 
Many Good Reds to Indian Chief has very little of the purplish cast mixed 
Select From with the red pigments, but carries a yellow undertone 
which produces a different effect than Dauntless. The 
standards, however, are a shade lighter than the falls, which would class it as a 
red bicolor. It has good height, is well-branched, and produces blooms of good 
size, form, and finish, and deserves a place with the best of the reds. 
Red Wing is an extremely free flowering red, making a vivid garden picture. 
The blooms are of good size and form, the standards lighted with a brown tone; 
and the falls dahlia carmine. The color of a single bloom is perhaps not striking, 
but in the mass, for color effect it is one of the most effective. 
Numa Roumestan, a rich red with a coppery tone, is a shade lighter than 
Dauntless in color, but a richer red. The standards and falls are of the same 
color and deeply frilled. 
In the very recent varieties Red Dominion is perhaps the finest. It is not 
the reddest of the red Irises, however, but runs into the velvety shades of ox 
blood red. Numerous other reds could be named, but they have not been tested 
out or compared with the red varieties now' existing to determine whether they 
are superior or inferior. 
Rich Velvety Falls Typ- In our next group, the red-purples the browns and the 
ify the Dominion Race bronzes, contains many varieties of the Dominion race 
that are typified by rich, velvety falls. Bruno and 
Cardinal, introduced in 19 22, have finally come down in price where the average 
person can afford them. Mrs. Valerie West is generally regarded as a standard 
for this group. It is a beautiful bronze brown flower of real finish and the plant 
is exceptionally free flowering. 
Depute Nomblot, introduced in France in 1929, is considered by many the 
world’s; greatest Iris. It is an exceptionally massive thing on a very tall stem of 
a rich reddish bronze color, a color that has not been brought out previously in the 
Iris. 
Grace Sturtevant is one of the deepest colored Iris. The whole flower is a 
dark velvety chocolate brown, the falls almost giving the effect of black, the whole 
flower is lightened up with a deep golden beard. 
The Blues are Divided The blue Iris may be divided into two sections—the blue 
into Blue Purples and purples and the blue violets. The blue purples are 
Blue Violets represented by the forerunner of the modern Iris, 
Dominion, which was introduced in 1917. The seedlings 
of this noted variety are the cream of the modern Iris. In Dominion there first 
appeared the heavy velvety falls which are so essential in the making up of 
substance to endure unfavorable conditions. I would consider Sir Michael as one 
of the 10 best Irises because of the fact that it carries two distinct clear colors. 
The standards are a clear lavender blue, and the falls a clear velvety blue purple. 
A golden beard seems to distinctly separate the two colors and bring them out 
— 5 — 
