RIVERVIEW GARDENS 
Saint Paul, Minn. 
separately. Souvenir de Mme. Gaudichau is a very popular old variety that still 
has a place in the garden. 
The breeders at the present time are striving toward a black Iris which is 
nothing more than a very dark blue purple. Ministre F. David, Black Wings, 
Madame Serouge, Mrs. J. L. Gibson, El Tovar, Blackamoor, and Meldoric are just 
a few of the new ones with a steady increasing number each year. 
Wedgewood is the The bluest bearded Iris is perhaps Wedgewood, al- 
Bluest Bearded Iris though it is a very deep-toned blue in the garden, on 
close inspection it is more on the blue violet shade. The 
best light blues are Sensation, a large corn flower blue and one of the bluest. Blue 
Hill a shade darker than Sensation and of a different form, and Souvenir de L. 
Michaud, a lavender blue, very tall and large, but not recommended as a hardy 
variety for Minnesota. Mary Barnett and Ariel are two fine low growing blues of 
moderate price that are fine garden material. The hybridizers are working towards 
good large flowering blues similar to Souvenir Michaud in size and height with 
a delicate sky blue color and a hardy constitution. 
Blended Colors Com- Now we come to a large group known as the blended 
prise a Large Group colors. Most of them are an overlay of one or more 
of Lovely Iris colors. An approximate description for garden effect 
only is attempted. Many of them are lovely and fasci¬ 
nating, but need careful grouping in the garden. 
In the blends with pink predominating, Allure and Midgard are the finest. 
Allure is the taller of the two but lacks the deepness of the pink color that Mid¬ 
gard has. Both varieties are shell pink, flushed with yellow. Dolly Madison and 
Anne Marie Cayeux both carry pink and yellow and in addition some blue. Dolly 
Madison is nearly a mauve self, whereas Anne M. Cayeux carries more blue and 
might be described as a slaty or bluish mauve. Evolution, similar to the previous 
two, is a wonderful blend of old gold and deep lavender. 
The trend in Iris development seems to be toward new and different colors. 
Jean Cayeux, a very recent variety, is a biscuit brown and orange blend; Zaharoon, 
a pink and brown blend; Rameses, a blend of yellow and pink that was considered 
the finest American Iris in 1932; Genevieve Serouge, a blend of yellow and blue; 
and President Pilkington, a buff, yellow and blue blend. These are just a few of 
the new colors that have come out in the last few years. 
Approximately 250 New These few Irises I have mentioned are not by any 
Varieties Come Out means all of the fine new varieties. With approximately 
Each Year 250 new ones coming out each year both in this country 
and in Europe it is impossible to take notes and com¬ 
pare the entire lot. These notes, however, are my own personal opinions and may 
differ remarkably from the opinions of another Iris enthusiast. 
Iris growing is not a difficult game. Considering just the BEARDED varieties 
I might sum up their requirements in three words—SUN, DRAINAGE, LIME. The 
plants will not grow in poorly drained soil, nor will they flower in the shade. 
Lime can always be added to the soil. Division of the plants is usually necessary 
every three or four years to prevent crowding and serious attacks of diseases and 
insect pests. 
Certain varieties are troublesome, especially those hybrids from the West 
Coast, which should be avoided until they are thoroughly tested in this section 
of the country. 
JAMES S. WILKUS, Supt. 
— 6 — 
