Tall Bearded Irises 
G ARDEN PICTURES — mere words can never do them justice; snapshots in black and white 
will show shape and design but not the color harmony; colored photographs, thrown on a 
screen, almost reach the ideal, but are a bit unattainable for a catalogue. The Garden’s 
the thing! In the mean time, perhaps our words will enlist your interest and so stir your imagination 
that you can project your own pictures on a mental screen. 
The tall bearded irises have been in our gardens for many a year. We of the older generation 
have only to shut our eyes to see Flavescens and Queen of May, massed side by side, with Rhein 
Nixe and Mme. Chereau towering in the background, and Celeste in front of them — wasn’t she 
heavenly with long spurred columbines? And how those irises did grow — remember the wheel¬ 
barrow loads you gave away? Then we might have a few "stills’’ of the first near-pinks, of brighter 
yellows, of big dark Lent A. Williamson. From that time on, perhaps for the last fifteen years, 
nothing but a colored movie can hope to reproduce the irises as, from England and Germany, from 
France and America, they crowded upon us in ever-increasing array. 
Each year the catalogues attempt to bring you pictures, in words and in colors, of what is 
happening in the iris world. Each year the growers are forced to discard many of the older, worthy 
varieties, to make room for the novelties. We turn the handle of the camera faster and faster until 
we are dizzy with the effort to "see all, know all”; and we realize that you must be even more so. 
Therefore we say, as in other years: — visit an iris garden if you possibly can; your pictures may 
still be confused, but a few high lights will stand out. 
For a private garden, no one wishes a movie; we would have a painting with the colors 
thoughtfully laid on; a still life, restful and charming. This year as never before, it is true that 
the irises may be painted into a picture using exactly the tone, the height and the price that one 
requires. Elsewhere in the catalogue will be found a list of irises, arranged by colors, that we 
have found especially desirable for New England. 
We hope we have not added too much to the hurly-burly of the Newsreel by introducing 
three of our own seedlings this year; and we have the pleasure of introducing three for Miss 
Sfurtevanf. The other irises that are new for us will be easily identified by the tiny iris blooms in 
the margin. Irises costing 50c and less will be found in special lists. And as always, we have 
several hundred varieties that are not mentioned, lest the film stretch out unbearably long. We 
regret that so many of our pictures lack details; the winter of 1934-’35 gave us a week of warm 
weather in January, that started the flower buds into growth; this was followed by sub-zero cold, 
which froze the foo-enthusiastic buds, so that our bloom for last season was far below normal. 
For those who may not be acquainted with iris catalogues, we take the space here to explain 
a few of the abbreviations that will be found in the descriptions. The parenthesis after each 
variety contains the name of the originator and the year of introduction. ”S.” refers to the stand¬ 
ards, or three upright petals; "F.” to the falls, the three lower petals. Various groups of letters 
follow some of the descriptions: — ‘‘H.M., A.I.S.” is Honorable Mention by the American Iris 
Society,- to receive this, an iris must be recommended for the honor by five of the accredited judges 
of the society. “A.M., A.I.S.” is the society’s Award of Merit, and may be voted only to such 
irises as have received the H.M. The Dykes’ Medal is the highest award an iris can receive, and 
is offered each year by the English Iris Society. The one iris to receive this medal each year, must 
have been in commerce for five years, thus ensuring that the plant has been tried in various sections 
of our country,- must have received an H.M., and must be voted upon by the judges and the Com¬ 
mittee on Awards. For instance, this year only those irises that were introduced in 1931, and that 
have received at least an H.M., A.I.S., will be eligible. " R.H.S.” is the Royal Horticultural Society 
of England; “S.N.H.F.” is the National Horticultural Society of France. 
3 
