FAIRMOUNT GARDENS 
1 
foreword 
A GAIN we come to the time of sending out the catalogue, and 
in this tenth edition we have maintained the same high stand¬ 
ard in the selection of new irises from the many breeders, only 
choosing those that I deem worthy of being Introduced by Fair- 
mount Gardens. Also I have been very critical in the selection of 
varieties from other dealers, for I do not intend to add any plants 
to my collection that I do not think among the best in commerce. 
Of the nineteen Tall Bearded Irises that were introduced by 
Fairmount Gardens last year, there are eight that have won the 
Award of Honorable Mention from the American Iris Society, 
and considering that in 1939 there were only thirty of these Awards 
given throughout the United States and Canada, it seems I am 
justified in feeling very proud of the Introductions sponsored by 
Fairmount Gardens. 
Last season so many customers expressed great interest in the 
brief sketches I gave concerning the different hybridizers for whom 
I introduce, that again I am including them in the Foreword. 
Without doubt many of my customers have heard of the death 
of Mr. T. A. Washington of Nashville, Tenn. This occurred in 
August of last year. His very successful work in breeding new 
worthwhile irises is known throughout the world, and his passing 
is a great loss to his many friends and Iris enthusiasts in all parts 
of the country. Mrs. Washington and their daughter, Mrs. Martha 
Washington Reckless will carry on his iris work and the growing 
of his new seedlings. Since the beginning of my Commercial 
Garden I have had the pleasure of the exclusive introduction of 
the irises originated by Mr. Washington, and last summer we 
selected the following Bearded Irises of outstanding merit to be 
introduced this season. Azure Mist is a flaring light blue of great 
charm; Casa Blanca, a beautiful pure white; Moon Mist, a clear 
primrose self; North Star is a cool blue white; Southern Gem is 
rich in brown red and copper tones, and Sylvan Gold is a delightful 
creamy yellow and white bicolor. 
From our Dean of American Hybridizers, Miss Grace Sturte- 
vant of Wellesley Farms, Mass., we are introducing Treasure 
Trove, a most effective blend of orange, rose, and gold. Also 
through her garden, a very brilliant tall yellow, named Especially 
You which is the handiwork of Mr. Clarence G. White of Red¬ 
lands, Calif. It is to Miss Sturtevant that all iris lovers owe a 
debt of gratitude for her splendid work in creating so many beau¬ 
tiful irises, and I appreciate the honor of presenting her new va¬ 
rieties to the public. 
Mr. John Dee Wareham of Cincinnati, Ohio is a Charter 
Member of the American Iris Society and has been interested for 
many years in the improvement of the Bearded Iris. His artistic 
eye and great appreciation of color have made him very critical 
in the selection of seedlings to save for further observation, and 
in them we find most unusual and lovely color harmony as well 
as good form, substance and branching. This year we are privi¬ 
leged to introduce another charming iris from his hands. It is 
Mediteranne, a large rounded flower of clear light French blue 
which has great garden value. 
Dr. Henry Lee Grant of Louisville, Ky. is well known in the 
Iris World for his excellent work in breeding worthwhile irises. 
Those that we have selected for introduction this season are further 
advancements in form, color, and good behavior in the garden. 
Anchorage is a lustrous iris of rich strawberry red coloring, devoid 
of purple tones. Evergold a late flowering yellow with great 
depth of color. Nocturnal is the darkest red Intermediate that 1 
have seen. Heirloom is a brilliant flower of fuchsia red, out¬ 
standing in arrangement of color. The Darb is a beautiful blend¬ 
ing of buff, orchid, and ruby red that Mrs. Grant and I decided 
could be best described as a larger and better Guardsman. 
Mrs. Walter E. Tobie of Portland, Me. has the most effective 
Iris Garden that I have seen. Her appreciation of color value has 
enabled her to arrange the irises so that they are displayed to the 
best advantage, and at iris time her garden on Cape Elizabeth is a 
joy to behold. Mrs. Tobie has been hybridizing for several years, 
and Mallorca and Spurwink are excellent examples of her ability. 
This year we have selected two for introduction, Honey Gold is a 
lovely and unusual blend of amber and wood brown, and Phantom, 
a charming pink plicata. 
We all know of the ability of Mr. L. Merton Gage of Natick, 
Mass, in creating especially fine irises. His iris Rosy Wings 
which won the Dykes Medal last year is an excellent example of 
his skill. This year we are very pleased to assist in the intro¬ 
duction of two of his seedlings. Ethelyn Kleitz a very deep 
daphne pink of unusual charm, and Tyrian Rose which is a blend 
of Tyrian rose and burnished copper tones. 
Mr. Geddes Douglas of Nashville, Tenn. is a Regional Vice- 
President of the American Iris Society, and also one of the best 
and most careful hybridizers of the younger generation. His 
crosses are planned during the winter months and although he 
makes comparatively few crosses his results are most gratifying. 
Last season I was amazed to see what great advancement he had 
made in creating new varieties. Not only does he breed beautiful 
irises, but evidently he has “green fingers” for never have I seen 
such splendidly grown irises, and his terraced garden was the 
center of attention of visitors from all parts of the country. We 
have selected two of his for introduction this season. White Prince 
is a tall and beautiful cream white of exceptionally firm substance 
and wonderful branching. Bonnie Lass with its glistening gold 
and apricot tones is a most attractive late flowering Intermediate. 
Again the garden of Mr. Kenneth D. Smith on Staten Island, 
N. Y. was the center of iris interest in that region. A great many 
A. I. S. Judges from near and far were there to see and judge his 
seedlings, and several of them were pronounced of outstanding 
merit. Thus his ability to create superior irises was further 
demonstrated by the showing that his seedlings made in 1939. Also 
three of his originations won Special Awards at the New York 
World’s Fair Iris Show in May 1939. We have chosen for intro¬ 
duction this year from his garden the following Bearded Irises. 
Caroline Burr is a true aristocrat with its pure ivory toned flowers 
of large size and exceptionally firm substance. Violet Symphony 
has large full flowers of gleaming violet with a glossy unusual 
finish. Stella Polaris is a very large rounded flower of cool white 
with a frosty finish and superb branching. Meringue is a lovely 
rounded flower of soft buff yellow with great profusion of bloom. 
Pink Ruffles as the name implies is a very ruffled bloom of tour¬ 
maline pink. Lord Dongan is a most effective pansy violet flower 
with very velvety falls and great depth of color. 
Mr. Carl Carpenter of Owensboro, Kentucky is a true horti¬ 
culturist for he has always been interested in unusual plants, their 
propagation, and testing them out in his “In between belt garden”. 
His interest in Bearded Irises started about 1927, although as a 
child he had loved certain iris species known as “Flags” that grew 
along a stream near his grandfather’s farm. Several years ago he 
commenced hybridizing the Bearded iris, but he has been very 
critical of his seedlings, and not until this year has he consented 
to have any of them introduced, and I am very happy to present 
his lovely rose and glowing gold iris called Youth’s Dream. 
I have been very much pleased with the irises from Mr. 
Joseph F. Wiesner of St. Louis, Mo. and we are introducing two 
lovely distinctive irises of his this year. Glamorous Night, a 
very late flowering variety with exceptionally large firm blooms 
of velvety brown red, and Anne Newhard, a beautiful velvety blue 
bicolor with a most distinctive disposition of color on the standards. 
Mrs. Herman E. Lewis is a Regional Vice-President of the 
American Iris Society, and is well known in iris circles, not only 
for her lovely garden, but for the excellent work she has done 
in assembling an extensive collection of colored slides for the 
Society. This season we are presenting two new irises of her 
origination. They are Crock of Gold, a fascinating blend of pink¬ 
ish lavender and gold, and Pieces of Eight, a tall and stately clear 
yellow of great charm and garden value. 
This year I am introducing four new irises of my own which 
seem so outstanding that A. I. S. Judges have been most enthus¬ 
iastic in their praise. They are Melitza, a pale ivory, lightly 
flushed with pink, and a pinkish tangerine beard; Nutbrown Maid 
is a blending of copper, brown, and rose; Sundance is a very 
brilliant flower of tawny gold and mahogany red, and Shining 
Sun is a glistening yellow. 
So many requests have come to me for my opinion on the 
value of different irises that I have decided it will prove helpful 
