FAIRMOUNT GARDENS | 




Choreword 
R 
HIS catalogue is prepared with great care for the purpose 
| of assisting customers in the intelligent selection of plants 
for their gardens. To this end each year, I add only those 
that I deem worthy of the finest garden. During the eleven years 
since we issued our first catalogue, our business has increased 
steadily, and I think it is due in a great measure to my careful 
selection of the new varieties to present to my customers. 
Last year was the first time that I included the Ratings on 
the Bearded Irises in the catalogue. So many customers have 
written that these are of great assistance to them in selecting irises, 
also that the Ratings give them a good idea of what the Iris Judges 
think of the different varieties. So again this year I am including 
the Ratings, Awards, and Season of Bloom with the description of 
the plant for I am convinced that most readers of the catalogue 
appreciate the arduous task of compilation, and that these are a 
great help in arriving at the true value of the newer iris. With 
the Ratings one must keep in mind that the Judges are becoming 
much more critical as the finer irises are produced, and at the 
present time an iris that is rated 85 or above is considered of great 
merit. 
As in previous years I have the pleasure of presenting to you 
the new Introductions of the following prominent Breeders, but 
their excellent work is so well known that I shall give them only 
brief mention. 
Mrs. T. A. Washington of Nashville, Tenn. is carrying on the 
breeding work of the late Mr. Washington who produced the 
Dykes Medal winner Mary Geddes and many other irises of fine 
quality. Her Introductions of this year are three very beautiful 
irises, Alpha, Mt. Vernon, and Omega. These were bred by Mr. 
Washington. 
The irises that I am introducting for Dr. Henry L. Grant of 
Louisville, Ky. show plainly his careful study of iris breeding, and 
Adventure, Blue Delight, Coral Mist, Fair Sky, Pot o’Gold, Sun- 
day Best, and Sun Spot live up to the high standards of his other 
exceptionally good irises. 
Mr. Geddes Douglas of Nashville, Tenn. is one of our younger 
hybridizers. We introduced two of his irises last season, and his 
is the honor of having both receive Awards. The three we are 
presenting this season are Phoebe, Starbright, and Titian Lady, 
all very distinctive irises. 
Mr. L. Merton Gage of Natick, Mass. is very well known in 
the Iris World with many outstanding irises to his credit, among 
them the Dykes Medal winner Rosy Wings. It is a pleasure to 
assist in the Introduction of the lovely Brown Bonnet. 
Mr. Kenneth D. Smith of Staten Island, N. Y. is one of our 
most entusiastic breeders, and the outstanding success he has had 
in producing some of the finest irises is well known. We intro- 
duced five irises for Mr. Smith last season, and four of them won 
Awards. A remarkable record. This year we are introducing a 
fascinating border iris of his named Honey. 
This year we have the pleasure of adding a new name to the 
list for whom we introduce, and I think it will prove of interest if 
I tell you a bit about her work. Mrs. J. Norman Henry of Glad- 
wyne, Pa. a most noted collector of rare plants and shrubs, is well 
known to leading botanists in America and Europe. For twelve 
years or more she has been an indefatigable explorer of unblazed 
trails, and her success in leading an expedition across unchartered 
Rocky Mountains of Northern British Columbia where the Bedeaux 
Expedition had failed is history. In recognition the Canadian Goy- 
ernment has named a mountain Mt. Mary Henry. Mrs. Henry 
has made many collecting trips to our southern states for she is 
keenly interested in the many rare plants and shrubs growing wild 
on the Coastal Plains of South Carolina and Georgia, the Piedmont 
section, as well as the southern swamps. From these expeditions 
she has brought back many rare and unusual plants which she has 
propagated at her home. Among these are some rare and entirely 
different forms of Iris verna, and Mrs. Henry has chosen me to 
introduce them into commerce. Needless for me to say that I feel 
honored and flattered to do this for her, and you will find descrip- 
tions of them in the list of Iris Introductions for this year. They 
are Vernal Snow, and Vernal Dawn. 
There are two of my own Iris originations that I am present- 
ing this season, Gay Vagabond, and Sunnyvale. Garden visitors 
and Iris Judges have been impressed with their merit. 
All the Introductions are described on the pages following the 
Foreword. 
Some of the newer irises that I have added to the catalogue 
from other breeders are the following; Dawn of Gold, Spun Gold, 
Golden Spike, Prairie Sunset, Athala, Clovelly, Marinella, Red 
Gleam, Red Valor, Storm King, and Top Hilly. 
The wide spread interest in the newer Hemerocallis brings 
countless visitors to the garden during the summer, among them 
many persons from all parts of the country that specialize in Hem- 
erocallis, and their concensus of opinion was; They had not dreamed 
it possible that there could be so many beautiful varieties, and that 
they felt more than well repaid for their long trips made especially 
to see them. 
Last year Gardens on Parade of The New York World’s Fair 
invited me to exhibit a collection of my own Introductions and 
seedlings of Hemerocallis. They were on display there in late 
July, and their reception by the public was most enthusiastic. For 
this display Gardens on Parade awarded me a Gold Medal Certifi- 
cate for the outstanding beauty and merit of the exhibition. 
This season I am introducing several new named varieties of 
my own that have been approved by many of the most competent 
Hemerocallis Judges, and you will find them a great addition to 
your garden. These are listed in the catalogue following the Iris 
Introductions for 1941. 
For several years I have been interested in the Hosta (Plan- 
tain-lily) family and have made an extensive collection of the 
named species and varieties. So greatly interested in them have 
been garden visitors, I have decided to list several in the catalogue 
this season. They have great garden value, especially for shady 
places. 
You are cordially invited to visit the garden at any time that 
suits your convenience. If you are unable to do so, and feel you 
need advice about varieties to choose, write me and I shall use the 
same care as if I were selecting for my own garden. 
Our Exhibition Garden is located at 166 Fairmount Street, 
Lowell, Mass. and our telephone number is Lowell 2-5121 listed 
under the name of Thomas Nesmith. 
Lowell is about 26 miles from Boston. Coming from Boston 
to Lowell on Route 38, at the Oakland Fire Station (near the out- 
skirts of the city) turn off on to Fairmount Street and at the top 
of the hill you will find Fairmount Gardens. Anyone coming to 
Lowell on other routes should ask for Nesmith Street on which 
you will find Route 38, and then follow above directions. 
