


~ RHIZOMES 
® We are fortunate to have our iris gardens in the Pacific Northwest where iris rhizomes 
grow to perfection. That iris rhizomes grown in this section are superior to those grown 
in other parts of the United States is a fact recognized by other commercial growers. 
Iris rhizomes grown in this Pacific Northwest section throw up one or more bloom stalks 
the first spring ofter placement regardless of what state in which they may be planted— 
while less than 50 per cent of iris rhizomes grown in the Mid-west or East will produce a 
bloom stalk the first spring after transplanting. 
The iris rhizome pictured on this page is that cf a root showing: increase buds devel- 
oping a few months after replanting in a customer's garden. These buds have just started 
to develop but have net attained the size pictured when the rhizomes are shipped from 
ns to our customers in the summer months. Not all rhizomes have the number 
10wn, but we always make sure at time of shipment that there are two or more 
»—for without increase buds, the rhizome will not flower the following spring. 
gon climate is a mild one with plenty of moisture and a long growing season 
s the iris roots to grow and develop better than in other sections. But each 
have a touch of snow and several weeks of freezing temperature which hard- 







ens the iris roots and freezes out the weakling 
plants and less hardy sorts—a procedure 
which unfortunately does not take place in — 
California gardens. Oregon-grown iris are 
perfectly hardy—as hardy as those grown in 
the northern-most and eastern-most states. 
We are located on Canyon Road, a contin- 
uation of Jefferson street, 5 miles west of 
Portland's city hall. There is bus service ev- 
ery half hcur; get off bus just beyond Nendel’s 
station at Walker road and walk up hill on 
right. Our gardens are in full bloom through- 
out May and early June. 
Unfortunately, many flower lovers have 
obtained the erroneous impression that iris 
flowers are not particularly attractive and 
that the color range is limited. This impres- 
sion has been created in the minds of many 
because the only iris blossoms which they see 
in gardens are the older types which were in 
commerce prior to the great advance made 
through scientific breeding. Ninety-five per 
cent of the varieties which we offer were 
originated by hybridizers during the 1930's 
... they are beautiful modern iris. Modern iris 
differ as greatly from the varieties in exist 
ence during the 1920's or earlier as do the 
1941 automobiles differ from the ugly, top- - 
heavy, inferior motor cars cf that early period. 
Visitors to our gardens during blooming 
season invariably exclaim, "Why, these flow- 
ers are gorgeous! I didn't know iris were so 
beautiful! Where did you get all the colors 
and color combinations?’’ Then some of them 
are bound to ask, ‘How do you get the plants 
to produce such tall bloom stalks bearing so 
many huge blossoms? Mine never do that!” 
[t is with great difficulty that we convince 
them that the height, size, and number of 
blossoms is due to hereditary factors bred into 
the improved modern variety and not to spe- 
cial care. Hybridizers have bred for improve- 
ment in height, size, floriferousness, and color 
and they have achieved great success. 
These new improved varieties, incidentally, 
can only ke obtained from commercial iris 
specialists like ourselves. Seed firms and gen- 
eral nurserymen almost invariably carry only 
the very old, out-moded, inferior, cheap sorts 
which iris specialists have long ago thrown 
on the junk heap. This spring we went 
through the catalogs of seed firms, nursery- 
men, and general perennial growers situated 
throughout the nation. We regretfully ob- 
served that nearly all iris offered were the 
unattractive sorts we grew in our gardens 
during the First World War years and in the 
sarly 1920's. 
Seed firms, nurserymen, and small iris 
growers often tell prospective customers that 
iris should be purchased as near home as 
possible for: (1) the roots do not carry sdtis- 
factory; and (2) roots from another section will 
not grow and bloom so well. Both these state- 
ments are base, downright lies made for the 
purpose of discouraging the sending of mail 
orders to Oregon where both climate and soil 
happen to be particularly favorable for iris 
growth. We make shipments every year to i 
Australia, China, England, South Africa and 
other far-away lands and customers there re- : 
port receipt of the iris rhizomes in good condi- 
tion. Needless to say, every state in the union 
is considerably closer than such countries; 
customers in the most distant state receive: 
shipments within a week from time of mailing, __ 
and plants are as fresh then as the day they 2S 







were dug. | 
We have had a number of customers i 
New England and the Midwest write to us” 
that our roots were larger, grew better, pro- | 
duced more increases, and threw up stronger 
bloom stalks than roots purchased from grow: 
ers within a few miles of their home. 
