4 Maple Valley Iris Gardens 


U)hiting eJntroductions for 1942 
MELLOWGLOW (Whiting 1942) M. 38 in. We are especially proud to bring you 
this lovely new blend. We think it is the finest seedling we have ever raised, 
at least the best light biend. It comes from Midwest Gem x Fiesta and brings 
the rich coloring of Fiesta into the smcothness of Midwest Gem. It is like a 
huge, ripe peach and is as luscious and tempting. The color is deep peach or 
apricot with a flush of pink. The nearest Ridgway sample is probably apricot 
ibuff, although the color of the flower is br:ghter and yellower than this. We 
got the name, Mellowglow, from the Dictionary of Color, a textile name used 
popularly several years ago. The flower itself is richer and brighter, not quite 
so mellow but we liked the name. The standards are very wide, well arched 
but not domed, so that one can just see into the lovely heart of the flower. The 
falls are very broadly rounded with wide, smooth hafts and a heavy orange 
beard. Our color plate on. the catalog cover shows the full, crisply ruffled form; 
the color is qu:te true with perhaps a little more pink in the highlights than 
the flower itself shows. The substance of the blooms is extremely heavy with 
a certain quality of crispness that insures endurance in sun and wind. The 
stalks are strong and tall with adequate branching. The plants are perfectly 
hardy, free flowering and prolific of increase. It w.ll be remembered by our 
garden visitors as No. 4027. It may be seen this year in Mr. Fishburn’s garden 
at Roanoke, Virginia, Mrs. Pollock’s at Sacramento, California and in the Kellogg 
garden at North Granby, Connecticut. We just know you will like it. $40.00 
RUBIENT (Whiting 1942) M. 36 in. This velvety pansy iris has made many friends 
in our garden. It is rich, dark and very distinctive. The standards are pure 
pansy purple, by Ridgway, and are very wide, arched and domed. The falis 
are widely rounded, semi-flaring and overlaid with black velvet, leaving a neat 
edging of the same color as the standards. The Dictionary of Color has a 
color sample slightly deeper than pansy purple, called Rubient, which is almost 
identical with the shade of this flower so we chose that for its name. We thope 
you will like it. We know ycu will l-ke the flower whether you see it as a huge 
pansy or a glowing ruby set in velvet. The plants are especially vigorous with 
well branched bloom stalks produced freely and rapid increase in new plants. 
Several plants were sold and several more ordered last year. $25.00 
BLUE ZENITH (Whiting 1942) M. 40 in. A fine, large sky blue iris that will be 
wanted in every garden. It comes close to campanula blue in the charts, a little 
deeper than chicory. Did you ever notice how the really blue irises retain their 
color in late twilight? By this test, Blue Zenith seems to be the bluest one we 
have. It is like a deep blue sky in June. The flowers are very large, beautifully 
ruffled and borne on tall, strong, widely branched stems. Its blooming season 
is lengthened by its excellent substance and the many buds on each stalk. It 
comes from Blue Hill x Sierra Blue and has the lovely ruffled form, white beard 
and pure coloring of the former with the size and height of the latter and better 
branching than either of them. The plants are very strong growing and free 
with both bloom and increase. $15.00 
MONONA (Whiting 1942) E. M. 35 in. This has become a great favorite in our 
garden, a warm heliotrope blend that is most pleasing and unusual in color. 
Ridgway does not give heliotrope, its closest color sample is cotinga purple 
which is not very descriptive. The one called heliotrope in Dictionary of Color 
is very near to the basic cclor cf Monona although the flower does not have a 
solid color but shades softly into red purple and blue purple tones, combining 
the richness of its parents, Crecle Belle and Matula. The firmly dcmed standards 
are of nearly solid color, the wide falls are a shade darker and redder with a 
touch of copper brown at the haft and the edges of the petals. The substance 
of the flowers is strong, the color non-fading, each bloom lasting several days. 
The branching is good, the plants are sturdy with free bloom and moderaie 
increase. $15.00 
