What Would 
Gardening is an adventure. It is also an experi- 
ment. We try to grow this or that plant in a variety 
of locations. Perhaps we are interested to see how 
a particular iris combines with another to form a 
garden picture. Or again our pleasure in iris grow- 
ing may be to view and enjoy the individual perfec- 
tion of a single stem or clump of an imposing 
variety. We like to experiment too. In fact we think 
the interest in the unknown and the time spent con- 
sidering and experimenting on a particular project 
is most stimulating. This page in our catalog this 
year is one of our experiments. We would like to 
find out just what you as iris fanciers are interested 
in and would most like to see developed further in 
our catalog. 
Last winter we issued a pamphlet, “IRIS AS WE 
BLOOMED THEM AND AS WE LIKED THEM”, 
which we mailed to our customers if they indicated 
an interest by writing and asking for a copy. We 
tried to talk about the different iris as if we were 
present with you in the garden. The opinions and 
impressions were ours alone. The notes were assem- 
bled and the writeup presented to give you own 
observations, impressions, likes and dislikes. Many 
of our customers write us asking for a personal 
recommendation of one of, for instance, two or three 
orchid pink iris. In this pamphlet we tried to give 
just such personal recommendations. The response 
to our pamphlet was very gratifying. Discussion 
of varieties is one of the big topics whenever there 
is a meeting of two or more persons interested in 
iris. If you would like another issue of this paper 
we would like to hear from you. If there is a favor- 
able response we will write up not only the notes 
ou Like? 
of our own garden but a report on some of the other 
gardens we will visit this spring. So if you would 
like another issue of this pamphlet please tell us to 
put your name on our list. We owe our existence 
in business to our customers. We want this bulletin 
to be for them. A good time to register for your 
copy would be when sending in your order. 
Are there other phases of iris gardening that you 
feel should be discussed? In our 1940 catalog we 
had a page of unassorted iris material on various 
interesting items. A subject we thought a particu- 
larly interesting field was the subject of what 
perennials make striking and pleasing combinations 
with iris. What particularly effective combinations 
have you noted or developed with various iris va- 
rieties? We frankly are quite anxious to gather to- 
gether and publish this material if it 1s offered. 
During the war years we found it impossible to 
properly keep up with this phase of gardening. May 
we have some suggestions from you? 
Are you interested to know about the ‘family 
tree’’ back of some of the more famous iris? There 
are many gardeners whose great pleasure in grow- 
ing iris is in that interesting phase of culture, hy- 
bridizing, and the raising of seedlings to develop a 
new iris. Would you like more parentages of famous 
iris published? Your nominations will be considered 
and we will endeavor to print the lineage wherever 
it 1s possible to do so in our next catalog. Not 
every iris derivation is known but we will do our 
best. Below we list 25 interesting “‘family trees.’’ 
We hope that you find them interesting. We will 
be looking for your ideas from this off the record 
page. 
Family Tree of 25 Fine Iris 
. Snow Carnival (Santa Barbara x Gudrun). 
. Lady of Shalott (Rosy Asia x Mme. L. Aureau). 
. Magic Carpet (Siegfried x Mme. L. Aureau). 
. Wabash (Dorothy Dietz x Cantabile). 
. Azure Skies (Crystal Beauty x Snowking). 
. Bright Lights (Naranja x Siegfried). 
. Blue Rhythm (Blue Zenith x Annabel). 
The Admiral (Sensation x (Selene x Wambliska)). 
. Black Forest (Dymia x Ethiop Queen). 
. Lothario (Mme. M. Lassailly x Winneshiek). 
. Nightfall (Indian Chief x Dark seedling). 
. Violet Symphony (Violet Crown x Easter Morn). 
. California Peach (Natoma x (Mary Geddes x Miss 
California)). 
. Pink Cameo (Morocco Rose x Hall (40-24) x Over- 
ture). 
— 
meio ODP AN DH FWY 
— 
wn 
—_ 
rs 
15. Mulberry Rose (Frieda Mohr x either Ozone or 
Violet Crown). 
16. Bright Medloy (Melchior x Pioneer). 
17. Display (The Red Douglas x Christabel). 
18. Jasper Agate (Junaluska x Consort) x Cheerio)). 
19. Lights On (Christabel x Red Gleam) x (Red Sails 
x Jerry) x Red Gleam. 
20. Winston Churchill (Inspiration x Wellington) x 
Mareschal Ney). 
21. Jean Cayeux (Phryne x Bruno) x (Ochracea x 
Marsh Marigold). 
22. Nightingale (Stardom x Golden russet seedling). 
23. Misty Gold (Siegfried x Tiffany). 
24. Spun Gold (((W. R. Dykes x (Shekinah x Mme. 
Cheri)) x (Mrs. V. West x Depute Nomblot) x 
(Vert Galant x (Grace Sturtevant x Argent)) x 
Depute Nomblot))). 
25. Caroline Burr (Easter Morn x Mme. M. Lassailly). 
a2. 
