SISSIES AR ROTA IY 
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A PROPOSED GARDEN FOR WHITING IRIS — Continued 
then; and a walled rectangle, because these iris form a group unto them- 
selves and should be viewed somewhat apart from iris created by other 
hybridizers. Walls are an iminediate boundary and less demanding than 
hedges; walls provide a definite point of entry and exit. The entry will be 
from due east and the walks will run westward. A cool but bright garden 
for the morning; rich, fullbodied light through blooms for afternoon, and 
afternoon shade where one may place those iris most needing it. Walls, 
then, preferably tall, of pinkblend brick laid in random bond and topped 
with halfround coping bricks. Any possible monotony of these walls is 
broken by the artful planting of miniature Boston ivy inside, or by planting 
outside some heavier vine (honeysuckle, robust clematis, etc.) that will 
come over quickly and hang its lush heads randomly inside. More of the 
same pinkish brick for the walks, and open groundgutter drains of brick 
alongside all walk edges except those abutting the reflecting. pool. Entry 
and exits through upsloping arches. A controlled and limited spaciousness, 
architecturally simple, functional without being obtrusively functional, and 
dedicated wholly to the effective disposition of a specified collection of iris 
—not one inch allowed for the roasting of hotdogs or the tossing of mixed 
salad. 
The desire to control any complex grouping of iris begins with frac- 
tional problems, and culminates in the problem-of-the-whole. So it was in 
working out the Whiting iris, as it would be, too, with the specialties and 
total range of any other noted hybridizers and collectors. Fractionally: 
What to do with Rocket? Where to place Pathfinder, Paprika, Korea, Cop- 
per Kettle? How to realize the most from Technicolor, Nankeen, Baghdad? 
These are fractional queries that readily add up to the grand total. Quickly, 
then, came this question: Could one controllably but ideally place the ten- 
year gamut of Whiting iris, those well-tried, those on-trial, the already- 
introduced, the marvelous about-to-be? Could one color-run them, plant 
them in passages and fans of color contrived as subtly as the tones in 
blends? And here accent a predominant smoothness and there reduce the 
sun-throb in the hot groups? Could one control the entire range of these 
iris so warmly earthy, yet not resort to the “I-give-up” of spot planting? 
A thorough research into the iris of this catalog produces a count of 
22 cools and 63 hots. It is obvious that a controlled assembling of Whiting 
iris will be essentially a warm rich paisley covering the good earth, an 
adventure in passing from precious cools to dominating metallic sheens. 
(See inside flaps for detailed color classification.) 
The HE, EM, L and VL have been placed as widely apart from their 
date repeats as the orderly fanning out of color passages permits. An 
east-west garden, especially when high walled, offers a maximum of date 
control in that the LM, L, and VL if placed along the north wall—that is, 
given full southern exposure—can be forced to bloom noticeably earlier 
than usual; the E and EM, when placed along the south wall—given 
northern light and partly shadowed—are appreciably held back. Thus the 
earlies and the lates are peaked nearer the center of iris blooming. This 
finesse is worth working, since in a landscape show garden with this much 
specialty the idea is, most properly, not to extend the season of bloom but 
to sharpen it. 
Blooming heights have been carefully accounted for, and large-bloom 
varieties interspersed to promote greatest possible variety within the con- 
trol ideal. 
This experience in color-emotion—and iris rich in bloom are always 
essentially just that—should be first glimpsed and last seen with some 
calmnese in tones; thus we begin and end with the Blues, highlighted with 
Whites, shadowed with lavender, violet, heliotrope, enlivened with Amoenas 
and their complements. From Blues and Plums, we fan out to the warmer 
colors that so definitely dominate this garden—here and there deliberately 
accenting with sudden like-strength (never with spotty opposites)—pas- 
sages and runs of Pinks, Creams, Blends light and medium, Yellows, Med- 
leys, Reds, Coppers, and the orangey Redgolds. 
Best sample iris from other hybridizers lead to the set jewel of Whiting 
iris; beyond, back of the walled area, are the Whiting seedling patches. 
Begin and end with Whiting Blues and the fine sprigging of Florence and 
Copper fennels. Three crabapples, as indicated; a large Salix Vitellina, the 
Golden Osier, just beyond the middle of the western wall, its yellow sprigs 
shading Rocket from bleaching afternoons; three “‘‘table-benches” are placed 
purposely before the vistas, to provide excited enthusiasts with proper time- 
exposures to Whiting iris. 
