Syllmar Jutroductions jor 1954 
SPRING MELODY (Elma Miess 1954) 
Like the bright, clear song of a bird newly arrived with the Spring 
in your garden, the first blooms of Spring Melody strike a beautiful 
note in the symphony of color among your iris plants. This new 
Syllmar introduction is a pure, clean, dandelion-yellow throughout 
—unmarred by any other color. Its brilliance, non-fading character, 
durable and heavy substance, and exquisite form make it the finest 
yellow we have seen. The standards are ruffled, domed and just 
nicely overlapping. The falls are ruffled and fluted, wide at the haft, 
and held in an alert, bird-on-the-wing, horizontal style. Spring 
Melody is generous of bloom, low-branching, tall (40 in.), and in 
the midseason to late class. Winter hardy in the North. We are 
proud of this new variety, and we are sure that you, too, will find 
pride in its obvious superiority to older yellow iris in your garden. 
Illustrated page 5. Each $20.00 
Please Read Carefully Before Ordering 
TERMS CASH: Please remit with postal or express money order 
or personal check. No stamps. Avoid sending currency. No C.O.D. 
orders accepted. Postage is prepaid on all orders in U.S.A. that 
amount to $3.50 or over. On smaller orders add 50c for packing 
and postage. California residents add 3% Sales Tax. We reserve the 
right to withdraw any flowers from sale or gift at any time. 
Join the American Iris Society 
You will receive 4 valuable Bulletins each year containing infor- 
mation on iris culture, suggestions to hybridizers, the planning of 
your garden and many other helps. Dues are $4.00 per year. 
Mail check to: THE AMERICAN IRIS SOCIETY 
Franklin Road, Brentwood, Tennessee 
Cultural Directions for Bearded Iris 
RHIZOMES will be shipped to you in a firm condition and should 
be planted as soon as possible after they are received. If you are 
unable to plant on receiving them, then be sure to keep the rhizomes 
in a dry and cool place until you can plant them. 
Iris require good drainage and sun for at least one-half day, in 
order to obtain the best results, with abundance of bloom. The soil 
should be moist before planting and kept moderately moist until the 
plants are well established. Care should be taken to not over-water. 
If your soil is heavy and poorly drained set the rhizomes a little 
higher than the surrounding soil. The rhizomes should be planted 
so the soil just covers them and no more. Be sure and spread the 
roots well and firm the soil around them. Separate every third year. 
The use of bone meal when planting and both bone meal and 
well rotted manure as a side dressing once each year will usually be 
sufficient fertilizing. Be careful that fertilizer of any kind does not 
contact the rhizome. 
Z. 
RUFFLED TAFFETA (Elma Miess 1954) 
We proudly offer for the first time this year an iris of such remark- 
able substance that we compare it with the heaviest taffeta. Imagine 
this stiff cloth drawn into ruffles more artful and appealing than any 
human hand can make, and you have an idea of the effect of this 
flower. The color is a deep pinkish lavender over-all, with a nicely 
contrasting cream colored beard. Falls are beautifully ruffled, stand- 
ing pertly out from the flower, and supported by unusually wide 
hafts. Standards are equally ruffled, gracefully closed at the top, and 
held stiff and secure with a strong mid-rib. The blooms are excep- 
tionally large. Like taffeta, the color of this variety varies, but at 
each stage of its life the bloom is pleasing to the most exacting eye. 
Stems are very tall, yet low branching; plants are vigorous and good 
increasers. We know you'll like Ruffled Taffeta. Each $20.00 
Our growing field, pictured at 
the left, is located in the San 
Fernando Valley. The happy 
combination of fine soil, long 
growing season, and _ ideal 
weather make Syllmar rhi- 
zomes plump, beautifully ma- 
tured, and packed full of en- 
ergy for you. 
NOTE 
Our plants are con- 
ditioned, so as to 
make them hardy 
for all the colder 
sections of the 
U.S.A. and Canada. 
IRIS TERMS as Used in This Catalog 
AMOENA: White or tinted standards with colored falls. 
PLICATA: Stitched or stippled margin color on light background. 
VARIEGATA: Yellow or near yellow standards with d2eper falls 
which may be veined or solid tones of brown, purple, or red. 
BLEND: Combination of two or more colors (one always yellow) . 
BICOLOR: Light or medium standards and deeper contrasting falls. 
BITONE: Two tones of the same color. 
SELF: An iris of uniform color. 
TEXTURE: Sheen or finish of ihe petals. 
SUBSTANCE: Thickness of petals. 
A.M.: Award of Merit. 
H.M.: Honorable Mention. 
H.C.: Highly Commended. 
A.|.S.: American Iris Society. 
Our Guarantee 
All irises are from one year stock and the very best to be had— 
and free of all pests; labeled and true to name. 
We do not substitute unless requested to do so. 
Shipments start abount June 15; orders are filled in rotation. 
If plants do not arrive in good condition, return them to us at once 
and we will replace same or refund money. If another variety of 
same value is acceptable please so state. In case of replacement 
transportation must be borne by purchaser. Our liability in all in- 
stances is limited to the purchase price of rhizomes or roots. 
SYLLMAR GARDENS 
ELMA MIESS 
Member of The American Iris Society 
Member of South California Iris Society 
Member Midwest Hemerocallis Society 
SYLLMAR GARDENS 
