Wednesday 26 January 2011

Iris 'Scramble'

Iris 'Scramble'
The 2011 catalogue from Bob Brown's Cotswold Garden Flowers arrived a few days ago. As usual it is packed with all sorts of temptations, in all classes of plants - the definition of 'garden flowers' is splendidly broad.

One of the new introductions, appearing in commerce for the first time, is an Iris I selected a few years ago from a batch of seedlings raised from named clones of Sibirica irises, though unfortunately the label recording the maternal parent got lost. It is short and produces masses of large, pale bicolor yellow and rich cream flowers - scrambled egg colours, in fact. Although they are overtopped by a few leaves this is not a significant problem and a clump in full flower, as above, is a fine sight. Three years ago I gave a plant to Bob, who not only concurred that it was worth having but decided it was worth propagating too.

Emmanuel Saiko

I am hoping that it will prove popular and sell in large quantities, as Bob will pay me a small voluntary royalty on each plant sold in the first three years (it's not a protected variety, so anyone can propagate it). Any such proceeds are earmarked to help fund the Secondary School education of Emmanuel Saiko, a Maasai lad from 'my' village in Tanzania, who I am supporting.


3 comments:

  1. How wonderful to create a new plant and then be able to use funds raised through it to help a charity you believe in.

    I love Bob Brown's catalogue and having discovered his nursery isnt far from me in Malvern I am planning to visit his nursery a few times this year - I shall keep an eye out for Iris Scramble

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  2. I hope Iris 'Scramble' makes it over to the US; it's a gorgeous color. What an admirable use of the royalties. Would love to hear more about your village in Tanzania (I guess your older readers know what you are talking about).

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  3. Welcoming as I am searching for yellow irises.

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