Tom, we'll just call you prehistoric.

haha tom, you cannot be considered an antique, yet. you're not 100 yr. old. but you could be , 'vintage', after 50 yr.

sorry, evelyn....'vintage', too.

haha rob, we cross posted.

I have some historic NoIDs that are really tough irises. I never water them, or fertilize them and they grow just fine. If I replant them in new soil, they grow too fast. These irises are often buried under some wood chips from the critters kicking things about. Yet, they still grow fine and never have any rot problems. I've been reducing their numbers every year and soon I may rid of all of them.

Even a forgotten about discarded pile of NoID Mothers wants to continue to grow. (Photo was taken on Feb. 9th, so they are even bigger now.)

Daphne!

When I bought my house 8 years ago, I had not been bitten by the iris bug yet. As I was digging my new flower beds back then, my uncle gifted me these four historics from his yard. Can't say they're my favorite historics, but they'll always be my "first four".

hey, those look just like my discarded pile of mamma noids!
I gave a bunch to a guy who lives on the side of a mountain--he plants them in the most inhospitable places on the western slope in the rocks and doesn't water them. They do well and he loves spring blooms dotting the cliffs He's less fond of the brown ones though because they blend in too well. The purple and yellow stand out.

Lovely historics, everyone! I have several that I am adding to my list...

Scott - Coronation is lovely. It looks an awful lot like my noid which I think also looks like Sherwin-Wright. My noid has purple-based foliage as does Coronation. The buds even look identical to me. Though, my noids do not have the little "flecks" of colour some of the database pictures for Coronation imply. Do your's?

Coronation


My noid:

Similar? I'll have to get myself Coronation to see if I can ID this little noid.

Monty, I have seen the flecks of color in my 'Coronation', but only on occasion. Remind me in July and I can send you 'Coronation'.

I will do so. Thank you!

Hello there. I am new to irises and have just discovered historics. I ordered 6 historics this year. They are all so pretty! I do so enjoy bring back older plants, I also grow antique roses, because I like to breathe new life into the classics. Thank you for all the wonderful pictures and great ideas on what to get next year.

Anne ~ If you want to get an eyeful of historics, go to Bluebird Haven Iris Garden.

http://www.bluebirdhavenirisga...

This website is much different than all the others. Just click on a letter then scroll down to one you want to view. If the title is in blue, it has a link to the picture. Most of them have pictures. If the title is in black, there is no picture.

I can really appreciate what Bluebird Haven does for irises as a whole. The folks there have gone to great lengths to try and find as many rare or thought lost varieties to only place them in their iris fields to help grow back those varieties and hopefully not have that variety go extinct.

Imagine in 20 years. Some of our favourite irises have nearly gone extinct (hopefully not!) Thornbird is a rare find. Wench is hard to find. Haunted Heart has gone extinct. The folks at Bluebird would try their mightiest to find these missing irises and recover them.
I will have to place an order with them at some point....because I love the old fashioned and unkillable nature of a historic.

When I try to start hybridizing, I plan to cross historic irises perhaps with other historic irises and introduce an "Old-fashioned" looking iris. It's brand new, but looks like a historic and provides like one. I'll also likely be using historics in crosses in hopes to beef up the seedlings. Make them resilient. Make them prolific. Make them more tough against diseases (something that new intros should have). We'll have to wait and see though!

Monty ~ for the acorn!

You are welcome!

Thank you for the link Evelyn Very nice list of irises. Unfortunately, my checking account comes with no checks, so I will have to go get some before I can order anything. But I can still fill out a list of what I want!

Anne ~ I hope your printer is in good working order...actually, she will take a list written on a piece of paper, as long as the iris number, name and price is on there.

Let us know what you plan to order....

Historic irises in my garden:

Afternoon Delight - Richard Ernst 1983
Babbling Brook - Keith Keppel 1966
Batik - Allan Ensminger 1986 (BB)
Batman - Monty Byers 1986
Bengal Tiger - William Maryott 1981
Beverly Sills - Ben Hager 1979
Boy Friend - Bryce Williamson 1986
Breakers - Schreiner 1986
Bridal Fashion - John Weiler 1986
Busy Being Blue - Don Denney by J. McWhirter 1989
Cable Car - Walter Luihn 1982
Cantina - Monty Byers 1989
Carnival in Rio - Paul Black 1984
Casa Morena - Fred DeForest 1941
Chief Waukesha - A. Blodgett 1977
Circus Stripes - Gordon Plough 1975
Clancy - L. Roach 1963
Codicil - Sterling Innerst 1984
Collage - Bob Brown 1986
Copper Classic - Elvan Roderick 1977
Cracklin Burgundy - Schreiner 1981
Dardanus (Aril) - Van Tubergen prior to 1962 (AR)
Deft Touch - Chet Tompkins 1977
Dera - Tim Craig 1962
Dusky Challenger - Schreiner 1986
Edith Wolford - Ben Hager 1984
Escondido - Frances Craig 1958
Feed Back - Ben Hager 1983
Fragrant Lilac - Ben Hager 1984
Go Around - Mary Dunn 1982
Gondolier - Jeannette Nelson 1970
Harvest of Memories - Lloyd Zurbrigg 1984
His Royal Highness - Monty Byers 1988
Honky Tonk Blues - Schreiner 1988
Horned Sunshine - Noyd 1967
Jennifer Rebecca - Lloyd Zurbrigg 1984
Kermit - Allan Ensminger 1989 (IB)
Laurel Oak - Tom Craig 1966
Little Mary Sunshine - Elvan Roderick 1989 (BB)
Mary Frances - Larry Gaulter 1971
Muted Melody - Bob Brown 1978
On Line - Schreiner 1980
Orbiter - J. T. Aitken 1985
Oregon Sunshine - National Iris Gardens 1939
Orinoco Flow - Cy Bartlett 1989 (BB)
Pearl Chiffon - D. Steve Varner 1971
Pencil Sketch - Gordon Plough 1971
Perfect Interlude - Schreiner 1983
Picador - Benjamin Yoe Morrison 1930
Picture Bouquet - Opal Brown 1955
Pierre Menard - Eva Faught 1946
Pink Unicorn - Lloyd Austin 1959
Purissima - Mohr-Mitchell 1927
Rare Treat - Schreiner 1987
Red Polish - Tom Craig 1967
Red Zinger - Paul Black 1985 (IB)
Rocket Red - Schreiner 1983
Rosette Wine - Schreiner 1988
Ruffled Copper Sunset - James Gibson 1988
Samurai Warrior - Schreiner 1981
Sea Wolf - J. T. Aitken 1980
Secret Agent - DuBose 1965
Sespe - Marion Walker 1949
Shipshape - Sanford Babson 1968
Silent Majesty - Melba Hamblen 1976
Skating Party - Larry Gaulter 1983
Sketch Me - Gordon Plough 1975
Snow Flurry - Clara Rees 1939
Special Feature - Manley Osborne 1987
Striped Butterfly - Mrs. W. Noyd 1956 (AB)
Syncopation - Joseph Gatty 1983
Tabasco - Tom Craig 1951
Thornbird - Monty Byers 1989
Titan's Glory - Schreiner 1981
Tu Tu Turquoise - Paul Black 1989 (SDB)
Victoria Falls - Schreiner 1977
Florentina - Gerarde collected about 1500 (SP)
Zebra - Unknown (SP)

I didn't realize that I had so many! Monty, check with me later on for shares. And anyone else, too. Some were just planted last year, and the others 2 years ago. So many may not be ready. I will list the ones available, when they are ready. If you want me to save a special favorite, then please let me know.

oh my!
That's impressive Evelyn! Fantastic--
I'm am making note for future shares/trades!

Here's another favorite of mine

Painted Doll, Boen '57/'64
Love it!
Originally, I threw it in with some other historics. When it bloomed (a lot) that first year it was so bright and clear it stood out like a sore thumb and made everyone else look dingy So, I moved it over by a yellowish and purpley rose conglomeration. I was hoping for magical color echo pics last year but the bloom times didn't coincide and I never had any magical moments,

but, here you get the idea...
So this was part of it, in its second year, technically, but after being rudely transplanted in its first year. Grows well and smells good. I love irises that smell good!

Dirt, I bought Painted Doll last year because of your picture.