Henhouse
Some years ago I bought 'Skatng Party' a border bearded iris normally measuring 85 cm and the first year the iris was measuring 120 cm. Much taller then. The growth and height went back to normal the following years. In fact I dont know why some irises are beginning to grow taller or shorter than they should be. That happened most of the time in my garden with modern irises but some oldies take time to settle too and to reach height mentioned in the description. i perfectly understand what you mean by 'stately elegance'. I get the same feeling with some irises which draw your attention at first sight with their striking beauty, balance of the plant and arrangement of the flowers. 'Even if I do not grow 'Confetti' the photo of the flower itself is showing such elegance. It is the kind of iris you think straight away when looking closer at it 'I must have' (:))
At this period of time (around the fifties) you could find many plicata of the same type but 'Confetti' appears to have something more, very special, an 'added value' and if I may, I am wondering sometimes why some nuggets of the past either remain unknown from the iris world either are not spread enough in the gardens. Focusing on French irises I cannot resist to grow them, both for preservation and their beauty, as great achievement of an hybridizer, no matter of their origin or to the rank that an iris can have in the hybridization history. .When you are having a garden and not a field you have to make up decisions with a drastic choice.
Regarding photography I encountered the same difficulty to get what I see. On that point I think that the best way to really appreciate an iris is to see it in person. I agree with you, some are difficult to shot ; By the way,, the more you like it, the more you will find difficult to get the right shots.
Thank you for your comments and information. I like the way you are speaking about irises.
