Back in the mid ’80s my husband and stepson, then a teenager, were big fans of the astringent comedy of Steven Wright.
Why do irises need help?
Why exactly, you may ask, do irises need citizen gardeners to help them?
When I had looked up the flower in my trusty American Horticultural Society A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants I was amazed to find, instead of the usual one-page entry, nine pages densely packed with iris information and nearly 100 photographs of different kinds of irises.
Irises bloom beside glass houses in Wales. Broullon (patiently) explained that the genetic material from antique irises is needed by present-day hybridizers for their work in continuing to breed flowers that suit modern garden designs, have improved disease resistance.
What is the big deal if some irises go missing?
Arthur Bliss was an English iris breeder whose early 20th century varieties are being carefully cultivated in Gloucestershire. They depend, she said, on the existence of older cultivars for authenticity in reestablishing period landscapes.
Iris ‘Marsh Marigold’ dates to 1919.
With so many irises, who noticed that some were disappearing?
He told me that in 2014, iris fanciers voiced concern in an online forum about escalating numbers of cultivars being lost because of a number of factors, including the closings of some major iris dealers as well as the lack of communication among gardeners.
What is the secret to saving irises?
Iris ‘Bruno’ from the 1920s (1922, probably). From his former career as a museum director, Paschall knew that the key to effective preservation, whether it be artifacts or paintings or plants, is accurate record keeping. The next step was to recruit caretakers for rare specimens.
That number doubled in each of the next two years and now more than 80 gardeners participate in growing more than 2,000 cultivars. Population growth, relentless development and unpredictable climate alterations are all combining to threaten dwindling species of all types of living things.
Paschall is eager to enlist more gardeners in the Guardian Gardens project. Because the program aims to grow irises in as many diverse climates as possible, residents of all areas of North America are welcome.
How do I sign up to help save rare irises?
Iris ‘Daphne’ dates to 1921, a tall bearded iris bred by English iris collector Arthur Bliss. And if the idea of joining forces with other gardeners to save endangered plants appeals to you but irises aren’t your thing, keep your eye on Doug Paschall.