Trying to Restore My Dear Friends Collection
I rescued my original iris collection via a lifelong friend after his mother - passionate iris collector, BIS member, exhibitor, and hybridizer Jane Cole - died of cancer. Jane's iris 'Lambourn Hills' is one of the most treasured and beautiful irises that I grow (a true sparkling silver!).
I have been on a mission for the last 10 years trying to identify, relabel and restore Jane's collection around the labels that were hurriedly collected from her borders with the rhizomes after her death. These are sadly the only records I have of what she grew.
I am still on the lookout for some missing varieties, and I wanted to share this list here in the hope that someone out there may grow them and would be willing to share now or in the future. I have discovered that Jane participated in many RHS trials, and I understand that some of these irises were in those trials, so hopefully other BIS members may well still have these.
If you can help with any of these irises, I’d love to hear from you – please email me here.
Thank you
Karen Saunders
| Beguine, Keppel (1987) |
| Black as Night, Meek (1992) |
| Blushing Moon, Welch (2001) |
| Bouzy Bouzy, Anfosso (1984) |
| Brave New World, Feuerstein (1996) |
| Chinese Treasure, Blyth (1981) |
| Copatonic, Blyth (1994) |
| County of Kent, Baumunk (2005) |
| Dorothea Marquart, Innerst (1993) |
| Flushed Delight, Vizvarie (1990) |
| Foxy Lady, Nelson (1988) |
| Fresno Calypso, Weiler (1977) |
| Hindenburg, Maryott (1982) |
| Jazz Echo, McWhirter (1991) |
| Kind Karen, Spoon (1995) |
| Liquorice Fantasy, Gibson (1985) |
| Maroon Moon, Spoon (1985) |
| Mother Earth, Hager (1988) |
| Nordica, Maryott (1991) |
| Ocean Pacific, Ghio (1987) |
| Orange Dawn, Howe/Linnegar (1981) |
| Red Hawk, Schreiner (1995) |
| Terra Rosa, Schreiner (1988) |