International Iris News COMPILED BY BRUCE FILARDI, OREGON
GERMAN IRIS SOCIETY
We have received the results of the 2018
International Iris Competition in Germany. The first six
places were as follows:
1. Simone Luconi (Italy): seedling 311-2009
2. Schreiner (USA): ‘Makin’ Good Time’
3. Günter Diedrich (Germany): seedling 73-08-12-2
4. Augusto Bianco (Italy): ‘Mille Sei’
5. Angelo Garanzini (Italy): seedling 2111-1
6. Richard Cayeux (France): ‘Terre à Silex’
BRITISH IRIS SOCIETY
photos, page 23, by clare dawson
Plant Heritage has awarded Sarah Cook, who holds
the historic National Plant Collection of iris introduced
by Sir Cedric Morris, with the prestigious Brickell
Award.
On July 2, 2018, at RHS Hampton Court Palace
Flower Show, the founder of Plant Heritage, Chris
Brickell VMH, presented the award to Cook.
The Brickell Award recognizes the vital plant
conservation work undertaken by collection holders
to secure plants in cultivation, for example through
the rediscovery and propagation of lost taxa, and is
awarded to those considered to have demonstrated
excellence in this field.
Cook, formerly head gardener at Sissinghurst, in
collaboration with Howard Nurseries, was awarded
gold at the 2015 RHS Chelsea Flower Show, for the
display, which brought the fine vintage irises bred by
Sir Cedric Morris back to the show once more after a
60-year absence.
As a keen plantsman, Morris cultivated a great many
striking forms of bearded iris, naming 90 varieties that
he bred from seed at his home, Benton End, in Suffolk.
Though many of these plants, sadly, disappeared over
subsequent years, Cook succeeded in tracing 25 of
Morris’s vintage ‘Benton’ collection. Since then she has
worked with Howard Nurseries to bring these stunning
varieties back to the market.
How the story began
During her time at Sissinghurst, Cook found an iris
with the label ‘Benton Nigel’ that reminded her of
her childhood in Suffolk. After retirement she moved
back to Suffolk and is once more living close to Benton
End, where Morris had run the East Anglian School of
Painting. She decided to find out more about Cedric
Morris and his irises and look for the lost cultivars.
Cook spent more than a decade tracking down the
irises, collecting many from private gardens and some
from as far afield as the United States. She spent time
researching Morris, his irises, and also his paintings
which often featured his plants. She found many of
the irises had Benton in their name plus the name of a
friend or of his cats and macaw.
Luconi seedling 311-2009
, simone luconi
‘Makin’ Good Time’ (Schreiner 2015, TB)
, schreiner
22 AIS Bulletin Fall 2018