The beauty of Midway Village's Iris Garden is rooted in the vision of local iris enthusiast Dolores Avram, the prime donor of the collection that exceeds 60 different varieties.

Now you can purchase some of the amazing varieties for your own garden!

When: Thurs. Sept. 12 - 4:30 - 6:30pm

Cost: $15 per pot with 2-4 rhizomes per pot (the number depends on the size of the rhizome)

Varieties:

I GERMANICA

IRIS CLASS: BEARDED

BEARDED CLASS: TALL BEARDED

AGE: BEFORE 1900

FALL COLOR: PURPLE

STANDARD COLOR: PURPLE

PATTERN: NEGLECTA

BEARD COLOR: LEMON/LT YELLOW

HYBRIDIZER: LINNAEUS

I Germanica Vulgaris is a naturally occurring hybrid with several cultivars, and a favorite in European gardens. I Germanica can be found in botanical literature as early as the 1590’s. The iris that Sweden’s Carl Linnaeus selected and named I Germanica in 1753 was likely a common garden variety iris similar to others growing in the region. I Germanica is often the subject of painters, most notably Vincent Van Gogh in his famous ‘Irises’ paintings.

SWERTI

IRIS CLASS: BEARDED

BEARDED CLASS: TALL BEARDED

AGE: BEFORE 1900

FALL COLOR: WHITE WITH PURPLE STITCHING

STANDARD COLOR: WHITE

WITH PURPLE STITCHING

PATTERN: PLICATA

BEARD COLOR: LEMON/YELLOW

HYBRIDIZER: COLLECTED

Swerti is a unique iris variety with white blooms edged with purple “stitching” that has a pleasing grape scent. Dutch artist, botanist and rare plant merchant Emmanuel Sweerti, who was head gardener for Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II, included the variety 400 years ago in his 1612 Florilegium, an illustrated floral catalog, making it one of the oldest iris which exist today. Swerti blooms in a compact cluster in mid season and can be found in gardens in the U.S., Japan, Russia, and all over Europe.

WYOMISSING

IRIS CLASS: BEARDED

BEARDED CLASS:

INTERMEDIATE BEARDED

AGE: 1900-1919

FALL COLOR: MAUVE/ROSE

STANDARD COLOR: WHITE

PATTERN: BICOLOR

BEARD COLOR: LEMON/LIGHT YELLOW

HYBRIDIZER: FARR

Wyomissing is one of the oldest American iris. It was featured in the very first catalog of Bertrand Farr, the visionary nurseryman from Pennsylvania who ignited the passion for iris in the United States in the early twentieth century. The plant features warm white

standards with rosy lavender falls.

PRINCESS BEATRICE

IRIS CLASS: BEARDED

BEARDED CLASS: TALL BEARDED

AGE: BEFORE 1900

FALL COLOR: LAVENDER

STANDARD COLOR: LAVENDER

PATTERN: SELF

BEARD COLOR: LEMON/LT YELLOW

HYBRIDIZER: BARR

Princess Beatrice is often considered one of the finest of all irises. It is a silky lavender blue flower with flaring falls and a strong sweet

scent. With strong stems and wide foliage, it is a rare beauty.

GYPSY QUEEN

IRIS CLASS: BEARDED

BEARDED CLASS:

INTERMEDIATE BEARDED

AGE: PRE 1900

FALL COLOR: RED/MAROON

STANDARD COLOR: GOLD/TAN

PATTERN: VARIEGATA

BEARD COLOR: LEMON/ LIGHT YELLOW

HYBRIDIZER: SALTER

BLOOM SEASON: MID LATE

Gypsy Queen is a late bloomer with tall, spiky foliage and golden standards with dark maroon falls. Gypsy Queen was one of the parent plants that W.J. Fryer used in hybridizing other iris in the 1850’s. In New Zealand, the variety is known as “Hamlet” which is a synonym for Gypsy Queen.

LORELEY

IRIS CLASS: BEARDED

BEARDED CLASS: INT BEARDED

AGE: BEFORE 1900 - 1919

FALL COLOR: RED/MAROON

STANDARD COLOR: YELLOW

PATTERN: VARIEGATA

BEARD COLOR: ORANGE/DEEP YELLOW

HYBRIDIZER: GOOS & KOENEMANN

BLOOM SEASON: MID SEASON

Loreley has amber yellow goblet-shaped standards, which are often flecked with shades of pansy violet or raisin purple. It was one of the most popular iris of the early 20th century. Hybridized in Germany by Goos and Koenemann, the flower is named for the

mythical femme fatale “Loreley” of the Rhine River, who lured sailors to their death with her enchanting music.

MADAME HENRI CAYEUX

IRIS CLASS: BEARDED

BEARDED CLASS: TALL BEARDED

AGE: 1920-1929

FALL COLOR: RED/MAROON

STANDARD COLOR: RED/MAROON

PATTERN: BITONE

BEARD COLOR: ORANGE/DEEP YELLOW

HYBRIDIZER: CAYEUX

BLOOM SEASON: MID TO LATE

Madame Henri Cayeux received an award of merit from the French National Historical Society. Regarded by its developer, the

renowned French horticulturalist and breeder Ferdinand Cayeux, to be one of the top two varieties he ever produced. The variety was

named for Cayeux’s brother’s wife. A cross between Black Prince and Alcazar the flower has long 3½ foot stems.

FAIRY

IRIS CLASS: BEARDED

BEARDED CLASS: TALL

AGE: 1905

FALL COLOR: WHITE WITH PALE BLUE

STANDARD COLOR: WHITE

PATTERN: PLICATA

BEARD COLOR: ORANGE

HYBRIDIZER: KENNICOTT

BLOOM SEASON: MIDSEASON

Fairy is considered the first American iris, and is the best of the tall creamy white iris. It has a delicate, sweet scent that author Ella Porter McKinney describes as “the one iris whose fragrance was loved by all.” Amasa Kennicott, who hybridized the iris, was an Illinois native and Civil War veteran.

FABIAN

IRIS CLASS: BEARDED

BEARDED CLASS: TALL BEARDED

AGE: BEFORE 1900

FALL COLOR: PURPLE

STANDARD COLOR: LAVENDER

PATTERN: BITONE

BEARD COLOR: ORANGE/DEEP YELL0W

HYBRIDIZER: SALTER

BLOOM SEASON: MID TO LATE

Fabian has light smoky lavender standards and dark purple falls. While listed as extinct in 1939 by the American Iris Society, it was later found growing at Presby Memorial Iris Gardens in Montclair, New Jersey. The flowers are smaller than most tall bearded iris.

RHEIN NIXE

IRIS CLASS: BEARDED

BEARDED CLASS: TALL BEARDED

AGE: BEFORE 1900-1919

FALL COLOR: PURPLE

STANDARD COLOR: WHITE

PATTERN: AMOENA

BEARD COLOR: LEMON/LIGHT YELL0W

HYBRIDIZER: GOOS & KOENEMANN

BLOOM SEASON: MID TO LATE

Rhein Nixe has rich raspberry purple falls

tipped narrowly in white, with large pure white

standards. Rhein Nixe was hybridized by the

renowned German nursery firm owned by Max

Goos and August Koenemann, which produced

many of the most popular varieties in the early

20th century. The flower gets its name from a

water spirit associated with the Rhine River. It

is a very tall variety, reaching over three feet.

UNKNOWN YELLOW VARIETY