Iris 'Katharine Hodgkin'- query

[David Nicholson]

I am sure that some of the AGS members will know Val Lee, if not personally then by name (Ian Young knows her). Val was, until this year, Secretary of our local AGS Group.

At our Group meeting last week Val brought along her Iris histrioides Katharine Hodgkin the original bulb of which she was given, more than fifteen years ago, by Mike and Polly Stone. Val's plant looked much darker than any 'Katharine Hodgkin' I have seen before, especially on the standards, and is certainly a lot darker than any of the 'Katharine Hodgkins' I grow. This made me wonder if her plant has some other blood in it, or, given it's provenance, is really how Katharine Hodgkin used to be, and the modern clones are not correct, or might suffer from the 'v' problem?

There will be many on the Forum with far more experience than I have and I would welcome some views to pass on to Val.

Here a four pics of Val's plant, a little dark I'm afraid, and by comparison a pic of one of my own plants.





 

[Miriam]

Hello David,

First of all, happy birthday!

It seems to me that this Iris suffers from virus.

[David Nicholson]

Thanks very much Miriam.

Mmmm. I did wonder.

[Maggi Young]

Oh dear, poor Val's Iris is horribly virused     I hope the lady herself is in good order?

[Luc Gilgemyn]

I'd go for the virus verdict too... 

Your plant looks very healthy though David ! 

[Lvandelft]

Here a four pics of Val's plant

BRRRRRR.....

[David Nicholson]

Thanks for your help folks.

[Regelian]

My Katherine Hodgkin just bloomed today.  The colour is close to impossible to capture, but this is what I know as the typical KH.  Am I correct?  As reticulatas and comapany are new to me, I'ld love to get informed!  Just sown some seed of I. magnifica, so I am branching out.

[Maggi Young]

That's the very girl, Jamie!
Here  is some in our garden now.....  see how "cold" the Scottish light is!

[Regelian]

Thanks, Maggi,

looks like she's quite at home with you.  I have it planted under a rose arch where I hope it will bake a bit in Summer.  We are very wet in Cologne, much like Scotland.

[Maggi Young]

We find Iris 'Katharine Hodgkin' to be a charming lady, she makes herself at home all over our garden, we would not be without her. I should think she will be happy by your rose arch

[Ragged Robin]

We find Iris 'Katherine Hodgkin' to be a charming lady, she makes herself at home all over our garden, we would not be without her. I should think she will be happy by your rose arch

Charming and disarming - who could not fail to fall under the spell of this delicate looking iris which obviously is tougher than she looks   My hopes are up that she would like to take the mountain air! (hot sun guaranteed)

[Maggi Young]

I rather think "she" might, Robin. I'll make a note to lift one for you .

[Paul T]

I wish she'd do as well for me.  She struggles on for me, rarely if ever flowering unfortunately.  Mine now reside in the damper and slightly shadier corner of my crocus garden, where she gets a little shelter in summer from the heat and dry, but still gets very good drainage with the bit of extra moisture.  We shall see what happens to her in the future.

[Otto Fauser]

Paul , from a single bulb I built up a thriving colony of over 200 flowering sized ones in a matter of about 5 years - a beautyful sight - and then the next year not a single surviver , the dreaded ink decease , only empty shells .
 The first time I saw I. 'Katharine Hodgkin' in flower was in 1961 in E.B. Anderson's
 garden in Lower Slaughter ,under a Plum Tree. I remember E.B.A. telling me ,that it was the second year to flower , and that he used I danfordiae as one parent , but it has been established in the meantime that it was I winogradowii .