April 30th, 2009
Iris ‘Incantation’
Bearded iris ‘Incantation’. April 29, 2009.
A lavender blue bearded iris opened this week and I had to go through my files of photographs to identify it. Everyone is under the misconception that I keep great records. In contrast, I feel like I never write down the precise bit of information that I want to know later. When did I transplant this iris? Where did I move it from? What is it? Why didn’t I label it or jot down a few notes?
In my files I found several photos of ‘Incantation’. Some taken with my digital video recorder in on April 21, 2002. Another set taken with my first digital camera on April 24, 2005. These showed the distinct veining on the falls and the bit of bright orange on the throat of the otherwise white beard.
Bearded iris ‘Incantation’. April 24, 2005.
This year ‘Incantation’ opened on April 25th. I have only one rhizome left which has sent up one stalk with three flowers. I originally bought three rhizomes from Schreiner’s in 1999 for $7.50 a piece (not factoring in the discount). They bloomed in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, and now 2009. I thought I’d lost them to rot completely. I transplanted them again last fall and only one survived. It has been smothered by bluebonnets most of the spring and I was completely surprised when the flower stalk popped up last week.
Here’s my original impression from April 20, 2000.
First flower. Well-proportioned with standards the periwinkle blue of some of the larkspur. It blends very well with the larkspur but what I really need is contrast. This is the trouble with liking one color and buying every flower that is that color.
I think I was wrong. I look at the photo at the top of this post and now I think that’s just perfect.
by M Sinclair Stevens
April 30th, 2009
A beauty with that hint of orange and the water colored veining…I agree, the match is perfect; the cool look of larkspur does fine without the sharp contrast! gail
April 30th, 2009
Absolutely beautiful! Its subtle coloration is just perfect with the larkspur.
April 30th, 2009
I like how it goes with the larkspur too, and the hint of orange is just perfect. I really admire the subtle coloring on ‘Incantation.’
April 30th, 2009
Drool!!! What a beauty, MSS!!! I want it!!!
I just looked at the Schreiner’s Iris catalog online and, sadly, they no longer carry ‘Incantation’. Pity. It’s so pretty especially in soft light. — mss
April 30th, 2009
It is just perfect!
May 3rd, 2009
It really is a lovely iris. I wish I’d been able to make a trip to Austin this spring so I could see the bearded iris in bloom. I’ve tried growing them here and all I get is beautiful fans of foliage …
May 4th, 2009
That is a lovely flower. Irises are such stunners.
May 10th, 2009
I think it looks great with the larkspur – it’s beautiful (and I love your comment in a prior post, about your garden looking like a ‘prom queen after a long night of partying…’ – now that’s a perfect description!
May 18th, 2009
Incantation is great. I haven’t seen very many iris I don’t like, though.