Offering the best new irises for the connoisseur and for the backyard gardener.
International Iris
P.O. Box 18124
Portland, OR 97218-0124
bfilardi [at] comcast.net
2012 Introductions:
Banana Cream Pie
Queen Empress (Filardi '07)
The Bauer Garden during iris season
Rock Climber (Filardi '12)
International Iris/Bruce Filardi
from the SDIS Newsletter, April 2010
Bruce Filardi started hybridizing in 1996. As soon as he fell in love with irises, he fell in love with hybridizing. His first inspiration was when he had a day off from work one day in May of ’95, saw an ad for Schreiner’s, and hopped in the car to drive an hour south from Portland to Salem. Instead of the casual half-hour visit he expected to make, he spent several hours there with his camera, first in the display gardens and later wandering through the seedling fields. The range of colors and patterns was mesmerizing, and the first thing he wanted to breed was a green iris.
As years went on, Bruce became friends with many of the “big names” in the Portland/Salem area, but he never had the confidence to name and register any of his seedlings. He finally registered some in 2005, and Barbara & Terry Aitken introduced his ‘Some Enchanted Evening’ and ‘Pewter and Gold’ in 2006, and four more in 2007: ‘Banana Cream Pie’, ‘Queen Empress’, ‘Enchanted Circle’, and ‘Twilight Tear’. Terry Aitken told Bruce that if he really wanted to introduce more than four in a year, then he should put out his own catalogue, and this is when Bruce started thinking about International Iris, which he originally planned to call Swordlily Gardens. [“Swordlily” is a literal translation of the German word for “iris”: Schwertlilie.]
Bruce speaks German so was able to communicate with German hybridizer Manfred Beer, who speaks no English. He finally had the opportunity to meet Manfred and friend Margitta [“Gitta”] Herrn, along with German hybridizer Günter Diedrich and his wife Rosi, at the National Convention in Portland a few years ago. Two years later, Bruce was the guest of Manfred & Gitta in Germany, where he got to see the Diedrichs again, and also met Wolfgang & Barbara Landgraf. An inveterate traveler, Bruce had also met and visited Anton Mego and his wife Viktoria on a trip to Slovakia; and when he was invited to judge at the International Iris Competition in Florence, Italy, he met Lorena Montanari and her husband Giorgio. On all these occasions, as happens when fanatic hybridizers get together, seedling photos were shared and discussed. Bruce saw many striking and worthwhile irises which he knew would never be seen in America.
International Iris slowly came into being as a way to distribute Bruce’s own work, and more importantly as an outlet for the work of Europe’s great hybridizers who really had no distribution process. In 2009 and 2010, irises were introduced by Beer, Diedrich, Filardi, Landgraf, Mego, and Montanari. The most popular in 2009 were Landgraf’s ‘Landgraefin Elisabeth’, Montanari’s ‘Ferragosto’, and Filardi’s ‘Crest of the Wave’. In 2010, the favorites have been two from Mego, ‘Bratislavan Prince’ and ‘Zlatovláska’. In 2011, new hybridizer Cynthia Bauer (Portland, OR) has her first two introductions, and in 2012 we hope to showcase the work of two additional American hybridizers.
(TBs unless otherwise noted)
SDB Introductions for 2012:
<== AMIDALA (Filardi '12) Beautiful pale pink with gilt rim on falls. Outstanding growth. Only available this year via TBIS plant sale.
AZURWOLKE (Diedrich '12) ==> Stunning color in this new cultivar from Germany. Pristine white standards and fall centers contrast with dark blue fall edges, brightened by yellow shoulders.
<== BLACKBERRY BEACON (Filardi '12) Extremely dark plicata, more of a "dark vs. white" contrast in the garden than it shows in the photo.
CLIP ART (Rocha '12) ==> Beautiful ruffled and laced pastel from Steve Rocha. Peach with pink influence.
<== COLOR SPEKTAKEL (Diedrich '12) Different! Interesting, unusual color and pattern, nicely laced edges.
ELVIS (Rocha '12) ==>
This one got a tremendous amount of attention as a seedling at the Modesto Regional in 2010. Outstanding color and form. Not just another blue amoena!
<== FALL SYMPHONY (Montanari '12) An unusual and beautiful "darktop" from this talented hybridizer's breeding program. Nicely ruffled.
KARAMEL ANTIK ==>
(Diedrich '12) This hybridizer certainly has an eye for unusual colors and patterns! Nice and unique.
<== KIMBERLY MY LOVE (Van Hook '12) I think John Van Hook knows as much about iris genetics as anyone in the country! This beauty is his first introduction in the last few years, and it's a fine one in pink and lavender tones.
MADRE TERRA ==>
(Montanari '12) Great growth and color. Available this year only via the TBIS plant sale.
<== MONTEFIORE (Urbinati '12) First introduction from Leonardo Urbinati, a 15-year-old hybridizer from Italy. Received award in Florence for best branching.
PEWTER SILK (Filardi '12) ==>
I love this one! Palest grey-lavender with a hint of pink, beautiful in person! Will especially appeal to arrangers, but great in the garden, too.ext.
PRESIDENTIAL (Filardi '12) What better name for an iris that approaches red [beard], white, and blue, especially in an election year?!! Outstanding growth, but form is somewhat old-fashioned.
RIMINI BEACH (Montanari'12)==>
A pastel approach to the elusive orange over purple color combination. As with everything from Ms. Montanari, a tough, strong grower. Beautiful form!
<== ROCK CLIMBER (Filardi '12) Perfection! A mid-blue that does everything right, lit up by a sunshine yellow beard.
SHIMMERING VEIL (Filardi'12)==>
Bright, bright yellow with minimal plicata markings. Very nice, and already a good parent.
International Iris, specializing in the finest tall bearded (TB) irises from around the world. Featuring the new introductions of hybridizers Cynthia Bauer, Manfred Beer, Guenter Diedrich, Bruce Filardi, Wolfgang Landgraf, Anton Mego, Lorena Montanari, Steve Rocha, Leonardo Urbinati, and John Van Hook. Also, one of the world's most important collections of historic irises.
<==Blue Parrot (Filardi '12) Beautiful shades of blue and violet in a little iris that loves to grow and forms a nice clump.
Full Moon Eclipse ==> (Filardi '12) Really striking! Great color contrast, set off by ruffled white fall edges. A favorite with everyone who sees it!
Tall Bearded 2012 Introductions: $45 each; $40 each with order of 4 or more different new intros. Postage included in price. Send check, made out to Bruce Filardi, to P.O. Box 18124, Portland, OR 97218-0124
SDB 2012 Introductions: $15 each; both for $25
Please note that Amidala and Madre Terra (as well as John Van Hook's Taylor Made - not pictured) are only available this year as part of the TBIS plant sale.
