HISTORIC SIBERIAN IRIS DISPLAY GARDEN
KANABEC HISTORY CENTER

Written and submitted by Mary DuVall.

Three years ago, with the financial assistance of the Iris Society of Minnesota, members of our Town and Country Garden Club prepared a flowerbed measuring 4 feet X 60 feet for the planting of an Historic Siberian Iris Display Garden within the fenced-in grounds at the History Center. The flower garden is in a sunny area. We have assurances that more bed space is available for expansion if needed, and have a very enthusiastic group that helps maintain the planting.

The garden area has a wide edging of wood chips allow all-around viewing, and to keep the grass from invading the garden. A mulch of shredded pine needles adds the finishing touch to the garden, which is located adjacent to a Historic Turn of the Century Perennial Garden that our society planned and planted several years ago. This collection contains 41 different species of perennials, including 66 individual varieties of plants.

The irises were very healthy clumps this fall as we put the garden to bed, and we hope for a good display of blooms this spring. As the garden matures, we look for an impressive display during iris season.

ISM Members have been VERY generous with the original donations to the garden – Bill Rogers, Bill Dougherty, Cindy Johnson, Marcy Gaugert, Jack Worel, Mary Duvall, Thank you all!! ISM also funded the costs of bed preparation. Another cash donation last year from ISM enabled us to add to the collection so that we now have forty-eight cultivars.

We would welcome donations from other members from Region 8. We are particularly interested in the very early hybrids so that the advancement of Siberian irises can be clearly demonstrated to visitors to the gardens. Mora, Sweden, and the garden are seen by many Swedish visitors every summer.

This is an official AIS Display Garden, and is listed in the HIPS National Directory.

Historic Siberian Irises

ABITIBI - Preston ‘30
ANNIVERSARY - M BRUMMITT ‘65
AUGURY – MCGARVEY ‘73
AUSABLE RIVER – CASSEBEER ‘69
BLUE MOON – SCHEFFY ‘52
CAESAR – MORGAN ‘30
CAESAR’S BROTHER – MORGAN ‘31
CAMBRIDGE - M BRUMMITT ‘64
DARK CIRCLE – MCEWEN ‘76
DREAMING SPIRES - M BRUMMITT ‘64
DREAMING YELLOW – MCEWEN ‘69
EMPEROR – BARR ‘19
FLIGHT OF BUTTERFLIES – WITT ‘75
GATINEAU – PRESTON ‘32
HALCYON SEAS – WHARTON ‘68
HELEN ASTOR – WHITNEY-KELLOG ‘38
LIMEHEART - M BRUMMITT ‘68
LLEWELYN – CLEVELAND ‘29
MARANATHA – VARNER ‘73
MARILYN HOLMES – MCEWEN ‘68
MISS DULUTH – SASS ‘33
MY LOVE – SCHEFFY ‘48
NIPIGON – PRESTON ‘32
ORVILLE FAY – MCEWEN ‘70
PERRY’S PYGMY – PERRY ‘12
PINK HAZE – MCGARVEY ‘69
RIDEAU – PRESTON ‘32
ROYAL HERALD – Scheffy ‘46
RUBY WINE – HAGER ‘67
SALLY KERLIN – MCEWEN ‘68
SEVEN SEAS – MARX ‘56
Sibirica MONGOLIA 15 Plants
Sibirica SCHWAN – FOERSTER ‘31
Sibirica SNOW QUEEN – 1917
SKEENA – PRESTON ‘38
SKY WINGS – PECK ‘71
SNOWY EGRET – CLEVELAND ‘38
SUMMER SKY – CLEVELAND ‘35
SWANK – HAGER ‘68
TEALWOOD – VARNER ‘59 (Morgan Award ’65)
TYCOON – CLEVELAND ‘38
VELVET NIGHT – EDWARDS ‘59 (Morgan Award ‘69)
VIOLET FLARE – CASSEBEER ‘59 (Morgan Award ’65)
WHITE DOVE – CLEVELAND ‘27
WHITE MAGNIFICANCE – KITTON ‘64
WHITE SWIRL CASSABEER ‘57
WING ON WING – MCGARVEY ‘69
WISLEY WHITE – ‘40

© 2005 - 9 American Iris Society Region 8