Upon seeing TB Re Daughter of Stars (D. Spoon, 2001) at Winterberry Garden in Cross Junction, VA during an AIS Region 4 Spring Meeting, my mentor and friend, the late Dr. Lloyd Zurbrigg, saw the immense breeding potential in the groundbreaking purple luminata plicata tall bearded rebloomer. “We should try crossing it to my Clarence (Zurbrigg, 1991) seedlings.” My chance to act on Dr. Zurbrigg's suggestion came in the spring following his January 2005 passing.
TB Re Clarence
Daughter of Stars finally had bloomstalks to try cross pollinations at my Flatrock garden in Powhatan County, VA. The best option was a combination featuring TB Re Gate of Heaven (Zurbrigg, 2004) or Clarence X St. Petersburg (M. Byers, 1990). My mentor's last tall bearded rebloom registration had impeccable flower form, fragrance and fall reliability. The medium blue self had rebloomed the previous year from late July to early November. Out of the resulting thirty seedlings planted at Cosby Farm in Powhatan County, one was “head and shoulders” above the rest.”
TB Re Gate of Heaven
Lockatell TB Re 20517 had initial fall flowering in 2009 and was sent to Riverside, California for the 2012 American Iris Society National Convention The moorish blue self was outstanding there during fall 2011 and winter 2012. After more evaluation in succeeding years, the decision was made to register Lockatell TB Re Sdlg.#20517 as Metro Blue. Its formal introduction took place in 2015. Rebloom has been recorded in Oregon, California, New Mexico, Iowa, Indiana, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The Central Virginia origination received an Honorable Mention Award from American Iris Society judges in 2018. The first Eastern tall bearded rebloomer to be honored in nearly fifteen years.
TB Re Metro Blue
Fall 2020 Rebloom in PA
Hillenbrandt
TB Re Metro Blue X Lockatell TB Sdlg.#20513 or (Zurbrigg TB SA Re Sdlg.#VV 101) X Gate of Heaven was a cross pollination yielding seed at Cosby Farm in 2010. One seedling was planted in a Crestwood Farms seedling bed in North Chesterfield, VA during 2012. Maiden bloom occurred in mid September prior to the 2013 AIS Region Fall Meeting held in Richmond. Lockatell TB Re Sdlg.#21013A- Sept Re has a hyacinth blue coloring with lighter area under orange-yellow beards tipped white with a diamond dusted finish. My seedling would exhibit the best qualities from Zurbrigg rebloom breeding over the coming years.
TB Re Hidden Sky
Fall 2020 Rebloom in PA
Hillenbrandt
A few years would pass before Lockatell TB Re Sdlg.#21013A- Sept Re could be reestablished at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College and resume rebloom in the fall. George Hillenbrandt from Slatington, PA grew my seedling during this time and reported fall flowering. The evidence convinced me to register this Metro Blue child as Hidden Sky last year.
TB Re Hidden Sky
Fall Rebloom 2020
JSRCC
The news would get better in 2019 during summer and fall, Divisions had been sent for the 2020 AIS Region 4 & 7 Spring Meetings. Kim Bowman from Dancing Dragon Iris Garden in Morristown, TN had open flowers on July 25th. Diana and Dean Dudley from Raleigh, NC saw blooms on August 30th. Hidden Sky was reblooming at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College in time to be entered in the 2019 AIS Region 4 Fall Meeting Flower Show held in West End Richmond in early October.
Lockatell named varieties and seedlings are now guest irises for the 2021 AIS National Convention in Las Cruces, NM. Scarlett Ayres reported tour garden flowering on Hidden Sky in June The Metro Blue Child turned in August rebloom at New Mexico State University. The hyacinth blue is now seeing additional Central Virginia flowering in early September in South Richmond and Goochland County.
TB Re Sdlg.#21450A-31
New Mexico State University
Hidden Sky children are achieving encouraging summer rebloom in both Central Virginia and New Mexico. Lockatell TB Re Sdlg.#21415-30 or Hidden Sky X TB Re Autumn Circus (Hager, 1990) had June flowers in Las Cruces. A vigorous medium blue with red beards tipped white had multiple bloomstalks in South Richmond in late August and early September. Lockatell TB Re Sdlg.#21450A-31 or Hidden Sky X TB Re Just Call Me (Wilkerson, 2008) had summer bloom in New Mexico. The vigorous near blue amoena with orange-yellow beards has proven to be a reliable fall performer with timely division at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community in October.
TB Re #Sdlg. 21415-30
A sister seedling, Lockatell TB Re Sdlg.#21450A-32 has medium sized flowers on slender and slightly shorter bloomstalks. The neglecta coloring with yellow-orange beards still rebloomed without being divided at JSRCC this fall. The color combination is difficult to obtain in tall bearded cool season rebloom breeding, so careful evaluation may warrant a possible positive decision on future registration.
TB Re Sdlg. #21450A-32
Dr. Zurbrigg's suggestion at Winterberry Garden was prophetic fifteen years ago. Clarence offspring have great potential to improve bloom habits and rebloom reliability in colder climates. The results discussed here point to more exciting discoveries for cool season reblooming bearded irises in the coming decade.
