Top Reblooming Iris from Schreiner’s Iris Gardens

I’m so thrilled to have the opportunity to chat with Liz Schmidt of Schreiner’s Iris Gardens this past week. I think the family of stunning bearded iris has long been a garden favorite, but I’m ecstatic to see the demand for cut flowers from this family of blooms gaining in popularity. The family we’re talking about is not any ordinary iris but Iris germanica, the grand taller more statuesque member of the Iris family.

Several years ago when looking for new varieties to plant, I found a subgroup within this family of rebloomers! Yes it’s true, you heard that right, rebloomers!! For quite some time, breeders especially at Schreiner’s have been trying to create new hybrids that exhibit this characteristic consistently. One of the requirements for these magnificent beauties is a longer growing season. Many northern places can’t achieve this second flowering due to their earlier winters and early frosts. Depending on your location hovering around these northern areas a variety might be possible but may take a few years to reach that full potential.

I’m happy to share my interview with Liz but there is more! When we finished our chat, she was gracious to share her top favorites for their dependability of blooming in the spring then again in the fall. These varieties aren’t listed in any particular order, it’s just wonderful that they made the list plus we’ve included a couple of extras for fun.

August Treat

Intermediate Bearded Iris

Standards blue-lavender; Falls very pale blue-lavender; beards blue. With a height of 20in., and no fragrance, August Treat is a welcome to any garden, and its frilly petals are pure delight. Originator: J. Terry Aitken. Year: 2012. Bloom Season: Mid Rebloom: Yes

Best Bet

Tall Bearded Iris

Light wisteria blue-violet standards sharply contrast the deep hyacinth blue-violet falls in this floriferous bitone. It often produces two to three stems per plant early in the bloom season and then tends to bloom again in the fall. This child of Titan's Glory combines the vigorous growth habits and flower size of its parent with its own distinctive color pattern.

Cantina

Tall Bearded Iris

A delectable blue wash at the centers of the falls lends a mellifluous bitone effect to these large reddish violet flowers. The unusual color pattern and heavy ruffling accentuates the distinctive coloring of the falls. Cantina is a dependable August rebloomer for us in Oregon.

Champagne Elegance

Tall Bearded Iris

Connoisseurs of fine Iris recognize this delicately shaded apricot amoena as one of the best. Its near-white standards are classically arched while its ruffled falls present a gentle blending of buff, apricot and peach. A prolific bloomer, Champagne Elegance produces 7-10 buds per stem and consistently reblooms in late summer. Sweet orange blossom fragrance.

Elainealope

Tall Bearded Iris

Splashes and splotches of reddish purple randomly pepper Elainealope's tailored light lavender petals. In addition to its unique broken color, this child of Maria Tormena X Master Touch has a delightfully sweet fragrance, produces multiple stems per rhizome and reblooms in the summer.

Mother Earth

Tall Bearded Iris

Mother Earth's large flowers possess gently undulating ruffles. The lavender falls pale at their centers and are touched with beige shoulders. The ivory standards have a hint of lavender at their bases. Stalks are tall, strong and well-branched, averaging 9 buds.Reblooming variety.

Pure As Gold

Tall Bearded Iris

Reliable rebloom and strong growth are the hallmarks of this deep golden yellow. Exquisite ruffling graces the edges of Pure As Gold's well-formed flowers. One of the most consistent rebloomers each summer.

Sugar Blues

Tall Bearded Iris

This deep wisteria blue self is well known for its consistent reblooming habit even in the colder climates. As another bonus, Sugar Blues has a pronounced sweet fragrance. The tailored flowers have modern appearance. Excellent rebloomer

Vintage Charm

Tall Bearded Iris

Vintage Charm’s warm colors - sunshine yellow and plum red - stimulate. “Look at me!” they implore. Yes, it’s the familiar red and yellow variegata updated to 2018. Conspicuous buff undersides of the falls, along with the undulating border, both add dimension and reply, “I hope it’s not rude to stare.” As illustrated in our photo, balance and proportion are satisfying. The contrast between the falls and standards is sharp. Falls boldly flare. Vintage Charm flaunts 2-3 branched stems, each displaying 8 big flowers.

Summer Olympics

Tall Bearded Iris

We recommend Summer Olympics on the strength of its outstanding bloom habits. These ruffled lime yellow flowers are among the first to bloom in the spring, then they dependably bloom again throughout the summer! See how the centers of the falls pale to white around the self beards creating a yellow bitone effect. Slight sweet fragrance.

Rosalie Figge

Tall Bearded Iris

This dark reddish violet self, a child of Dyke's Medallist Titan's Glory, offers great growth and bloom habits. Its moderately sized flowers have a slight ruffle and are completely saturated in dark reddish purple. Enjoy their sweet fragrance in the spring and then again in the summer and fall.

Mariposa Autumn

Tall Bearded Iris

This lightly ruffled rosy violet plicata's pedigree (Jesse's Song X Earl of Essex) assures us of very good vigor, floriferousness and strong rebloom. Mariposa Autumn has been recognized for these outstanding attributes.

What excites me about these beautiful irises is their faces and the opportunity to enjoy two cutting seasons depending on your location. So many perennials bloom once and are finished for the year, but these reblooming beauties provide stunning blooms again in the fall. I hope you’ll consider growing these if you’re a cut flower grower.

I want to thank the team at Schreiner’s for providing these fabulous images and descriptions of these varieties. We’ve included the links to all of the Schreiner’s resources for your convenience. Be sure to place your orders early because I’m sure these will sell out fast.

 

Embrace Pricing, Profit, Boundaries, and the Sales Process

“It takes more than a talent for floral design to run a successful flower business.” Alison Ellis

Adventuring into the flower industry is not for the faint of heart. In my experience over the years, when someone asks what I do, and I proceed with “I’m in the flower business”, the response is always greeted with an assumption of ‘it’s a job surrounding yourself with beautiful flowers and working long hours during the holidays. Well, again in my experience, I have never met someone in the floral industry that meets this assumption.

The floral industry in all its beauty and wonder thrives under the continuous efforts of determined, enthusiastic visionaries engaging in the day-to-day grind of ordering and processing flowers, administration duties, meetings, the pressures of growing and maintaining profitability. It is a magnificent industry not stifled by concrete walls and endless hours confined to a desk, but it is still business.

This episode is meant to answer a reoccurring theme of questions I receive on a regular basis. I have invited a previous guest and friend of The Flower Podcast to give her insights to these issues, and I encourage you to visit her website for more information that may be helpful in your business.

Alison Ellis

Real Flower Business, Flower Math, and Floral Artistry

Alison Ellis is the founder of realflowerbusiness.com, creator of Flower Math, and author of Falling Into Flowers, A step-by-step guide to today’s modern wedding business. She’s a floral designer and educator who teaches florists around the world how to increase their income and find more freedom in their small business with honest, actionable strategies and step-by-step courses.

Alison graduated from the University of Vermont in 2000 with a Bachelor of Science in Plant and Soil Science and a minor in Small Business. She trained in flower shops for 9 years, worked on an organic flower farm, and has been running a home-studio floral business for almost 20 years. Alison understands the challenges that floralpreneurs can face when growing a business on your own!

Since 2015, over 8,000 florists around the world have enrolled in Alison’s online business courses, private & group coaching, and free resources for florists.

Highlights from my conversation with Alison Ellis

  • 2 reason why we start to dislike customers is because of boundaries and profitable pricing, yet these are the 2 reasons when done correctly are what keep us happy.

  • When we do a good job it simply feels like good customer service.

  • Minimums are a healthy important boundary.

  • An easy first boundary is to block days on your calendar ahead of time. Be sure to block not only vacation days or important events but prioritize a few YOU days to refresh yourself.

  • Set the precedence of communicating through email and not texts.

  • Lists help get things out of your head and gives us direction for the following day.

  • Alison has encountered a lot of colleagues frustrated by ‘Educating their clients” We shouldn’t act like our clients are uneducated but as engaging the sales process with our client.

  • It’s ok to do small inexpensive weddings. Demographics and your location do play an important part. Your area may not be flourishing with new business or a thriving economy but that doesn’t mean you can’t be profitable.

  • Establish yourself and build your way, but if you are not over the hump after some time, likely it is because there hasn't been intention on your messaging. Go back to your business plan. You might benefit from some introspection of your goals.

  • We have to look at our weaknesses. If you are complaining there is probably something you could be doing better.

  • Leaders always have something to learn if they are willing to learn.

  • You must be in tune with what is happening in the market and the world.

  • When you know there are clients out there and they are not coming to you that’s when you know it just may be you.

  • Alison sets her minimum based upon what the client wants.

  • A questionnaire gives insights to the clients needs and serves as a ‘get-to-know you’ helping you create a wonderful experience for them.

  • At the end of the day, what we really want to do is to get serious about our business.

  • Embrace pricing as the sale process. This attitude is extremely helpful to allow ourselves to enjoy it and not dread it.

  • Have grace for your client, yourself and create a wonderful experience for you both.

Sources From Alison

 

This 35 page book is part memoir, part how-to and 100% honest regarding my 25 years in the industry and 17 years as a small business owner. I share some of the MOST VALUABLE LESSONS I’VE LEARNED.

 

Online Business Courses For Florists

As a floral designer, you’re in charge of so much more than “just flowers”. Because to run a successful business, you also need to master Pricing for Profit, Closing Sales and Marketing so that you maximize profits and book great clients consistently! Alison

Many thanks to Alison for another great episode of The Flower Podcast. I appreciate your questions and hope you found answers and encouragement today. Please feel free to DM @theflowerpodcast or contact me through email at scott@theflowerpodcast.com.

More From Alison Ellis on The Flower Podcast