Jan Sacks and Marty Schafer of Joe Pye Weed’s Garden have named one of their new introductions for 2008 after our good friend Jerry Murphy, former President of the Hudson Valley Iris and Daylily Society, who died last year.  For a preview go to http://www.jpwflowers.com/cd08/images/JerryMurphy.jpg

 

 

'Jerry Murphy' photo from jpwflowers.com

 

Jan Sacks writes:  “When this iris first bloomed in 2004 the idea of brown Siberians was something people still laughed about and we were not sure it would be accepted.  We were excited about it as one of our first children of ‘So Van Gogh’.  We left it in the field for several years and were pleased at how many people commented on it because it makes such a grand clump.  When Howie Dash told me that Jerry's favorites were brown and yellow, we knew this iris would be perfect to name for him.  Its coloring comes from the combination of yellow overlaid with pink, blue and purple.  The exact coloring changes depending on the weather during the development of each bud - sometimes it is very dark and sometimes much lighter.”

 

The description of ‘Jerry Murphy’ in their new catalog reads: “A very special iris to honor our friend Jerry Murphy, an enthusiastic iris lover from the Hudson Valley.  The simple description of this iris is a brown amoena.  On close examination the falls have a pale apricot ground which shows on the rim and is covered by various shades and amounts of red-violet stippling and blending.  The standards and styles are creamy with light gold trim.  The depth of color varies and the flower lightens as it ages.  Gorgeous green foliage lasts late into the fall.  The clump effect is lovely with flowers held well above the foliage and it blooms a long time with four to five buds per stalk.   Sib of ‘On Her Toes’ (‘Strawberry Social’ x sib of ‘Book of Secrets’/’Dawn Waltz’/’Off She Goes’) X ‘So Van Gogh’. 

 

For those interested in acquiring this wonderful new iris, go to www.jpwflowers.com. We are so pleased that Jan and Marty have chosen to honor Jerry in this very special way.  

 

Editors note:

This article was reprinted from the March 2008 Capital Hudson Iris Society (CHIS) Newsletter, Volume 15, Number 3.

 

Special note:

There will be two potted ‘Jerry Murphy’ Siberian iris plants available at the  Region 2 Silent Auction.  They were purchased by the Southern Tier Iris Society and donated to the Creative Money Committee.