It's our pleasure to introduce this iris for the late Be�y Wyss, named a�er her daughter

Carla. As the story goes, this iris found us. When we inherited the median collec�on

from Gormley Greenery in 2007, this li�le iris came along too. Doing inventory the next

spring, we came across the name 'Carla Beth', one we didn't know. A�er a li�le research

we found that Be�y had reserved the name, but hadn't finished registering the plant

before she passed away. The variety was on display for the 2005 AIS Conven�on in St.

Louis, and we soon were able to acquire stock from Mike Thiessen, another gardener

who'd grown it for the conven�on displays. Over the last four years, we've built stock up

and finally have enough to share with you. This smart-looking MTB features intensely

colored, juicy flowers and superb growth habits. Strong purple-based foliage (PBF) adds

foliar interest through the season.

Official descrip�on: S. warm pink suffused henna, fading to lighter at midribs (near RHS

182C), ages to pink chocolate blend; F. medium red-violet (bluer than 77C), blending to

pink suffused henna at edge, golden ha�s, fades to pale purplish-pink; beards tangerine;

pronounced purple based foliage; sweet fragrance.

Parentage unknown.

‘Carla Beth’ (Wyss/Norris, 2012) MTB, 20", EM | #21201 | $15.00

‘Put Upon’ (Mitch Jameson, 2012) BB, 27", ML

#21202 | $25.00

Our friend Mitch Jameson of St. Joseph, MO has a

knack for breeding and selec�ng colorful irises.

This well-formed border bearded is no excep�on.

Gleaming in tangerine with royal burgundy

brushstrokes 'put upon' the falls, this flower sings

its tune in the last half of the

season—a colorfully brilliant way

to usher in summer! Originally

this was registered as a TB, but it's

se�led out into the BB class,

though in superb growing

condi�ons it might reach a li�le

taller. Hor�cultural rules aside,

this excellently branched plant fills

out into a fine clump at a steady

rate over a few seasons.

Stemming from Mitch's 'Diva Do'

and Keith Keppel's 'Flights of

Fancy', the progenitor seedling of

'Put Upon' lacked good growth

habits. Crossed with Paul Black's

'Rainbow Tour' the resul�ng

seedlings showed promise. In

1997, Mitch selected 'Put Upon'.

Official descrip�on: S. apricot; F.

apricot washed burgundy; beards

orange. Parentage: 1-95: (Diva Do

x Flights of Fancy) X Rainbow Tour.

Events of 2012!

Open

May 5 through June 1

Monday - Saturday 9a to 6p

Sunday 1:30p to 5:30p

M

May 5: Join Farm Manager Kelly Norris at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

for a tour of the dwarf and median iris collec�ons at the farm! Learn

about these short irises and get �ps on the best varie�es for your

garden!

May 12: Take 10% off all orders in honor of Mother’s Day! Treat the

special lady in your life to the gi' that keeps on giving—irises!

May 19: Join the Norris family for a fish fry from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00

p.m. Cost is $7.00 and includes salad, cookie, and drink. Kelly will be

signing copies of his book all day and give short remarks at 2:00 p.m.

May 26: Join Kelly for a special wine and cheese recep�on from 1:00

to 3:00 p.m celebra�ng the release of his book. We’ll serve local

Iowa wines and ar�sanal Iowa cheeses and raffle a gardener’s gi'

basket and our 2012 introduc�ons.

q

Dear Iris Lovers,

2012 is a banner year for Rainbow Iris Farm. We’re proud to introduce two very fine median

irises—‘Put Upon’, a border bearded from Mitch Jameson of St. Joseph, Missouri and ‘Carla Beth’, a

miniature tall bearded from the late Be�y Wyss of Kansas City, Missouri.

Visit www.rainbowfarms.net to order and soon as we know they’ll go fast!

As many of you know, I’ve wri�en another book and this �me about what we all love—bearded

irises. A Guide to Bearded Irises: Cul�va�ng the Rainbow for Beginners & Enthusiasts releases in

early May and you can pick it up wherever good gardening books are sold. We’ll have copies

available throughout Bloomfest! 2012 at the farm or you can purchase it on our website. I’m more

than happy to sign and personalize a copy for you too! Sign-up for my blog updates and keep in

touch at www.kellydnorris.com, which features updates on my public appearances, travels in search

of great plants, and irregular reports from the goings on in my own garden here at the farm. The

Internet has surely made it easier to stay in touch and there’s nothing we love more than staying

connected with all of you who’ve supported our passion for producing dis�nc�ve irises over the last

10 years.

And yes, 2012 marks our tenth year in business, a milestone that seems hardly possible. Weren’t

we just plan�ng 40,000 plants in the original seven-acre produc�on field? In many ways the story

seems a li�le mythical now—a 15-year old kid talking his parents into moving a nursery from Texas

to Iowa, plan�ng 40,000 rhizomes by hand onto seven acres of pastureland, and a�rac�ng

thousands and thousands of visitors to that farm over the last 10 years. To read more about how it

all happened, check out a new page on our website called Our Story. I can’t say it enough—thank

you all for your patronage over the years. We relish your visits in the spring and your phone calls

and emails year round. Happy irising!