Notable Benton irises, carefully bred by artist Cedric Morris, showcase an exquisite spectrum of colors and impressive shapes. Here's a list of varieties to consider for your garden.
A Trip Down Memory Lane: The Enchanting Benton Irises
Years ago, when I first encountered these mesmerizing, unique irises, I was wandering through the iris fields of Woottens of Wenhaston in Suffolk. I had recently moved to Somerset and found myself captivated by the allure of a south-facing, well-draining slope that begged to be experimented with.
On a whim, I picked 56 of the hundreds of bearded irises that danced in the fields, bringing them home to trial. As I pruned the numbers over the next few years, it was the Benton irises, with their captivating colors and form, that stood out. In the words of the man who bred them, it was their 'elegance, pride and delicacy' that set them apart, but also their mutable coloring, with 'breaks' as delicate as the speckling on a bird's egg, that caught my attention.
Cedric Morris, the Artist and Plantsman
The man behind these enchanting irises was none other than Cedric Morris, an accomplished painter in Cornwall and Paris before founding the East Anglian School of Painting in 1937 with his partner, Arthur Lett-Haines. Lucas Directus Freud and Maggi Hambling were among their notable pupils.
Morris, however, was not just an artist but also a passionate plantsman. He had an astute eye for beautiful plants, and his artistic vision can be seen in the species he refined. In recent times, his collection of bearded irises has seen something of a revival.
The Birth of Iris Benton
In 1935, Morris visited iris breeder Angus Wilson, inspiring his own craft of selection and breeding. Deliberately making as many as a thousand seedlings a year, he would carefully pair specific parents, such as 'San Francisco' for good edging or 'Sacramento' for height. Through a process of observation and refinement, he noted the strengths and weaknesses of each variety, discarding those with bloodlines prone to rhizome rot or weak stems, and honing the plicatas, a term for the patterning of stitched, stippled, or banded markings that contrast with the base color of the petals.
Fast forward to 1940, when Morris and his partner moved to Benton End, bringing with them a thriving collection. The irises were grouped en masse in the lower parts of the garden, but they were later moved and grown in number around the house. This may have been to maintain their preference for new ground every ten years, or perhaps it was because these irises, which one imagines were closest to Morris's heart, deserved a special place.
A Modern Revival
When Sarah Cook, the former head gardener at Sissinghurst Castle, left her role in 2004, she made it her mission to bring as many of Cedric's irises as possible back into cultivation. In her search, she discovered that Cedric had been friends with Vita Sackville-West and that there were Benton irises in the gardens at Sissinghurst. With tireless dedication, Sarah found 25 Morris introductions with good provenance, and five more awaiting further verification.
David Howard of Howard's Nurseries in Norfolk, who received a collection of these rare irises from Sarah, exhibited them at Chelsea in 2015. These irises have not only become favorites in my collection but also provide a glimpse into this talented plantsman through the plants he honed and selected.
Growing Your Own Benton Irises
Native to the magnesium-rich limestone of the Dolomites, rhizomatous irises thrive in full sun and well-draining soil. To grow these mesmerizing flowers, find a spot in your garden where they can bask unhindered, away from the shadows. They prefer to be alone, flourishing best when given plenty of room to capture all the sunlight. Tend to them every five to six years by splitting the root and replanting the rhizome and attached foliage with the rhizome at soil level, not covered, and the foliage angled like a deck chair with the body of the rhizome facing the sun.
Sixteen Stunning Benton Irises to Adore
Over the years, Cedric Morris created numerous breathtaking Benton irises. Here are sixteen key hybrids to inspire your garden and delight your senses:
- Iris 'Benton Nutkin': With standards the color of a red squirrel and plicata markings matching the color, this iris is one of Morris's favorites.
- Iris 'Benton Daphne': Named for Daphne Bousfield, a student at Benton End in 1939, this iris boasts classic plicata markings in 'old rose' pink, with standards suffused with creamy yellow and falls a pale cream.
- Iris 'Benton Opal': An enchanting iris discovered in various gardens around the world, its blooms are of the palest opalescent lilac, with faint lilac plicata markings round the edge of the falls.
- Iris 'Benton Apollo': With bright yellow standards and falls, this iris has a faint 'green' shadow on the falls, enticing you to take a second look.
- Iris 'Benton Olive': Strong and vigorous, its standards and falls are an unusual olive color, with royal purple-stained falls.
- Iris 'Strathmore': A clear apricot pink iris that received the Queen's approval in 1948 and was named after her home.
- Iris 'Benton Nigel': Named for Nigel Scott, who gardened at Benton End from 1952, its falls are a deeper violet blue than its standards.
- Iris 'Benton Lorna': Named for Lorna Styles and featuring rich violet standards and white falls with a violet edge, this iris showcases Morris's careful selection of plicata patterns.
- Iris 'Benton Cordelia': Awarded the highest accolade an iris can receive in 1955, it features beautiful lilac buds that open to a very attractive pale pink.
- Iris 'Benton Old Madrid': A graceful iris with flowers that are diploid rather than the more usual polypoid, making it appear less heavy. Standards and falls are the same clear orchid pink, contrasting with darker buds.
- Iris 'Benton Judith': With almost black falls and paler purple standards, this iris pays homage to Judith Wogan, who staged Morris's first one-man exhibition in 1925.
- Iris 'Silvery Moon': One of my personal favorites, this iris boasts large, well-shaped flowers and a beautiful blend of white, mother-of-pearl, yellow, and brown striations.
- Iris 'Benton Susan': A strong, vigorous iris featuring brown and yellow standards, narrowly edged with the same color, plus a light dusting of purple-brown on the falls.
- Iris 'Storrington': Named for the town in West Sussex, this iris showcases very long falls of a deep velvety purple and standards of a paler bishop's purple, contrasting with flashes of orange at the center.
- Iris 'Crathie': With beautiful shell pink flowers and a bright orange beard highlighted by a hint of gray, this iris is said to be named for Crathie Kirk near Balmoral.
- Iris 'Benton Deidre': One of the first Benton irises to join my collection, it is a very vigorous, deep pink iris with rose pink standards and white falls with a pink edge.
Where to Find the Benton Irises
To grow these enchanting irises in your own garden, visit Beth Chatto Gardens in Elmstead Market, Colchester, Essex CO7 7DB or Woottens of Wenhaston in The Iris Field, Hall Road, Wenhaston, Suffolk IP19 9HF. Embrace the elegance, pride, and delicacy that these beautiful plants offer, and let them captivate you as they did Cedric Morris.
- The enchanting Benton Irises, a collection bred by the painter and plantsman Cedric Morris, can be traced back to his days in Wenhaston, Suffolk, where he found inspiration among the fields of irises.
- Apart from being admired for their captivating colors and form, the Benton Irises also stand out for their association with Cedric Morris, a figure known for his artistic vision that also guided his plant selection and breeding.
- In recent years, gardeners have been reviving Morris's collection of bearded irises, including the Benton Irises, which have found a special place not only in gardens but also in the hearts of people who appreciate the elegance, pride, and delicacy they bring to home-and-garden and gardening lifestyle.
