Desperately Seeking Sheila

BY SARAH COOK

Following my piece in the spring newsletter chronicling the frustrations of trying to ensure that acquisitions in my collection of Tall Bearded Irises bred by Sir Cedric Morris are correctly named, I have had some of my problems solved by Tony
Venison. He has found an article in the 1954 British Iris Society Yearbook which describes a commercial stand by a nursery at the June RHS show at Vincent Square.
“Toynbee's Nurseries, on a small stand, put a number of Sir Cedric Morris's introductions, of which “CROFTWAY,” apricot-orange, was the high spot. Here also, was the yellow plicata BENTON LUCIUS, BENTON SHEILA, in peach and orange-pink, and BENTON LORNA, in cream and red-purple.”

So it seems the Iris Benton Susan I had from a member of the Kent Iris group is almost certainly correctly named (and all the plants I have named Benton Sheila are also Susan).

Now I would like to find “Benton Sheila” in peach and orange pink!