My Maryland

My Maryland (Earl Sheets, 1930) is a tall bearded iris introduced in 1930, honored with an AIS Honorable Mention the same year. This midseason bloomer features large, well-formed flowers with a captivating color blend: standards of petunia-violet flushed with rose and shaded ochraceous buff at the base, and falls of deep, velvety amaranth-purple overlaid with garnet-brown, also shaded ochraceous buff at the base. The golden yellow crest, style, and stigma create a luminous halo around the prominent bright orange beard, enhancing its visual appeal. Sweetly fragrant and vigorous, My Maryland produces abundant, long-lasting blooms—up to 21 per stalk—on tall, robust, and well-branched stems. Its rich, vibrant coloration stands out beautifully in the landscape. Available at Amethyst Creek Farm. Attributes: Guardian Garden, Historic Awards: Honorable Mention Guardian Garden (GG) This cultivar is a Guardian Garden Iris. Guardian Garden irises are endangered cultivars preserved through long-term stewardship rather than routine sale. Many of these varieties have been lost to time through attrition, discontinued propagation, or the disappearance of original growers, leaving only a few known living examples in cultivation. When a Guardian Garden variety is offered, it reflects that a sustainable stock level has finally been reached within our collection; availability remains intentionally limited to protect the cultivar’s future. We encourage collectors who value historic preservation to support the continued safeguarding of rare and endangered irises by joining the Historic Iris Preservation Society.