Hybridizer Walker Ferguson (1886-1975)

Escondido, California, USA

Walker Ferguson received the American Iris Society Hybridizer Award in 1966 for his work with Spuria Iris. Ferguson won the Nies Award (the highest honor for Spuria Iris) six times.

From The Bulletin of the American Iris Society No. 220(January 1976): A long and productive life came to a close on September 15, 1975, with the death of Walker Ferguson. "Fergy," as he was known to his many friends, began to hybridize irises back in 1942. But in 1951 he turned his attention to spurias-a fortunate decision if there ever was one! Since that time, his garden in Escondido, California, produced three Eric Nies Award winners-Wakerobin, Dawn Candle, and Baritone- as well as other award winners too numerous to list. In recent years he moved to northern California and set aside his tweezers, his last registrations were made in 1972, though not all were introduced that year. Fergy's work embraced all colors found in the spuria section, but he probably is best known for his achievements in brown, red, approaches to black, and blue-purple tones. For his invaluable contributions to the improvement of these irises, he received in 1967 the coveted AIS Hybridizer's Medal.

Introductions/Introductions:

Pacific Coast Native: 'Native Music',

Spuria: 'Allegory', 'Arbitrator', 'Banners of Blue', 'Baritone', 'Black Coffee', 'Blue Earth', 'Blue Madrigal', 'Blue Spiderweb', 'Coal Dust', 'Contradiction', 'Counterpoint', 'Crow Wing', 'Dark and Handsome', 'Dark Silk', 'Dawn Candle', 'Exception', 'Fairfield', 'Fergy's Poetry', 'Fireplace', 'Fort Ridge', 'Forty Carats', 'Frost', 'Gay Garb', 'Golden Notes', 'Good Nature', 'Good Thunder', 'Inflation', 'Intensity', 'La Senda', 'Landscape Blue', 'Minneopa', 'Moon by Day', 'Mountain Bluebird', 'One Reason', 'Orange Maid', 'Pink Candles', 'Plain Jane', 'Plenty of Sunshine', 'Prairie Shadows', 'Proverb', 'Purple Knight', 'Purple Poncho', 'Purple Profundo', 'Quiet Cream', 'Recluse', 'Red Clover', 'Red Oak', 'Redwood Falls', 'Ripe Wheat', 'Ruffled Moth', 'Secrets', 'Shift to Red', 'Silent Laughter', 'Spring Island', 'Spring Plum', 'Thrush Song', 'Transition', 'Wakerobin', 'Walker Ferguson', 'Western Lark', 'Windfall', 'Yellow Wings'.

Tall Bearded: 'Devotion',