Hybridizer Kelway and Son, Ltd.

Langport, Somerset, England

The Kelway nursery was established in 1851 by James Kelway (the elder, 1815-1899). Its heyday was the period 1880-1920 when it was one of the largest nurseries in the world, with over 400 staff and growing on much of the land around Langport. Kelway's manuals of horticulture from the period run to several hundred pages and list a vast range of hardy plants, bulbs, seeds, exotic plants and vegatables. The 1900 Manual included over 150 species and cultivars of iris.

Kelways became renowned for hybridising oranamental plants, especially gladiolus, pyrethrums, delphiniums, lupins, peonies and of course Iris. They exhibited widely, won many prizes and traded across the world, including supplying seed to the USA goverment at one time. Although they never had a Royal Warrant, the nursery seems to have sold plants to the Royal Household and for a while traded under the name of Langport Royal Nursery or Royal Nurseries. The head office site is shown with these names on the first and second edition Ordnance Survey maps.

James Kelway was followed by his son William (1839-1933) and grandson James (the younger, 1871-1952). They had always grown some iris (along with Peonies, Gladiolus, Delphiniums and other plants). After WWII, Iris growing stepped up a gear, when they bought the iris collection from the Award Iris Nurseries, of Barnet, Herefordshire in 1947. Their first specific iris catalogue was issued in 1948-50 under joint names with Award Iris Nurseries. The introduciton to the catalogue states that all stock had then be moved to Langport. From then on Iris were a major feature of their production and Chelsea Flower Show exhibits.

When William Kelway became a partner in the business in 1864 it became Kelway & Son. The partnership was dissolved by mutual consent on 31st December 1924, leaving James (the younger) in sole charge and it became known as Kelways Ltd.

In 1933 after a decline in finances, and James Kelway (the younger) being declared bankrupt, the nursery was bought out by a syndicate with John Owen Lloyd as managing director, re-launching as Kelway and Sons (1933) Limited. James Kelway the younger was retained as manager but Kelway family involvement finally came to an end in 1952 when James the younger died. John Owen Lloyd's son, another John, joined the firm in 1958 with him buying the firm from his father in 1974.

The 'Langport' series of intermedite bearded Iris were bred by John Owen Lloyd between the early 1960s and the early 1970s. They first appeared in their 1962 catalogue. Most of them were never registered. By 1969 the list of Langorts had grown to 31 varieties and by 1974 exceeded 68.

From the mid 1970's iris breeding at Kelways gradually declined, but a few varieties were added to the list through to the 1980's

The Nursery was then sold in 1989/90 due to changed personal circumstanced for John Lloyd. The new owners had ambitious plans to re-launch the nursery but things went wrong and the offical receiver was called in, in November 1993.

In 1994 the assets of the nursery and remaining stock were purchased by Chris & Liz Johnson of McBean's Orchids. They consolidated the five sites used by the nursery to a single site, Barrymore Farm. The irises presented an enormous challenge with over 500 varieties in the stock beds but with little accompanying information and poorly labeled. With the help of old catalogues and Ian Smith who searched the records of the British Iris Society, many were re-identified. At that time there were six acres under iris produciton. Around this time some of the best of the Langport intermeditate varieties were registered and the Langport Intermediates were re-launched in 1976. Some new ones were also introduced with the help of Cy Bartlett in the 1990's to early 2000's.

Chris Johnson then retired in 2008 and Dave Root who had joined the company in 1993 took over ownership and running the nursery. The nursery has since reduced its producton and become more of a plant factoring organisation, sourcing, buying and selling plants on, with iris produciton ceased. However in 2025 it is understood that the nursery is showing fresh interest in re-connecting with their 'Langport' intermediate iris.

Kelways also produced many tall bearded varieties as well as sibiricas and japanese iris.

More detials about the nursery can be read in the book "Kelway's Glorious" by Janet Seaton 2011 ISBN 978-1-9044966-07-6, from which much of the above summary has been gleaned together with additioal Infomation kindly supplied by Janet Seaton.

Registrations/Introductions:

Border Bearded: 'Melody Fair', 'Minstrel'.

Intermediate Bearded: 'Langport Admiral', 'Langport Beauty', 'Langport Belle', 'Langport Carnival', 'Langport Chapter', 'Langport Cherub', 'Langport Chief', 'Langport Chimes', 'Langport Claret', 'Langport Curlew', 'Langport Dragon', 'Langport Duchess', 'Langport Fairy', 'Langport Fashion', 'Langport Finch', 'Langport Flame', 'Langport Flash', 'Langport Flood', 'Langport Flush', 'Langport Fortune', 'Langport Gem', 'Langport Girl', 'Langport Glory', 'Langport Gold', 'Langport Haze', 'Langport Hero', 'Langport Honey', 'Langport Hope', 'Langport Jane', 'Langport Jewel', 'Langport Joy', 'Langport Judy', 'Langport Knight', 'Langport Lady', 'Langport Lord', 'Langport Magic', 'Langport Maid', 'Langport Midnight', 'Langport Minstrel', 'Langport Mystery', 'Langport Myth', 'Langport Pagan', 'Langport Pansy', 'Langport Pearl', 'Langport Phoebe', 'Langport Phoenix (bred by Cy Bartlett 1997), 'Langport Pinnacle', 'Langport Pleasure', 'Langport Pride', 'Langport Prince', 'Langport Queen', 'Langport Rhapsody', 'Langport Rival', 'Langport Robe', 'Langport Robin', 'Langport Romance', 'Langport Secret', 'Langport Smoke', 'Langport Snow', 'Langport Song', 'Langport Star', 'Langport Storm', 'Langport Sultan', 'Langport Sun', 'Langport Sunbeam', 'Langport Sylvia' (bred by Cy Bartlett 1998), 'Langport Tartan', 'Langport Vale', 'Langport Violet', 'Langport Vista', 'Langport Warrior', 'Langport Wren', 'Melody Fair'.

Japanese: 'Kuma-Funjin', 'Langport Flood', 'Shishi-Ikare', 'Sofu-No-Koi'.

Miniature Dwarf Bearded: 'Butterfly'.

Siberian: 'Florence Butler'.

Tall Bearded (A-L): 'Acantha', 'Amadin', 'Antarctic', 'Arctic Pearl', 'Arctic Star', 'Ardent Knight', 'Ardenta', 'Athlone', 'Atlantique', 'Belle Vue', 'Black Ink', 'Blue Admiral', 'Blue Cameo', 'Blue Dragon', 'Blue Duchess', 'Blue Finch', 'Blue Fox', 'Blue Goddess', 'Blue Legend', 'Blue Pansy', 'Blue Rhapsody', 'Blue Robe', 'Blue Smoke', 'Blue Sovereign', 'Bolivia', 'Bow Bells', 'Bronze Bird', 'Bronze Cloud', 'Bronze Penny', 'Brown Trout', 'Cambridge Blue', 'Canary Bird', 'Celosia', 'Choral Plume', 'Chorus Girl', 'Copper Cable', 'Dame Judy', 'Dante', 'Dark David', 'Dark Lady', 'Desert Storm', 'Earl Marshal', 'Elizabeth Arden', 'Fiery Song', 'First Light', 'Forrest Hills', 'Gay Ballard', 'Genoveve', 'Glory Of June', 'Gold Lion', 'Golden Flush', 'Golden Planet', 'Golden Veil', 'Green Ice', 'Grey Magic', 'Gypsy Love', 'Harvest Gold', 'Hi Lady', 'High Veldt', 'Honey Girl', 'Honeydew', 'Imperial Lady', 'Indian Twilight', 'Irish Cloud', 'Jubilee Gem', 'Jules Perot', 'Jules Verne', 'Kandy', 'King Cole', 'Kitty', 'Knight Valiant',

Tall Bearded (L-Z): 'Lady River', 'Langport Seramis' (bred by Cy Bartlett 2004)', 'Lilac Dream', 'London Cry', 'Lovely Tara', 'Luna Prince', 'Mabel Violet', 'Magic Beauty', 'Magic Hills', 'Midsummer', 'Miner's Lamp', 'Miracle World', 'Misty Night', 'Moon Duster', 'My Mary', 'My Smoky', 'Nordic Jewel', 'Orchardist', 'Oscar', 'Ostara', 'Painted Warrior', 'Pearl Diver', 'Persian Romance', 'Phosphornia', 'Pink Gin', 'Polar Ice', 'Powder Pink', 'Prairie Maiden', 'Prairie Rambler', 'Prince Tudor', 'Purple Heron', 'Purple Song', 'Purple Toga', 'Queen's Copper', 'Queen Tonga', 'Ringleader', 'Rock Honey', 'Rockhaven', 'Roistar', 'Roma', 'Royal Moon', 'Ruby Gem', 'Rustam', 'Smokey Dream', 'Summer Pearl', 'Sweet Seventeen', 'Torchlight', 'True Cavalier', 'Tudor King', 'Tudor Treasure', 'Tuscar Rock', 'Violet Girl', 'Wonderlight', 'Yellow Hercules',

-- BobPries - 2012-05-18