Hybridizer Mrs. Walter (Mabel Carey) Tobie (1872-1948)
Shanunga Iris Gardens, Cape Elizabeth and 3 Deering St, Portland, Maine. Iris specialist and breeder. She grew Irises since 1919, among her best seedlings being 'Lady Daphne', 'Honey Gold' and 'Noonday'. Catalog began in 1925.--39 checklist
Mrs. Walter E. Tobie
The death of Mrs. Walter E. Tobie of Portland, Maine, on July 26, 1948, came as a great shock to her many friends throughout the country, and the American Iris Society has lost a valued member. A charter member of the Society, she had grown irises since 1919 and was one of the first hybridizers, commencing her work soon after Miss Grace Sturtevant. Her hobby was creating new varieties of iris, but she had many other floral interests and was a member of various organizations, among them: The Iris Society of England, The Garden Club of America, The American Rock Garden Society and the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. Of old New England ancestry, she was a Daughter of the American Revolution and was closely associated with their activities.
Iris bred by Mrs. Tobie that have been introduced and are of special interest at the present time are: Clovelly, a sea-green iris; Down East, a very deep purple; Reveille, a seashell pink, and White Russia, a large handsome white. Also, there are two unintroduced amoenas of great beauty: Aucocisco with blue-white standards and velvety, dark blue falls, and Casco, a delightful border iris with pure white standards and very velvety falls bordered white.
Mrs. Tobie was well known in the iris world, having attended nearly all the national American Iris Society meetings since the Society was formed. In our New England Region, she was greatly admired and loved, not only for her ability as a hybridizer, but also for her kindness to newer members who always found her willing to assist them in carrying on their work. This she was most competent to do, for through the years she had kept careful breeding records. Not only did she have a fine collection of the newest and best iris, but her rock garden is considered one of the finest in New England. Her artistic eye and appreciation of color enabled her to create one of the most beautiful and restful gardens that I have seen.
Our close friendship over many years has left me with a great sense of loss, and my memories of Mrs. Tobie win always be cherished; her lovely smile and gracious manner, her loyalty to her friends and above all, I shall remember her love of her home and family, her great joy and happiness in her garden.
-Elizabeth Nesmith [
Bull. A.I.S. 111 (October 1948):82-3.]
Registrations:
Intermediate Bearded: 'Aureate'(see description);
'Cream Puff';
'La Plata';
'Wee Willie';
Louisiana: 'Dorothea's Daughter';
Miniature Dwarf Bearded: 'Tiny Tim';
Tall Bearded: 'Aaron';
'Abalone';
'Allen R Congdon';
'Andorra',
'Angie Dyson';
'Antique Gold';
'Antique Mahogany';
'Astral';
'Aucocisco';
'Biscay';
'Bridal Morn' 1946;
'Brown Butterfly';
'Brown Bunker';
'Bunker Hill';
'Casco';
'Castle Cary';
'Catherine Calista';
'Chiffon';
'Clovelly';
'Cockington';
'Coppermine';
'Daddy Longlegs';
'Divine Evadne';
'Down East';
'Dusky Queen';
'Dykin';
'East Wind';
'Ethel Trip';
'Faith';
'Fanny Short';
'Feather';
'Florence Thurrell';
'Flying Cadet';
'Garden Rose';
'Georgette Rousseau';
'Gingham';
'Gold Bonanza';
'Golden Gift';
'Gold Of Maine';
'Grecian Gold';
'Honey Gold';
'Icelandia';
'Ivory Treasure';
'June Delight';
'Kabloona';
'Karsaviana';
'Kosciusko';
'Lady Daphne';
'Mallorca';
'Marguerite Rousseau';
'Marie of Roumania';
'Mary Woods';
'Mayaguez';
'Mercedita';
'Misty Morn';
'Morning Joy';
'Mrs Horace Crosby';
'Nannie Hill';
'Natalie Blaisdell';
'Nectarine';
'Nevada';
'Noonday';
'Noonday Sun';
'Northern Lights';
'Novitiate;
'Orinoco';
'Pamola';
'Peruvian Gold';
'Phantom';
'Phantom Lady';
'Pink Princess';
'Poem';
Presque Isle';
'Purple Eve';
'Purpoodock;
'Radiant Crown';
'Rae Crosby';
'Reveille';
'Roman Gold';
'Rosy Flush';
'Sarcina';
'Sea Breeze';
'Secret Gold';
'Serrate';
'Shanunga Bronze' 1946;
'Shanunga Pink';
'Shanunga Purple';
'Silver And Gold';
'Spanish Gold';
Spurwink';
'Sunhigh';
'Summer Breeze by Tobie';
'The Purple Heart';
'Tempest';
'Torquay';
'Uncle George Garcelon';
'Utopia';
'Weddingmorn';
'White Longfalls';
'White Russia';
'White Swan';
'World Peace';
'Yellow Dawn';
'Zenith'
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BobPries - 2012-05-18