| Paul Black | Laurie Frazer | Bennett Jones | David Niswonger |
| Twyla Olmstead | Tony & Dorothy Willott |
Bennett Jones
A Hybridizer�s Hybridizer
- Born in Northern Colorado, his first exposure to irises was a trip to Boulder, CO to meet J. D. Long and visit Long's Gardens.
- During high school, he earned enough money mowing and raking lawns to order 6 irises for $5 from Schreiner’s Gardens
- After two disastrous springs in a row in Colorado, a friend of Bennett’s told him of the ideal climate and growing conditions in the Portland area.
- So in 1941, with new bride Betty Stuart, he picked up and moved to the Promised Land.
- After serving in the Navy during WWII, he bought the parcel of land where he built the house he resided in for over 50 years in Raleigh Hills.
- In 1946 he began corresponding with the leading hybridizers of the day, and with them was among the first to incorporate I. pumila into his breeding program.
- This led to the birth of the Standard Dwarf Bearded Iris that we know today.
- Through the years Bennett has introduced over 100 irises, in classifications ranging from Miniature Dwarfs through Tall Beardeds and even Pacific Coast Natives.
- He is best known for his pioneering work in the SDB class, launching contrasting beards, advancements in form, success in improving colors and exploring new colors and patterns.
- His Sass Medalist, Peachy Face, was one of the first Intermediates recognized as having some degree of fertility.
- Cook-Douglas Medals:
- Cherry Garden
- Gingerbread Man
- Cotton Blossom
- Kentucky Bluegrass
- Rain Dance
- Sun Doll
- Orange Tiger
- Bedford Lilac
- Dot Com
- Sass Medal:
- Peachy Face
- Knowlton Medal:
- Frenchi
- Crystal Bay