LESLIE J. DONNELL - IRIS
HYBRIDISER - GARDENER
Dad has always been interested in gardening and he and Mum have
planted and developed beautiful gardens around every home they have owned. It is
interesting to note that the name of the Hostel into which they moved last year is
"Girrawheen", which is the aboriginal word for "place of flowers" and
of course they brought with them and planted some tall beared iris and other iris species
to add to this place of flowers in Brighton (and also Mum’s goldfish pond).
One of our earliest memories as children is having to pick up cow-pats, whenever we went for a drive and these were later used to fertilise the garden. There was always a hessian bag in the boot of the car for these occasions. So there has always been an abundance of beautiful flowers for us all to enjoy, both in the garden and decorating the house, to give to others, grown especially for weddings and available for Mum’s floral art activities. Dahlias and gladiolus were a specialty for many years and Dad continued to grow these flowers when the family moved to Crisp Street Hampton in 1952 where they thrived in the sandy soil conditions. He won many blue ribbons and prizes when he entered his blooms in the local horticultural shows.
He was introduced to growing irises by his sister Vira in the late 50’s and became
completely engrossed in these plants. He joined the Australian Iris Society in
1961 and served the Victorian region as Treasurer for four years, and its President for
three years, Show Manager for many years and editor of the newsletter for five
years. He shared his enthusiasm for growing iris by coordinating National
Conventions and Seminars. He was elected Federal President from 1975 to 1978 and
initiated many progressive reforms during this period. As a result of his initial
discussions with the British Iris Society in 1976 approval was given for an Australasian
Dykes Medal to be awarded for the best Australian raised iris and Dad was the
first Trial Gardens Director. The British Iris Society presented Dad with the Foster
Memorial Plaque in 1983 stating - "To Les Donnell for putting Australian raised
irises well and truly on the map and for being Iris ambassador extraordinary for his
country we are delighted to send our highest award ‘down-under’ to Australia for
the first time."
In 1985 he was awarded the Iris Society of Australia Award for Meritorious Service.
He was a judge and member of the Australian and American Iris Societies and a member
of the British and New Zealand Iris Societies and he and Mum attended many overseas iris
conventions and opened their home each year to visiting overseas irisarians.
An excellent communicator, he corresponded widely with iris growers around the world
sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm.
The highlight of his iris judging was when he was invited to Florence in 1976 by the
Concorso Internazionale Dell’Iris to join an international judging panel to make the
annual awards for the best international iris. (He and Mum even had Italian lessons
so that they could speak Italian during this visit.) Iris rhizomes to be judged are
sent to Florence by hybridisers all around the world and then grown for three years under
the same conditions after which they are judged in May, and these prestigious awards
are highly prized by iris growers all around the world.
Dad began hybridising Iris in the 1960’s and was immediately successful in developing
outstanding new and different blooms with strong branching from his
crossings. His first two registrations with the American Iris Society of his
own seedlings took place in November 1973 and these have been followed by more than
50 registrations of his own named and grown crossings. And there are still more to
come.
He first entered his seedlings for judging in Florence in the mid 70’s and was
immediately successful, being awarded the Piaggio Cup for "Como Surprise" and
the Silver Plate for third place with "Light at Eventide" in 1979. And so
started a pattern of overseas and Australian Awards for his Iris (23 major awards at last
count) which gained him recognition as an outstanding international iris breeder.
And all this from a suburban garden!!
His own raised iris have been introduced into gardens around the world and have
received awards in Florence, Vienna, England and of course Australia. It is a
thrill to find the Les Donnell named varieties growing in overseas Botanic Gardens and
just recently we’ve seen them in Christchurch New Zealand and Wisley Royal
Horticultural Garden in London and of course in the Historical Iris garden of
Florence which is situated on the slopes among the olive trees below the Michaelangelo
Plaza. Many of the Donnell named varieties can be found in the Iris Society
Bed in our beautiful Melbourne Botanic Gardens and of course continue to give
pleasure to countless suburban garden growers when they flower each year.
Dad’s legacy of beautiful iris will continue on in many ways after his death and is
one of the many ways in which he’ll be remembered. They’ll be listed in
iris catalogues, they’ll flower in perpetuity in our suburban
gardens, and gardens around they world, and win prizes on the show bench for
exhibitors. Some of his latest varieties are still to be judged in the Australian
Dykes Medal Trial Gardens around Australia. In May this year in Florence four
of his beautiful iris will be judged, another one in the year 2000 and four
more in 2001 and I have notes on others to be posted off for growing-on and consideration
in the year 2002.
We all know the sayings that "A thing of beauty is a joy forever", and
‘there is no garden without the gardener’.
Dad was a gardener who became inspired and created his dream and through this achievement
brought beauty and joy to be shared by all gardeners and those who appreciate beauty.
Helen Allen
February 1999