Frank Elder is a greener more spotty version of Katharine Hodgkin. Sheila Ann Germaney is the the clearest in colour with no green/ yellow hue to speak of, I have never grown or even seen "Tantallon" which is supposed to be a little smaller. I believe all three are children of Iris winowgradowii and Iris histroides 'Major' Iris winowgradowii is stoloniferous and appreciates similar conditions to Erethroniums for me. I bought my first bulb of Winowgradowii when I was nine, 34 years ago. I think it cost ten or 12 pounds! I had to have it. Except for the fact that I already have them now, I would happily trade the hybrids in preference for either Iris winowgradowii or Iris histroides Lady Beatrix Stanley. Peter (UK) On Thu, Feb 16, 2012 at 4:47 PM, Jim McKenney <jamesamckenney@verizon.net>wrote: > Earlier this week a friend lamented in an email that bulbs received as > reticulate iris 'Frank Elder' were starting to bloom but were not true to > name. They appear to be another nice reticulate cultivar, Lady Beatrix > Stanley. > > I've had 'Frank Elder' from other sources in the past, but I've never been > able to from a clear sense of how it differs from the very similar > 'Katharine Hodgkin'. Now I wonder if I've ever had the real thing. I also > have 'Sheila Ann Germaney' (from Jane McGary) and it is distinct. > > There might be more excitement on the way: the same firm offered bulbs of > Vinogradov"s iris at an irresistible price. Mine are about to bloom, and > the emerging sprout looks like no other reticulate iris I've grown in the > past. >