Doddington Hall is home to the National Plant Collection of Tall Bearded Irises (Iris germanica) raised by Bryan Dodsworth, one of the most celebrated British iris breeders of the 20th century. Flowering in May and early June, the collection can be found in the walled Kitchen Garden. With their elegant form and bright colours, these British-bred irises are a beautiful part of the early summer display at Doddington.
Registered with Plant Heritage, this living collection helps to safeguard the work of Bryan Dodsworth and provides a long-term home for his distinctive irises.
Bryan bred irises over a 50-year period from his garden at East Bridgford in Nottinghamshire. He produced more than 50,000 seedlings and registered fewer than 65 varieties, selecting only those with excellent form, strong structure, clear colour and resilience in British weather.
The National Plant Collection at Doddington currently includes 48 listed varieties, with final records still being completed.
Bryan Dodsworth’s distinctive irises are known for their elegant shape, strong stems and clear, clean colours. Many are single-coloured, known as ‘selfs’, or shades of the same colour, known as ‘bi-tones’.
Bryan specifically selected plants that could withstand wind and rain, making them well suited to British gardens.
Planted in blocks along the west wall of the walled Kitchen Garden, the new 60-yard iris border has been designed to show the breadth of the collection, while allowing visitors to enjoy each variety from different angles.
The planting brings together cool whites and blues, soft pinks, lilacs and yellows, with stronger oranges, reds and magentas adding depth and contrast.
Antony Jarvis
Father of Claire Birch
“Bearded iris flowers are held high in the air and their translucence makes them particularly beautiful in the evening light. They provide a surprisingly long show when well-grown.”
Bryan Dodsworth
Bryan Dodsworth (1920–2009) developed a lifelong interest in irises after regular visits to Kew Gardens, where he was drawn to their beauty, variety and colour range.
He went on to exhibit successfully at British Iris Society shows for more than 30 years and was awarded the prestigious Dykes Medal for iris hybridising 12 times.
After his death, Bryan’s son Simon worked to identify and safeguard the irises from the family garden. The collection was registered with Plant Heritage in 2016 as ‘Tall Bearded Irises Raised by Bryan Dodsworth’.
Simon later asked Doddington Hall to provide a permanent home for the National Plant Collection, creating a living record of his father’s achievements. The collection is cared for with support from the Gardens team and Antony Jarvis, who has a long-standing interest in the Hall’s iris collections.
Iris varieties
The National Plant Collection at Doddington currently includes 48 listed varieties, with one or two more still to be confirmed.
Many of the varieties are available to purchase from the English Iris Company website, allowing you the opportunity to grow and enjoy these beautiful flowers at home. Over the next few years, the English Iris Company hope to broaden availability and include some of the varieties from the Doddington collection that are not currently for sale.
The National Plant Collection of Tall Bearded Irises usually flowers from May to early June in the Kitchen Garden, however, you may also enjoy Doddington’s long-established iris display in the West Garden.
Example photographs from the wide range of varieties in the collection can be seen below:
Thinking about
stopping by?
With so much to do at Doddington, it can be hard to fit everything into just one day. So here are a few useful things to know before you set off:
Plant
Heritage
Plant Heritage is the charity behind the National Plant Collections, which help to conserve cultivated plants for future generations. The National Plant Collection at Doddington helps safeguard the work of Bryan Dodsworth and celebrates one of Britain’s most distinctive iris breeders.
Fill your garden
With colour
Many of the varieties are available to purchase from the English Iris Company website, allowing you the opportunity to grow and enjoy these beautiful flowers at home.
More
information
For more details about Bryan Dodsworth and the history of the National Plant Collection, you can read Simon Dodsworth’s articles on the English Iris Company website.
Discover more
Collections
Wagon Collection
Located in our Stable Yard, the Doddington Wagon Shed houses a fascinating collection of English farm wagons, collected by Claire’s father, Antony Jarvis, since the 1960s.
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Artwork Collection
Doddington Hall is home to a wealth of priceless artwork, from the monumental painting by Joshua Reynolds in the Long Gallery to the hand-drawn illustrations passed down through owner Claire's family.
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Tapestries Collection
If walls could talk… Three of the bedrooms at Doddington Hall are decorated with the most incredible Flemish tapestries, dating back to the 17th century.
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