A Growing Iris Resource on YouTube: Part IV

 by Heather Haley

In this post, I'll continue sharing an update of a growing iris resource on YouTube. The American Iris Society (AIS) uses its YouTube Channel to help organize and disseminate knowledge of the genus Iris, while fostering its preservation, enjoyment, and continued development. Many of the videos available are from the AIS Webinar Series, and their upload was planned for the benefit of all persons interested in irises.

In "A Growing Iris Resource On YouTube: Part I," I shared the origin of the AIS Webinar Series in 2020 as well as descriptions of recorded presentations that brought iris enthusiasts together during the pandemic. As the Webinar Series continued in 2021, all AIS sections and cooperating societies were invited to give presentations, which I shared in Parts II and III. 

Past AIS president Gary White serves as an organizer for the webinar series, and has continued inviting wonderful speakers to share iris knowledge and experience with us. Gary is also part of a small crew of webinar hosts working behind the scenes to admit attendees in Zoom, and help the webinar run as smoothly while they are recorded. I got involved as a webinar host in 2021, and it is always a joy to listen, learn, and support connections among people who are passionate about irises.

The following describes some of the webinars that AIS volunteers prepared, delivered, recorded, and posted to our YouTube Channel during 2022.

Webinar #22 - "Iris Ensata” with Patrick Spence

Patrick Spence is a past president of the Society for Japanese Irises, operates Cascadia Iris Gardens in King County, Washington, and maintains a large important collection of beardless irises, including Japanese irises. In this webinar, you can learn about the variety of forms and patterns available in Japanese irises, along with the culture and care requirements of these exceptional garden plants.

Webinar #23 - "Growing Iris in Containers” with Doug Chyz

Doug Chyz is the co-chair of the AIS Public Relations and Marketing Committee, a past president of the Fredericksberg Area Iris Society, and a former AIS Region 4 Vice President.  In this webinar, you can learn more about growing and exhibiting irises in containers, as well as get advice about sizes and types of containers, hardiness concerns, and the pros and cons of this cultural practice. 

Webinar #24 - "Judges Training: Awards and Ballots” with Gary White and Bonnie Nichols

Webinar #25 "Judges Training: Awards and Ballots” with Gary White and Bonnie Nichols

National Judges Training Chair Bonnie Nichols joined Gary White in two webinars describing various AIS awards and the responsibilities of its judges. The first session focused on garden awards that are voted by judges accredited by the AIS. History about the awards is included, with notes and photos about the people for whom the special medals are named. The second session goes on to describe other awards and symposiums voted by the AIS Board of Directors; members of AIS, a section, or affiliate; judges at exhibitions; and convention attendees. Although designed to provide judges training, these programs are suitable and informative for non-judges as well.

Webinar #26 - "Rebloomers: How to Grow Them to Bloom Succesfully in Most Locations” with Riley Probst

Riley Probst is a past president of the Reblooming Iris Society and operates Fleur de Lis gardens in Modesto, California with his wife Shirley. In this webinar learn about cultural requirements for reblooming irises as well as irises that grow well in warm or cool climate areas.

If you have not done so already, consider recording which of your irises rebloom in your garden. If you would like to share this data with other reblooming iris enthusiasts, forms are available here.

A Growing Iris Resource on YouTube: Part I

by Heather Haley

In this post, I share a delightfully growing iris resource. Sharing information on the World of Irises blog is one of many ways that the American Iris Society (AIS) uses the internet to organize and disseminate knowledge. Content draws on the various talents of individuals within our organization and helps to advance its mission: fostering the preservation, enjoyment, and continued development of the genus Iris.

Volunteers with technical expertise (or a willingness to learn) devote time and energy to social media efforts that promote aspects of AIS to other members and the general gardening public. The AIS Facebook page was created in 2009, which was later supplemented by a Twitter feed in 2011, a YouTube channel in 2016, and an Instagram account in 2019. 

The AIS YouTube channel started with a video featuring World of Irises bloggers, and has added a sizable amount of content during 2020 and 2021. If you are just getting started with irises, have the desire to learn more, or need to keep yourself occupied between bloom seasons, I highly recommend watching videos in the AIS webinar series. 

The following describes the webinars prepared, delivered, recorded, and posted by AIS volunteers in 2020.

Gary White is a past president of AIS and started growing irises soon after he finished college. He earned bachelor's and master's degrees in biology, with a focus on botany. He has been a member of every AIS Section and Cooperating Society, and has been judging irises for over twenty years. In this first webinar, Gary helped us look at irises and circumstances prior to the formation of AIS in 1920, and then described some of the irises, people, and events leading to the middle of the 20th Century.

“Irises and AIS - The Middle Years” with Gary White

Gary returned for a second webinar to share irises and people who were most influential several years after the formation of AIS. His story picks up from the end of the first webinar, the middle of the 20th century, and continues through near the end of the century. This webinar focuses on irises that you may be growing in your garden and people you may recognize.

“Novelty Irises: Broken Color and Flatties” with Bonnie Nichols

“Novelty Irises: Space Agers” with Bonnie Nichols

Bonnie Nichols is currently serving as the first-vice president of AIS, and was the first president of the Novelty Iris Society when this Section was added to the organization in 2015. She has also served AIS as a regional vice president, and treasurer. Bonnie has always been drawn to flowers with unusual characteristics and color patterns. In two webinars, Bonnie shares her passion for novelty irises and offers a glimpse into "something new from something old."

“Iris Growing Basics, Part 1: Bearded Iris” with Bonnie Nichols

Bonnie Nichols returned for a third webinar to share wisdom from her experience growing irises for as long as she can remember. As in my family, Bonnie's mother was the source of her interest in irises. Bonnie and her husband Hooker own a commercial iris garden; and both are prestigious emeritus judges with AIS. In this webinar, Bonnie shares "Growing Irises 101," and focuses on basics for culture of bearded types.

“Growing Iris Basics, Part 2: Beardless Iris” with Jody Nolin

Jody Nolin has worn many hats in our society, including AIS president, regional vice president, treasurer of the Society for Japanese Irises, secretary of SIGNA, and editor for SPCNI. She is currently serving as the AIS Affiliate chair and tries growing any iris that will tolerate the weather and soil at her home in rural northwest Ohio. Jody maintains an assortment beardless and species irises, including Louisiana, pseudata, Siberian, Japanese, spuria, AND bulbous irises. In this webinar, Jody shares the basics and delights of growing beardless irises.

Descriptions of AIS webinars recorded during 2021 will follow in future posts. Until then, visit the AIS website for links to related organizations, information, and ways to connect with others who love irises. You may also wish to join, follow, or subscribe to AIS webpages on your preferred social media platform.

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theamericanirissociety/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/tweetais
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheAmericanIrisSociety
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theamericanirissociety/?hl=en

Irises vs. Mother Nature

By Bonnie J Nichols (Dallas, Texas)

There is always a standard joke in Texas:  “If you don’t like the weather – just wait a minute and it will drastically change.”  I really wish that statement was a joke; however, gardening in Texas (particularly iris gardening) is a challenge for us.

By RC Designer from Flickr

Our big challenge is that our weather has so many fluctuations, the irises remain in a confused state.  I hear iris gardeners from other states say “this has or has not been a normal iris bloom year”.   I’m not sure what “normal” for us is.

Gardening in Texas (and maybe throughout the south) issues include:

·       We do not encourage iris re-bloom because we have two choices.  If we continue to water the irises when the soil gets dry, we encourage bacterial rot because of our high humidity.  If we do not water in the summer when there is zero rain in July and August, we discourage re-bloom.

·       The second problem we face is in winter is that our ground does not freeze or have a constant cold temperature.  For instance, we experience 60-70 degree days and 30-40 degree days in January and February that bring early iris stalks that should not come until April. 

The second problem is what I would like to focus on in this article.  As I am writing, our weather forecast for the next three days is highs of mid-30 degrees and lows of 15-20 degrees.  We have early stalks on IBs and some TBs that as of tonight will be history.  We know we will lose more stalks that have not emerged from the foliage.  I have tried in years past to cover my irises with freeze cloth.  If anything, I made the situation worse because the freeze cloth kept the cold air in place.  Other iris beds that did not have the freeze cloth did better because there was air circulation. 

As dedicated iris growers as we all are……….you must look at the positive side.  The SDBs and aril breds will probably still bloom once we get to our last freeze date which is typically the third week in March.  If the TB season is a bust, the Louisiana and spuria bloom (which is much later) will be good.  Once this week of low temperatures passes, we are diligent about cutting out frozen stalks to discourage rot when the temperatures warm up.

One last note about spring and irises.  When the crocus bloom we fertilize our irises in Texas.  Crocus bloom is typically around Valentine Day.  When you apply granular fertilizer (we use 8-8-8), use caution and do not broadcast into the iris leaves.  When the rains come, the undiluted fertilizer will encourage rot.

Year in Review

As the editors of The World of Irises blog look back on 2017, these were the most viewed posts. To view the email, just click on the title of the blog and it will take you to the post.

 In first place was Dawn Munford’s “A Fond Farewell to Tall Bearded Iris."

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Image by Dawn Munford

The second most viewed blog was Suzanne Holland Spicker’s "’Talking Irises’ TALL BEARDED IRISES: COMPANION PLANTS for PINK, RED, and PURPLE IRISES.”

'Red Skies' (Ghio)--image by Suzanne Spicker

That blog was followed by Chad Harris’s “Colors, Patterns of Japanese Iris."

'

Image by Chad Harris

Dawn Munford occupies the Number 4 spot with “MOREPHOTOMONTAGES OF TALL BEARDED IRISES.”

Image by Dawn Munford

Rounding out the top five, Suzanne Holland Spicker’s “GardenMagic Fills My Soul.”

Image by Kat Zalewska

Next up is Tom Waters’s “Growing Irises From Seed.”

Image by Tom Water

One of our new bloggers occupies the next spot with Hooker Nichol’s “Louisiana Irises.”

'Great White Hope' (Haymon)--Image by Robert Treadway

Bonnie Nichols wrote about cultural problems in “Bloom Out in Bearded Irises.”

Image by Bonnie Nichols

In ninth place, Bryce Williamson posted “I’m Singing the Blues.”

'Absolute Treasure' (Tasco)--Image by Bryce Williamson

The final blog in the top 10 is Chad Harris’s “FlowerForms of Japanese Iris.”

Image by Chad Harris

You can be automatically notified of all new post by going to the top left of any blog and filling your email address in the box and then clicking on submit. With the wide variety of content in this blog, you don’t want to miss a post.

And the editors look forward to 2018 and many more exciting and interesting posts.

Bloom Out in Bearded Irises

By Bonnie J. Nichols

In 2013 Texas had a wet and very cold winter.  We had more snow than we had seen in years.  The April 2014 bloom season was spectacular.  From the SDBs to TBs and beyond.  Winter in 2014 and 2015 had enough cold winter weather to give us good bloom. 

Then came last winter.  Actually, what winter?  In December when the Christmas Day temperature was 82 degrees and New Year’s Eve was 73 degrees, we knew the iris bloom season was in jeopardy.  And, it didn’t get better when on January 31^st the high temperature of the day was 79 degrees.

When I saw various bearded irises blooming in December and January I asked friends if they thought the bloom was “rebloom” OR what would have been our April spring bloom.  We all had no idea.  In April, we knew the sparse bloom we had seen in December and January was “the spring bloom” because we kept waiting and kept waiting and we had no additional bloom.  Maybe 20% tall bearded irises bloomed and very limited (if any) of the medians bloomed.  The Louisiana and Spuria bloom was not damaged by the mild winter.

We skimped and scraped and came up with enough blooms for our iris shows and we shrugged off the fact that we could not control Mother Nature.  We saw more than normal increases on some of the plants because they did not use their energy to bloom.  On other plants we noticed something that we had not had much experience with – “lightbulb” bloomed-out rhizomes.  Lightbulbs are rhizomes with no increases and the roots wither away.  Now I can spot the “lightbulbs” before digging.  The rhizome increases in size and twists slightly as if it is pushed out of the ground.  This could be the result of the roots drying out.  Some of the “lightbulbs” bloom.  The bloom stalk comes up in the middle of the fan and dies back quickly.  The rhizome eventually dries up and dies also.

When I see a lightbulb rhizome sending up a stalk, I have unsuccessfully tried to make crosses on the blooms.  I was hoping to force a pod and force the plant to increase. 

While my experiments and observations are interesting…………I hope we have a colder winter in 2017 and eventually get back to good iris bloom and the “lightbulbs” are a thing of the past.  However, as I write this article we are 2 ½ weeks from Thanksgiving and our Dallas temperature high today was 91 degrees.  Global warming? – I’m not sure; however, I’m beginning to believe it is.

Novelty Iris

By Bonnie Nichols

“What are Novelty irises?” ………. I get this question almost every judges training class I teach. I tell everyone “according to the AIS Handbook for Judges” – Novelties are broken color, space age, flatties, and variegated foliage irises. That statement is somewhat still true; however, the advancement of Novelty irises is moving rapidly. Remember when we all had dial-up modems and we heard whispers of “the Internet” circulating. And look where we are today!

'Big Bang Theory'--image by Blue Jay Garden

An example of new directions in Space Age irises.

'Zebra Blues' (Kasparek)--image by Jeanette Graham

An example of the new variegated foliage varieties.

In the 1950-60s “space age” irises became available to iris gardens primarily thanks to Lloyd Austin. Traditionalists probably shied away for these new-fangled irises. Strange irises, rock-n-roll, and the Beatles – what was the world coming to?

'Cross the Line' (M. Sutton)--image by Jeanette Graham

Space Age irises met some of the new color patterns.

Thanks to Alan Ensminger and Brad Kasparek (two guys that were iris pioneers), they brought us all those strange broken colors. Brad and Kathy Kasparek kept us guessing how to pronounce the GNU series as well as others.

'Spiced Tiger' (Kasparek)--image by Schreiner's Iris Garden

'Big Break'--image by Paul Black

Broken colors are now coming from different breeding lines.

'Leprechaun's Trick' (Black '15)--image by Paul Black

Another  example of variegated foliage

Monty Byers gave the iris world three Dykes Medal Winners (Mesmerizer, Conjuration, and Thornbird). Many times I wonder what Monty would think about the advancements in space age irises since the late ‘80s.

'Tropical Delight' (M. Sutton)--image by Mike Sutton

So, in addition to quoting the AIS Handbook answer of what Novelty irises are…………I always add FLATTIES, DOUBLES, BROKEN COLOR, SPACE AGE, FLOUNCES, POMPOMS, FULL MOONS….and, and, and……….. I don’t know where iris forms and iris colors will go from here AND that is part of the fun too. So to everyone reading this, think about hybridizing more Novelty irises!

FLATTIES are probably my favorite. Did I say that out loud? As judges, we are trained not to show our personal preferences when judging. As a human I find that difficult especially when I’m adding irises to my personal collection. My favorites are CHAOS THEORY, ORBISON, TOP DOWN, and FULL DISCLOSURE. All are faithful flatties.

'Chaos Theory' (Blyth)--image by Barry Blyth

There is a new addition to my favorite flatties – WICHITA FALLS. Yes, you are one of the first to hear. Z.G. Benson’s granddaughter has been kind enough to share one of Z. G.’s seedlings from the early 1970s. It is a huge blue/yellow FLATTIE. It is 100% flat! She is allowing Hooker to distribute the iris for Z. G. and name it WICHITA FALLS.

'Wichita Falls' (ZG Benson)--image by Hooker Nichols

Wichita Falls is the town in northwest Texas where Mr. Benson lived and hybridized the iris. The Novelty Iris Society will introduce the iris. Novelty Iris Society members will be notified when the iris is available for sale. Proceeds of the iris sales will benefit the Novelty Iris Society.

'Full Disclosure'--Image by Andi Rivarola

'Top Down' (Nichols)--image by Hooker Nichols

Editor's Note: We appreciate Bonnie Nichols's guest blog. Bonnie is the president of The Novelty Iris Society and you can find more information about that group on Facebook as Novelty Iris Society.