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.

2019 Sass Medal Winner

 The American Iris Society

Announces the

2018 Hans and Jacob Sass Medal Winner

'Leave the Light On'

Riley Probst

This medal is restricted to intermediate bearded (IB) irises. It is named in honor of Hans Sass (1868-1949) and Jacob Sass (1872-1945). Both of the Sass brothers bred all types of irises that would grow in Nebraska, but their early fame as hybridizers came for their work producing intermediate bearded irises. Crossing dwarf irises with tall bearded irises, they were the first American breeders to develop many new colors and forms in the intermediate class. They saw the great advantage of intermediate bearded irises on the windy prairie, and the value of a type of iris that filled out the bloom season between the early dwarf irises and the later tall bearded irises.

Image by Hugh Stout

Seedling #U4WHXHM. IB, 22 (56 cm), Early, midseason and late bloom. Standards blue-purple with 1/16th gold edge; style arms bright yellow, vertical purple veining on style crests; falls blue-purple luminata pattern, bright yellow area with 1/4" white spear extending downward from beard; beards orange; pronounced sweet fragrance. 'Wild Hair' X 'High Master'. Fleur de Lis Garden 2013. Honorable Mention 2015. Award Of Merit 2017.

The World of Irises blog will be posting once a day all of the medal winners. The entire list of winners can be found at the AIS website, the AIS Encyclopedia and later in the AIS Bulletin, IRISES.

California Dreaming 3--Fleur de Lis Iris Garden

By Bryce Williamson

My travel companion, Phil Williams, on this saga of California Dreaming, had to be wondering what the fuss is about good food in California. Leaving Bay View Gardens, we had a hasty lunch at a gourmet stop—Panda Express and then it was on the road again, over the Santa Cruz Mountains, through Silicon Valley, over the Mt. Diablo Mountains and towards Merced. Phil received his first dose of real California traffic since the 120 mile trip took over three hours and I considered the traffic to be light.

Dropping off the luggage at the Best Western, we decided to gamble that the daylight would last for a trip to Shirley Trio-Probst and Riley Probst’s Fleur de Lis Iris Gardens, Modesto, California. Along the way, we learned a hard lesson—don’t trust the GPS since it insisted on taking us way north and then looping back to Fine Avenue.

We arrived on a bad day since one of the dogs had died and Riley and Shirley were just in from a long trip with little sleep, but we were made welcome. Since they grow many reblooming irises and many of the reblooming irises flower early, there was a lot to see.

Shirley dabbles in hybridizing and her best known introduction is the Award of Merit winner ‘Opposites’.

Riley and Shirley

'Opposites'

Riley has won the Williamson-White Medal twice for miniature tall bearded irises. Currently ‘Holiday in Mexico’ is very popular and since this was written, won the 2018 Williamson-White Medal. Both Shirley and Riley are deeply involved in planning the 2019 National Convention at San Ramon.

'Holiday in Mexico' image by Rick Tasco

Here are some images of flowers I liked in the garden.

'All by Design' (Ghlio 2016)

'Aloha Spirit' (Ghio 2017)

Joe Ghio's 'Core Values' with Teddy, the tuxedo cat

'Picked for Pat' (Tyson 2018)

'Folies Bergere' (Ghio 2017)

'Love Changes' (Blyth 2010)

'Magic Mirror' (Ghio 2015)

'Not Broke This Time' (Tyson 20017)

'Reckless Abandon' (Keppel '2010)

'Swing Dancing' (Messick 1999)

The garden can be contacted at Fleur de Lis Garden, Riley and Shirley Trio Probst, 2701 Fine Ave., Modesto, CA 95355; 209-551-6323 (call first since they might be out visiting gardens); email: rprobst02@earthlink.net, shirleyjtrio@gmail.com.

Williamson-White Medal 2018

The American Iris Society

Announces

The 2018 Williamson-White Medal

'Holiday In Mexico'

'Holiday In Mexico'--image by Riley Probst

'Holiday In Mexico' (Riley Probst, R. 2011) has an early midseason bloom period. Standards and style arms bright yellow; falls flared, white ground veined bright red-purple extending to 1/8"yellow edge; beards white, yellow in throat; slight fragrance. 'Mini Wabash' X 'Welch's Reward'. Fleur de Lis 2012.

This medal is restricted to miniature tall bearded (MTB) irises. It is named in honor of E. B. Williamson (1877-1933), his daughter Mary Williamson (1909-1987) and Alice White (1886-1969). Although others had introduced irises that fit into the miniature tall bearded iris class before Williamson, he and his daughter were the first to breed them as cultivars in a distinctive class of irises. They were apparently byproducts of breeding for tall bearded irises. In the early 1950's, Alice White of Hemet, California began a crusade to gain recognition of the assets of these wonderful smaller irises. She organized table iris robins and wrote many articles for the AIS Bulletin and gardening magazines promoting their virtues.

The World of Irises blog will be posting once a day the other medal winners. The entire list of winners can be found at http://irises.org/About_Irises/Awards_Surveys/AIS_Awards.html, the AIS Encyclopedia and later in the AIS Bulletin, IRISES. Pictures can be found at http://wiki.irises.org/Main/InfoAwards2018.

Space Age Iris of the Early 21st Century

by Jean Richter

The turn of the century has brought new hybridizers experimenting with space age iris, and these iris are enjoying unprecedented popularity. Following are some of the most recent space age iris to grace our gardens.

Riley Probst began his hybridizing career in Missouri, but now calls California his home. Here is his space age introduction from 2013, Power Lines.

Power Lines (Probst 2013)

Nebraska hybridizer Leroy Meininger has created a number of lovely space agers. Here is one from 2005, Beneath My Wings.

Beneath My Wings (Meininger 2005)

California hybridizer Robert Annand also introduced several space age iris. Although he passed away in 2013, some of his seedlings have been selected and introduced posthumously. Here is Bob's Pride from 2015.

 Bob's Pride (Annand by Marshall 2015)

Mississppi hybridizer Truman Scarborough introduced stately Emma's Plume in 2012. One of its parents, Thornbird, lends its unique color.

Emma's Plume (Scarborough 2012)

Another pair of Nebraska hybridizers, Leonard and Kathie Jedlicka, are also introducing space age iris. Here is their pink confection Isadora Belle from 2009.

Isadora Belle (Jedlicka 2009)

The Suttons were a fixture in the southern San Joachin valley in California for many years, but have recently relocated to Idaho. George Sutton introduced many space age iris before his passing in 2013. His son Mike is carrying on the space age tradition, as can be seen in his 2011 introduction Point of No Return.

Point of No Return (M. Sutton 2011)

California hybridizer Rick Tasco of Superstition Iris Gardens has introduced a number of space age iris. Here is his uniquely colored Solar Fire from 2003.

Solar Fire (Tasco 2003)

Rick also works at introducing space age characteristics into median iris. Here is his new 2017 intermediate bearded introduction Visual Pleasure.

Visual Pleasure (Tasco 2017) IB SA

One of the most prolific hybridizers of space age iris since 2000 is Texas hybridizer Tom Burseen. He is as well known for his quirky iris names as he is for the iris themselves. Here are three of his space age introductions, Cry Me a River from 2006, Air Hog from 2009, and Justa Musta from 2016.

Cry Me a River (Burseen 2006)

Air Hog (Burseen 2009)

Justa Musta (Burseen 2016)

As you can see, space age iris are more popular than ever, and have certainly come a long way from Lloyd Austin's first space agers of 60 years ago. What are your favorite 21st century space age iris?