By Ron Killingsworth
I love visiting gardens during the iris bloom season, and I always take numerous photographs. It's hard to take bad photographs when you are visiting gardens during the conventions of the
Society for Louisiana Irises (SLI). Here are a few photos from the past to show you what is in store for you if you decide to attend a convention in the future.
You will see creative ways to incorporate irises into the landscape.
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Garden in Ringgold, LA, SLI convention tour
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Some gardens are right on the bayous! You can see the water behind the attendees. As you can see, Louisiana irises work well with other garden flowers.
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Back yard garden in Lafayette, LA, SLI convention garden tour
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New iris introductions are often on view in the gardens.
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LA Iris 'Splitter Splatter' (Grieves, D. R 2004) growing in Palm Bay, FL
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| Louisiana Iris 'Donna Wolford' (Pryor, H 2004) growing in Palm Bay, FL |
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| LA Iris 'Frenchmen Street' (O'Connor, P 2002) growing in NW LA |
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LA Iris 'Wow Factor' (Pryor, H 2001) growing in Palm Bay, FL
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Of course, water features, ponds, and rivers abound:
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| Garden on a large pond with LA irises in Ringgold, LA |
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| Garden with a stream and LA irises in Ringgold, LA |
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| LA Irises growing on Caddo Lake, Mooringsport, LA |
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| LA Irises growing on Caddo Lake in Mooringsport, LA, with bald cypress tress in background |
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| LA Irises growing around the "Rock Pond" with Caddo Lake in background |
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| LA Irises at the "Koi Pond" at Plantation Point Nursery, Mooringsport, LA |
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Weeping Willow and other plants in our side garden
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And best of all, conventions are great opportunities for meeting new people and reconnecting with old friends.
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My Aunt Adell Tingle, who loved flowers, standing in a sea of LA irises in Lafayette, LA
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Me, my sister Bobbie, Donna Wolford, Dick Sloan and Harry Wolford - a bunch of "iris nuts"
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I hope you have enjoyed viewing these as much as I enjoyed seeing them in person. Moreover, I hope to see you at a convention in the near future.
Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and wishing you the best in the New Year.
