By Ginny Spoon
When I first joined the American Iris Society in 1991, I
learned about reblooming irises at our local chapter of AIS, the Chesapeake and
Potomac Iris Society. Irises that bloom both spring and fall were the ones that I wanted most of all. That is where I met Don Spoon, who outbid me on every
single iris that I wanted at the auction after the national convention that
year. Although frustrated by those efforts, I managed to buy more rebloomers at
our club sales over the next several years. Many of our own members in Region
4 were also iris hybridizers and had introduced reblooming irises. They
included Charlie Nearpass, Clarence
Mahan, Lloyd Zurbrigg, J. Griffin Crump and yes, Don Spoon. Sterling Innerst and Joan Roberts were also in our neighboring Region 3, and have introduced many lovely reblooming
irises.
'Durham Dream' (Lloyd Zurbrigg)--image by Ginny Spoon
As the years went by, and my garden grew, I knew that irises
were my favorite perennial. Not only do they come in all sizes and different
kinds, but there is an iris of some kind blooming in the garden almost every
month of the year.
'Lucy Doodle'
reblooming MTB (Charlie Nearpass)--image by Cindy Rust
'Autumn Rose' (Ginny Spoon)--image by Ginny Spoon
The white reblooming iris in front of 'Autumn Rose' is my first introduction, 'Autumn Ivory', made possible when Don Spoon brought pollen from his garden and taught me how to hybridize.
Our Winterberry Iris Gardens--image by Ginny Spoon
One fall, we
had almost a third of our garden blooming with reblooming irises. It was a glorious
sight and one I will always remember.
'Daughter of Stars' (Don Spoon)-- image by Ginny Spoon
As some of you may have guessed, I married Don
Spoon and have now gotten back all those irises that I wanted in that auction,
and more besides. We both love and hybridize irises, especially the rebloomers
in our northern Virginia garden.
