Thursday, August 4, 2022

IRISES: The Bulletin of the AIS - Summer 2022 Edition

 By Andi Rivarola

A warm welcome to those who are seeing IRISES, the Bulletin of The American Iris Society for the first time. If you are a member of The American Iris Society I hope you enjoy this new issue.

The Summer 2022 issue of the AIS Bulletin will be available online soon, accessible via the Emembers section of the AIS website. The print copy has been mailed via the U.S. Post Office. On the cover, arilbred iris, 'Chihuahua Night' (Howie Dash 2019, AB OGB), winner of the President's Cup at the 2022 Las Cruces Convention in New Mexico.

Note: to access this area of the website, you must have a current AIS Emembership. (AIS Emembership is separate from the normal AIS membership.) Please see the Electronic Membership Information are of the AIS website for more details.



The 2022 National Convocation of The American Iris Society was held this year in Las Cruces, New Mexico earlier in the spring. It was a very enjoyable event and we hope that you enjoy the full recap carefully displayed within this issue, including:

Convention Awards: on page 2.
Hello, AIS Newcomers!: on page 30.
The Wes and Cynthia Wilson Garden, "Iris Inspire Us": on page 38.
The Optional Tour: White Sands Missile Range, on page 40.
Scarlett Ayres Garden, on page 42.
The Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum Garden: on page 46
Thoughts of a Convention Co-Chair: on page 48.
Seen in Las Cruces: on page 82.
Favorite Guest Irises: on page 83.

Other wonderful stories in this issue:

A Tribute to Dave Niswonger by none other than Barry Blyth on page 18.

Don't miss, Section Happenings, on page 20. 

On Beginners Corner, Do Plants Have Memories?, on page 28.

The AIS Foundation Ackerman Youth Essay Winners on page 68.

And lastly, Catalogs—Online, on page 69.


There's a lot more to see and read in this edition of IRISES, either in digital or print format. 

Not a member of the American Iris Society? Please see our website for information about becoming one: http://irises.org/

Happy Gardening!


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Support the Work of The American Iris Society by Becoming a Member:

  • Annual Print Membership receives Irises, the Bulletin of The American Iris Society, published four times annually.

  • Annual E-membership receives Irises, the Bulletin of The American Iris Society, to view online

  • Participate in AIS’s bi-monthly Webinar Series featuring AIS experts from around the U.S.

  • Get connected with AIS members from around the world, via our Facebook Group Iris Lovers, and other social media channels.

  • Get to know about our lesser known irises, such as species, spuria, Louisiana, Siberian and other beardless irises.

  • Participate in the Annual convention. The next convention will be in Dallas, TX in 2023.  

  • Support AIS's mission of education, conservation, research, preserving historical archives, and outreach projects.

  • Did you know that The American Iris Society is the registration authority for all rhizomatous irises worldwide?  

  • The Iris Encyclopedia is available 24-7, 365 days a year, and filled with a wealth of iris knowledge. Stop by for a visit!