RE: bias?

---

I have been growing the different species and spec x  in our display garden for a number of years.  The problem not mentioned yet is getting the judges in the area to even come and look at them.  Last bloom season we were home the entire season (which can be a rare event) and we were open, and not one local judge visited the garden.  I actually had a newer student judge that cared enough to look at all the different classes as they bloomed.  Yes, more than one visit, many actually. This judge will be at least exposed to all the classes and may decide to add them to his garden. The public also took the time to see that different plants were in bloom...but they usually only look for iris during the bearded bloom time not during other bloom times. So often it was by accident and not by a planned visit.  They would spot something in bloom at a different time and stop to visit, which leads to questions.  I give them information on anything they ask about and the society website or other information.  One other way around this problem that I discovered with the MDB's  (also difficult to get the judges to see) is to schedule a judges training....yes with food, and the judges come.  They saw plants they were not use to seeing.  This exposure got them to be grown in more local gardens and thus more in shows.  So perhaps the biggest question is a better education of the public.  I also have taken a number of species in bloom during the show season and set up a table which I call  the 'Education of the Public' on different classes but bearded.  Have the handouts....and yes, stand at the table and talk to the public. They do not always have to be entered in the show to educate the public.  Children and younger people seem to notice something that is different before an adult does. Use that opportunity to the max......they are the future. 
 
Ken suggested that one other problem on the other classes not being seen or voted for is  because they are not being promoted enough......lets have a little discussion on how to improve that. Since we have a good discussion going, maybe some new ideas to try can be added to help those of us that do have the plants growing in our gardens.
 
On the spuria bloom time and the AIS Ballot.  Sometimes I do not get to see the later ones before the ballot has to be sent in.  So that can be a problem here some years as well. My first spuria bloom started on 5-18-2010 and my last one started on 7-5-2010 for example.  So it is not only Canada that has a problem with bloom season on spuria. 
 
Carol L. Coleman
C. Iris On Pond