Re: RE: Re: AIS Symposium
- To:
- Subject: Re: [iris-talk] RE: Re: AIS Symposium
- From: D* E*
- Date: Wed, 30 Aug 2000 19:38:23 -0500
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Hello Folks,
Gerry writes, but I'm not sure if this is his thought or an AIS thought.
>
>One of the purposes of AIS is to try to improve the quality of iris that
>get out into circulation. Symposium rankings are used by some to choose
>iris to buy.
I have trouble with this. Maybe just because of where I grow irises, but
just what is meant by quality? I do grow and have bought using the
Symposium results as a guideline. Frankly it hasn't worked. Some of
my better performing irises didn't come from the list. Some appearing
on the list have been poor performers. Unfortunately they have been
consistant poor performers. I like some well enough to keep fooling
with them, others I have and will find new homes for. If it is only bloom
quality or showbench quality, then the Symposium would be useless
as a guideline for garden growing. As I scan down the list available for
making my mark, there really aren't too many I think deserve a vote,
even some I liked pretty well for the bloom appearance. As a list of
favorites I have no problem with the list since any given iris could be a
favorite for many reasons. As a guideline for purchasing irises, I'm
afraid I'm a skeptic here. As a guideline for denoting quality, I'm even
more skeptical.
I'm too suspicious perhaps, but I think even irises
might be subject to the whims of fashion. Hot for the moment and
then something new. For the garden, I'd like something that could
stand the test of time. I want new things, of course, but I wouldn't
be too likely to leave out a couple of the historics I grow which seemed
to me to be superior to some newer ones. They just simply had a
good mix of balance and growth and bloom. They looked right.
Qualities that work as garden plants.
I do like the idea of an open symposium among the different iris types.
Variety really does spice up plantings. I'm not much for cookie cutter
patterns repeated endlessly in different colors. I would be very
surprised if only TBs appeared on an open symposium if the data
is collected from AIS members. Too many folks interested in irises
over too broad a spectrum. I have no thoughts whatsoever on making
such a symposium manageable.
Donald Eaves
donald@eastland.net
Texas Zone 7, USA....HOT, HOTTER AND HOTTER here and no rain.
