Re: TB: awards (was Decadence)
iris@hort.net
  • Subject: Re: TB: awards (was Decadence)
  • From: L* M* <l*@lock-net.com>
  • Date: Thu, 12 Jan 2012 08:03:44 -0500
Yes, this discussion is mostly not about DECADENCE - she's just the current example of a spectacular iris that doesn't grow well in several places. If you check the archives, you will see this discussion has come up repeatedly over the life of this forum (starting in 1996) (!). I think SILVERADO was the last primary victim of discussion.
And, as I said before, I'm NOT a judge, NOT going by the handbook, therefore not confused by what the rules say the voting is <supposed> to be about, just a long time backyard pollen dauber trying to figure out how to USE the existing/ongoing results of the awards system.
Apologies to DECADENCE (and KK and BB!) for picking on this particular iris re: the awards. The point I was trying to make is that (from my viewpoint as a dauber and gardener) some irises make exceptional contributions to the advancement of irises in ways that are <not> necessarily related to how well they perform in a variety of growing conditions. Currently, the awards system and (as Betty pointed out) frequency of appearance in pedigrees by several (in the case of DECADENCE, a <lot> of) hybridizers help me identify those irises.
The reason I wanted to make the above point is because my view of award winning irises has changed considerably from what it was before I spent a few years pollen daubing. It (usually) takes more than one generation to get back to 'Zurbrigg vigor' here in my growing conditions when I use some of the top award winners, but the improvement in form and increase in diversity of color/pattern is worth it. Also, my experience has been that often the stronger growers from other, more challenging, climates, are much less cooperative about blooming & producing viable pollen & won't set pods here than some of the weaker growers from Oz et al. So I mostly grow the 'good stuff' as expensive annual producers of pollen.
I think we are all in agreement that the current awards system doesn't give top awards to the most widely adaptable irises. We can bring it up every two years and talk about it till we are sick of it and the weather improves and irises start blooming and we go do something else, but is anybody suggesting a means by which things will change?
I.e., what would the process be? Submit a petition to the AIS board of directors?
Since the award system hasn't changed (apologies if I'm wrong on this, since I don't know the rules) in decades (at least for the life of this forum), I'm just explaining how <I> find the current awards results useful. Nothing more intended. 

Linda Mann east TN USA zone 7

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