CULT:poor performing irises.(was Daring Deception)
iris@hort.net
  • Subject: CULT:poor performing irises.(was Daring Deception)
  • From: B* W* <a*@aol.com>
  • Date: Sun, 15 Jan 2012 18:36:23 -0500 (EST)
<<Hi Betty Wilkerson and all iris talk participants,>>

In response:
There will always be some irises that do not prosper in all gardens. This is not the first time this subject has created tension among the iris talk listers. It is clear we can not publicly discuss this subject.
Just for the record, I have nothing negative to say about anyone. Eugene, I was not addressing my comment to you. Ibm sorry if you took it that way. I have great respect for those who choose to remove poor performing irises from their gardens. Why not? The space can be better utilized with other cultivars. It just seems we can not mention those cultivars by name without creating controversy.
If I were just collecting and showing irises, my buying pattern would be different. There is a good chance I would simply pass up anything I thought might be a problem, just as I once did. Do I wish there was some way I could know in advance if an iris will prosper in my garden? Sure I do. I donbt really like wasting money. Personally, Ibve spent a lot of time in the iris register and Ibve got a pretty good idea of what I can expect from a given iris, even before I pay my money for it. Sometimes Ibm wrong. Sometimes Ibm wrong in a good way. After serious consideration, I determined that the only way I can get genes I want into my irises is to take a few chances.
Many hybridizers have passed through Region 7 in the past 25+ years and I learned something from most of them. Ibve long admired the work of many hybridizers, including Joe Ghio, Keith Keppel, & Barry Blyth. They are fine people and giving of their time and ideas. The same was true of Ben Hager, Monty Byers, Dr. Zurbrigg, Dr. R. Smith and others Ibve been in contact with throughout the past 25 years. Though I must say Ibm extra fond of Dr. Raymond Smith!
NOTE: This is a general statement and not focused on any particular list member. 



Betty Wilkerson
Zone 6 KY
autmirislvr@aol.com



-----Original Message-----
From: Eugene Baxley <baxleyeugene@yahoo.com>
To: iris <iris@hort.net>
Sent: Sat, Jan 14, 2012 6:15 pm
Subject: [iris] Daring Deception


Hi Betty Wilkerson and all iris talk participants,
I cannot speak for
anyone else about what would happen to any particular iris that is competing 
for the Dykes medal.
I can however speak for myself. If I purchase Daring
Deception and it does well or semi well in my garden, I would have no
objection to it's award of the Dykes medal. Some others where it did not do 
well might object to the award. I did not object to Decadence based upon
geographic origin and I don't think I will object to any iris based on
geographic origin in the future. A good iris is a good iris wherever it's origin. I objected to Decadence based upon it's nonperformance here in my garden. Many people responded in the negative when asked if Decadence did well 
for them.
I think the rules for AIS awards needs to be revised, not to
keep foreign iris out of the competition, but to help insure that the
candidates perform well in a large majority of US gardens when competeing for the Wister medal and the Dykes medal. To that end I believe competitors for the Wister Medal and the Dykes medal should be required to garner a plurality of votes cast in at least seventy-five per cent of the AIS regions then they should be required to have received a plurality of the sum of all votes cast by the regions. And I believe judges should be required to have had the Wister and/or the Dykes candidate in their garden for two years or be barred from voting for it. It is my belief that many judges vote from photographs or from the bloom only that they have seen in a tour garden or other garden. About this latter I may be wrong and to all whom I may have offended, I am sorry if 
I am wrong.
This would not insure that a nonperforming iris would not be
selected, but it might help. There are other theories about that might work. With this I have had my say and I have only one other thing to do related 
to this subject and that is to write a letter to Judy Keisling in as
nonoffending way as I can to relay my feelings on the matter. As one person said, "It comes up about every two years and nothing is ever done about it". 
Nothing will be done this time if AIS is not informed of your feelings.
Making poorly performing iris Dykes medal winners does definitely cause
loss of membership in the AIS. Young people are very disallusioned when an iris that has gotten the highest award we offer is a flop in their garden. 
Many dirft away.

E. Baxley

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