Re: RE: Test Gardens
iris@hort.net
  • Subject: Re: RE: Test Gardens
  • From: i*@aim.com
  • Date: Wed, 23 Jun 2010 17:56:42 -0400
 Along these same lines, I can offer a very concrete example here. I
introduced an iris "Garden Bride" in 1998. this is a white, with great
branching, long bloom season and a nice flower. Not a great flower, not wih
all the frill, and lace of  the whites coming out of California and Oregon.
But I had gotten tired of  all the modern white iris   that wimped out and
died in my garden, so set a goal of producing a hardy white. Several
generations of crossing to  strong blues soon produced this plant.  In 2004 it
won a Loomis Test garden award with a garden score of 83. This was following a
very bad winter in Colorado springs. It was the only TB to put up a clump
bloom. Runner up had a score of 60, so you can tell how bad a winter it was.
This plant is hardy  every where. It does well in Canadian prairies, as well
as in heat of Texas.

It didn't win any AIS award. It's special feature of overall hardiness and
ability to grow everywhere  is just not something that normally gets noticed.

I get lots of new plants in here every year. They usually do well the first
year,  relying on plant energy  stored in rhizome in garden of origin. Most of
these plants don't hold  there own over the next couple of years. This is
particulary noticable as I fill in my AIS ballot for this year.  I find myself
coming up short on numbers to  vote for for HM and AM as a lot of plants just
don't do well year after year in my harsh climate.

The AIS  award system needs a good overhaul  before it realy means anything.

I have many new customers each year  buy plants based on the awards they won.
My Canadian customers then don't get hardy plants, just  award winning plants.
Then when these plants don't do very well, they can get discouraged and give
up on iris.

Then AIS wonders why people are loosing interest in Iris?  Go figure.

I try and stear new customers to my "collections"  that are selected from the
hardiest plants  that I grow. I think I should rename these collections  to
reflect that they are extra hardy and   good performers.

Chuck Chapman






-----Original Message-----
From: Paul Archer <pharcher@mindspring.com>
To: iris@hort.net
Sent: Wed, Jun 23, 2010 11:32 am
Subject: Re: [iris] RE: Test Gardens


Well put and a good summary of what I'm suggesting needs to happen to be

effective.



Just in case some are wondering or thinking... this project is not about
beauty

of an individual flower.  It is about growability and dependabilty.  we are
not

to judge a flower based on weather we like the flower or not.  You woud have
to

objective enough to set your preference for one or another color, form,

haftiness, space agers, ect. aside.





-----Original Message-----

>From: irischapman@aim.com

>Sent: Jun 23, 2010 8:38 AM

>To: iris@hort.net

>Subject: [iris] RE: Test Gardens

>

> The need for test gardens is real, and reflects a problem with AIS award

>system.  The voting results is based on both distribution and nuymbers.That
is

>the awards go to plant that most people grow,and vote for regardless of how

>the plant does in different regions.

>

>If the system was set up better, then awards would reflect  plants that do

>well over a large area. For example, plant  would need to score  high in 20
of

>the 24 regions  to get Dykes, and well in 16 of 24 regions to get AM etc.

>

>Right now, a California beauty queen can get a Dykes and be a wimp in a
large

>number of growing areas.

>

>Chuck Chapman

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>-----Original Message-----

>From: Paul Archer <pharcher@mindspring.com>

>To: iris@hort.net

>Sent: Tue, Jun 22, 2010 4:27 pm

>Subject: Re: [iris] RE: Test Gardens

>

>

>I'll put you on the list (actually you already were.  The official start of

>the

>

>program probably would not start til next year.  But that doesn't stop me

>

>sending you the ones we discussed.  There is so much work to do before we
can

>

>properly set up this program and it looks like I'm going to be the one
runing

>

>it.

>

>

>

>

>

>-----Original Message-----

>

>>From: Cindy Servis <iceboxrabbitry@hotmail.com>

>

>>Sent: Jun 22, 2010 9:38 AM

>

>>To: iris@hort.net

>

>>Subject: [iris] RE: Test Gardens

>

>>

>

>>Regarding test gardens.  I am on the border of zones 2 and 3 in Northern
Mn.

>

>>I would be willing to test a few seedlings and let their owners know how

>they

>

>>do in this area.  Cindy

>

>>

>

>>_________________________________________________________________

>

>>The New Busy think 9 to 5 is a cute idea. Combine multiple calendars with

>

>>Hotmail.

>

>>http://www.windowslive.com/campaign/thenewbusy?tile=multicalendar&ocid=PID2
8

>3

>

>>26::T:WLMTAGL:ON:WL:en-US:WM_HMP:042010_5

>

>>

>

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