[IRIS] Iris recognition: Viewpoints - problems - solutions was reblooming space age luminata

This thread is from other iris groups but with the convention in the near future maybe it can elict some ideas for discussion at the national meetings.

The thread originated with the photo of John Reed's relooming Space age luminata. The bits and pieces quoted below are from the disussion ( and frustration) of getting AIS recognition for an iris be it a backyard wonder such as John's or a new introduction from an award winning hybridizer with 500 or more introductions. The complete thread is available in the hort net archeives in Iris-Photo and Spaceagerobin.

Every commercial garden we have visited had the same lament. "I wish more judges would visit". If major iris growers have this problem what about all the non-commercial growers who are creating such wonderful new iris! Almost a thousand new iris are listed in the R & I each year. There is no possible way for so few judges to do garden visits to even a majority of these.

Some suggestions have been made to go to the the broader spectrum methods used in daylilies.A suggestion has been made for the use of photos to add to or replace judges visits. ( I think we are all cognizant of photo ID problems. That idea may be more plausable when technology allows us to share virtual garden visits via video files.)

An excellent suggestion was made to extend the elgibilty time frame to allow the judges more time.

My own most extreme idea would be a popularity vote by the membership based on photos. The best of this list forewarded to judges for field evaluation. I feel almost every hybridizer could find a way to furnish a photo either hard copy or digital.

If you have never visited the Iris-Photo archieves you should go and see all the wonderful creations that are not pictured in catalogs or websites.

Another point from the thread was the wide variance in acceptance of new forms in iris versus daylilies. Why all this comparison to daylilies? Simple, look at the number of iris catalogs including daylilies.Why? It makes good business sense!
A novelty iris breakthrough such as John's would be difficult to market at $100 while a similar breakthrough in daylilies would be $500.

As a brown-thumbed gardner I love growing iris as a poor mans orchid that blooms more than once a year. Perhaps thats why I feel the historics and novelty iris have a more orchid-like appearence than the more conventional modern form.

Michael Michaeli (only) Stockton Ca.

On Mar 24, 2004, at 7:19 AM, oneofcultivars@aol.com wrote:

>

>  My conclusion is: The web coupled with photo capacity and the ability
> to type have began a long needed reversal of a tail wag the dog
> mentality where worthy irises go beyond the suppression they have long
> endured by the judge's lists and board policies designed to entrench
> the leadership of that group's interests in lieu of those of the
> masses and iris promotion.

Bill,

I accept that you have the right to express an opinion about the effect
a particular policy may have. Expressing those opinions on either
iris-photos or iris@hort is always acceptable. I may even agree with
some of them. However, to deprecate a group by assigning
unsubstantiated motives is inappropriate.

I am a member of the AIS Board, and Chair of the Electronic Services
Committee. While I was probably not around when the (unspecified)
policies you remark on were put in place, I can tell you this. I work
very hard to advance the cause of irises to the general public. I
believe I am making great progress in moving the AIS into the
electronic world. I am sure it is not as fast as everyone wants,  but
we are moving. I believe the entire board is supportive of this given
some of the constraints we have to operate under.

One of the main functions of the AIS is to promote irises to the
general public and I believe the organization operates on a daily basis
to achieve that goal.

If you feel their policies are wrong, ineffective or misguided, do
something about it. Get involved, Go to the meetings. Write letters.
Most of all, suggest solutions.


John                | "There be dragons here"
                         |  Annotation used by ancient cartographers
                         |  to indicate the edge of the known world.

List owner iris@hort.net and iris-photos@yahoogroups.com
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