AIS: OK - final
From: Irisborer@aol.com
I thought I was going to be able to finish my OK report a week ago, but that
didn't happen. So for anyone who reads this type of thing, this will be the
conclusion).
While sitting in the Bombay on Friday night with the usual suspects, we
considered playing hooky on Saturday. The plan was that we would rent a car
and get to see some of Oklahoma City, like the Murrah Building site and/or
tornado damage. There was only one garden on the horizon that we hadn't been
to, and after a few 'pops' it sounded like a great idea.
But Saturday morning, reality set it. The hotel was bursting with insurance
adjusters (do you know those folks all wear polo shirts with the company name
on them??), and FEMA workers.... which suggested that getting a car might not
be easy..... and word had trickled in that Clinton was in town - meaning that
it may not be that easy to get around anyway. Annnnnd, then there were the
Merry Pranksters who would not be complete without us.
We all wimped out - except for Jay who ended up at a emergency supplies
collection point off-loading mattresses. And I'm glad we did because seeing
a garden twice is NOT like being back in the same place. Any gardener knows
that.
The first place we went on this day was the Fernandes garden (the Martha
Stewart garden). Now, although we had been there two days before, we had
changed bus companies and so we had another adventure in bus travel. Once
again, I have to say that I have never been to a convention where SOMETHING
didn't happen with the buses, and we've learned that they're always the wild
card. Our bus captains (who we named Thelma and Louise) were lovely people
who enjoyed the ride. The people with all the answers were sitting in the
back of the bus, whining and complaining, but not offering to help (one
reason we changed our seats on day two). But it doesn't matter....I like to
think that I got my money's worth out of those bus rides.
ANYWAY, we had gotten some intelligence from Mike Lowe that there was an
incredible garden next door to Fernandes and that we should take a peek. So
we piled off the bus and directly over to the garden next door (take a left
at the first pond and keep going straight). We entered a virtual fantasy
land of water and gardens. I know I'll never be able to adequately describe
the magnificent World 'o Water that a man named Kenny has created. Take a
person with (apparently) unlimited funds, creative ideas and a healthy ego
and you have a garden unlike anything I've ever seen before. First of all,
'garden' is not the right word since there was nothing but grass and
water.... but the effect is certainly of a garden.
The first thing that strikes you is that there are waterfalls lilterally
EVERYWHERE. The lot is on multiple levels... each one terraced with stone
and each stone terrace having it's own waterfall coming from it (and being
caught in a basin) ... and then there is a certerpiece large waterfall that
spills down several levels and into a man-made stream. There are bridges
galore, and streams and pools everywhere... and waterfalls coming from the
most unlikely places. As we walked the winding paths and bridges, we were
startled more than once by a waterfall that suddenly appeared. The crescendo
in the yard is a HUUUUUUGE pond with both a fountain and a bronze sculpture
of two dolphins also spewing water. As you stand on a deck on one end of
this pond - waaay over there is another waterfall that spills over a ledge
about 6 feet up and cascades in a sheet to the pool (and kathyguest would
plunk herself right under that sheet on a hot summer day). Rising behind
that waterfall is an incredible 3 story white stone house with a window that
occupies the whole 3 stories on one side. Of course, Carol made right for
the house, and we soon saw her talking to a man ... so we followed.
It turns out that the man Carol found was the owner of the property and was
onsite overseeing workmen who were painting. The house is still being built
and so the area immediately surrounding it is a construction site. It didn't
take too many compliments before we were invited in the house for a first
hand look....... and it was then we realized that the garden is ONLY a
prelude. THE MAN HAS A TWO STORY WATERFALL IN HIS LIVINGROOM!
The room that we saw from outside with the enormous glass front is the living
room.... and is occupied by a 15 foot crape myrtle and an equally tall
waterfall that takes up one corner of the room. Between the waterfall and
tree is a large pool area that Kenny tells us will be a hot tub (huge) from
which you can dive under a glass area and surface outside in a huge pool
(complete with island..... I mean a huuuuuuuge pool!) We all stood
slackjawed as Kenny described the areas of his house and what he's designed.
The interior is mainly open so that from the pool area we could see most of
it. Everything is custom made and ornate and there's water everywhere. The
walls are stone and will be covered with vines. There is a fireplace that
will have a waterfall flowing over it (kinda cool to see flames through
water...... until I get cold, then it would tick me off big time). There's
another sheet-type waterfall on the second level, above the fireplace that
flows into a basin. Kenny tells us that he's having seraphim and cherubim
painted on the ceiling of the master bedroom (Kenny is unmarried.... picture
Hugh Hefner in jeans), a guest bedroom that will have glassblock walls (don't
want to drool in your sleep in the Kenny household) and an enormous
dressingroom, on a balcony, for the women in his life (because he doesn't
like to see makeup and such). There are skylights and deep relief moulding
and two bars (one upstairs). A truly incredible place and one the daylily
folks just HAVE to see when they get to the convention.... IF they come back
on a second day.
I selected Kenny as my son-in-law, with the wedding to be held in the
Fernandes Garden.
We did talk to Nancy when we straggled back to her tasteful paradise and she
said that the neighbors did have to rein Kenny in at one point..... when he
planned to have flames shooting from his many ponds.
Again, the second time at a garden is a whole new ballgame, and this was no
exception. Nancy Fernandes has exquisite taste and an eye for design.
Unlike Kenny, she has learned that 'less is best' and has artfully planted
one graceful LA in one of her ponds.... framed by the simplicity of it all.
A huge clump of BOOGIE WOOGIE surrounded a birdbath and was eyecatching.
Carol has collected a full program of garden benches .... many of them from
this garden and each one unique. She is a gracious host with an incredible
garden and the time was too short.
My mind is foggy on the exact route we took this day, but we did revisit
Dyer, Watson and Woodruff and also visited a cool iris garden in the median
of a road (!!). My notes are also jumbled (since at this point, the binding
of my notepad gave and so I have loose pages). ... some notes say MIDNIGHT
OIL (Keppel) a sooty black with an indigo beard, more praises for SMILING
FACES (yellow amoena), RUTH BLACK has tea standards and lacy muted lavender
falls.
RUBY ERUPTION, Chapman /97, (which I won at the Geek auction) was blooming in
the Watson garden, this is an SDB..... yellow and ruby red plicata.... TDF.
SUSPICION, a reverse amoena by Keppel, has heavy substance and blended
lavender falls with yellow at the hafts.
Schreiners' irises were the stars of this day. MERLOT is a wonderful wine
red blended to violet in the center of the falls. With the sun shining
through it you understood perfectly the reason for the name. HARVEST FAIRE
is an interesting bicolor, DARK PASSION is a black with gold beards.
STARSHIP ENTERPRISE was showing off this day - growing well, despite the
adventurous weather.
Perry Dyer's garden was in full and glorious bloom this day.... and I spent
most of my time with the seedlings (no notes.... lots of pictures). This is
an extensive garden and it's amazing that it's so young. You'd feel
confident that the garden had been there forever. There are sweeping,
graceful beds - many of them and I'd love to be able to attend the daylily
convention to see that transformation.
And the only other note I took was on a wonderful mockingbird that provided a
musical backdrop the entire time we spent at the Watson garden.
The final activity in every convention is the awards banquet. This is when
we learn the winners of the voting at the convention (which Mike Lowe has
very competently posted), and the winners of other awards receive their cups
and plaques. You know about the Abrego-Schreiner tag-team, and the others,
so I don't feel I've let you down by leaving my pad at the hotel.
In conclusion, may I say one more time that an iris convention is just always
a great time. Not only do you get to meet the folks you've been
corresponding with for so long, but you are able to see both the best of the
best... and take a peek into the future (seedlings). I think iris folks are
the best people there are - in generosity of spirit and time, in attitude and
outlook and in humor. It was wonderful to see the flowers and to learn that
my vow to not buy anything until I've planted the stuff I have was sheer
nonsense. But most of all, it was wonderful to be able to see the people I
feel such a kinship with. Besides for the group that Peter and I traveled
with, it was great to meet Lew Best (thank you for the seeds!), Martha Brown
(who told us all about what it's like to live in a tornado-studded place - no
thank you), Mona French, Judy Hunt, Vince Lewonski and Jim Loveland from
this list. And it was wonderful to revisit with folks like Rosalie Figge
(we're convinced she could learn to pop a wheelie on her little scooter given
time), Mike and Anne Lowe, Maureen Mark, Dave Silverberg, Bill Smoot, Rusty
and Mike's Mom.
And it was especially cool to meet Bill Shear (cubic interesting person), and
to see John I Jones and Joanne, who put so much work into the geek experience.
Thank you to all you fine Okies for a spectacular convention.... and yes, we
are impressed by your weather. Peter and I were astonished to see the swath
cut by the tornado as our plane rose in the sky.......... it just went on and
on and on.
The end.
Kathy Guest who has very definately lost the weed battle in East Aurora, NY
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