Re: Region IV Fall Meeting

I attended my first AIS meeting last weekend in Suffolk.  I'm really glad
that I did and I am looking forward to the spring regional in North
Carolina.
Highlights:
	1.  Thanks to the encouragement of Clarence, I cut several stalks
of my dark purple rebloomer from 3 different sources.  All were identified
as Eleanor Roosevelt (IB-M-Re), Sass-H.P.-McDade 1933.  Since I had cut my
best bloom stalk, with a branch and 4 buds and 1 bloom opened that morning
with a little encouragement with hot water, I decided to enter it into the
fall reblooming show (my first entry!).  That beautiful little antique
rebloomer won a first place, best in section and first runner up to Queen
of the Show.  I call that wonderful encouragement to a newcomer in Region
IV.
	2.  We had 5 hours of Judge's training courses which were all 
interesting and informative.  
	3.  We had plant auctions TWO NIGHTS! with Clarence as the 
auctioneer.  He has something wonderful to say about every plant brought 
up on the auction block to convince you that you should have it in your 
gardern.  He also gave very helpful advice on plants which were more 
horticurally challenging than others, since not everyone simply wants 
plants that grow like crazy for just anyone!
	4.  With Clarence's wonderful descriptions and encouragements, I 
purchased 22 new Japanese Irises, Iris forestii, and Carol Warner's award 
winning siberian, Shaker's Prayer.
	5.  At the silent auction, I decided I needed to bid on the book, 
The Japanese Iris, by Currier McEwen, so that I could take proper care of 
my new JI's.

	Needless to say, I started digging up more of my lawn as soon as 
I got home.  I now have most of them planted.  I should finish tomorrow 
morning before the rains come Friday afternoon.  I can hardly wait to see 
how my color arrangements turn out in the spring, since I am going mostly 
by checklist descriptions, and a few catalog pictures.  I have never seen 
any of the JI's in bloom!  What an adventure!

	Thanks to Bill Smoot, Dennis, Becky, Bea, Rich and all the people
in the PCSIS Chapter who worked so hard to have an action-packed,
smooth-running and enjoyable convention. 

Phyllis Soine
Richmond, VA, USA, Zone 7 on a bluff overlooking the James River
wsoine@gems.VCU.EDU
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