Re: Fwd: Iris for Various Climates

Chuck;

There obviously has been and will continue to be
considerable discussion on Irises grow-ability in
various regions. The approach of trying to level the
playing field to find those Irises that will grow
everywhere is one approach. Another is trying to find
Irises that excel by region and report those for that
region.  George Waters article point out a flaw for
both. George was having trouble with tall-beardeds and
one might conclude that TBs are not good in his
region. Obviously this is not true since Schreiners
and Cooleys ar both in his region. The problem is more
with the variability of gardens and microclimates such
that even in one region, results can be enormously
different. Despite my just giving a reason that it
wont work I am very sympathetic to discovering
regional differences. I suspect the best way of
sorting out some of these things would be a series of
test gardens. AIS did this once. It also presents many
problems and ultimately fell by the wayside.

I suspect the biggest reason that many of these more
complex sophisticated systems are not in place is not
enough volunteers. Even changing the ballot with
another tier of results can add enough complexity that
it can strain the present workload. I am not
particularly fond of electorial colleges and I wish we
did not have them for electing presidents. But I
certainly favor the idea of senators, so maybe we need
stronger regional awards. 

In my role as AIS Public Relations I have been
discussing with other horticultural organizations our
medals. Two things have struck me. First most
gardeners do not even know we have award winners each
year, a point I will work on. Second the public does
not want to think about these awards very hard. In
other words one has to explain only a few and as
simply as possible. Of course a more complicated
system could be in place for the iris communities
benefit, but the gardening world often wants simple to
the point of ridiculousness. I get requests frequently
for no-brainer explanations on how to grow iris. What
ever happened to the concept of a green thumb and that
each person had to develop some art and knowledge to
succeed?


--- irischapman@aim.com wrote:

>    This was written during discussion of George
> Waters article, but it didn't get to list. Trying
> again.
>  
>     
>     I suspect we can have plants that do well in
> various climates. My own "Garden Bride" was
> hybridizes here in Canada, cold winters and
> inconsistant snow cover in Zone 4 (USA rating) and
> it is exceptionally hardy. It won a Loomis award in
> Colorado Springs when almost all other plants did
> pitably after a rough winter. Yet this same plant
> thrives in Texas and is proving to be a very popular
> plant there in a very hot climate much different
> then its home climate. I have not heard of any
> climate where it doesn't do well.
>  
>  I would like to see AIS award system based on
> something like the Electoral Collage, that is not
> the total vote but the vote with each region getting
> one vote after totalling vote for that region. Thus
> California and Canada would each get one vote, with
> the best in the region getting that vote (or more
> for AMs MHs etc). thus one region would not dominate
> the vote and the plant winning would by necessity do
> well in a number of regions. This would give us
> Dykes medal winners that do well in a number of
> areas, not just a few areas with a high number of
> votes.
>  
>  You can't select for survivability in a climate
> wher everything does well. I would think a number of
> Arizona or Texas plants would survive the Canada
> test, particularly if they were from stock that is
> generally hardy in a number of climates.
>  
>  Chuck Chapman
>   
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Date: Mon, 28 Aug 2006 13:14:27 -0700
> 
> 
> 
> 
> From: "FRANCELLE EDWARDS"
> <FJMJEDWARDS@worldnet.att.net>
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Subject: [iris] Cult:  Geo Water's Bulletin Article
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I was also very impressed with this article and the
> title the editor
> 
> 
> 
> 
> gave it, "Food for Thought"  It is certainly that.
> 
> 
> 
> 
>  
> 
> 
> 
> 
> As an amateur  hybridizer, I am very conscious of
> necessity of combining
> 
> 
> 
> 
> beauty and vigor in selecting seedlings.  Substance
> is also of primary
> 
> 
> 
> 
> importance to me.  I want a uniquely beautiful iris
> that will grow well,
> 
> 
> 
> 
> multiply readily and bloom over a long period of
> time.  I believe that
> 
> 
> 
> 
> most iris lovers and most hybridizers desire those
> qualities and strive
> 
> 
> 
> 
> for them.  I have grown a number of seedlings that
> have impressed me
> 
> 
> 
> 
> with their outstanding beauty.  About half of those
> were weak, either
> 
> 
> 
> 
> died,  dwindled or were dug, and no longer exist. 
> The other half are
> 
> 
> 
> 
> growing vigorously in my selected seedling garden.
> 
> 
> 
> 
>  
> 
> 
> 
> 
> However, I have a unique climate in which I have
> been notoriously unable
> 
> 
> 
> 
> to grow the Dykes Medal winners.  I fear that these
> beautiful babies
> 
> 
> 
> 
> that are so well adapted to my climate may be
> complete failures if asked
> 
> 
> 
> 
> to grow where Dykes Medal winners do well, which is
> probably about every
> 
> 
> 
> 
> place else.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Therefore, I believe that test gardens in different
> climates would be
> 
> 
> 
> 
> valuable to me.  The American Rose Society has them.
>  Why can't the AIS
> 
> 
> 
> 
> do it?  I find that growing roses is far more hard
> work than growing
> 
> 
> 
> 
> irises.  They not only have to be watered,
> fertilized, and weeded; they
> 
> 
> 
> 
> have to be pruned.
> 
> 
> 
> 
>  
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Perhaps we will find that there are Southern irises
> for 
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